lOO Memorial of George Brozvn Goode. 



close of Van Buren's Admiuistration he became a private citizen, but the 

 constitution was amended before his retirement from the Cabinet, and 

 the position of presiding officer was never proffered to his successor. 



Although, from this time on, absent from the city, he was retained in 

 the presidency and reelected in 1841, the vice-president of the societ}^, 

 Colonel Peter Force, continually presiding in his absence. 



Although the society elected its officers annually, Mr. Poinsett told 

 Mr. Adams soon after his election that he should for two years come to 

 Washington to preside over the National Institution for the Promotion 

 of Science. He was in fact reelected to the presidency at ever}" annual 

 meeting until that of 1845, when, having declined candidacy, Senator 

 I^evi Woodbury was chosen president and Mr. Poinsett was unanimously 

 elected an honorary member of the Institution. 



From this period the decline of the society's prosperity was marked. 

 It is more probable, however, that Mr. Poinsett's lack of interest was a 

 result of the weakness of the society than that the weakness resulted 

 from his lack of interest. 



Perhaps, however, if Mr. Poinsett had been a resident of Washington 

 rather than of South Carolina during the four years of his presidency, 

 the result would have been different. 



That Mr. Poinsett, as early as 1838, was thinking seriously about the 

 disposition of the Smithsonian bequest is evident from an entry in the 

 diary of John Quincy Adams, under date of December 8." Mr. Adams 

 was evidently suspicious, and believed that Mr. Poinsett did not give him 

 his entire confidence. In April, 1839, he talked to him again, and in 

 1 84 1 he wrote again in his diary: " April 14. Mr. Poinsett called upon 

 me and now fully disclosed his project, which is to place the investment 

 and disposal of the Smithsonian funds under the management of the 

 American Institution for the Promotion of Iviterature and Science.- . . . 

 He said he had at present no other occupation on hand, and would 

 be willing to devote two years entirely to organizing this establishment 

 and getting it into full operation." 



"I know not," continued the aged statesman, "that it could be 

 accomplished more effectively, and think I must acquiesce in this arrange- 

 ment and endeavor to carry it through. ' ' 



Since the bills of Messrs. Linn and Preston had been already for two 

 months before the Senate, it seems strange that Mr. Adams should have 

 looked upon Mr. Poinsett's communication as a revelation — still more 

 so when it is remembered how clearly he had expressed himself in his 

 Discourse in January. ^ 



' Extracts from the Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, Rhees, Documents, p. 769. 



=^ Evidently meaning the National Institution. 



3 Mr. Poinsett was not only the first to publicly suggest the union of the Smith- 

 sonian with the National Institution, but was constant in his advocacy of the project. 

 (See remarks, March 8, 1841, Proceedings of the National Institution, 2d Bull., p. 69, 



