TWENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1843-1845. 291 



tutional power, but it has become your duty; you have pledged your 

 faith; you have engaged to the dead and living that without the charge 

 of one dollar on the people, you, you will meet the universal and 

 urgent demand by the precise and adequate supply. By such a library 

 as you can collect here something will be done, much will be done to 

 help every college, every school, every studious man, every writer 

 and thinker in the country to just what is wanted most. Inquirers 

 after truth may come here and search for it. It will do no harm at 

 all to pass a few studious weeks among these scenes. Having pushed 

 their investigations as far as they may at home and ascertained just 

 what and how much more of helps they require, let them come hither 

 and find it. Let them replenish themselves and then go back, and 

 make distribution among their pupils; aye, through the thousand 

 channels and by the thousand voices of the press, let them make 

 distribution among the people. Let it be so that 



Hither as to their fountains other stars 

 Repairing, in their golden urns, draw light. 



I have no objection at all I should rejoice, rather to see the literary 

 representatives of an instructed people come hither, not merely for 

 the larger legislation and jurisprudence, but for the rarer and higher 

 knowledge. I am quite willing not only that our "Amphyctionic 

 Council" should sit here but that it should find itself among such 

 scenes and influences as surrounded that old renowned assembly; the 

 fountain of purer waters than those of Castalia; the temple and the 

 oracle of our Apollo! It will do good to have your educated men come 

 to Washington for what has heretofore cost voyages to Germany. 

 They will be of all the parts of the country. They will become 

 acquainted with each other. They will contract friendships and 

 mutual regards. They will go away not only better scholars but 

 better Unionists. Some one has said that a great library molds all 

 minds into one republic. It might, in a sense of which he little 

 dreamed, help to keep ours together. 



I have intimated, Mr. President, a doubt whether a college or uni- 

 versity of any description, even the highest, should be at present 

 established here. But let it be considered by the enlightened friends 

 of that object, if such there are, that even if your single purpose were 

 to create such a university, you could possibly begin in no way so 

 judiciously as by collecting a great library. Useful in the other 

 modes which I have indicated, to a university it is everything. It is 

 as needful as the soul to the body. While you are doubting, then, 

 what to do, what you will have, you can do nothing so properly as to 

 begin to be accumulating the books which you will require on what- 

 ever permanent plan of application you at last determine. 

 ,. I do not expect to hear it said in this assembly that this expenditure 



