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municate to me. I assure you that I feel the liveliest interest in the success of this 

 noble institution. I am happy to see it established in the city of Washington> 

 the capital of our Union, and many reasons induce me to feel this satisfaction- 

 The District of Columbia is deprived of the most important rights enjoyed by the 

 States. Its inhabitants are in fact disfranchised, and do not enjoy the right of 

 self-government", a compensation is due to them for this great sacrifice, and there 

 cannot be a nobler one than the laurel crovpn of science, which I think our Nation- 

 al Government is bound to give to them, for their and its own glory. When our 

 Government shows a sincere disposition to promote science and general knowledge, 

 without which no free nation can long exist, it will produce many excellent effects; 

 •t will promote confidence in the National Administration; and, above all, it will 

 soften the rage of party spirit, which threatens to involve us in the fate of the 

 Roman Republic. 



The details of your organization are of little consequence, as they may be' alter- 

 ed by the institution at pleasure. Yet there are some principles by which I think 

 they ought to be regulated, and which I shall take the liberty to explain to you 

 Every institution of this kind ought, in my opinion, to be constituted with a view 

 to its efficiency and its perpetuity. These should not be lost sight of in any, 

 even the most trifling, of its regulations. EflBciency is the first, because from its 

 continued action perpetuity will arise and follow as a natural consequence. Ex- 

 perience will show you whether your constitution is or is not deficient in regard to 

 this most important principle. The choice that you have made of your directors 

 is a most excellent one, and I have no doubt will be attended with the happiest 

 consequences. You have chosen two men high in office, whose means of assist- 

 ance are considerable, and whose patronage will be important to you. I do not 

 Bpeak of their personal qualifications; they are well known to the world. One of 

 them is already highly distinguished as a patron of science ; of this I can speak of 

 my own knowledge, as the American Philosophical Society, amongst others, is 

 greatly indebted to him, and has placed him in the list of its benefactors. You 

 have therefore done wisely in obtaining from the heads of the Government that 

 they should appear as the head of your Institution. It is to be regretted that the 

 Chief Magistrate of this great nation does not occupy that position in regard to 

 this institution which the world will naturally expect from him, and which might 

 enable him to be so eminently beneficial to his country. 



I however cannot but highly approve of your choice of directors ; but you must 

 be sensible that men who, like them, have on their shoulders, in a great measure, 

 the destinies of their country, cannot give much attention to the official duties 

 which you have imposed upon them. It is from a higher sphere that they must 

 govern your institution. I would, therefore, recommend that you should elect 

 two or three vice directors, to save them the labor which a regular attendance on 

 your meetings would require of them. That attendance should be free and volun- 

 tary, and I have no doubt that, left to themselves, they would make every exer. 

 tion, particularly in the inception of your labors, to direct and promote them. 

 They will have to keep up a correspondence with other learned societies at home 



