Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-05-22


that sho I'D thus best accomplish the purposes o.
the donor, desire not 10 be understood as speaking
contemptnously ofrcsearch and experiment IN natural
knowledge and the economic arts. have too m'eh
both of interest and of feeling stskcJ upon the rios
penty Of these arts, and they 10 subject, too
ntrnsicaliy attractive, to allow me TO be INDIFFERENT
TO any measure which promises TO promote III " nd.
| vancement. am even convinced that their earnest
cultivation and extension are absolutely iidspcnsa' 10
toor hationai prosperity, our true ioepenucu., anu
almost our political eNistence; and am asli times
resdy to maintain their claim TO all the legislative
favor which il is within the power OF the General
Government to bcstow. | would not, therefore, eS-
cude them from the plan OF great national nsii,u-
| Ton for the promotion of all good learning; but |
desire TO assign them their true place in the scale of
human knowledge, aud must be permitted TO express
my dissent from the doctrine implied by the b ns
originally framed and referred to the Specie, Commit.
tee which confines all knowledge I'll science 10 the
numerical and guam aite Values Of material things.
.eseatcnes IN sch branches were the favored OBJ.
lects OF that bill have in general little OF a really
sclePnhc character. Geology, minoralony. even
Chemistry, are but assemblages of apparent facts en-.
pirically established; and this must always be true.
10 great extent of every study which rests upon oh.
srvalion and experiment alone. True science is the
casslhcatlon and ARA ngement of necessary primary
truths, according TO their relations with each other,
ana IN reference 10 the logical deductions which may
ne made from them Sreh science, the only abs Iue
kno,o'eage is the highest and worhost object of hu.
man inquiry, and must be drawn from deeper sources
than the crucible and the retort.
he bIll provides for the construction Of buildings,
win suitable apartments for library, and for colec-
IONS IN the various branches Of natural knowledge
ani TART, and directs the annual expenditure of sum
NOT exceeding an average OF ten thousand dollars,
FOR the gradual formation Of a library composed OF
salna lo works Pertaining 10 all departments of hu.
man KNOWLEDGE" As have already indicated, !
consider this the most valuable feature of the plan.
though think the amour, unwisely restricted and
shali conhnc the Few observations design TO sub
nit respecting the hill chiefly to the consideration OF
TINS single provision. had originally purposed to
examine the subject from quite different point OF
unxY hn nj r, a. r
the Special Committee, mr. Owen) which seem to be
intended as m argument rather against this provision
than in favor Of the bill and reply to the able and
brilliant, speech off distinguished member If another
ornnch OF Congress, upon n former OCCASION (AIr
Choae,) has induced me to take somewhat narrow.
er range than should otherwise have done wish,
SIR that Senator were here to reoln in his own proper
person, 10 the beautiful speech of the gentleman from
Indiana, who seems rather to admire the rhetoric,
than to convinced by the logic, of the eloquent ora
tor 10 whom refer. In that case, sir think nv
friend from Indiana, trenchant as his wcap
ons would feel as many have felt before that the
polished blade of the gentleman who lately did such
honor TO Massachusetts in the Senate Of the United
States, not the less Keen because like Harmodus
ana Arisioglton he wraps it in sprays OF myrtle.
1t has been objected bySone tina, the appropriation
y too large for the purpose eSpresscd-"The gradual
formation of library composed of valuable works
pertaining to all departments of human knowledge"
But II We consider how much is embraced IN these
comprehensive words, we shalI arrive at a very df-
i-rent conclusion. The great lbrare Of Europe ranpe
from 2000 600 halfa million or perhaps even $50 600
volumes Thai OF the University Of Gottinger, the
most useful OF all for the purposes Of general scholar
ship contains about 300 900. How long would it
require 10 collect a library ike this with an annual
expenditure OF ten thousand dollarsl The library Of
Congress is said 10 have cos, abou, 3d. so per yulume
hut, as whole 1t has not been economically pur.
chased, and though composed chiefly OF works which
DO not MAINTAIN a permanently high price, vet as n
large proportion of the annual purchases consists of
nee books from the press of London the dearest book
been hiuhar
than that of great misce aneuus library ought to e.
