:860 PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITIISON's BEQUEST. 



meridian may be established, not only for our own country 

 but for the western continent. To this all our national sur 

 veys, our charts, &c., may be referred. Astronomica 

 observations might be made, for which our position am 

 climate offer peculiar advantages. There is now no observ 

 atory worth naming in this part of the world. Let, then 

 the American Government now build one, and it will 1101 

 only be an honor to the nation, but it will be a powerfu 

 reason for giving permanency to the present seat of Gov 

 ernment. 



It may not be thought best to employ any artificial meant 

 for stimulants to rivalship, and to seek for literary honors 

 Congress will always have the right of visitation, and the} 

 can, if they please, direct the committee whom they ma} 

 appoint to attend the stated examinations of the varioue 

 classes, to award medals, or some other mark of distinction 

 to those scholars who shall give the best proof of profi- 

 ciency, or the ablest essays on appointed subjects. But il 

 should be remembered that the community at large consti- 

 tute, in fact, the most efficient board of overseers, and thai 

 that institution will be the most honored and frequented, 

 which sends forth the best prepared and the most faithful 

 agents to meet the wants of their country. 



I have the honor, sir, to be yours, with sentiments oi 

 great respect and esteem, 



S. CHAPIN. 



To MARTIN VAN BUREN, 



President of the United States. 



Letter from Horatio Hubbdl. 



PHILADELPHIA, September 20, 1838. 

 To the President of the United States : 



DEAR SIR : I had the honor sometime past to address you 

 a letter upon the subject of a volunteer navy, which subject 

 I shall, at some future day, resume, and show how it can be 

 effected by means of a steam navy, (if no other way,) which 

 will supercede among civilized nations, every other, in the 

 course of the next thirty years. I now, however, address 

 you upon a subject of more importance than a navy I mean 

 upon the subject of education as that subject arises out of 

 a consideration of the Smithsonian legacy, as it is called. 

 As to that legacy, the first thing that I beg of you, sir, is to 

 guard it sacredly from those cormorants who stand ready 



