New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-23


AN PARTS Of the civilized word, sometimes endowed
bv he government. sometimes BY individuals and
sometimes supported by voluntary Contributors. To
affirm that these institutions are hot Use ,i "o41 0t
TO contradict universal experience. 10 SHnIa"
our sppCri from the because thtY had ale1 20 90
all the good desirable. would oe ufopiGl Inc pres
eni Coullticn 81 Science IN France ! ln great 5t-
gree aue 20 rs Institute. which zoos we acc OF
less effectively organized COW Nhs'' &c 49,
tCrmiucd 20 Re ne immediate patron oi oN'S"~e.
The Departments have their >ocittt> fnt >out' -
those OF Lille and Lyons. win co1>ltrdn'' Ii.S"N
In Great Britain there Is no large town "i'hol, -
Pm oSCY Alcs or Natural History society ana Il. A'i'o
more important ctt> tlere are - many -. s'' =,
prominent departments ot Scitniut Te>t M ~
London. the subdivision Is >tlll more minute dl1
some branches have more than one ASSOCIATION &C
voted 81 iheE advancement. Science cannot. IN -
writings oi research. dpita. 10 iAt mass Oh -'n'-"'
readers and must be furnished by a>Sociiion or en-
lovmCni With even ~ means oi pu2lcation. NJ.
Piled Science y profitable IA ptcunlary sense odt
distract Science. on which ihC other hangs, j. no'
reWunCfatrg Yet BOW many applications now
from one principle The world would gam m very
high ratio oy be>tOWlng Is rewards Tor prmcinie>'
instead of for applications
With Us TWO philosophical societe> only. have
struck very deep and WIDE tAcrro, ne American
Philosophical Society OF Philadelphia. ana the Amer
scan Academy OF Boston, and several >oceueS iot
the ENCOURAGEMENT OF Natural History, nave been
permarCutlv useful Not one OF these Associations
j. We'll endowed. For or only endowed institute
lthe Smithsonian We are indebted 90 the u0efauiN
a 7 ls
mcnt i would not be able - meet he actual &C.
uards upOn IL fUncS. for purposes embraced IN what
- learned Secretary has ca>>,G ~ u acNe opel-
aronS' for ''thc increase and Oiau>.on oi Nnow edSe
The Institute OF France gives .is members mod
crate support that the country may have ne benefit
Of their iaoorS. The other institutions Afford means
for the publication OF researches, bur not usually for
making them nor. except incidentally IN me per
sons Of their officers 90 they support tltlr members
The mems furnished for educational purposes are
those. generally. which enable The NotAles ~ 40
stract science 10 1--we. Where there Urc ricRy en-
tDwtd Universities and CoLCGC> governed oN tAc
academic bov i->elf the ftciAuoS thus afforded are
50 extended aS Co. require few others Where lnS'-
tuiiOns Depend manly upon the ices OF pupA> LOT
then support. OI beng endowed, are goNtIh'" oi
those whO take narrow views ~ the hoor> OF >ith-
ilfc men the professors are SO loaded down with
latog that nelther body nor mind j. capable o eUect-
INN research. How very many there are NO y AM
only time and means Tor research io i0' nee iho>e
Departments ~ which thev nov merely lmpart me
GoiucS ol others VII not q more healthy tone q,
opinion arse iu time, on this subject. from our inter
cCmmuncauon. aud the candid expression ol lem
rcrltc and mature opinions
some Of our institutions and prNminen'N among
them the Franklin Institute Of Pennsylvania. nave
furnished means for experiments on important SUD
e,t> AID enlisted their most Jealous members IN re
searches But even here the iaborer> were wiihou'
hlre. though iher they nor Their WORK were
deemed unworthy Of It, some oi these researches
remain 20 ths day unpublished. from me necessary
withdrawal OF members 10 other spheres oi active
tytrtlOn recurring an intf Time ana iNoNtui dti''
Will If tney have not already. become obsolete from
The progress of the branches ~ which they belong.
