PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON'S BEQUEST. 879 



-edge. The old numerals in use among the Greeks and 

 Romans rendered it a matter of no small difficulty to per- 

 form the simplest operations of numbers. Our merchants 

 seldom think that they owe all the facilities with which they 

 arrange their intricate accounts, and thereby accomplish all 

 their manifold commercial speculations, to the genius 'of 

 these Mohammedans. I can never give either to Italy or 

 Greece that meed of unqualified praise which is so lavishly 

 bestowed by some, when I know that to other races must 

 be ascribed the invention of the cypher and the beautiful 

 game of chess. Far be it from me to detract anything from 

 the nations of Southern Europe which is so honestly theirs. I 

 would freely give them, as they might deserve it, the honors 

 that are due to power, to letters, or to science. I have gazed 

 with transport on the marbles of the Parthenon, and could 

 look with the deepest emotion on the dying gladiator, but 

 I search in vain through the gorgeous range of Roman his- 

 tory for a single proof of that beautiful talent that is dis- 

 played in that obscure but most perfect instrument, the 

 potter's lathe, an invention of ancient Etruria. There are 

 rights of mankind as well as rights of nations; and just as 

 one man may not lawfully usurp the property of his neigh- 

 bor, no nation has a right to embezzle the honors due to 

 others. The human family is not so degraded as it is fash- 

 ionable to think. We do not owe all that makes us wise, 

 -or good, or powerful, to the shores of the Mediterranean. 

 Our whole system of education is an insult to the dignity 

 of mankind. 



The nineteenth century cannot pass away, in this land of free 

 opinions, without witnessing a great change in these respects. 

 Men who have been accustomed to show perhaps, even in a 

 blarneable excess, an utter disregard for the venerable ap- 

 pearance of antiquity, will not be slow to investigate what 

 we all feel to be the safeguard of this great Republic the 

 education of its youth. Men, who will have a plain reason 

 rendered to them for everything, will not be dull to per- 

 ceive nor slow to apply a remedy. The tokens of this are 

 already among us. There are institutions now existing that 

 will show the way in this matter, that will quietly awaken 

 public opinion, and shake off the nightmare that rides upon it. 



Do not misunderstand me. I contend not for the banish- 

 ment of these studies from our systems of instruction. The 

 forced state of society in which we live has made them a 

 part of perfect education. We are often compelled to tolerate 

 what we may be most eager to remove. But, sir, the mind 

 of man was never in that state of expansion in which it now 



