MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH. 27 



overshadowed the false one, and the library no 

 longer saps the life of the Institution. Professor 

 Henry always thought that over every library 

 portal should be written some such warning as 

 " Cave Canem " beware of the lies. 



It was not till 1852 that the serious attacks upon 

 the Smithsonian came to an end. On the 24th 

 of June, of that year, a United States Agricul- 

 tural Convention met in the theatre of the 

 Smithsonian building. The plan to plunder the 

 Institution seems to have been carefully considered 

 and matured ; and the officers of the Smithsonian 

 were elected members of the convention. Stephen 

 A. Douglas was at that time at the height 

 of his power. He had risen from the ranks by 

 the arts of the politician, and was the most influen- 

 tial man in the Democratic party of that day. 

 Although not yet forty years old, he had just 

 succeeded in defeating General Cass in a contest 

 for the presidential nomination at Baltimore ; and 

 although he failed by a few votes to secure it, he 

 had thrown it to Franklin Pierce, of New Hamp- 

 shire, and thus kept it open for himself in 1856, 

 as the Western candidate of the party. 



He was styled the " Little Giant " not in deris- 

 ion, but in admiration; as expressing the combi- 

 nation of a small stature and great intellect. 

 Eepresenting in the convention what was then 

 an almost entirely agricultural constituency, he 



