Had this place been
suggested to him, I fear he would have replied that were it
possible to utilize celestial knowledge in acquiring earthly
wealth, here would be the most promising seat for such a school.
But he would need to have been a little wiser than his generation
to reflect that wealth is at the base of all progress in knowledge
and the liberal arts; that it is only when men are relieved from
the necessity of devoting all their energies to the immediate
wants of life that they can lead the intellectual life, and that
we should therefore look to the most enterprising commercial
centre as the likeliest seat for a great scientific institution.
Now we have the school, and we have the observatory, which we hope
will in the near future do work that will cast lustre on the name
of its founder as well as on the astronomers who may be associated
with it. You will, I am sure, pardon me if I make some suggestions
on the subject of the future needs of the establishment. We want
this newly founded institution to be a great success, to do work
which shall show that the intellectual productiveness of your
community will not be allowed to lag behind its material growth
The public is very apt to feel that when some munificent patron of
science has mounted a great telescope under a suitable dome, and
supplied all the apparatus which the astronomer wants to use,
success is assured.
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