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Mr. Peabo-
dy's first letter,
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Gentlemen: In pursuance of a purpose long en-
tertained by me, and which I communicated to
some of you more than two years ago, I have de-
termined, without further delay, to establish and
endow an Institute in this city, which, I hope,
may become useful towards the improvement of
the moral and intellectual culture of the inhabi-
tants of Baltimore, and collaterally to those of the
State; and also towards the enlargement and diffu-
sion of a taste for the Fine Arts. My wishes in
regard to the scope and character of this Insti-
tute, are known to some of you through a personal
communication of my purpose; in the sequel of
this letter, I shall further advert to that subject.
In presenting to you the object I propose, I wish
you to understand, that the details proper to its
organization and government, and its future con-
trol .and conduct, I submit entirely to your judg-
ment and discretion; and the perpetuity of that
control, I confide to you and your successors, to
be appointed in the manner prescribed in this
letter.
I request yon to accept this trust, as my friends
amongst whom, I hope there will ever be found
the utmost harmony and concert of action, in all
that relates to the achievement of the good which
it is my aim to secure to the city.
You and your successors will constitute forever
a Board of Trustees, twenty-five in number, to be
maintained in perpetual succession, for the ac-
complishment, preservation and supervision of
the purposes for which the Institute is to be es-
tablished. To you and your successors, therefore, I
hereby give full and exclusive power to do what-
soever you may deem most advisable, for the foun-
dation, organization and management of the pro-
posed Institute; and to that end I give to you, and
will place at your disposal, to be paid to you as
you may require, for the present, three hundred
thousand dollars, to be expended by you in such
manner as you may determine, to be most condu-
cive to the effective and early establishment, and
future maintenance and support of such an Insti-
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