44 



the stately march of Empires may be chronicler] to some extent, by 

 the exhibition of what they have done for social embellishment, and 

 where the gorgeousness and profusion of Nature may be emulated by 

 the creative genius of Art. 



I know no locality so suitable as this, for such a Museum of artistic 

 treasure ; no locality in which Art has already done so much for Na- 

 ture. Most of us remember when, but a few years ago, this whole 

 district, which now forms the Central Park, was an unsightly and 

 shapely mass — u rudis indigestaque moles." Now it is a very miracle 

 of rural beauty, where the most unpromising and stubborn natural 

 feature has been made to blend and harmonize with the general aspect 

 of order and grace. 



But, ladies and gentlemen, I am forgetting that I only arose to 

 apologise to you for sitting down again ; and if I go on, j^ou may im- 

 pute to me the common frailty which Horace ascribes to singers — 

 that they can never be induced to sing when they are asked, and 

 never stop when nobody wants to hear them. But I cannot sit down 

 without saying, it is appropriate that the foundation of this Cosmopol- 

 itan Museum should be laid by the foremost man of our time, who in 

 the field did so much by his calm, unconquerable and unconscious 

 valor, to save the life of the nation, and who in the Cabinet stands 

 forth as its fearless champion, to maintain its honor and its plighted 

 faith. 



ADDRESS OF PROF. JOSEPH HENRY. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentleman : 



My address will have one element which I doubt not will elicit 

 your approbation. I was requested to limit it to ten minutes, and 

 therefore it will of necessity have the merit especially appreciated on 

 a warm day, that of shortness. Being thus instructed as to time, I 

 trust I shall be excused if I do not as fully develop as could be wish- 

 ed the several propositions which I intend to present in connection 

 with the interesting occasion on which we are assembled. The first 

 of these propositions is that modern civilization tends to congregate 

 the population of countries into large cities, that cities tend to increase 



