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increasing those collections, but has begotten a zeal, almost universal, 
to contribute something, if even the widow’s mite, to swell them. 
It has developed, also, some new ideas in its public papers, cred- 
itable to the country ; and has been the means, of what it expects to 
repeat often, under larger resources, of gathering, occasionally, into 
one body, many of the best intellects of the Union, for interchanging, 
not merely specimens, but scientific views and projects, between differ- 
ent, as well as the same classes and professions — thus breaking away, at 
times, from the dusty turmoil of the world and of politics, and mingling 
in peaceful meetings, where all are learners of something beneficial to 
themselves or the community, while acting side by side in that greatest 
of all republics, “ the republic of letters.” The communion of minds 
there — the mutual discoveries and improvements made, and the impulses 
imparted by new articles, new books, new instruments, new suggestions, 
will often be felt widely afterwards, amidst the lights and shadows of 
life, and be diffused rapidly in a country, where neither political nor re- 
ligious intolerance and bigotry can resort to dungeons and penances to 
delay the spread of new theories in science or philosophy. However 
slow, then, may seem to be the influences of institutions like this, they 
often stir, in these ways, the soil, or sow the seed, which in time yield 
a new principle or invention that improves the world for ages; and when 
great results seem occasionally to happen from accident, or on a sudden, 
they will be found, in most cases, to be but the mature fruit of what be- 
gun, in this or some other way, ages before ; and hence, the fall of an 
apple, or the repair of an old engine, with minds like Newton’s and 
Watt’s, only helped to solve the last of their perplexities, after much had 
been previously thought, and said, and done, to become ripened for im- 
proving such occurrences. It would seem then, that all, in addition, 
which is needed here to promote the cause of science, and diffuse its 
blessings still more widely over the whole country, might well be built 
on the Institute and collections which now exist; and if I am asked, who 
shall be the builder? and who furnish the materials? I would say, in 
reply, that some expect a few minds in advance of the age, or emulous 
of good deeds, and possessed of surplus thousands, will, ere long, dedi- 
cate some of them to this philanthropic end ; and thus, by what would 
otherwise be squandered, perhaps, among thankless heirs, become enrol- 
led with such benefactors as the Yale’s, and Harvard’s, and Phillipps’s. 
But till such an event occurs, others contend, plausibly, that Congress 
is bound, by its relations to this District, as well as to this important sub- 
