Congress and the Legislatures there is no hope for us. The door to hell the lowest and hottest stands open night and day, the infernal pit yawns just before us and down we must go unless God in his infinite compassion give us grace and wisdom to decline as did John Brown the leadership of such statesmen and such priests as are left to us in these degenerate days-unless we sternly resolve with leaders or without to do the thing that ought to be done. You will not understand me to approve John Brown's war making. Tho with his principles-his way of reading and understanding the Bible he was right and the only consistent man I know of. And the same praise belongs to the few that were his companions if they held his views. But such have never been my opinions of Christianity. I have supposed the anti-slavery weapons not carnal, have always maintained that the slave-holders may kill me if they like but I will never harm a hair of their heads. Such is still my way of thinking. But an anti-slavery man that votes and thinks cases may arise when he would fight, must, it seems to me, give John Brown his highest and most unqualified praise and if much developed in conscientiousness he will be likely at some time to rise up, go and do likewise. It is one of the worst omens of the times that Captain Brown could before his defeat at Harper's Ferry find so few to sympathize with him in politics, since that time, so few in religion, so few worshipers of John Brown's God. Truly I am afraid we are a God forsaken set. As to the negroes I am quite sure they must soon be free whether as a dominant caste as in Hayti or as co-ordinate, co-equal, co-religionists with their some-time masters I do not know or care because I think one race as good as the other. Mrs. Callahan requests to be respectfully remembered to you and your father as one who has a sincere regard for you both and would consider it a great pleasure to see either or both of you again. With cordial affection and esteem, I remain, your uncle, E. JAMES. LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC WORK. Doctor James shows fine literary ability in the works compiled and edited by him, also in his letters which are written with precision. In few instances do they show any erasures or corrections. The literary spirit has appeared frequently in succeeding generations of the James family-a nephew, Henry James, was sent by the New York Herald as a staff correspondent to Brazil. His early death cut short a career of unusual promise. A grand nephew, Edwin James of Jamestown, Ia., but recently deceased, has done editorial work in St. Louis and Davenport, and a brother of the latter, Henry James, of the Philadelphia Daily Ledger, who began his literary career as a reporter for the Rocky Mountain News, has acquired a reputation as a forceful thinker and editorial writer on papers of the far west -notably in San Francisco and Tacoma. Doctor James was a keen observer as his volumes on the Expedition show. He made careful notes of all the conditions surrounding the different places along the route. Much of his time was given to the geology of the Expedition; his account of geological formations do not always conform to present designations, but it must be remembered that less was known of geology than botany in those days. He discovered several new species of plants, the Aquilegia caerulea, the Rocky Mountain columbine, which is the state flower of Colorado, also the Pinus flexilis found at the timber line on James' Peak. One Rosaceous plant is named after him-Jamesia. Of the columbine he says: From our encampment we traveled nearly south, and, crossing a small ridge dividing the waters of the Platte from those of the Arkansas, 'halted to dine on a tributary of the latter. In an excursion from this place we collected a large species of Columbine, somewhat resembling the common one of the gardens. It is therefore unknown to the flora of the United States, to which it forms a splendid acquisition. If it should appear not to have been described, it may receive the name of Aquilegia caerulea. In a foot note the species is described as follows: "Leaves twice ternate; flowers terminal, remote; nectaries straight and very long. It inhabits sandy woods of pine, and spruce within the mountains, rising sometimes to the height of three feet." He refers to other plants of the region in the following way: In passing from the headwaters of the branch of the Platte called Defile creek, to those of one of the northern tributaries of the Arkansas, we notice some change in the soil, and soon met with many plants we had not seen before. Several of these, as the common juniper, and the red cedar (Juniperus Virginiana, Ph.), the black and hemlock spruce (Abies nigra and A. canadensis); the red maple (Acer rubrum Mx.); the hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginica L.) the Populus tremuloides Mx. Pinus resinosa, Pyrola secunda, Orchis dilatata, etc., are common to mountainous districts in all the northern parts of the territory of the United States. A campanula, probably the C. uniflora, bearing a single flower about as large as that of the common hare-bell, occurs