210 Breaking Ground for the New Laboratory
devoted to a science of which he was one of the founders
and fathers.
And so I commit to your care the letter, which, as I said,
is precious to me, a very precious document; and I pray
that the spirit of Dr. Priestley that shed so much light on
the people up there in Pennsylvania, may also continue to
enlighten people down here in this wide open country.
You know the persecutions he underwent in his own coun-
try, and later in this country, but he loved America, he
believed in its future, and the future of our people. He
said, among other things, that the American people would
act wisely—that was in 1797— that if they followed the
teachings of their constitution they would be happy and.
eventually obtain what they deserved.
Edgar Fahs Smith.
Note.—At the conclusion of these remarks, which were made
immediately after the ninth commencement convocation of the Rice
Institute on Monday morning, June 4, 1923, Dr. Smith lifted the
first spadeful of earth for the foundation of the new laboratory for
chemistry, and from his hands the spade passed in turn to Mr.
William M. Rice, Jr., Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees;
Professor Harry B. Weiser, Director of the Laboratory; Joseph L.
Gillman, Jr., Bachelor of Science, first president of the Rice Chemi-
cal Society; and to Professor William W. Watkin, associated in
the preparation of the plans for the building with Messrs. Cram
and Ferguson, Supervising Architects of the Rice Institute.
The benediction was pronounced by Dr. Edward S. Ames.
TEXT OF A LETTER WRITTEN BY DR. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY TO
DR. SAMUEL LATHAM MITCHILL, MEMBER OF CONGRESS
Dear Sir
I think myself much obliged to you and Dr. Miller for
so early an admission of my Paper on Galvanism into the
Medical Repository. I have sent another article, in answer