11 
municate to me. I assure you that I feel the liveliest interest in the success of this 
noble institution. I am happy to see it established in the city of Washington* 
the capital of our Union, and many reasons induce me to feel this satisfaction- 
The District of Columbia is deprived of the most important rights enjoyed by the 
States. Its inhabitants are in fact disfranchised, and do not enjoy the right of 
self-government; a compensation is due to them for this great sacrifice, and there 
cannot be a nobler one than the laurel crown of science, which I think our Nation¬ 
al Government is bound to give to them, for their and its own glory. When our 
Government shows a sincere disposition to promote science and general knowledge, 
without which no free nation can long exist, it will produce many excellent effects; 
U will promote confidence in the National Administration; and, above all, it will 
soften the rage of party spirit, which threatens to involve us in the fate of the 
Roman Republic. 
The details of your organization are of little consequence, as they may be alter¬ 
ed by the institution at pleasure. Yet there are some principles by which I think 
they ought to be regulated, and which I shall take the liberty to explain to you 
Every institution of this kind ought, in my opinion, to be constituted with a view 
to its efficiency and its perpetuity. These should not be lost sight of in any, 
even the most trifling, of its regulations. Efficiency is the first, because from its 
continued action perpetuity will arise and follow as a natural consequence. Ex¬ 
perience will show you whether your constitution is or is not deficient in regard to 
this most important principle. The choice that you have made of your directors 
is a most excellent one, and I have no doubt will be attended with the happiest 
consequences. You have chosen two men high in office, whose means of assist¬ 
ance are considerable, and whose patronage will be important to you. I do not 
speak of their personal qualifications; they are well known to the world. One of 
them is already highly distinguished as a patron of science; of this I can speak of 
my own knowledge, as the American Philosophical Society, amongst others, is 
greatly indebted to him, and has placed him in the list of its benefactors. You 
have therefore done wisely in obtaining from the heads of the Government that 
they should appear as the head of your Institution. It is to be regretted that the 
Chief Magistrate of this great nation does not occupy that position in regard to 
this institution which the world will naturally expect from him, and which might 
enable him to be so eminently beneficial to his country. 
T however cannot but highly approve of your choice of directors ; but you must 
be sensible that men who, like them, have on their shoulders, in a great measure, 
the destinies of their country, cannot give much attention to the official duties 
which you have imposed upon them. It is from a higher sphere that they must 
govern your institution. I would, therefore, recommend that you should elect 
two or three vice directors, to save them the labor which a regular attendance on 
your meetings would require of them. That attendance should be free and volun¬ 
tary, and I have no doubt that, left to themselves, they would make every exer_ 
tion, particularly in the inception of your labors, to direct and promote them. 
They will have to keep up a correspondence with other learned societies at home 
