The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-06-11


n SUN "nol exceeding an average OF ten
thousand dollars. for the gradual formation
Of a library composed of valuable WORKS
pertaining to all departments OF human
knowledge." As have already Indlca>
ted, / consider This the mos! valuable
feature OF the plan, though ! think the
amount unwisely restricted and l shall
confne The few observations | design to
submit respecting the bill chiefly 10 the
consideration of this single provision. |
had originally proposed to examine the
subject from quite a different point OF
view, but the eloquent remarks OF the
Chairman of the Special Committee, (Mr.
Owen,) which seems to be intended as an
argument rather against this provision
than in favor of the bill, and as a reply 10
the able and brilliant speech of a dlstln>
guished member OF another branch OF
Congress, upon o former occasion, Mr..
Choale,) has induced me TO take a some>
what narrower range than | should 9TH
erwise have done. | wish, sir, that the
Senator were here TO rejoin, in his own
proper person, to the beautiful speech of
The gentleman from Indiana, who seems
rather 10 admire the rhetoric, than TO be
convinced by the logic, of the eloquent
orator to whom | refer. Ia hat case, sir,
think my friend from Indiana, trench
AMI as are his W weapons, would feel,
as many have felt before, that the polish
cd blade of the gentleman, who lately did
such honor to Massachusetts in the Sen
ate of the United States, is not the less
keen, because, like Harmodius and Arls>
,ogiton, he wraps it in sprays Of myrtle.
1t has been objected by some, that the
arropriation is too large for the purpose
expressed-"The gradual formation of a
library composed of valuable works per.
tanning to all departments of human
knowledge." But if we consider how
much is embraced in these comprehen-
sive words, we shall arrive at a very diff
ierent conclusion. The great Libraries of
Europe range from 100000 10 half a mill.
ion, or perhaps even 100000 volumes
That of the University of Gottingen, the
most useful ofall for the purposes OF gem
eral scholarship, contains about 100000.
How long would it require to collect a IL
brary like this, with an annual expendi-
ture of ten thousand dollars? The Lii
brary of Congress is said to have cost "a
bout So, SO per volume; but, as a whole,
it has MOI, been economically purchased,
and though composed chiefly of works
which do not maintain a permanently
high price, yet as a large proportion ofthe
annual purchases consists OF new books
from The press Of London, The dearest book
market in the world, its cost has been
much higher than that of a great miscel-
library ought to be, The best
public library in America, for its ex.ent;
10000 volumes.) which | am happy 10
say, is that of the university of my native
State, Vermont, cost but $3.50 per vols
ume. 1t can hardly be expected, that
Government, which always pays the
highest price, will be so favorabIy deal. /
with and it is scarcely TO be hoped, that t
i will succeed in securing the services Of S
80 faithful and so competent an agent as a
employed by the University of Ver~ t
mon. [
l have myself been, unfortunately for T
ny purse, a book buyer, and have had
TO procure books, net only in this +
but from all the principal book /
10 Western Europe. Ftom my +
own experience, and some inquiry, | am t
that the whole cost of such books |
As a national library ought to consist Of, i
including binding and all other charges,
except the compensation and travelling ex- S
oenses Of an agent, should not exceed two
iollars per volume. 1t you allow $4,000 r
or the compensation and expenses of an a
lgeDr, (Which would not be increased up t
m a considerably larger expenditures you
lave $4,000 remaining, which, at the a
lverage cost | have supposed, would pur> r
;hase four thousand volumes a year, a
How long, | repeat, would it require at e
his rate TO accumulate a library equal in {
extent 10 that of Gollingen? More than /,
years. In some seventy years, Il
hen, in three score years and ten, when r
you, sir, and /, and all who hear my
voice. and all the present actors in this q
busy world shall be numbered with the y
dead, we may hope, that free, enlightened {
America, by the too sparing use Of the d
bounty Of stranger, will pos t
sess a collection Of The recorded workings ,
of The human mind, not inferior 10 that q
low enjoyed by a single school in the {
miniature kingdom of Hanoverl And I
what provision is made for the increase OF
meanwhile! Look at the activity
of the presses of London and Paris-at the
vastly prolific literature Of Gcrmany-at
increasing production in our own
country-to omit the smaller but still val
u15le contributions 10 the store Of human
knowledge in the languages of other coun-
tries. and you will perceive that this ap
preparation, so far from being extravagan,.
ly large, will scarcely even suffice for
keeping up with the current literature of
the day. Gouingen mean time will 90