The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-03-28
Lights and Shadows at Washington.
WASHINGTON. March % 1863.

WASHINGTON, March %, 1865.
| To the Editor Of the Press: ~ lEezEas
This is a gusty day, after night of storm
"a real March blustor, but not cold, and we
are disposed to give our shining blade to
Greece-as the gentleman remarked when he
sat down to bacon and greens--and cut it fat,
on something. When one is disagreeable or
has the dyspepsia, they always say the rudest
things possible, and insult you by the informa.
ton that "they always tell the truth" Now,
for ourselves, we prefer good nature and o.
round lie. know it is not orthodox, or evan
gical, but 1t is much the most pleasant.
We have an Institution that deserves the
severest blowing up; it was partly burned up
month or SO ago, and it will be sacrilege, I
suppose, to say we were one of many who re-
GREETED it did not all go. 1t has been false
sun with false halo, a perverter of the truth.
1t was intended-or rather Smithson donated
funds to the United States-to diffuse knowl-
edge among men. The ordly men of the
South ruled the land then, and knowledge
among men would not answer; SO they loan
ed the money to the State of Arkansas $780,
OO0) through Ambrose a. Sewer and w. w.
Corcoran. How much Arkansas received was
not shown in her receipts. but the State repu-
dated.
Uncle Sam was called upon to foot up
which he did; and Board Of Regents, oppos-
ed to knowledge, except in the abstract, erect
ed building typical Of their views--a combi-
nation of barbaric ideas. which could not hold
itself up, and it had to be bolted and clamped
with the iron of freedom. -AS'Af91 sll
Time passed, but little knowledge was dis
pensed. Lectures were occasionally delivered
at twenty-five dollars apiece, to prove that the
world was built exactly in six days, and that
traces had been discovered of Pharaoh's host
in the Red Sea. Pamphlets and books were
published and sent to all the world showing
conclusively that Peters wife did Ian sick of
teuer, and no record was ever discovered
OF her recovery. Freedom, Truth, Justice
and Human Rights were never heard within
its walls. Such men as Bellows, Dewey, Starr
Il ing. Cheever and Furnace were never heard:
and when. on the advent of Abraham Lincoln.
the Republicans instituted a course of Lee.
lures, our President, the Rev. DR.. Perpoint.
announced that "the Smithsonian Institution
was not responsible for aught that might be
uttered by thslLectarer." Then, for the first
time was knowledge ever diffused from that
mausoleum of a dead past svr
1t has been very comfortable and luxuri.
Gus home fo- the Professor; he has his beauti-
full park, elegant house, messengers. fuel and
lights; but he never dared to let light shine
out from under that bushel. We trust there
will be new era for this Institution. and that
the ashes will be used to cement togethe the
stones OF Freedom. Justice and Human
Rights.
The only thing we particularly regret about
the burning was the destruction of stanleys
him an order to paint a picture for the Can.
itoi. at $4,000. We know he would prefer
that to being paid for his lost collection, and
we believe most firmly it will be fully equal to
any that Powell can paint. DUKE