8 Doc. No. 11. 



- Providen'ce, October 2, 1838. 



Sir : In reply to your communication dated July last, requesting my 

 views respecting the Snjithsonian Institute, I beg leave to state as fol- 

 lows : 



1. It is, I suppose, to be taken for granted, that this institution is in- 

 tended for the benefit not of any particular section of the United States, 

 but for the benefit of the whole country; and, also, that no expense, 

 which may be necessary in order to accomplish its object will be spared. 



2. I think it also evident, that there is no need, in this country, of 

 what may be properly termed collegiate education ; that is, of that edu- 

 cation which may be given between the ages of fourteen or sixteen, and 

 eighteen or twenty. All the oki States, and many of the new ones, 

 have as many institutions of this kind as their circumstances require. 

 And, besides', since persons of the ages specified are too young to be, 

 for a long period, absent from home, it is probably better that a large 

 number of such institutions should be established within convenient dis- 

 tances of each other. The age of the pupils in these institutions would 

 also render it desirable that very large numbers be not associated to- 

 gether. 



3. It is probable that professional schools — that is, schools for divinity, 

 law, and medicine — will be established in every section of our country. 

 Divinity must be left to the different Christian sects ; law will probably 

 be taught in the State, or at least the district, in which it is to be prac- 

 tised. The same will, 1 think, be true of medicine. 



4. If the above views be correct, it will, I think, follow, that the prop- 

 er place to be occupied by such an institution would be the space be- 

 tween the close of a collegiate education and a professional school. Its 

 object would be to carry forward a classical and philosophical education 

 beyond the point at which a college now leaves it, and to give instruc- 

 tion in the broad and philosophical principles of a professional education. 



The demand for such instruction now exists very extensively. A 

 very considerable portion of our best schools now graduate as early as 

 their nineteenth, twentieth, or twenty-first year. If they are sulficiently 

 wealthy, they prefer to wait a year before studying their profession. 

 Some travel, some read, some remain as resident graduates, and many 

 more teach school for a year or two, for the purpose of reviewing their 

 studies. These would gladly resort to an institution in which their time 

 might be profitably employed. The rapidly increasing wealth of our 

 country will very greatly increase the number of such students. 



The advantages which would result from such an institution are vari- 

 ous. It would raise up and send abroad in the several professions a new 

 grade of scholars, and thus gieatly add to the intellectual power of the 

 nation. But, specially, it would furnish teachers, professors, and officers, 

 of every grade, for all our other institutions. As the standard of education 

 was thus laiscd in the colleges, students v>ouId enter the national uni- 

 versity better prepared. Tins would require greater effoit on the part 

 of its professors, and thus both wowld reciprocally stimulate each other. 



The branches which should be taught there, I suppose, should be the 

 same as \\\ our colleges, only tar more generously taught — that is, taught 

 to men, and not to boys — and the philosophical principles of law and med- 

 icine. This would embrace lectures on Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and the 



