22 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



about shutting up his book. Then I rose, and calmly called their attention to 

 this clause, told them that to exact that would be to blast every hope of success, 

 and so impressed them with the responsibility of such a course that they voted 

 the term of six years instead of for life." 31 



The article of the constitution which seems to have provoked 

 the most animated discussion was, as already mentioned, that 

 which provided that the members of the Academy should take 

 an oath of allegiance to the Government. This is not surprising, 

 when one recalls the condition of the country at the time. The 

 article was adopted, however, and the whole business of the 

 meeting was completed, including the adoption of the constitu- 

 tion and by-laws, and the election of officers in a session of 

 three days, ending on the afternoon of April 24. 32 Lesley, in 

 his cautious spirit, remarks on " the splendid success of the 

 organization as it appears," and continues " Time will show how 

 much reality underlies this show. We have laid down the base 

 of a pyramid for the ages." Hubbard was more enthusiastic. 

 " A better three days for science were never spent," he writes 

 to his brother, " The inauguration of this Academy marks the 

 most important epoch ever witnessed by science in America." 



The account of this first meeting, as given by Professor Bache 

 in his report as President of the Academy, is as follows : 



" In pursuance of the provisions of that Act [of incorporation], the members 

 of the National Academy met in New York on the 22d of April, 1863, and com- 

 pleted their organization, renewing by their loyal oath their obligations to serve 

 their country and its constituted authorities to the best of their abilities and 

 knowledge, on such subjects as were embraced in their charter, and upon which 

 they might be consulted, and adopting a Constitution and Laws which they sup- 

 posed would enable them to carry on successfully the plans of Congress as 

 sketched in the charter. 



" Providing for the full and deliberate consideration and arrangement of their 

 laws by a Committee selected for their capability in such a task, the Academy 



31 Life and Letters of William Barton Rogers, edited by his wife, vol. 2, p. 161, 1896. 



32 Although President Bache in his first report states that the constitution and by-laws 

 were adopted at this meeting, it seems probable that the action was informal, as they are 

 mentioned later in the same report, as having been "finally passed" on January 6, 1864. 

 (See p. 8.) 



88 B. A. Gould, Eulogy on Joseph S. Hubbard. Ann. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1863-4 (1865), 

 p. 72. 



