8 COLUMBIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE 



corresponding membership in the National Institute, will be found 

 interesting in this connection : 



"After thanking the Institution ' for this memento of their friend- 

 ship and recognition of past services in the cause which has been so 

 honorably revived at the seat of Government,' he continues thus: 

 ' 1 most sincerely hope that all the objects which engaged the atten- 

 tion of Thomas Law, Esq., and myself, in 1816, in establishing the 

 Columbian Institute will now meet the approbation and support of 

 the Government, and of the scientific men of the District of 

 Columbia.' " 



Dr. Goode then concludes : 



" Cutbush's address before the Columbian Institute nearly three- 

 quarters of a century ago is well worthy of study at the present time. 

 It is full of enlightened patriotism and of hopeful prophecy for the 

 United States and for Washington. 'Where genius and talent are 

 respected, rewarded and promoted,' he wrote, 'the arts and sciences 

 will flourish and the wealth and power of the nation increase.' 



"The wisdom of such men as Cutbush opened the way for the 

 organization of the National Institution, which in its turn, as we 

 shall see, had an important influence toward shaping the course of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. 



" Indeed, the germ of the Smithsonian idea may be found in Cut- 

 bush's address — and his spirit was kindred to that of Henry and his 

 associates, who worked under more favorable conditions thirty years 

 later." 



During the period of the Columbian Institute, several other asso- 

 ciations of a more specialized character Avere formed, and. while few 

 survived more than a limited time, two are still in existence. Be- 

 longing to an earlier date and not a Washington institution, was the 

 United States Military Philosophical Society, formed at West Point, 

 N. Y., in 1802, for the promotion of military science, which held one 

 of its meetings in Washington in 1808. Although lasting only about 

 10 years, it had at one time at least 215 members, chiefly Army and 

 Navy officers, with a large representation of the leading civilians 

 of the country. The only District association which preceded the 

 founding of the Institute was evidently the Columbian Agricultural 

 Societ}', organized in 1810 for the encouragement of agriculture and 

 domestic manufactures. There are notices of interesting spring and 

 fall exhibitions in 1810, 1811 and 1812, but, together with its news- 

 paper organ, the Agricultural Museum, it apparently ended with the 

 coming of the war. It is said to have had as many as two hundred 

 members, each paying $10 a year, and premiums were given for ar- 

 ticles manufactured in the District of Columbia and adjoining States. 

 Among articles of this class noticed at one of the exhibitions were 

 fabrics of cotton, hemp, linen, etc., such as fancy patterns for vests, 