Among the obstacles 20 the progress of science Win
as must De Teckoued a. one OF the largest the Nim
of direct support Tor is cultgaiors - SUCH
ID Is. believe. . common mistake - associate thr
idea OF Academies and Institutes Win moudrchcdi
institutions. We show IA this rs IN many other
things, the prejudice al ou descent we nave
among Us the two extremes of exaggerated nation
allty and OF excessive imitation Let uS modify each
bl The other and be wise. National institute ls
not necessary 30 Great Britain with her uch and
powerful Universities Republican rance has cher
shed her Institute. seeking rather to extend than io
cufsll Us proportions. one of the most ardent IKE
PUBLICAN, IS rs peryetua! Secrotary-that setting sun
whose eiulgence show that ;, d, merely passing DC
low the horizon 10 lllumlne another sphere
Nor does the idea of necessary connection bt-
tween Capitalization and al Institute strike me "a,
yaud one suppose an Institute. of which the mein
hers belong IN turn 20 each oi our widely Scd'let'u
states. working at their places OF residence ana re-
porting thtlr results, meeting only Al particular
umeS and for special purposes, engaged IN research
e. self directed or desired by the body called tor Dy
Congress, on by the Executive. who furnish thc
means for the inquiries me "e'a Oh SuCIl d" or
ganlzaIon could be marked out 50 as 10 secure en-
cicncv without Capitalization, ana constant LABOR
with IT. appropriate results. The pu0h' treasury
would be saved many times the support ol >ilch
council by the sound advice when II woull give IN
rcotrd 10 the various pro octs which constantly
forced upon their notice, and ~ regard 10 when
they are now compelled to decide without tht hnoN-
The men of science Who are AT the seat OF toVerh-
ment either constantly, OrempOraTlly, are too much
occupied IN the special work when belongs 10 thclf
Official occupations 10 anSHer such purpose bt>llt'
Tie additional responsibility winch. IL Uey were
cal cd together they must necessarily bear, would
prove too great buTihen, considering the lefVld
zeal and / might almos, say nerceness with when
questions Of interest are pursued. ana the very eA
traorduary means resorted 10, 10 bring about sue
ces.fu conclusion If u were admissible that |
should 20 INTO detail on tins subject could prove
TIE economy of a permanent consulting body lac
his This Is, however. a lower we" iiaH ule
saving of character, by avoiding mistakes ana ms
Olrs,ucn of public announcement, and by loss OF
opportunity OF encouraging that when Us rcdIF use
ILL., should subject the Assoc laiiou 10 some crltl-
cl,m II unfoldcd this sub Get specifically, pHtcu-
lsrZng the errors here generally alluded TO- ana
abstain. merely Ttmarklug that the amount whfi
would have been saved 10 one department OF the
Government alone, from the Application OF thc Prln-
emile of the equality Of acton and reaction, would
have supported such "A council for twenty years
including the dOuUshng Of means 20 show experl-
mentally the applications OF the principle To the
case IN question Not only IN ne" undertakings
would the advice Of such "A body De most important,
but they would be appealed 10 for information IN re-
gard 10 existing ones. and would prove most service
abe N advising IA doubtful points
Our country +, making such rapid progress ia ma
ieral Improvement, that IL - Impossible iOr cuhef
tie legislative OF executive departments OF our
Government to avoid incidentally, II not directly
beng involved the decision OF such questions with
out specification II is easy 70 see that there are few
,rUcatiops of Science which 90 not bear on the ihte-
ftsts of commerce and navigation. naval or military
concerns the customs, the lighthouse, the pubic
lands post Offices and postroads ellher dlfec'y or
remotely Il all examination u refused the sood IS
copiouuded with the bad, and the Government may
lcse - most important advantage. II decision II
IN to influence or to imperfect knowledge, the
worst coaseQutnces follow.
Such a body would supply place not OCCUPIED ny
existing institutions and which our own u.s. rom ~
temroiary and voluntary character not able u supply
Astronomy chiefly at first, nom is connection
with uaygaion has been the science when al "oY-
errmeuts, our own. inclusive, have selected 70 en-
co,raee fosi.rrg thus one Of the highest branches
of theoretical science on account OF rs practical ap-
rlcaiions II may be truly salt. mat Ne kno" more
Of tie laws which govern the motions OF the distant
bodies of the universe, than We do OF those when
regulate the constitution Of bodies around Us Would
lot the saue results, or assuredy similar ones 10"
ircua systematic encouragement tor a long perloi
ofany o9e branch of science The experiment Is
certainly worth trying
Il mefeoroioly could be encouraged "lth a ~oTid-
tsfe rsfrepapf Ike Astronomy What PRACTICAL ana