Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-05-22
SH'EG lGCEa
OF
MR.. MARSH. OF VERMONT,
on THE ELL r0R ESTABLISHING
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
Delivered in the House of Representatives OF
the U. States, April %, 1876.

,,fauI
'hs nv lash of Vermont. after some preliminary
o..srv,,ions said. Inerec, Mr. Chairman with those
,s s 81 he ni,sd was entirely VIE in the Con-
6eques OF Mr. Smithson. Were The ono,i;on no'.
first presented should hesitate No, h,, o, nov ".
even uo1ot me power OF Congress t, administer I'M
charltN, put shodld question the proprie,r ~ ,s,
ing trust which there is too much " ~, assu''''
sha no, DISCHARGE IN sqei manner as n evs ,e
% the purpose Of the enlightened dopnr
The history Of this bequest confirms these scrunlrs
low nenf, zen years since Congress, by solemn
act assumed the trust, and pledged "he faith of the
unteo STATES" to lis fahful execution TIL. m nev
~as soon after received, and mmed ,ielv nn.sod ~,
OF inc hands OF the Government, rrecoyerably il
10 pe hoped, but 1t IS at all events now bpyoud our
eontro ana no portion Of it has been yet applied to
the noble ends Of the beques. The difficulties which
nave mus tar prevented the application of the fund IN
Us proper uses stli exist, and are Of character not
liSeiy 10 he removed Our Government has no de.
pnrtment which can he nvenently chsrsod with he
administration of the charity, and must, theref.rr
pe2h WIN tAe organization OF one for hat saoeal
prpo>e In THIS tncipcnt step, we IN Get with ohs,o
eles at every corner. Z estiens are at once raised
that are not yet solved and are certainly in
o. no easy solution. Hsw far can, how far suphk
Sonstess 10 act IN the direct csnrsl Of the chsriy-
how lar should make specia' what the vii of The
testntor has lett general? If Conarese shall direct
the particular uses to whh the fund -h, he applied
~ha shall those uses bel Or shall We OF the other
nsnu delegate the trust; aud If 40, shall we inp,.
lts duties on deparmrn,s already-,oo heavily bur.
dened with official responsibilities or shall We create
corporation or other special agency for the purpose
mere not danger that the institution will be sbu.
Tor party ends and merely serve TO swell the already
overgrown patronage Of the Executiye7 A nreyious
suggestion OF these diff "ltiss ght well hav. led us
TO hesrate, before We contracted obligations Of 90 de-
icae character, and fear ihey are vet destined far
s'me the longer TO upete the satisfactory Action of
Congress. "
But 1t is new quite time thar we apply ourselves in
eusrne.' 10 ,ha work OF redeemng our country from
the reproach of inf elty in the discharge Of 90 hirh
ana solemn trust, and that al the earl est practicable
period and before the subjecr shall become element
IN or party dts cnslons we strive TO make ay,ilahle
o. Its purposes arc noble.
The delay, long and understandable as it s has not
been without liz uses. 1t has affor led abund,n, time
Tor the collection, comparison, and concentration of
opinion; able men IN every walk of scholastic and
professional IFS have been consulted; many Of the
wsest American statesmen have hr,ush, The sizes
OF 'helr in'o scs to the eIanination # the subject
u mas been largely discussed in both htaache. Of The
national legislature; numerous striously considered
plans have been suggested providing in different way.
iof every interest which be- supposed to be en-
Tacei w'ihln the vlsws Of the testator, and the bill
now heipre us is compilation, an anthology, 80 to
speak, from all these, though posse sing original f.a
tnres-vanable 'eiures-the credl, OF which belongs
TO the chairman Of the Special Committee, (r OVEN
oy whom the bill was reported.
In case where there /, room for 90 great diversity
OF OPINION As in THIS there be hope of the adop.
ton OF any plan not conceived in spirit OF comDro.
mise; and on this on another larger nucsij,n how
ever widely apart we may be u, FIRST va shall M Ain,
bly, md ourselves IN the end obliged 10 seltl, down
upon the parallel Of 1872 The bill is reported by he
special committee as compromise, and probably no
one OF the.genemen concerned in its preparation i,
quite satisfied with lis provisions no one believe.
20 be the best plan that could be devised; but they
felt the necessity OF deierring each other as wellss
to the probable opinion Of Congress and were nearly
unanimous IN thinking it more likely 70 harmoniye
oscordant views than any other plan suggested. II
was IN fhls belief, and in consideration Of the impor
lance and the duty o! early action, that as mem
al ~
ing tho scheme, however, not merely rs necessary
compromise but as rather an experiment, which adj
united, and which trusted would hereafter receive
steai changes m its conditions, than os a COMPLETE
working model
1t hns all along been assumed as cardinal rrinci.
pie that we ought 10 follow niplcy the viii of the
noeta' oohor hhd II mas been thought unfortunate that
ne was not more specific IN the Appropriation of his
bounty. Il 1t he has given proof of nenersu> and
engh encd spirit, and ut the time has paid III
nation the highest possible compliment by using the
largest and most comprehensive language in his be.
