THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 289 



Poiusett, when elected to the presidency of the National Institution, 

 was a man sixty-two years of age, who had lived an eventful life, full 

 of opportunities for observing the institutions of Europe, Asia, and 

 South America. His culture was broad and syujpathetic, and he was, 

 perhaps, better fitted than any of the public men of his time to appre- 

 ciate the necessity of organizing our public institutions on the most 

 liberal and comprehensive plan. 



In his interviews with those who advocated the establishment of an 

 observatory as the first result of the Smithsonian legacy, he showed 

 full appreciation of the value of such an institution, but seems to have 

 kept before his own mind a much more comprehensive ideal. 



Poinsett was the first to suggest the idea of a great national museum 

 at the capital of the nation. 



In his address upon ''The Objects and Importance of the National 

 Institution for the Promotion of Sciences," delivered at the first anni- 

 versary meeting of the society, January 4, 1841, he advocated boldly 

 the formation of a national museum as one of the most imi)ortant fea- 

 tures of a ''central establishment at the seat of government, such as is 

 maintained in every country in Eurox)e for the advantage of those who 

 cultivated the arts and sciences." 



To one who reads this address it will l)ecome evident that it was 

 Poinsett who put in Avords the definition of the objects of the National 

 Institution — "to promote science and the useful arts, and to establish 

 a national museum of natural history." 



The following is an extract from this address : 



The lovers of science, literature, and the fine arts residing in the 

 District felt sensibly the absence of those resources which are found 

 elsewhere and are necessary for the attainment of knowledge. They 

 were mortified to perceive that the great advantages jiossessed by the 

 l)ublic authorities at Washington were neglected, and that, at the seat 

 of government of this great nation, there existed fewer means than in 

 any other city of the Union of prosecuting those studies which, while 

 they impart dignity and enjoyment to existence, lead to the most use- 

 ful practical results. They believed it to be their duty to arouse the 

 attention of Government to these deficiencies, and, at all events, to 

 address themselves to the task of supplying them, as far as could be 

 done by their individual and combined exertions. For these purposes 

 they have formed an association and applied themselves to collect 



identical with those contemplated hy the philauthropical and philosophical testa- 

 tor." (Proc, p. 46.) 



See in this connection letters from Richard Rush, on the Smithsonian Bequest 

 (Second Bulletin of Proceedings Nat. Inst., 1842, pp. 201-204); from Peter S. 

 Duponceau, on the Smithsonian Bequest {op. cit., 204-208); from Hon. Virgil 

 Maxey, charge d'atfaires of the United States to Belgium (First Bulletin, pp. 46^7) ; 

 Opening Address by John Tyler, President of the United States, patron of the 

 National Institute (Second Bulletin, pp. 437, 438); letter from the Hon. Levi Wood- 

 bury, United States Senate (oj). cit., pp. 4.51-453) ; Smithsonian Bequest, by the Hon. 

 Richard Rush (op. cit., pp. 455-460) ; address of Hon. Mr. Preston, of the United States 

 Senate [op. cit., \>. 236); letter of John Pickering, of Boston, September 1, 1841 {op. 

 cit., pp. 109-ini). 



SM 91, PT 2 19 



