The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-28

of which all that il true and valuable in history
in the arts and sciences, in philosophy, in liter
AZURE, might be universally diffused.
His first efforts toward the contamination of
his purpose were made IN the northern portions
of Europe, and at once elected the hearty APP
prevail and admiration of the crowned heads of
Russia, Austria, and Prussia. France, the
country of his birth, eagerly assented to the
great enterprise; England was equally prompt;
and, coming to the United States upon mis-
sion of peace and benefcence, M. VATTEMARE
was heartily welcomed, and the approval of our
people was manifested for the benevolent and
philanthropic objects of his mission
From the archives of nations, from public
and private Libraries, from museums, and from
every depository, he has sought for all that is
curious and rare in art or literature, and has in
duced the bestowment by nation upon nation of
copies of every thing that subserve the pur
poses of the divine, the statesman, the lawyer,
the physician the naturalist, the poet, the artist,
the mechanic, or the farmer and the result of
his efforts have been truly wonderful.
We have seen him within the past few days
laboriously engaged in the arrangement of the
various articles composing great national gift
Of the Government of France to the United
States and to several of the individual States of
our Union. These books comprise many of the
most valuable and precious works, on literature
and science, eXtant in the French language.
To enumerate them here would be impossible,
| and to convey any adequate idea of the richness
| of their contents would of itself require vol
ume of no meagre limits. Many of them, in
deed, have been produced upon scale of mag
| ni6cence that cannot be initiated in our new
and practical country; nor can they be estimated
| by money valuation, high as that would I'M
doubtedly appear. The engravings alone, by
| which they are illustrated, give indications Of
| liberality of expenditure for such purposes of
which nothing is known amongst us.
| Nor is this all. M. VATTEMARE has just
completed task that has cost him several
months Of the most intense application, and for
| which we feel assured our nation will acknow
| ledge that debt Of gratitude is due him. One
| thousand and twenty-five medals, struck by
order Of the French government during the pc
Rod of time from l494 to lS49 inclusively, have
been classified and arranged, and full, accu-
rate, and comprehensive descriptive catalogue
| of them has been written out by him. These
| medals exhibit the most exquisite artistic
| skill, and amongst their designs embrace the
portraits of as many as one hundred and fifty
nine eminent and distinguished personages.
They form a consecutive suggestive history of
| the long period Of time we have named, viz
three hundred and fifty-six years. Is it not
truly gratifying to know that in all the revolu-
tions of that country, these monuments of king
| ly munifcence and power should have been
preserved as sacred relics of the past!
! But M. VATTEMARE will not be forever de-
voted to his labor Of love. He will pass away,
and other heads and other hands must assume
| the duty that TO him has not been like the bur-
| den of Sisyphus; for he has nobly achieved his
honorable task.
| Henceforth the advantages of lNTERNATIoNAL
| EXCHANGES will be understood, and with each
successive gift will go out from nation unto ma
ton such manifestations of kindly wishes and
fraernal regard as will cause men to dwell in
wonder upon the days of comparative barbarism
that recently existed, in which nations were
| held to be the natural aliens and foes OF each
| other.
The Congress of Nations is but manifesto
ton of this growing feeling The increasing
facilities for national INSTRUMENTATION are
important agencies in fostering the growth of
| liberal and tolerant sentiments The cxped-
tous transmission of thought, which will yet
bring the two great continents within an hours
distance of each other, will prove another ten
drill in the great sympathetic nerve of nations.
But proudly towering amongst them all will
still be the grand scheme that is to perpetuate
to future generations the honored name of the
ardent friend of human progress, whose enthu-
siasm and philanthropy have led him once more
to our shores upon his errand of sacred peace
| and Christian benevolence