American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-04-11
| Communication.

10 MERCHANTS. The effort that is to be
Immediately made, to raise funds for the uur-
pose OF building, upon all economical, and at
the same time respectable scale, an Athcnwum
and Gallery of Arts, in this city, NAV very pro-
pory commend itself TO your favorable cons-
doratop.
The want of places OF public resort of an ele-
waited character, which, at the same time, might
be made interesting and useful, and to which
citizens and strangers could freely resort, has
long been felt and admItted-n consequence of
which, both in pecunary and moral point of
view, our city and those who daily contribute
to Its interests and Advancement, have been ma
terial sufferers.
We have no place which is calculated to az
tract, either for social or literary purposes the
members OF our communicates to which Il
stranger of good taste and standing can be in
vIted, with the shadow of a prospect of contr-
butng to his qualification or improvement.
Our city is the direct resort of gentlemen
(more particularly for purposes of business of
character and refinement, whose estimate of
those amongst whom they soiourn, is in great
degree measured and estimated by the evidence
es in their midst, of their muniicence to. and
apparent interest in Institutions, the end and
design OF which is to G i've tone and character to
communities and individuals in their moral and
religious aspects;-and their stay is often more
or less permanent, IN proportion as other con-
sIderatlons than dollars and cents are permitted
to exert an influence and form an attraction,
All will most readily admit that our interests,
in every way. are most essentially promoted and
sustained by the resort hither of men of bust
ness, many of them from immense distances:
and it should be our pleasure, as it certainly is
our duty, to extend to them the rites of hospi-
tally and good fellowship upon a generous
scale-and to endeavor to mitigate, by rational
and unobtrusive attentions, the tedum of hours
and periods not devoted to active duties, which
mast otherwise prove burthensome and value
less in city composed mostly of strangers.
A link in the chain of our deficiency IN these
respects, and as is believed an important one, it
is proposed to supply by the erection of the con-
templated building, with ample accommoda-
tons fol the Historical Society, the Baltimore
Library, with any subsequent additions, and
ample reading and other rooms attachod--to
which is to be superadded large and we'll ar
ranged Gallery, for the ownership and exhb-
ton of paintings and Statuary; and the entire
concern placed in central position, will be
rendered perfectly comfortable at all seasons,
accessible at all reasonable hours, and thrown
open to the public on the most reasonable
terms.
The day should be well-nigh at hand when
the appliances of bar and oyster rooms should
give way to something more rational and re-
fined, both as an offering of hospitality to
stranger and as places of social gathering a.
mongst ourselves-that other resorts should be
frcquented, particularly on the part of many of
our young men, where something may be inn
bibed besides the fumes of tobacco and the fumes
of alcohol
The example of our Boston brethren in all
affairs OF q kindred character with the one we
are now contemplating, may we'll challenge our
observation, and the salutary influence of their
efforts in the promotion of their wealth, intel
ligence and trns dignity ofcharacter, may very
properly be cited as an illustration in adapting
means to ends, that should not he lost upon u.s.
More than three quarters of all our losses are
the direct results of bad habits and low tastes,
and before we can hope to overcome them en-
tireIy, it is material that we should present al
Tentative attractions that shall merit, and if
possible command, attention and regard
The importance of the contemplated project
is almost universally admitted, and by no class
amongst us with more entire unanimity than
the one now specially addressed-and a liberal
response would appear to be demanded by con-
sistency to ourselves, and as praseworthy ex-
ample to be accorded in by others.
ONE OF YOUR NUMBER