TJie Genesis of tJic United States National Museum. 147 



The wisdom of Professor Henry's policy has been ahnost universally 

 conceded, and the success with which for thirty-one years he directed 

 the resources of the Institution toward the increase and diffusion of 

 knowledge compels the admiration of everyone who studies the history 

 of his life in connection with that of the Institution, and had done so 

 for many years before his death. 



It is now evident that but for his conservative policy the history of the 

 Institution would have been comparatively insignificant. 



In the light of subsequent events, it is safe to assert that in all proba- 

 bility had the Smithsonian Institution taken charge of the "National 

 Museum" in the manner proposed in 1846, the result would have been 

 even more detrimental to the Museum than to the Institution. 



It did not seem so at the time, however, and for ten years the course 

 of the Institution was under the subject of criticism of a very serious 

 kind. 



It is of course not essential to review at length the discussions which 

 took place within the first ten j^ears between the officers of the Institu- 

 tion, in the meetings of the Regents, in Congress, and in the public 

 journals as to the authority of the Board of Regents and the Secretary to 

 deviate from a strict interpretation of the act of incorporation, which was 

 presumed to embod}' the will of Congress. There was a party who was 

 of the opinion that a large part of the income should be devoted to the 

 accumulation of a great general library and who fought boldly in defense 

 of this project. The conflict culminated in 1856 with the dismissal of 

 the librarian by Professor Henry, a Congressional investigation, and the 

 resignation of two of the most active Regents. The Board upheld the 

 Secretary, and successfully maintained, both in House and Senate, the 

 position that they as trustees of the Smithson bequest were not amenable 

 to the advice or instructions of Congress and were the only authorities 

 qualified to interpret the meaning of the act of incorporation and the 

 intention of Smithson, the founder. 



The immediate cause of this final outbreak was the repeal, in 1855, of 

 the resolution passed in 1846 dividing the income of the Institution into 

 two nearly equal parts for two specific objects, the advocates of a great 

 library being of the opinion that the spirit of this resolution had not been 

 regarded. 



The resignation of Senator Choate and Mr. Meacham and the unquali- 

 fied indorsement of the Secretary by the other members of the Board 

 greatly strengthened his position and enabled him to cope more success- 

 fully with the question of the admission of the Government museum to 

 the Smithsonian buildings, for the transfer provided for in 1846 had not 

 up to 1856 been definitely arranged for. 



The history of the treatment of this matter is very important, since it 

 leads up to the origin of the present relationship existing between the 

 Government, the National Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution. 



