National Scirjitific a)id Educational Institutions. 283 



ami labors to those objects which arc best calculated to improve its state of society, 

 its science, literature, and education. The disinterested exertions of such a man 

 merit the national attention.' 



Barlow's prospectus, we are told, was circulated throiighotit the cotintry, 

 and met with so favorable a response that in 1806 he drew up a bill for 

 the incorporation of the institution, which Mr. Logan, of Philadelphia, 

 introduced in the vSenate, which pa.ssed to a second reading, was referred 

 to a committee which never reported, and so was lost. 



Barlow's National Instittition resembled more closely the House of 

 Salomon in The New Atlantis of Bacon than it did the eminently prac- 

 tical university project of Washington. It would be interesting to know 

 to what extent President Jefferson was in sympathy with Barlow. The 

 mind which a few years later directed the organization of the Univ'er- 

 sity of \'irginia could scarcely have approved all the features of the 

 Kalorama plan. He was tuidotil)tedly at this time anxious that a national 

 tmiversity shotild be founded, as is shown by his messages to Congress in 

 1806 and 1808," though it is probable that he wished it to be erected in 

 some convenient part of Virginia, rather than in the city of Washington. 

 The project for transplanting to America the faculty of the College of 

 Geneva, which, but for the opposition of Washington, wotild probably have 

 been attempted in 1794, had reference rather to the formation of a State 

 universit}-, national in infltience, than to a central Federal instittition.' 



Although Barlow's plan was, in its details, nuicli too elaborate for the 

 times, the fundamental ideas were exceedingly attractive, and led to very 

 important and far-reaching results. 



Barlow expected, of course, that his institution should be establi.shed 

 and maintained at Government cost. This was soon foiuul to be imprac- 

 ticable, and those who were interested in the intellectual advancement of 

 the capital soon had recourse to the idea of beginning the work at private 

 expense, relying upon Government aid for its ftiture advancement. 



Barlow's classmate, Josiali Meigs, his friend and neighbor Thomas 

 L,aw, aided b}- I^dward Cutbush, Judge Cranch, and other citizens of 

 Washington, proceeded forthwith to attempt that which the politicians 

 dared not. 



The essential feattires of Barlow's plan were: 



( I ) The advancement of knowledge by associations of scientific men ; 

 and 



(2) The dissemination of its rudiments l)y the instruction of youth.'' 



To meet the first of these requirements they organized the Columbian 

 Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, in 18 19 ; and for the sec- 

 ond, the Coltunbian College, incorporated in 182 1. Mo.st of the promi- 

 nent members of the Columbian Institute were also among the friends 



' National Intellingencer, November 24, 1S06. 



= Henry Adams, History of the I'nited States, 1805-1809, I, pp. 346, 347; II, p. 365. 



3 Idem., pp. 45, 46. 



*The Old Bachelor, by William Wirl, p. 1S6. 



