The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-27


cause no provision is made in this bill for any
Economical establishment and because, upon former
occasions, II has been urged with great ability, and
from distinguished quarter, that the greater part
II not the whole Of this fund, should be appropra.
ted for this purpose. The venerable gentleman
IRON Massachusetts will understand my alluson.
IL has been with great pleasure and profit, and with
complete sympathy in the noble enthusiasm Of the
author, that read the report of that gentleman,
made 10 this House in 1872 upon the disposition of
the Smithsonian bequest. He seems TO have been
imbued with most exalted sense Of the sublimity
OF the great objects heretofore accomplished, and
hereafter 10 be attained by the ardent and laborous
pursuit Of astronomy. Sir there is no mind not
wholly destitute OF elevation, and wholly ignorant
OF the supendous wonders and glores of the uni
verse as revealed TO the gaze Of sar eyed science"
who could read that able report and not be deeply
affected by II. quote the following passage; =
This object Of observatory the Increase Of
tween The hrsnsnt Of heaven ana The GLOBE allotted b,
the Lresor Of all be the adobe Of dooyerabs
only by the Of the eyr Many Of these relations ar.
indispensable 10 the existence OF ls and perhaps
Of the earth itself Who conceive the idea Of the earth
light and heat OF all animal hie Of ell vegetation
and production leaving the eles, olod VI return
TO the primitive state oiohaos 10 be consumed BY ee
msutsf are The influence OF the moon-of tbs planet
our nsxtdoor neghbon Of the solar systsmof the fixed
stan the blue expanse IN mutndes exceed
Ing the power hamIn computation, and at distances Of
which Imagination herself form distinct
Ses ~ an nee upon me goos ss nhse and
aht 10 great and sterous and In the search for final
causes % great extent inscrutable TO hS unite aud m
ed iacutea The extent TO which they dscoyeTable
). and must remain unknown hut to the vigilance OF
sesplsss eye TO the toll ola tiresss hand aud
eres succrssyey reyesed not only OF the deepest i'm.
port to the welfare Of in his earthly but which
seem to lin him from the earth the threshold Of his
eternal abode to lead him bihdiod up the council chan
her Of omnposncs and then stripping the bandage from
his eyes, bid him look undazIlsd al the throne Of God"
al. II.
testimony Of one who understands the subject we'll.
the character Of the results be expected from the
extensive cultivation Of astrono mca science. think
u will be admitted, that though the discoveries no W
TO be expected in that field. will be well calculated
to elevate the soul and I'LL it with wonder and
amnzement, nothing of very practical or directly
useful nature, In its bearing upon the immediate
pursuits Of life IL TO be expected, beyond the in.
creased accuracy and extent Of observations
ry for nautical and Typographical purposes | am
by no means disposed TO underyalue the importance
Of this sublime branch of human knowled Nor
will undertake to say that investigation Of the
heavens may not produce new results intimate
ly connected with and highly important 10
some Of the economical purposes of life. What
| mean to say, is, that the discoveries yet
to be made, promise only, or at least chiefly to
crafty that high and audable curiosity, which
seeks to know and understand, far as human in
telligence may, the sublime and wonderful works Of
the Creator. New double stars may be discovered
revolving about each other, by the operation of
strange and unknown laws, the investigation OF
which may be subject of profound interest. Their
compromising cOors, shedding mixed stellar inf u
ence upon an intimate and curious examination,
may possibly reveal 10 some penetrating eye new
and important truths connected with the theory Of
light The occulation of Jupiter's satellites enable
US to measure lis velocity with almost absolute ex-
actness. The contrased colors of these wonderful
binary stars, may eventually settle the question: lift
be not already settled, between the theory OF undu-
ations and that of particles emanating In straight
lines and may, in some lucky hour, TO some favor
ed son of genius, unfold distinctly and forever the
apparently intricate and nov hidden relations of
light heat, electricity, magnetism, and graystion
higher and more complete generalization of the
great phenomena Of the universe may be accom-
plshed and it is wholly impossible to tell how d.
rectly and immediately such discoveries may bear
upon the practical pursuits which contribute 10 the
physical well-being Of man. Who, at the present
day, can calculate the influence exerted upon the
happiness of man, during successive generations by
the knowledge of those three strange and wonderful
lava, discovered, not without long and aborious in
vestigaton, by the celebrated Kepleri Who can
trace their consequences in the subsequent discover
les Of that science--or rather, | should ask, VIVA,
would now be our knowledge of the planetary sys
TEN, and ability TO apply it to exact nautical pur.
poses, If those laws AID all that results from them
! we're at this day blank in astronomical science
That the radius-vector of a planet describes eaua
areas in equal times! How simple law, yet how
pregnant Of consequences, incacuable in extent and
! value
| Notwithstanding these admissions, and nv deem
conviction the great value of astronomical truth
| cannot think that field of knowledge likely to be
productive of useful fruit, that the Smithsonian
fund ought ever to have been directed entirely OF
chiefly TO that object But whatever may have
been the conflict of opinion in this respect, the dis
ht al lt.zL... II
vatory. 1t is matter of high qualification to my
mind that the government has at last awakened to
the Importance of the subject and has found com.
pete justification, in the Typographical and topo.
graphical necessities Of its by sea and land
for the endowment of 30 useful an institution And
am glad sir, to hear 1t announced that the distin-
gulshed gentleman from Massachusetts finds his au-
Die enthusiasm for noble branch of science, fully
| met and satisfied by the establishment in question
think, Mr.. Chairman, if there be anything plain
and obvious in reference the plan to be adopted for
the Smithsonian institution, il is that no university or
| college OF an ordinary kind would come within the
scope Of the testators intentions or would contrib
| ute properly to the end desired. We require
something connected with the great practical pur-
poses of fe-something in accordance with the pro-
gressive spirit OF the age-something looking imme-
dlately to the elevation improvement and happiness
of the great mass Of the people Sir it is not to be
denied that most Of our best institutions OF learning
arc iot VI tilo AHeV look CHleHy the
PAST, searching for the obscure beginnings ofknowl
edge in the dead languages, and in the writings OF
ancient sages, poets, and philosophers. II is our
business to look chiefly to the great FUTURE, with
it's glorious fruits, ready 10 burst from teeming
SOIL warmed and enlightened by the great sun Of
science, which now difuses its energetic rays into
every corner Of human affairs wherever life vege-
table ANIMAL and wherever mental or ply steal
power in its ten thousand inventive forms may find
a foothold for existence. ,
| In a letter Of DR.. Thomas Cooper, Of South Car
DINA, addressed TO Mr.. Forsyth Goth July 1898, in
answer to inquiries on the subject of the Smi,hso.
man bequest, that, distinguished gentleman says:
al object to all bellies ieiirs and philosophical literature
as calculated only to make pleasant takers object
| TO medicine.
object TO iaw. Ethics and politics yet unsettled
| branches Of nowledge. ...... q Be-. ....
~ to those studies cultivated which in their
known tendencies and results sbrdge human labor and
increase and multiply the comforts OF existence to the great
| mass Of mankind"
| Richard Rush, of Philadelphia writes to the Sec.
rotary Of State the same subject, on the 9Th Of
November, 1888, and proposes plan for the nsti-
tuition not greatly dlssimar from that proposed by
this bill lquote this short passage;
"A university or college in the ordinary SENSE any