38 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 106. 



and especiallj' to show that the existing 

 condition was not approved by those who 

 guided the Institution through the dangers 

 by which it was beset during its earlier 

 years and to whom we are indebted, more 

 than to all others, for the splendid work 

 which it has accomplished during the first 

 half century of its existence. 



The origin of the Smithsonian Institution 

 was singular, its organization is unique and 

 its success has been unparalleled. In 1796 

 Washington recommended as of primary 

 importance the promotion of ' institutions 

 for the increase and diffusion of knoivledge.' 

 In 1826 James Smithson, an Englishman 

 about whom America knew nothing and 

 who knew practicallj^ nothing of America, 

 wrote in his will: " I bequeath the whole of 

 my property to the United States of 

 America, to found at Washington an 

 establishment for ' the increase and diffusion 

 of knowledge among men.^ " In 1846 John 

 Quincy Adams wrote: "Let the trust of 

 James Smithson to the United States of 

 America be faithfully executed by their 

 Representatives in Congress; let this result 

 accomplish his object — the increase and dif- 

 fusion of knowledge among men." 



As soon as the funds resulting from the 

 bequest of Smithson were in the treasury 

 of the United States a multitude of plans 

 were suggested for the realization of the 

 intention of the donor. Some were reason- 

 able, many were unreasonable, and it is 

 now universally conceded that the scheme 

 of organization proposed by Joseph Henry 

 and adopted by the Board of Eegents was 

 the best that could have been selected. The 

 essence of that scheme is most clearly ex- 

 hibited in the words of Prof. Asa Gray, who 



wrote : " Henry took his stand on the broad 

 and ample terms of the bequest, ' for the 

 increase and diffusion of knowledge among 

 men,' and he never narrowed his mind and 

 to locality gave what was meant for man- 

 kind. He proposed only one restriction, of 

 wisdom and necessity, that in view of the 

 limited means of the institution, it ought 

 not to undertake anything which could be 

 done, and well done, by other existing in- 

 strumentalities. So, as occasion arose, he 

 lightened its load and saved its energies 

 by giving over to other energies some of its 

 cherished work." It is through this policy 

 that the Institution has enjoyed a career of 

 usefulness unequalled by that of any simi- 

 lar organization, and in Prof. Gray's words 

 will be found the strongest arguments 

 against a continuation of its existing rela- 

 tions to the National Museum. By the 

 terms of Smithson's will the Institution is 

 charged with two functions : The increase of 

 knowledge, and its diffusion among men. 

 To both of these should be applied the 

 principle of restriction so wisely adopted by 

 its first Secretary, that it ought not to 

 undertake anything that could be done, 

 and well done, by existing instrumentalities. ' 

 It has, therefore, under each of its distin- 

 guished directors, increased knowledge by 

 aiding original investigatory who were other- 

 wise unable to carry on their researches, 

 and it has difi"used knowledge among men 

 by publishing many important memoirs, 

 translations, summaries, etc., which would 

 hardly have been made available without 

 such assistance. Its extensive system of 

 international exchanges has been in the 

 same line, and in all this its position has 

 been unique. 



