
          3

Professor or employ you to give an annual
course on botany with a liberal salary.
You have laboured longer and done
more than any living man to advance
the course of botany in the United States; Gray
himself is one of your pupils and but for
your generous and unselfish course towards
him he would not have been what
he is now. You have lived a most
industrious and useful life faithfully
doing all in you power to advance the [best?]
interests of your fellow men and now the
means ought to be afforded you of a comfortable
support and of making provision
for your family.

I doubt not that if the facts of your case
were properly presented to the Trustees personally
they would consider it a duty to
you, the university,* and the cause of science
to do as much as the means would properly
allow in the way of your renumeration.

I regret that I did not know of the proposition
while I was in New-York for I would then
have spoken to the President on the subject. If
you think it the proper time I will go on

* I ought to have written Columbia College

[left margin]
P.S. I am just preparing our official letter in regard
to the plants in which you [?] to purchase all the
[?] needed for the arrangement of the specimens

        