very frequently. Many others are here found which require more careful and extensive comparison with the plants of Mexico, Siberia, and other countries than we have yet had the opportunity to make. There is neither an Abies nigra nor Canadensis, he probably observed the Picea Engelmanni or the Picea Parryana and the Douglas spruce. The red maple referred to here is undoubtedly Acer glabrum. Hop-hornbeam does not occur. Pinus resinosa undoubtedly is Pinus scopulorum. The Populus tremuloides, Pyrola secunda, Orchis (Habenaria) dilatata and Companula uniflora are known to occur in the region visited by James. In another connection he refers to the description of a collection of fine plants in the following footnote: One of these is a large and conspicuous plant of the natural family of the Cruciferae, which may be referred to the new Genus Stanleya of Nuttall, and distinguished as S. integrifolia. Stem simple, leaves entire, ovate, oblong, tapering to both ends; stem angular; flowers in a terminal raceme, which is a little branched below; about six inches in length. Stipe of the Silique, about as long as the pedicel. Flowers large, yellow. The whole plant seen at a little distance, has a remote resemblance to Lysimachia thyrsiflora. The leaves are five or six inches long, two or three wide, glaucous and veined, in surface and color, nearly resembling those of the common cabbage which they are not wholly unlike in taste. The calyx is large, and of a brighter yellow than the other parts of the flower. It inhabits the summits of the sandstone ridges along the base of the mountains. The S. pinnatifida, N., the original type of this genus was found by its discoverer, Mr. Nuttall, to act as a violent emetic. It had been eaten as a substitute for cabbage by several of the party who accompanied him. The Stanleya intergrifolia James is recognized by botanists as a valid species. He was interested in plants all through his life. The following is a letter from John U. Rauch to C. C. Parry: Yours of June 20th reached me in due time, and was very sorry indeed to hear that you could not visit Burlington. Mr. James was very much disappointed, and begged me to assure you, that he would be happy to see you at any time. He was in my office on Saturday and in looking over the Planta Wrightianæ he was considerably amused to see that his opinion with regard to the Cacurbita perennis of Gray, he calling it Cucumis perennis was marked doubtful. He still thinks he is right, he told me Dr. Torrey first differed with him. He is as enthusiastic and ardent as ever, and remarked to me that he could walk one hundred miles to see a new plant, but would like to take the steam boat back. You would have been delighted with him. He has his peculiarities, and the masses cannot appreciate him, he is at least two hundred years ahead of the time in many things. Think I shall not be able to attend the meeting of the American Scientific Association at Cleveland, as I intend going east in December, I shall have to remain home. Have not the least doubt that I would be gratified, and should be pleased to make the acquaintance of those who attend. It shall afford me much pleasure to collect the fish and reptiles found here for the Smithsonian collection, also serve Prof. Baird in any capacity that I am able. I am now engaged in preparing the proceedings of our State Society for publication, and I find it to be considerable of a job, fortunately for the honor of the Society, I was ordered empowered to correct, improve and revise them. The business and everything is mixed, owing to the neglect of the former officers. It is really discouraging, all the work falls on a few, and I for one am getting tired. I am hoping, however, that a better state of things will occur in a few years. This is all that buoys me up. Few will sacrifice a little of self, for the good of the profession. Hoping soon to hear from you, I am, yours truly, JOHN U. RAUCH. References to the work of Thomas Nuttall and other early American botanists show that Doctor James was a student. So far as accuracy is concerned his notes are better than those made on the natural history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and stand as a monument to his indefatigable labors. They form the best account we have of early western explorations. It is to be regretted that his manuscripts, collections and papers were destroyed. After the death of his wife, orders were given to his housekeeper, Mrs. Callahan, to burn them. As has been previously stated his name should have been perpetuated in the mountain peak which for a time bore his name; it will be remembered, however, as long as Jamesia blossoms and the study of systematic botany engages the attention of man. Dr. William Salter, of Burlington, writes as follows: The life of Edwin James is worthy your thorough study. He was a remarkable man in many respects-personal, scientific, historic, moral and religious-a unique character. Personally I only knew him as a mystic, a recluse, an abolitionist, a come-outer, an underground conductor for men "guilty of a skin not colored like his own," a non-resistant, in fact a "John Brown' |