928 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON's BEQUEST. 



their farms, enlarging their work-shops, putting money 

 into their purse, educating their children, multiplying their 

 domestic comforts, and thus increasing the national wealth 

 by countless millions. 



This Plan of Publication applicable to other State Documents. — 

 Here I beg leave to suggest that this plan of publication 

 might be adopted, to some extent, by the National and State 

 governments, at a great saving to their respective treasu- 

 ries, and with vast advantage to the people. The "Natural 

 History of New York," a work which reflects honor upon 

 the country, might have been published in this way at one- 

 half the expense to the State, at no more expense to the 

 purchaser, and twenty copies for one might have gone into 

 the hands of the people. Congressional and State laws of 

 general interest should be simply stereotyped at the expense 

 of the treasuries; they could then be published at a small 

 advance on the material and labor, and come within the 

 reach of all who desired them. 



The Present Plan Not too Late. — Finally it may be objected 

 that this plan comes too late ; as the General Government 

 has settled its mode of action, and appropriated the fund. 

 But the plan adopted is not beyond the reach of amend- 

 ment. If Congress be not too wise to err, it should not be 

 too dignified to mend. It has doubtless been their honest 

 and earnest purpose to discharge their trust in good faith. 

 If the present plan be worthy of adoption, it is competent 

 for that honorable body to adopt it, restore the Smithsonian 

 fund to the people, and charge the treasury with the expense 

 of their own folly, if that folly must of necessity be per- 

 sisted in. This sacred fund belongs to the people, and their 

 wishes as well as their interest should be consulted in the 

 disposal of it. We have a right to say to our rulers, hands 

 off! in the name of justice ! Waste, if you will, the reve- 

 nues ! Spend fifty millions to war upon fifty Indians ! In- 

 vade Mexico ! Put your sub-treasuries into your pockets, 

 or cast them into the sea ! Do what else you will ; but do 

 not waste this trust fund in prodigal expenditures for a 

 sumptuous building, a library, museum, and gallery of art, 

 which not one in ten thousand of us shall ever behold. Do 

 not fritter it away upon troops of gentlemen whose services 

 we do not want, and ten thousand objects of expense which 

 amount to nothing in the end. This fund is ours — its ob- 

 ject is sacred — let it be so applied that its benefits may reach 

 us. 



Gentlemen of the American Institute, public instruction 



