572 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINOS. 



desirous to haA'o it understood that they feel justified in (wpressing- a 

 very decided opinion that the difficulties that have arisen, and which 

 the evidence sufficiently discloses, in the bosom of the Institution, and 

 the dissatisfaction that ma}' exist in some portions of the community 

 may safel}' be attributed to the causes just mentioned and not in the 

 least to an}"^ want of fidelity or zeal on the part of its managers. 



As it respects the general policy advocated b}' the friends of a 

 library to make it a prominent feature in the Smithsonian Institution, 

 the committee arc of opinion that the funds of the Institution are 

 sufficient to accomplish that o])ject at a more rapid rate of gradual 

 accumulation than heretofore without essentially impairing the use- 

 fulness and efficacy of the policy pursued at present by the managers. 

 Active operations, original researches, and the publication of scientific 

 treatises, if the whole income were consumed in them, would have to 

 be confined far within the limits of what would be desirable. A limi- 

 tation must be suffered at some point within the income, and the satis- 

 faction of the country is of greater importance than a few thousand 

 dollars, more or less, expended in either direction. 



But a few words are needed to do justice to the value of a great 

 universal library at the metropolis of the Union. Every person who 

 undertakes to prepare and publish a book on any subject will be found 

 to bear testimon}' to the need of such a library. The great historians 

 and classical writers of the country have to send abroad, often to go 

 abroad in person, in order to obtain materials for their works. All 

 literary men are eager to inspect catalogues and explore alcoves in the 

 prosecution of their favorite departments, and there is no direction in 

 which they are more tempted to drain their generall}' quite moderate 

 resources than in the purchase of books. Such a library as would be 

 accumulated b}^ an appropriation of $20,000 annually for twenty years, 

 judiciously expended, would be frequented by scholars and authors in 

 much larger numbers than persons not acquainted with their wants 

 will be likel}' to suppose. In half a century it would give to America 

 a librar}^ unequaled in value, and probably in size, in the world. 



There is a special i-eason why such a library should be provided at 

 this seat of the Federal Government. The annals of all other coun- 

 tries, running l)ack into the past, are soon shrouded in fable or lost in 

 total darkness; but ours, during their whole duration, are within the 

 range of unclouded history. The great social, moral, and political 

 experiment here going on to test the last hope of humanit}^ is capable 

 of being described in clear and certain records. The history of each 

 State and Territory can be written on the solid basis of ascertained 

 facts. In each State and Territory there are, and from the first have 

 been, many persons who are preparing and have published works 

 illustrative of the entii'e progress of those respective communities. 

 In local histories, commemorative addresses, and the vast varietv of 



