TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1845-47. 451 



the difference between taxing our constituents (as the 

 phrase \yas) then and now ? So far as the burden was con- 

 cerned, it was nothing; so far as reputation was concerned, 

 it was everything. The first duty of a trustee was to carry 

 into effect the object of the trust; and if this duty was 

 neglected, were we not bound to provide at least against 

 the loss of the fund ? 



In reference to the advocacy by Mr. ADAMS of the appli- 

 cation of the fund to a library, and to some remarks of Mr, 

 Adams, (as the reporter understood,) that it was more in 

 accordance with his fancy, Mr. Owen urged that fancy should 

 have nothing to do with the question ; that we were bound to 

 appropriate this fund strictly according to the intentions of 

 the testator, whose intentions the appropriation of the prin- 

 cipal portion of which to a library, he argued, could not 

 meet, inasmuch as, though a library might tend to the 

 " diffusion," it would not to the " increase " " of knowl- 

 edge among men ;" and as if a library had been intended 

 by Mr. Smithson, he would undoubtedly have expressed it. 



He was not specially wedded to this feature of normal 

 schools, yet he confessed he considered it the most impor- 

 tant one in the bill. And the gentleman from Massachu- 

 setts wholly misunderstood him if he supposed that his 

 (Mr. Owen's) proposition was to supersede the State normal 

 schools. It was rather a supplement to them an institution 

 which would carry them further, where the science of edu- 

 cation should be improved. And for this they had high 

 authoritj 7 . He referred to Mr. Van Buren's language on 

 the subject, from which, though not express to this point 

 he considered the inference fair that he would be in favor 

 of such a feature. 



As to the disgrace of educating our children with foreign 

 aid, there was no proposition in this bill to educate children, 

 but the teachers of children. And as to the disgrace, it 

 might be said with equal propriety that it was disgraceful 

 to receive foreign aid for the founding a library. 



One special portion of the duties of this normal branch 

 would be to call the attention of the States generally to 

 these normal schools, and it might, and he hoped would, in 

 this way, become the means of increasing these schools. 



In conclusion, he said the practical effect of the amend- 

 ment of Mr. ADAMS would be to postpone the matter indef- 

 initely. His (Mr. Owen's) opinion coincided much more 

 nearly with the opinion heretofore expressed (from a source 

 he respected so highly) on at least four different occasions ; 

 -and he hoped that Congress would no longer delay to 



