146 



countries, to slake that burning thirst of knowledge which can be 

 satisfied nowhere in our own. And finally, it is she who must 

 become the nursing mother of those noble sons of genius, who 

 are to rise from their eminent position in professorial chairs, to 

 the dignity and glory of original, profound, and distinguished 

 authorship; and who, by themselves and by the scholars whom 

 they form, are to create that atmosphere of learning, at once 

 pure and luminous, which nmst envelope the whole land, in 

 order to afford the proper element of life and breath, of health 

 and of vigor, to the constitution and body of a safe and genu- 

 ine philosophy. 



Having completed, I am afraid by a very tedious process, 

 this imperfect sketch of an extended system of public instruc- 

 tion and learning, and having insisted on the necessity of en- 

 dowment by the State and under State authority, I have one 

 word to say in conclusion to my fellow members of the Insti- 

 tute, of the relation in which, it seems to me, we stand to the 

 subject we have been considering. I maintain, in the first 



be expected from the body of the people. And I go further, 

 and maintain, that even the government, no matter in whose 

 hands the power may be, no matter what political party may 

 be in the ascendant — even the government must not be ex- 

 pected voluntarily to turn from the care and pursuit of those 

 measures, pressed on it from all quarters, which concern the 

 interests of trade, and of agriculture, and of manufactures, 

 and of internal improvement, and which are chiefly directed 

 to aid in the creation of individual wealth and in the promo- 

 tion of outward public prosperity — to turn from these volunta- 

 rily, and take up the interests of learning, originate the proper 

 system, on a scale commensurate with its dignity and impor- 

 tance, and carry it forward to its consummation. On this sub- 

 ject, governments too, like the people, will act eflaciently when 

 acted upon, and not otherwise. Now I submit to the Institute, 

 that it is peculiarly the business of those who, by their volun- 

 tary associations, make a public profession of their interest in 

 the cause of learning and education, to begin the movement 

 in this important matter. Let the learned societies of this 



