434 Memorial of George Broivn Goode. 



The idea of an expedition to the Pacific was one which was hkely to 

 occur to any thoughtful American, and was, after all, simply the con- 

 tinuance of a plan as old as the Spanish days of discovery. Jefferson, at 

 all events, was an active promoter of all such enterprises, and after a 

 quarter of a century's effort the expedition was dispatched, while in 1805 

 General Z. M. Pike was sent to explore the sources of the Mississippi 

 River and the western parts of lyouisiana, penetrating as far wCvSt as 

 Pike's Peak, a name which still remains as a memento of this enter- 

 prise. 



The organization of these early expeditions marked the beginning of 

 one of the most important portions of the scientific work of our Govern- 

 ment — the investigation of the resources and natural history of the public 

 domain. The expeditions of I^ewis and Clarke and of Pike were the 

 precursors and prototypes of the magnificent organization now accom- 

 plishing so much for science under the charge of Major J. W. Powell. 



As early as 1806 Jefferson, inspired by Patterson and Plassler, urged 

 the establishment of a national coast survey, and in this was earnestly 

 supported by his Secretary of the Treasury, A11:»ert Gallatin, who drew 

 up a learned and elaborate project for its organization, and an act author- 

 izing its establishment was passed in 1807. During his Administration, 

 in 1802 the first scientific .school in this country was established — the 

 Military Academy at West Point. The Military Academy was a favorite 

 project of General Wa.shington , who is said to have ju.stified his anxiety 

 for its establishment by the remark that "An army of asses led In' a lion 

 is vastly superior to an army of lions led l)y an ass. ' ' 



Jefferson has been heartily abused for not gratifying Alexander Wil- 

 .son's request to be appointed naturalist to Pike's expeditions. It is 

 possible that even in those days administrators were hampered by lack of 

 financial resources. It must also be remembered that in 1804 Wilson 

 was simply an enthusia.stic projector of ornithological undertakings, and 

 had done nothing whatever to establish his reputation as an investigator. 



One of Jefferson's first official acts was to throw his Presidential mantle 

 over Priestley. Two weeks after he became President of the United 

 States he wrote these words: 



It is with heartfelt satisfaction that, in the first moments of my pnbhc action, I 

 can hail yon with welcome to onr land, tender to yon the homage of its respect and 

 esteem, cover yon under tlie protection of those laws which were made for the wise 

 and good like yon, and disclaim the legitimacy of that libel on legislation which, 

 nnder the form of a law, was for sometime placed among them. 



. . . Yours is one of the few lives precious to mankind, and for the continu- 

 ance of which every thinking man is solicitous. Bigots may be an exception. 

 What an effort, my dear .sir, of bigotry in politics and religion have we gone 

 through. . . . All advances in science were prescribed as innovations. They 

 pretended to praise and encourage education, but it was to be the education of our 

 ancestors. We were to look backwards, not forwards for improvement; the Presi- 

 dent [Washington] himself declaring in one of his answers to addresses that we 



