The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-20
REPORTED FOR THE PILOT.

| taking measures to secure to Baltimore and the
State the advantages of Mr. Vattemare's system
of International Exchanges
francis H. DAvIDGE, Esq. rose and said,
that il had fallen to his lot to execute very
/ agreeable, but however pleasant the task might
be in itself, he regretted that some gentleman
better qualified TO do it Justice, had not been APP
pointed in his place His regret OH the occasion
was, however, the less, as he was fully conscious
that the subject about to be presented to the
consideration of the meeting, was OF such
| character as to ensure 70 Itself all the penent
that could have resulted from more able oratori-
| cal advocacy. He felt that the scheme, to which
the memorial in his hand had reference, required
no efforts on his part, feeble they must Of ne
| cessity be, to recommend it, as it would advo-
cate its own cause, especially when addressing
itself to the intelligence and sound Judgment Of
those whom he saw around him. The persons
present were aware that the object Of the meet
ing was to promote the success Of an application
about to be made to the Legislature of Mary
| land, in behalf of Mr. Vattemare's project
project calculated greatly to benefit this country
/ and the whole of the civilized world. 1t was
system which was to unite the past with the pre-
sent, and the present with the future ;-it was
| plan that was to connect not only the most dis
| tant periods of time, but was to do away with
i space, and draw together points of the earth the
most remote from one another, and make man.
kind, In whatever part OF the world they might
all times, and in all places. Its tendency would
be to open new channels of communication, and
| institute ties of frieAdly relationship between
man and man, wherever found ON the face of the
| globe. He would ask, whether plan, calcu-
lated to effect such great objects and purposes,
was not well worthy of their warncst and most
| cordial support, Great had been the success
of the author of the scheme among the sove-
reignties and learned Institutions OF Europe, it
did not require royalty to recommend tits
character was stamped upon its front, and must
command the admiration oil every to whom
the cause of learning was dear. Mr.. Waite
mare had, with an energy and enterprise worthy
of all commentator, pursued his project thus
far without having failed of success in the
| slightest degree. Circumstances rendered it ne
| cessary that he should visit America with view
| to the completion of his vast scheme; and in
no instance in this country had it been regard
ed otherwise than with the profound respect it
| so richly merited. He had quilted the old
world, in pursuit of his great object, but had
! found in the new, reason to believe, that how
ever far removed from European libraries and
sources of knowledge, the people on this side of
the Atlantic could justly appreciate the bless
| ings of learning and universal intelligence, and
| place proper an estimate on his philanthropic
enterprise as those who claimed to be their
elders in matters of science, literature and civil
| lization.
| What, Mr.. ID. inquired, were to be the effects
| of this scheme. 1t would place American ge-
MUS side by side with that of Europe 1t would
| place at our command countless volumes of an
| cient lore, that without its Intervention must
have remained hidden forever from our sight
It would place In our possession the productions
of the fine arts, and the literary and scientific
treasures of the olden portions of creation, whilst
we in return would furnish to them the bound
less treasures Of own wide-spreading and
wonder-producing hemisphere. We had often,
he said, heard it remarked, that American ge-
MUS not duly appreciated in Europe, and
he would venture to ask the question why, Of
:, fering at the same time an answer to the query,
which appeared to him short as it was satisfac-
&c tory 1t was simply because American genius
was not properly known in that qnarter of the
world-there had been appropriate medium
through which its results could be advantage
ously presented to the intelligent and the learn
ed It was true that cases had been here and
! there found in which the works of American
, talent had been favorably offered to European
taste and discrimination, and he thought he
= might add, that scarcely ever had instance oc-
!. Cured where the products of American genius
u had been properly placed before the people of
the old world that they had not been greeted
$ with warm approval and hearty commentator
Mr.. D., after few further remarks, pointing
out the particular advantages to accrue to this
country from the adoption of the proposed scheme,
} expressed confident hope that success would
; attend the memorial which he was about to read
and which would be presented to the Legisla-
ture of Maryland at its next session.
/ Here Mr.. ID. read the memorial
/ CHAs. +. MAYER, Esq. rose and observed,
that before he offered response to the memorial
4 which had just been read he deemed it proper to
read to the meeting the memorial which had
been addressed to Congress by Mr.. Vattemare
He did this he said, not only because the memo
| rial was lucid and cogent exposition of the
| merits of the project, but because it embodied
details of the operations of this gentleman, which
brought his views to substantial test, and illus
It'd Al. &c l.. L.,
standard. That paper he therefore would read,
and proposed then to offer some resolutions in |
recognition of the purpose and sentiment of the |
memorial which had been read Here Mr. |
Mayer read to the meeting the memorial of Mr..
Vattemare's to Congress.] He then proceeded
TO address the meeting He remarked that he
! might content himself with having read the me-
moral, which not only gave copious text for
| any discursivs view Of the system, but impress
slvely demonstrated the excellence of the plan.
He said that some development was proper how
| ever, to I'LL up the ceremonial of such an occa-
sion-and in Difference to the dignity of such an
assemblage, land not only that, but that it was
pleasant to meet and commune on some subjects
above the strifes and irritations and current So
licitudes Of the day, and to nnngle in concord on
q, calm emnence, in view of the general good of
the world, and above fretful divisions and dis. ,
examinations, social and political I
Such was the pacific and genial occasion which {
then conveked them, and the ground ON which {
all might unite. They had assembled, he said
70 learn and mark the merits of benignant sys- r
tem,-and to do honor to the efforts Of an indi- '
vidual whose exalted and laborious zeal had 4
made him eminent, whose public spirit anima- 5
ting his whole action conferred uponhim his high
Observation-Disclosures under the broad and '
liberal seal of the Republic Of Letters. That c
term he did not in mere fgurative Office d
and to exc out the embellishments of his phrase. n
but he desired it, in all its expanse, to be praci
cally applied He desired to rely on that term v
as pointed and vivifed by an important and "
pregnant truth, and itself the pure analogy to
maxims, that in our Republican aspirations we t,
should cherish as abeve all others, buoying up h
our political trust, ennoblng national pros 81