Col.

Fremont and Baron Humboldt.

Col.

Fremont is known and honored among learned and scientific men the world over, as but few of our citizens are.

Were he to die to day, he would leave a name more honorable and more immortal than that achieved by either of his rivals for the Presidency, one of whom is nearly twice bis age, and the other a full half older.

He has contributed to the stock of knowledge of the world,--he has made his mark on the record which lives,-- he has done something positive, for he is an affirmative and positive man.

Among the notable recognitions of his labors in the field of science, and as a pioneer of American discovery, was the conferring upon him, several years ago, by the King of Prussia, of the great "Golden Medal of Progress in the Sciences."

It was presented through the great European savan and traveler, Baron Humboldt, with a letter most flattering in its terms.

We subjoin this, as showing in what light Fremont is held by a man so learned, eminent and noble.

One sentence of Humboldt's letter we have marked in italics; it was a conscientious tribute paid to the Senator then; it is highly significant of Fremont's "friendship to liberty and to the progress of intelligence" now.

"To Col.

Fremont, Senator:--It is very agreeable to me, sir, to address you these lines by my excellent friend, our Minister to the United States, M. de Gerolt.

After having given you in the new edition of my "Aspects of Nature" the public testimony of the admiration which is due to your gigantic labors between St.

Louis of Missouri, and the coasts of the South Sea, I feel happy to offer you. in this living token (dans ce petit signe de vie,) the homage of my warm acknowledgment.

You have displayed a noble courage in distant expeditions, braved all the dangers of cold and famine, enriched all the branches of the natural sciences, illustrated a vast country which was most entirely unknown to us.

"A merit so rare has been acknowledged by a sovereign warmly interested in the progress of physical geography; the King orders me to offer you the grand golden medal destined to those who have labored at scientific progress.

I hope that this mark of the royal good will be agreeable to you at a time when, upon the proposition of the illustrous geographer, Charles Ritter, of the Geographical Society at Berlin, has named you a honorarv member.

For myself, I must thank you particularly also for the honor which you have done in attaching my name and that of my fellow-laborer and intimate friend.

Mr. Bonpland, to countries neighboring to those which have been the object of our labors.

California, which has so nobly resisted the introduction of slavery, will be worthily represented by a friend of liberty and of the progress of intelligence.

"Accept, I pray you, sir, the expression of my high and affectio@te consideration.

"Your mos@ hu@ble and most obedient servant.

A. V. Humboldt.

"Sans Souci, Oct. 7, 1850."

On the envelope thus addressed:-- "To Colonel Fremont, Senator, With the Golden Medal For the progress of the sciences.

Baron Humboldt."

The following is the description of the medal: Of fine gold, massive, more than double the size of the American double eagle, and of exquisite work manship.

On the face is the medallion head of the King Frederic William the Fourth surrounded by figures emblematical of Religion, Jurisprudence, Medicine and the Arts.

On the reverse, Apollo, in the chariot of the sun, drawn by four high-mettled plunging horses, traversing the zodiac, and darting rays of light from his head.

The following is the recognition of Fremont's geographical and geological labors which Baron Humboldt alludes to, as having been embraced in one of his books:

"Fremont's map and geographical investigations comprehend the extensive region from the junction of the Kansas river with the Missouri to the falls of the Columbia, and to the missions of Santa Barbara and Pueble de los Angeles, in New California; or a space of 28 degrees longitude, and from the 34th to the 45th parallel of latitude.

Four hundred points have been determined hyposometrically by barometic observations, and, for the most part, geographically by astronomical observations; so that a district which, with the winding of the route, amounts to 3,600 geographical miles from the mouth of the Kansas to Fort Van Couver and the shores of the Pacific, (almost 720 miles more than the distance from Madrid to Tobolsk.) has been represented in profile, showing the relative heights above the level of the sea.

"As I was, I believe, the first person who undertook to represent, in geognostic profile, the form of entire countries--such as the Iberian peninsula, the high lands of Mexico and the Cordilleras of South America, (the semiperspective profections of a Siberian traveler, Abbe Chappe, were founded on mere and generally ill-judged estimations of the fall of rivers) it has given me particular pleasure to see the geographical method of representing the form of the earth in a vertical direction, or the elevations of the solid portion of our planet above its watery covering, applied on so grand a scale as has been done in Fremont's map."

PLANING.