322 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



I regret your correspondence has compelled lue to say thus much in 

 defense* of the position I have the honor to hold. 

 Yours, respectfully, 



H. L. Ellsworth. 



Col. J. J. Abert, 



Chn. Com. Nat. Inst. 



Siill anotlier blow was in reserve. Statements were made in public 

 to the effect tha.t the collections of the Institute were ot very trifling 

 value, and one which appears to have been printed, though I can gain 

 no information as to its nature, made certain charges in connection with 

 the portraits in the possession of the Institute, intended to show that 

 the Institute was ''unworthy of the patronage of the Government." 



This happened apparently during the great meeting of the friends of 

 the Institnte in April, 1844, evidently with the intention of counteract- 

 ing any effect which the assemblage might produce upon Congress. 



Mr. George P. Marsh, M. C, at this time (April 4) addressed a letter 

 to the corresponding secretary of the Institute stating that its meuiorial 

 had been referred to him as a member of the Library Committee of Con- 

 gress, and asking for information to enable him to meet objections made 

 by persons unfriendly to the Institution. The information given in the 

 following letter in fact constitutes a third report upon the national col- 

 lection, a little more than a year subsequent to the date of those already 

 quoted : 



Letter from Messrs Marloe and Abert to the Hon. George P. MarsJi, April 



8, 1844. 



Wa.sh'n, 5' April, 1844. 

 To Mr. Marsh, H. R. 



Dear Sir; Your letter of the 4 inst, has been received. It found me 

 occupied by numerous & pressing engagements, and left so short a space 

 of time for reply that I have been compelled to call for aid upon a friend, 

 Col. Abert, with whom I was for a long time associated a member of an 

 important committee of the Institute, whose business it was to under- 

 stand its affairs. 



It is to be deplored that there are i)ersons so unfriendly to the Insti- 

 tute, as to state "that its collections are of very trifling extent and 

 value, and that for this and other reasons not necessary now to be 

 specitied, the Institute is unworthy the patronage of the Government." 

 Some consolation, however, is derived from the assurance, that you do 

 not entertain these opinions, and from the opportunity which is now 

 offered of correcting at least one of these erroneous opinions the only 

 one that has been presented with sufficient distinctness to be met, 

 namely, that which refers to the extent and value of the Institute's col- 

 lections We should have rejoiced if "the other reasons" had been as 

 candid speciticaily and, so we seize this occasion to assure you of our 

 readiness, our anxious desire, to meet any unfounded report or misrep- 

 resentation which may have led to the assertion, that the Institute is 

 unworthy the patronage of the Government. We are the more anxious 

 a.s the assertion seems to have grown out of other considerations than 

 tbe supposed trifling extent and value of the col.lect4oB§ of the lustitute. 



