PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 289 



omitted. Dr. Robert Hare having in 1847 decided upon resign- 

 ing his Professorship of Chemistry in the Medical Department of 

 the University of Pennsylvania, (the largest and best patronized 

 in the country,) the vacant chair was tendered by the Board of 

 Trustees to Professor Henry. His friend Dr. Hare himself used 

 his influence to induce Henry to become his successor; particu- 

 larly dwelling on the large amount of leisure afforded 'for inde- 

 pendent investigations. The income of this professorship was 

 more than double the salary of the Smithsonian Secretaryship. 

 The position tempting as it might have been under different 

 circumstances, was however declined. Henry felt that to leave 

 his present post before his cherished policy was fairly settled and 

 established, would be most probably to abandon nearly all the 

 results of the experiment : and having set before himself the one 

 great object of directing the resources of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution as far as possible to the advancement of science, in con- 

 formity with the undoubted intention of its founder, (and as the 

 execution therefore of a sacred trust,) he resolutely put aside 

 every inducement that might divert him from the fulfillment of 

 his task.* 



Of the half a dozen objects of attention specified in the 5th 

 section of the organizing Act, (the various inspiration of dif- 

 ferent partisans,) not one directly tended to further the primary 

 requirement of the Will : — even the Laboratory being avowedly 

 introduced simply as a utilitarian workshop for mining and agri- 

 cultural analysis. Regarded as methods of diffusing existing 

 knowledge they were obviously local and limited in their range : 

 and as compared with the instrumentality of the Press, were 

 certainly very inefficient for spreading the benefits of the endow- 

 ment among men.f 



* Some six years later, a somewhat similar temptation was presented. 

 In 1853, on the resignation of President Carnalian of the College of New 

 Jersey at Princeton, an effort was made to induce the return of Professor 

 Henry to liis academic seat, by a movement to obtain for him the Presi- 

 dency of the College. Such a token of afiectionate remembrance could 

 not but bp grateful and toncliing to his feelings; but a sense of obligation 

 was upon him, not to be laid aside. He had undertaken a work and a 

 responsibility which must not be left to the liazard of failure. He declined 

 the proffered honor— with thanks; and warmly recommended Dr. Maclean 

 to the v.Tcant position: who thereupon was duly elected. (Maclean's 

 Hist, of Col'pqe of N(w .7(°r.<;p?/,'vol ii. p. 336.) 



t " The objects specified in the Act of Congress evidently do not come 

 up to the idea of the testator as deduced from a critical examination of 

 his ■will. A library, a mnspum. a eallery of arts, though important in 

 themselves, are local in their inflnencc. I have from the beginning 

 advocated this opinion on all occasions, and shall continue to arlvocate it 

 whenever a suitable opportnnitv occurs." (Smilhxnvinn Rfport for 1853, 

 p. 122 (of Senate edit.) p. 117, (of H. Rep. eidit.) The superficial pretext 

 was not wantin? on tbf part of some, that the words "incrp,a=e and dif- 

 fusion" were not to be taken too literally, but to be considered as the 



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