New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-01


Is views of what an Institute is and ought TO be-
Is They are not true to the promises made tbe
people when the project was enounced in the
United States Senate. Let this Amercon Tn
2 sttute be put down by acclamatiop une.s il
3 work according to the original statement mn,
t forth. Let it not arrogate to itself portion.
D aud no great portion, of science either, AZ The
all in all Of the aspirations and possibilities of
the cultivated soul. But let it be no fetch, no
delusion; and initiate, to the letter, the French
f model, according to promise.
We are still further reminded of the shallow
and poor beginning of this so-caed quasi
French Academy by The following charming
naif statement Of the first days proceedings:
Some vey natural regret express, thai the re.,ric
ton Of tho number Of copoao to nifty excluded
names well known to SCIENCE sud some Of the coporaors
present In the earnestnes of their friendship for particular
persons seemed to be willing to set aside all those prrsousI
interests which commonly make selfish and 70 resign
from the list Themselves thereby they could introduce tue
Of those whom they to be higher
capacity or greater usefulaeas than themselves"
This is mighty fine: but that was not the
time or place for compliments or sacrifices.
If the Observation-Disclosures doubt their
ability or claim-dOubt Themselves to be the
Representatives Of the genius, science. art and
literature of America as they ought to be-
they should not have accepted the position;
and if they are right ia their own estimates
of themselves the whols affair is transparent
deception, and should be laughed out of
existence by the press and the people. If
they are fit for their laures let them wear
them But where arc the literwy men among
the corporators named Where the artists
Not one do We see cited. Story's Cleopatra,
Churchs Heart Of the Andes, Longfellow's
Erangeline, have as good q claim to seat in
that so-called American Academy as the CLASH
fcation Of bones, or chronological studies,
which result in shutting the gates of mercy GU
mankind. And what shall We say Of an
Academy after the French plan that does 4
not find room for Bancroft. or Hdreth or {
Motley o
If an Academy after the French plan were Il
really desired, it would have been easy to have n
selected corporators simply, who would not be 9
Academicians, or men-of-s.raw bearing the Il
honors, and whose duties would have been
merely initial Compare this Institute with
the French Academy, according TO the in
tclligence by the last steamer. new MEM l
Der. Octave Feuillet, was elected to the k
chair made vacant by the death OF Scribe, p
the great dramatist aud lbrettist-Scribe, a
who as an Academician, never would have
been heard of by the " corporators p" or Il
their Congressional manufacturers Accord u
ing to custom, the new French Acad mi il
clan, accompanied by N. Vte, the Diret or {
of the Institute for the present month, d
as well as by the perpetual Secretary, /
NJ. yilleman, waited on the Emperor. The s
man who literally rules Europe, and menaces i.
America, is most ambitious as cOronal glory Il
to his reign, to be elected a member of the n
Institute; and signifed his desire 10 a marked o.
manner to this effect to the deputation; basing ii
his claim on his forthcoming Life Of Julius 81
Casar, which he hoped en- .s.npiete. The v
delegation of the Institute, however, seemed to v
turn deaf ear to these mild Imperial sug- u
gestons, and proposed to wait until the History q
should see the hght-which, by the way, may C
be long time to come judging by the promise b
of many past years; though Casarean opera II
ton in literature may be an imperial possibility. ft
These supreme difficulties in obtaining seat b.
in the French Institute are here laid aside by Vi
a truly democratic method. We have acad- eI
emcians who are named in the bill, as if it
were q gold or guano company. that had re- u]
ceived a charter, instead of an Institute, which q
was to fix if possible, the aristocracy of In te
telect for, all the world and oil time. d.
Looking at the puny, false, and frivolous b
action thus far of the whole thing we advise az
the Committee of Academic Corporators, ap- al
pointed at the meeting in the Chapel of the tn
to draft plan for the regulation W
Of the Institute, and who are now in "secret as
session." to report resolution disbanding the SD
Corporation and calling upon Congress to give To
a new charter for an Institute, the sole duties til
of the Corporators of which shall be to select To
the first fifty members upon the following pr
plan OF
Let their names DO suggested and published co
by advertisement in the newspapers. Let their 70
qualifications and especially achievements be n'
the subject for technical discussion for not less III
than year, as are those of political candi ca
dates for ofiice-who are always many years III
before the public before they attain to the Ia
highest places At the end Of this year, it II
can be ascertaned M nearly as human per- pt
ception, guided by honest intention, can reach IN
point who are really the fifty most eminent I"
men. in science, art and literature in this h'