guest; thus in effect saying that he preferred rather
TO entrust the disposal OF this srea, fund to the WIS
dom and intelligence Of free and enlightened aeople
man 10 unit lis ne 10 purposes accoTdant with hi.
own peculiar tastes Some gentlemen have thought, |
mat inasmuch as the tes,at1r has no, specified the
partlcll ar mode by which lie You'll have the rre,t
enns ~ MS charity acconpl shed, nre bound 10 |
inier his wishes from the character uf Ina f,v,r,to
pursuits and 10 confirm to his sipp,s,t yirns nv /
c'nhnlng the fund to the promotion o. ohiects IN m,
cultivation OF which his time and searches we've
ne,o'eu' nu' ms would he no true
ehiish'en"d beraluy which prGinp ed so munificen,
git. II would be dsparagemrn, u 50 genotou. ,
splrt 10 imagine, that while a1y.Dr % rnprh no ,,n,r
nue. !, "'Ha he 50 wide departure from his
large ana wise purposes, fairly to defeat hi. nnb
n!hs. Iti ne been IN fact person Il q, narrow
views ms this argument suppose liz wonI bayc
ehatneu against Inc possi IL misapplication Of hi,
chariy by express words Of direction or rcst,ic,,n
and IS proof Of generosity N an enthusiast;
lover OF mn cngrlssng pursuit, aat in heous an
p'optahg his whole esi7e IN the high purp' So of m
~ n . II IH.f trrgt- q
M special provision for the promotion or ,h,.a 80,
enceS winch were 10 him .the most attractive NJ
students '@ VI
o After all however, he was rot s,udn, NJ ca Inn;
ted range OF inquiry as has been incline. as.,,,n5
lie was man of 'tdiou- and sch1,,aii. h,h,s ~
nj large and liberal research spc-aly lryoiod ,n3I
20 me cultivation OF certain branchcs of natural
knowiedg' but exc uiinq no science, NJ nhilo.o,hv
from his sympatles. Too enlightened 10 b. i-nor,n,
OF the commune riHcuun, The Common bon of mn.
'uaI re atom winch makes all knowied!es rec procay
communicative and receprre-rlch ksrrovInr l,bt
from nll and each rejecting ll,ht unon ,l-he
was too generous 10 conine hs boun'v to the n,atf
eaon Of nstes entirely similar to his own Non. Of
me OBJECTS embraced IN this bill ale alien from his
prooaole views Books, indeed he did not collect A.
we propose to do, because to one who had N, 6..d
habtniInn library would have been but an ercnr,
FRANCE; ANA he lived in the eTe0t cities of Euron.
where public and private munfcence has collect.i
AMI devoted to general use such smpI. renosorns Of
the records Of knowlelse that individual socumul,tion
oisnch stores almo't superhloIs B IT, though he
ehlHe'el no lluIhIV, MS RTlnrs chow him Ia hay
been man OF somewhat mui,rious reading: ana il
Is quite srauliots assumption to suppos, mir, 10
nave been one OF those narrow minds vhs ta.k no
PAIN wort lravsl ing but that VII eh they have trod.
den no hed worth cultlsatlng whose fruits ih,v have
never plucFed Apart, then, from the liberty winch
me broad words of the will give us we are .n,;tl,d IA
beeve mat the purposes Of Tho tes ator wers cam
prehensivo as the language he has aseJ-,h, bs .;.d
a. promoting all knowledge for the common h.ns6,
OF all men-and to appropriate 10 The Imer;c,n 80
pie, IN spirit worthy of the object and ~ n . ~
the compliment he has paid us by sel.c,;.,
dispensers OF charity which Lnows M -, u: u ue
Utmost bounds OF human knowledge and cl.;n,, '.e
rs recipients the men Of this And Of III In; a
nges. VI ." coming
The limitation of The bequ.st than ia 10 H., H..
crease and diffusion Of acknowledge among me, - H.
two obj cts are mined at Increas. enl.rno,nn'.
extension progress; and diffusion. spread c.m,m,n;
cation dissemination. These he bill seeks IN ,.co :.
push ny various means. 1t proposes TO incr.gs.
knowledge by collecting specimens of Inc vort. If
nature, from every cline, and in each of her king
doms; by gathering objects in every braach of indus
trial. decorative. representative and imaginative ar,
BY ACCOMPLISHING the records of human srtlon. and
thought, and imagination in every form of literature
by lnstl'uins experimental researches in Agriculture
IN horticulture, IN chemistry and in other Studies
founded upon observation. IL proposes TO dfst the
knowledge thus accumulated, acquired and c,ten1.d
BY throwing open TO public use the dyersGsd COLA
tons OF the institution in every branch of human in
qnry by lectures upon every subject of liberal inter
est by narmal school where teachers shs hecor.
pupils, and the best modes that ex parienrs ba. day;l