Excerpt from An Appeal to the People of the United States, in Behalf of Art, Artists, and the Public Weal<br><br>Such is the public apathy on the subject of the Fine Arts, and such the opposition I have been compelled to encounter from foreign interest and jealousy, together with other adverse circumstances, that I now almost despair of being able to consummate my plans by my own individual ex ertions, though I have fully proved to the world that they are entirely practicable, and at a very moderate cost.<br><br>I therefore propose, and pledge myself to give these coppers, now and forever, to the Smithsonian Institution, provided she will carry out my plans. I will also devote my time to the supervision of the restoration and publication of the works, without any pecuniary remuneration. I do not desire a dollar of the funds to pass through my hands if this should be deemed desirable, I will give bonds for the faithful discharge of my duties. This course would make it a national enterprise, which would enlist the sympathy and support of the whole country. If, after due con sideration, the Smithsonian Institution should deem it incompatible with the legitimate objects of the Institution, then, I offer the same terms to any other public institutlon ln the country, or to any body of liberal men, who will associate themselves together, to carry out the enterprise for the public good.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.