To Otto Tepper1    2 April 1893

Ostern 93

Privat

 

Bin ganz gerührt von der wissenschaftlichen Anhänglichkeit, welche Sie mir bewahren, u bin Ihnen auch besonders dankbar für die bestimmte u energische practische Weise in welcher Sie für meine Interessen in der Flora-Australiens eingetreten sind, wie es ja auch der brave Hr Holtze thut. Es war richtig, dass Sie B. prompt aufforderten, nachdem er mich hinterlistig aus der Flor. Austral. zu drängen versucht, sein Circular zurückzuziehen. Aber ich glaube nicht, dass er es auf eine Privat-Forderung thun wird. Wenn die Royal Society von S.A. einen Protest in öffentlicher Sitzung gegen sein Eindringen auf mich und meine wissenschaft. Rechte auspräche, würde er doch vielleicht noch von seinen Vorhaben abstehen. Er sollte auch aufgefordert werden, die Namen der Botaniker in den anderen Colonien zu nennen, welche sich an ihn freiwillig gewandt, die Flora fortzusetzen. Diese Assertion ist eine Beleidigung für Sei u viele Andere.

Dankbar Ihr

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Ich habe die ganze Oster-Feiertage durchzuarbeiten, um die Distele Publication für das Agricultur Departement fertig zu machen. Es freut mich sehr, dass auch Tate mich vertheidigt.

 
 
 
 

Easter 932

Private

 

I am quite touched by the scientific devotion that you show me and I am also particularly thankful for the determined and energetic practical manner in which you have stood up for my interests in the Flora australiensis, just as the worthy Mr Holtze also has done. It was proper that you promptly asked B.3 to withdraw his circular4 after he treacherously tried to push me out of the Flora australiensis. However, I do not think that he will do it on a private request. If the Royal Society of South Australia would express a protest in a public meeting against his intrusion on me and my scientific rights, he would perhaps then abandon his plans.5 He should also be asked to name the names of the botanists in the other colonies, who voluntarily turned to him to continue the Flora. This assertion is an insult to you and many others.

Gratefully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

I have worked through the whole Easter holidays to get the thistle publication ready for the Agriculture Department.6 I am very pleased that Tate also defends me.

1
MS annotation by Tepper: Reply 6.4.93'. Letter not found.
2
In 1893, Easter fell on 2 April.
3
i.e. F. M. Bailey.
4
Bailey's circular, dated 16 March 1893, announcing his intention of issuing a supplement to the Flora australiensis, was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland, vol. 9, p. 15. Copies at Kew are dated 'March 1893', including a copy sent to M and received on 20 March, which M forwarded to Joseph Hooker, see F. Bailey to M, March 1893 (in this edition as 93-03-00b) and M to J. Hooker, 28 March 1893. The April 1893 issue of the Victorian Naturalist included (pp. 183-4) an announcement welcoming M's plan to issue his own supplementary volume.
5
The Society did not express such a protest; see M to O. Tepper, 9 April 1893.
6
B93.13.01.

Please cite as “FVM-93-04-02,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/93-04-02