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exertions. For Ihcse purposes they have formed an association, and applied 

 themselves to collect specimens of Geology and Mineralogy, and other objects of 

 natural history, and, for the short period of its existence, the efforts of the Insti- 

 tution have been eminently successful. They have entered into correspondence 

 with other learned Societies, and have been encouraged to proceed by their appro- 

 bation, and have profited by their generous co operation. They have invited the 

 assistance of their fellow-citizens in the most distant States and Territories, and 

 hope, by their aid, to collect documents and facts illustrative of the early history 

 of our country, specimens of its Geology and of its Mineral and Vegetable produc- 

 tions, and, if not to preserve the animals and plants themselves, which are pass- 

 ing away before the progress of settlement and cultivation, at least to perpetuate 

 their forms, and the memory of their existence. They hope to be able to illus- 

 trate these subjects, and others connected with them, by a series of gratuitous lec- 

 tures, and entertain a confident expectation that numbers, whose duties compel 

 them annually to assemble here, will vi|pw with interest collections of the natural 

 productions of America, drawn from every State and Territory in the Union, 

 and, becoming sensible of their utility, will contribute on their return to swell 

 their amount, and to spread throughout the country a taste for literary and scien- 

 tific pursuits. 



"The Institution for the Promotion of Science and the Useful Arts, will, as 

 its name indicates, embrace every branch of knowledge ; and its members, believ- 

 ing such a combination essential to its success, have divided themselves into eight 

 scientific classes, namely : Astronomy, Geography, and Natural Philosophy ; 

 Natural History ; Geology and Mineralogy ; Chemistry ; the application of 

 Science to the Useful Arts; Agriculture; American History and Antiquities; 



and Literature and the Fine .\rts." 



• • • » • 



"At no epoch of history has Astronomy, both theoretical and practical, counted 

 among its votaries so many illustrious men, as since the commencement of the 

 present century ; at no period has the vault of heaven been explored with so 

 much genius, profound knowledge, ability, ajid physical means, as at this day ; 

 and never has been commenced a monument to the glory of science and human 

 intellect more sublime than that of which astronomy is now laying the foundation. 

 Shall we not add one stone to this structure ? Will we expose ourselves to be 

 denied our just title of a moral, religious, intelligent, and enlightened people, by 

 refusing to inscribe the United States of America among the names of the civilized 

 nations of the earth which will be found engraved upon the columns of this mag- 

 nificent temple 1 Are we not a Navigating and Commercial people ? Does not 

 our flag float on every sea, and visit every accessible region of the world 1 And 

 ahall we not have our National Observatory, our astronomical archives, and our 

 celestial cphemcris 1 Shall we any longer leave our navigators exposed to the dis- 

 grace of acknowledging that, without the astronomical ephemerides published in 

 Europe, they r^uld not with safety navigate distant seas ? I hope not. I believe 

 it to be only necessary to point out to the intelligent people of this country the 