The hes, public library IN A,nericn, for its extent
10000 voIunes) which am happy to say is that of
the university of my native state, Vermont, cost but
81 50 per volume. 1t can hardly he expected, that
Government, which always pays the highest price
VIII be so avorably dealt with aud it scarcely 10
be hoped. that 1t will succeed in securing the services
OF % faithful and SO competent agent as was EN-.
piovet by the University of Vermont.
have myself been, unfortunately for my purse, a
and have had occasign to procure books,
not only IN this country, but from all the principal
book mlrts in Western Europe. From my own cx-
Pe'!snce ana some inquiry, am satisfied that the
whole cost Of such books as a national library ought
10 consist OIL including binding and all other charges,
except the colnpen alton and travelling Expenses of
an agent, should not exceed two dol irs per volume
II you allow $1,000 for the compen alton and spen-
ses OF an agent, (Which would not be increased upon
consl erab'e larger eypendture) you have 50 900
naming, which, at the average cost have supposed
waud purchase four thousand volumes year. How
long repeat, would II require al this rate TO accumu
-
Moro than seventy years. In some seventy years
then IN three score years and ten, when YOU sir AM
j. ara all who hear my voice an all the present actors
IN this busy world shall be numbered with the dead
we may hope, that free enlightened America, by the
too spailng Of the generous bounty of stranger
VIII possess collection OF the recorded workings of
the human mind, not Inferior 10 that now enoyei by
single school IA the immature kingdom Of Hanover
AMI wha' provision i made for the increase Of books
Look at the activity of the presses Of
London and Paris-at the vastly prolific literature OF
Gernany-at the increasing productions in our own
roGniryto omit the smaller but s, valuable contr-
hiions 10 the store OF human knowledge in the Ian
rlases OF other countries and you will perceive that
this APPROPRIATION far from being extravagantlv
lrse, will scarcely even suffice for Keeping up with
the current literature ofthe day. Gotngen mean time
will 20 on. Her 300 COO volumes viii increase in
sesonty years 10 half n!Ilon and sha still lag
200 600 volumes behind.
The utility fgreat libraries has been questioned
and has been ontioHtly asserted that al truly val
IN le kno~ieige ~ comprised IN comparatively small
number of volumes 1t ia said that the vas, co'lec.
nIns OF the Vatican, Of Paris of Munich AMI of CO.
panhnre1 are, IN great measure, comp sed Of works
onsnally worthless or now obsolete, or superseded
yne" ed!ons or sutpa- dby later treatises That
there - some foundation for this opinion | shall not
deny; but after every deduction - made mon these
h'co ns, mere VIII s' remain in any OF these lib IA
rle great number of works which, having originally
had intrinsic worth, have yet their permanent yalre
Because newer, or better, truer book upon civ.
en- al lect, now exists. il does not neress,rv foo,v
that the Older and inferior is to be rejected Il may
contain important trGth. or interesting views thai
iarr ana upon tho whole, better authors have oyer
looked ii may emboiy curious n-cdote or ftro,ten
hnes-t may be valuable IA m ILLUSTRATION, o' tho his
toiY oil OPINION, or as a model If compassion: or If
o' great antiquity, II may possess much interest n,
specimen of early typography.
p Again, because any individual even tho rnos,
learned cannot in this short lite exhau., nil nrt no.
ca 'se he can thoroughly master but n few hundred
volumes, read, or even have occasion 10 consnlt Inn
few thousands we are not therefore authorized IN con
clu lie that all beyond these are superfuous Each NJ
the hundred authors, who have produced those ,hon
SANDS OF volumes has read also his thousands The
schols 10 formed, not by tho books alone hat he h,
read but he recelves at second hand the essenc. of
ulitutes OF othersi for every good book suppo..s
and nplus the previous existence of numerous other
good books.
An individual even of moderate means, and who is
content to conhne his studies within somewhat narrow
bounds may select and acquire for himself library
though entirely unsuited to the purpose of one Of diff
he may attain high degree of mental culture; but
national library can be accommodated to no narrow
or arbitrary standard. II must embrace all science
all hl-torv--nll languages. II must he extensive
enough and diversified enough, 10 furnish ament for
the cravings of every appetite. We need some great
establishments that shall not hoard its treasures with
the Jealous nigsardines which locks up the libraries
OF Britain but shall emulue the generous munh cence
which throws open TO The world the boundess stores
Of literary wealth Of Germany and France ex-
haustless foln,ain, where the poorest and humbesr
aspiran may sake his thirst for knowledge without