No. 200.] B 



agriculture, have cheerfully and gratuitously brought their knowledge, 

 ingenuity, and experience to the Institute, that they might from thence 

 be disseminated through every portion of our favored land. 



It must naturally be supposed, that an institution, toiling for the 

 benefit of the laboring, manufacturing, and agricultural classes : pur- 

 suing the even tenor of its way unostentatiously, by never interfering 

 or clashing with any other association, and free from all political bias 

 or influence, would at least have the good fortune to be exempt from 

 enemies. It is to be lamented that such is not the fact. 



It has been an undeviating principle, from the commencement of 

 the Institute, not to recognize, much less to favor, any political party. 

 It needed no sagacity to foretell, that whenever the American Insti- 

 tute lost its political neutrality, the seeds of its dissolution would be 

 sown, and its future usefulness irrevocably gone ; so sensible were 

 all the members of this fact, and so cautious and guarded have they 

 been, that there has never been a political discussion within its walls, 

 nor so much even as the expression of a political sentiment. 



Yet, strange as it may appear, and in the face of all this, the In- 

 stitute has been charged, as if with a determination to mar its use- 

 fulness, with secretly advocating political or party views. The mana- 

 gers repel the charge with honest indignation, and boldly challenge a 

 refutation of the assertions they have just made. 



The word American was not placed first in our title, without a due 

 sense of its hallowed importance. It is our pride and boast that this 

 lofty and honored name, has not become tarnished by partisan or sec- 

 tional feelings. We invite every man in these United States, as has 

 been already stated, without distinction of party, not only to visit our 

 institution, and avail himself of all the information which our records, 

 our officers, our members, or our library can afford, but to become 

 members of the same, and thus bear witness to our neutraHty. 



Such an institution ought to have an influence among our citizens, 

 and to possess their confidence and good will, and we do not hesitate 

 to say, that, laboring honestly and faithfully as we have done, and 

 will continue to do, in the noble cause of American independence, we 

 shall grow, in importance and in fame, both at home and abroad, and, 

 as we increase in usefulness, we cannot fail to advance in public 

 favor. 



