New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-06
THE DEAF AND DUMB ACADENs
NV ARTS AND SCIENCES.

We have heard nothing from the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences in reply to our
inquiries touching the Rumford trust 1t stands
mute, ard suffers Judgment to go against'it BY
default. 1t has nothing to offer by way OF de-
Tense, explanation, or apology; or at all events,
it offers nothing 1t does not even call wit.
nesses 10 its general good character. II has
had eminent men among its Pfesidents--Dr.
Bowditch, Mr.. John Pickering, and, ii We are
not mistaken, Mr.. Edward Everett Its pres
eut head, we believe, is DIR. Jacob Digelow,
an accomplished and venerable physician, who
has felt the pulses Of at least three generations
Of the first families of Boston. He was for
merly Rumford Professor in Harvard College,
and delivered an eulogy on the Count before
the Academy at one of its annual meetings
some forty years ago. Eulosies cost nothing,
and this inexpensive tribute to tue ilIustrlous
donor in no manner diminished the fund. DR..
Bigelow is the author, also, Of valuable trea-
tise on the elements OF technology; but, in this
work, he does not touch, that we recollect, on
the art in which the Academy is so emnenty
profcient-the art Of applying to beneficial
uses for oneself property that is held in trust
.pr the benefit of other people.
The silence of the Academy makes it ueces-
sary for us TO make another appeal to the
learned Cambridge professors who are In special
charge of the Rumford trust. We know that
gentlemen of their high character would not
Intentionally violate q public duty. 1t is not
impossible that they are unscquaipted with all
the inventions or discoveries that have been
made in the field of light and heat. The in
yentors, perhaps, have failed to bring them to
their notice-they may be ignorant Of what
Count Rumford has intended for them. Indeed,
we do not know how they should be acquainted
with it. The fact is singular that the
Academy has taken no pains to dfIuse knowl-
edge that might be so useful to many worthy
men. We have never seen or heard of any
advertisement or public notice from the Acade.
my conveying any information on tie sub
ject. 1t is usual for the representatives, Of
such trust tO make annual announcements
by publication in literary or scientific
journals, to attract attention and enlist
competition. But the Academy has been I'M
commonly reticent and secretive--and it is re.
markable that while they have spent little OF
the Counts money for almost every thing else,
they have not expended dollar in sixty-6ye
years in promulsatipg the knowledge of his
munifcent biennial provision. Now we would
suggest to our friends tho professors of the
Rumford Committee that they may do good
deal toward dispelling the profound ignorance
that prevails among practical scientific men 10
relation to their trust by single adyertise-
ment ia the several editions Of TIE TRIBUNE.
This might tend to do away with. tue i'm
preston that the Academy studously withhold
this knowledge that they may enjoy the benefit
of the Counts donation without the annoyance
of outside claimants
We have understood that the great difficulty
met with by the Rumlord Committee has been
in deciding with regard to important inven-
tions, whether or not they fell strictly within
the domain of science contemplated by Count
Rumford. Rather than run the risk of award
ing the prize to something that might not be
an actual discovery or improvement in light or
heat, before they would be guilty of any such
wicked perversion OF the donors f'ind--they pro-
test that they will 20 on spending the income OF
it for their own purposes forever. we should APP
plaad this strictncss of Interpretation on the part
of the Committee and the Academy, if the result
e !. :. ~. .a-,- ~ ,Vss in0uoj 40 49, ..'-