New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-20
Cur Country.

Tae following interesting letter from r1on' ~
aAsus BLEEcKER, United States Charge des Az
flares at The Hague, and President OF the os.
Nicholas Society at Albany was read at Inc a,huai
celebration of that Society II IS wen worthy Oh
"''""'i'e 'o''Se THr HAGUE 18th Oct. 1872
DEAR SIR: hoped TO be With you' at your
next anniversary dinner ana IN person 70 eNP.ese
INV oh,;oa,;ons 70 the Fatherlend-to tell you OF
no III manner in which was received and
have been treated during my residence here; the
fr;endIv sentiments which have been uniformly
,n.nifested towards me ;-hew ! have been ad-
rn;t,ed into family and social circles, and the ex
pressions Of regret which my intended departure
eccasioned. What there might be of egotsm, in
this. hoped would be allowed excused by my
relation to an association formed in what was
once New, for the recollection of Old Netherland,
and to which relation am greatly indebted for the
kind Offices, friendly attentions and cordial hospI-
.ality, fer which it is pleasing, however made
quately, to express my heartfelt gratitude; and to
do this there seems to be no fit occasion than
your annual meeting.
MY stay abroud you are aware, will be pro-
tractcd q few months ] have now been absent
from YOU upwards of four years, and with much
rational enjoyment and of course, seeing much
that could no; fail 10 interest and excite admra-
1ion am glad to say that have not been disap
pointed in the expectation that should return
home with reinvigorated impressions OF the Pecu-
liar blessedness of our own land, and hrmer con-
fdence in the duration of our institutions, and
their beneficial results to ourselves and other ma
tions. 1t has been said, that the United States
have moved and quickened the civilized world; F"
and that much of the present condition of the Old
World is owing to American opinions and events,
is UNREASONABLE. Notwithstanding the reaction
occasioned by some of the immediate results of the
French Revolution, and the mass of deplorable
abuses and evils at home and abroad, we cannot
but perceive gradual favorable changes, an increas
ing regard for human rights and welfare ;-an in
creasing respect for public opinion; increasing
means of education progress OF the race which
we may confidently hope will not be stayed.
pleasing proof of this progress, among others Is
the gradual Moderation of the penal codes OF sew
eral countries. An American who is familiar with
the legislation and jurisprudence of his own coun-
try, cannot but be grati6ed by the fact that we
have so long ago abolished cruel and degrading
punishments-taken the lead in this humane re-
form. The extension Of international communi-
cations, of commerce, of internal improvements,
and productive power, must tend to promote civil
and political freedom, TO improve the physical,
moral and intellectual state of the many, and TO
diminish the inequality of rights and conditions
by which they have been degraded, and human
progress has been INSTRUCTED they must cease to
be regarded as machines and drudges and
then under favorable circumstances they will rise
from infancy to manhood.
In former age, William Penn. in his chaIac
teristic spirit of benevoence, said {" that the
and tedious labor Of the husbandman, (and we
may YET add the husbandwoman) early and late,
cold and hot, wet and dry, should be converted into
the pleasure, ease and pastime of small number
Of men, that the cart, the plough the thresh should
be in inordinate severity laid upon nineteen parts
of the land, to feed the appetites of the twentieth,
is far from the appointment of the great Governor
of the world. :"
1t is pleasing that our experience and institu-
lions have done so much to verify this just and
charitable sentiment-to prove that the inequality
of conditions which tends to corrupt the high and
debase the low, is not the inevitable concomtant
of the social state-that complete equality OF
rights tends to promote the greatest attainab!e
approach to an equality of condtions-that we
have done so much to defeat the unjust and
selfish combination of the few against the many
TO prevent and obstruct their intellectual, moral
and social progress. We may glory in the fact
that we have done much to destroy the cruei
prejudice BY which labor is considered degrading.
and by which it is assumed that the laborlns
classes-lhe greater part of civilized communities
must necessarily be ignorant and mean-to prove
that all honest cangs are honorable, to show
that the mechanic has often more useful know
ledge than the learned man, and that laoorlng
man may be learned man. that intelligence Inn
proves the mechanical, agricultural and other arts
and renders them more productive The common
objection to the education of the laboring part OF
mankind is, that it makes them discontinued with
their position; but this is founded the fact tha
labor is considered mean. In proportion as this
false notion is diminished, will the intelligent la
borer enjoy his situation be industrious, add t'
his comforts and respect himself. He will have
more wants, and more means to CRAFTY his desires,
In our country few can be exempt from work, and
in so far as we have made it respectable, we have
rendered q great service to mankind and promoted
tendency to the social arrangements, by which
we should be distinguished, founded on virtue and
we'll used talent, the only eternal grounds OF
distinction, and to which 81 the Almighty has
affixed his everlasting patent of nobility AND
what is perhaps not less we have done much to
destroy the great inequality Of man and woman,
which has prevailed so long and so extensively
have assigned to her appropriate occupations, and
done SO much to raise her morally and intellectually
to the level of man. This proud distinction of our
country induced one of the MANY foreigners who
have examined our condition and peculiarities to
say, ~ have no where seen woman occupy n
loltier position; and if | were asked, now that
am drawing to close Of this work, in which /
spoken OF so maay important things done by the
Americans, to what the singular prosperity and
growing strength OF that people ought mainly to
DC attributed, should repiy-to their women"*
Dy diminishing unnecessary and uRreaS onabe
1sa1os,oas' and thus extending the sphere of fell
io"-1esnng, We have done much for the cause of
huu'an manure. Europeans, am aware, naturally
cons'oee US as boosters. We cannot speak truly