ial, to assist its
infant struggles for popularity, little suspecting, certainly, that they
were lending a club which would sooner or later strike them to the
ground. It may not be out of place here to remark, that it is firmly
believed that the Academy of Design can yet rise up from its ashes, and
overthrow all such schemes as Art-Unions, by placing itself upon a more
liberal and popular footing; and by disclaiming all exclusive titles as
utterly unworthy the ambition of every sensible and right-feeling
artist. Institutions in this country, to be useful, must be placed on a
popular foundation; and to be popular, they must rest upon the broad
republican principle of equal rights and equal privileges to all. Let
the members of the Academy open their doors wide enough to admit all
classes of artisans who desire to study the principles of design--the
basis upon which the beauty and the saleability of their works mainly
depends. There might then, in addition to the sections of Painting and
Sculpture, be added those of Architecture, Ornamental Marble and Stone
Workers, Carvers in Wood and Metal, Gold and Silver Smiths, Cabinet
Makers, and indeed, as many other occupations as chose to unite
themselves, in separate sections, for the purposes of mutual instruction
in the Art of Design. This would at once be practical and popular, and
with such objects in view, the Academy could with very little additional
funds be put into immediate and successful operation, and become a
highly honorable and most useful institution. These are mere
suggestions, thrown out for the consideration of the members of the
Academy and others interested. This is not the proper place to enlarge
upon such a subject.

Artists must learn, if they do not know, how to control their own
affairs, and if they are determined to succeed, they must not think of
trusting their interests to the keeping of those not of their
profession, and entirely uneducated in art, and who consequently cannot
be qualified to discharge so delicate a duty with judgment and fidelity.
It is an old saying, but very applicable to the present instance, that
"if you neglect your own business, you need not expect others to attend
to it for you." Let artists depend more upon private sales of their
works to those who can appreciate them for a just remuneration, than
upon the deceptive offers which chartered schemes may hold out to them.
They will then, by their worth and their artistic merits,