192 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 997 



to further effort. Another prime object 

 was to aid the government in the solution 

 of problems of a scientific nature. In 1863, 

 the year of the Academy's incorporation, 

 the civil war was in progress, and the gov- 

 ernment stood in need of just such advice 

 as a body of able scientific men could sup- 

 ply. It will be seen later that the assist- 

 ance of the Academy was often sought and 

 rendered, not alone in this period, but also 

 in subsequent years. 



The idea that a democratic government 

 could not consistently confer distinction 

 upon its citizens, though held by some crit- 

 ics of the day, was not shared by Joseph 

 Henry, whose words may again be quoted 

 from the report cited above: 



It is not enough for our government to offer en- 

 couragement to the direct promotion of the useful 

 arts through the more or less fortunate efforts of 

 inventors; it is absolutely necessary, if we would 

 advance or even preserve our reputation for true 

 intelligence, that encouragement and facilities 

 should be afforded for devotion to original re- 

 search in the various branches of human knowledge. 

 In the other countries scientific discovery is stimu- 

 lated by pensions, by titles of honor and by various 

 social and official distinctions. The French aca- 

 demicians receive an annual salary and are deco- 

 rated with the insignia of the Legion of Honor. 

 Similar marks of distinction are conferred on the 

 members of the Academy of Berlin and that of 

 St. Petersburg. These modes of stimulation or 

 encouragement may be considered inconsistent with 

 our social ideas and perhaps with our forms of 

 government. There are honors, nevertheless, which 

 in an intelligent democracy have been and may be 

 justly awarded to those who enlarge the field of 

 human thought and human power. Heretofore, but 

 two principal means of distinction have been rec- 

 ognized in this country, viz. : the acquisition of 

 wealth and the possession of political power. The 

 war seems to have offered a third, in bestowing 

 position and renown for successful military 

 achievement. The establishment of this Academy 

 may be perhaps regarded as having opened a fourth 

 avenue for the aspirations of a laudable ambition, 

 which interferes neither with our national preju- 

 dices nor our political principles, and which only 

 requires the fostering care of government to be- 



come of essential benefit and importance not only 

 to this, but all the civilized countries of the 

 world.6 



The special problems raised by the civil 

 war emphasized the value of the services 

 which the Academy might render the gov- 

 ernment, at a period when most of the sci- 

 entific bureaus of later years were not yet 

 organized. But the war had only an inci- 

 dental bearing on the designation of the 

 Academy as the scientific adviser of the na- 

 tion. The desire of President Lincoln and 

 his Secretary of State to receive advice 

 from the Academy on more general ques- 

 tions is shown by the following letter from 

 Secretary Seward to President Bache :'' 



Department op State, 

 Washington, January 8, 1864. 

 Sir: 1 have the honor to acknowledge the re- 

 ceipt of your note of the 7th instant, tendering 

 to this department the aid of the Academy of 

 Sciences in any investigation that it may be 

 thought proper to institute with a view to the 

 great reform of producing an uniformity of 

 weights and measures among commercial nations. 

 Be pleased to express to the Academy my sincere 

 thanks for this enlightened and patriotic pro- 

 ceeding, and assure them that, with the authority 

 of the President, I shall be happy to avail myself 

 of the assistance thus tendered to me, and to that 

 end I shall at all times be happy to receive the 

 suggestions of the Academy, or of any committee 

 that may be named by it, in conformity with the 

 spirit of the note you have addressed to me. 

 I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 

 William H. Seward 



We shall have occasion later to consider 

 how the Academy has assisted the govern- 

 ment in the solution of problems of the 

 most diverse character. 



The first meeting of the National Acad- 

 emy, attended by more than three fifths of 

 the incorporators, was held at the Univer- 

 sity of the City of New York on April 22, 

 1863. Senator Wilson, who had introduced 

 in the senate the bill of incorporation, ad- 



Op:, cit., p. 14. 

 '• Op. cit., p. 16. 



