Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1846-01-01


nu. a, all appIrhend. Disappointed in
his hopes Of getting To India Ivy this
route, he was thinking OF fishing, turs,
and the profits OF trade with the Indians !:
not of large and pernanen, settle
Den's-not of the transfer, from Europe,
of political power, 10 time to come, and
oi ultimate empire. Aud what IA future,
what history to come, was before that
country, the first step in the se,,lcme ut
o! which he had then taken!
H That future, however, was no, discern
ed that history to come had not dis
played itself, even family and dimly, 10
the most sagscious minds of the age
The early voya2ers TO this continent,
adventurous and enterprising as they
were, yet looked principally To The find
ing of mines Of gold, and to making sud-
den acquisitions Of wealth. Tho real
and true Importance OF the discovery and
settlement Of North America, hardly ap-
pears to have been perceived by anv. -
II lay in the future, and was concealrd
| from sight
1 Bacon vas doubtless the mos. profound
and universal genus ri the age, and he
wrote an essay on Plantations :" but
all his views were limited and narrow. -
II lie not only did nu, comprehend the
f"rce of such motives as those which
brought the Pilgrims TO Plymouth, but
he seems to have Imagined that political
rule, authority and power could spring
/ up on this continent, even in those
next ages" to which, in his will, he
so paihelicaIly leaves his "narne and
memory ;"
/ IL did not occur Ia him, nor To any OF
his contemporaries to exclai,n to his coun-
try,
Il In other realms another England see,
L And what thou art, Amer ricn shall be-
The commerce Of New York did no,
shoot rapidly forward, nor make grca,
progress in enrly times. For several
wears it only exhibited a respectable in
v"Ire of otter skins and beaver skins
And al the end Of a century, il was
+ thought to be high praise that That Me
city contained eight hundred houses, he
re,y mednest porih a hundred pounds :;
and a parish church, miih a minister, who
had seIied on him hundred pounds a
year." The high destinirs of New
York were then still in the future.
|, would exceed the necessary limits
of This letter, To allude to all the events,
brought about by human agency, to
which New York owes her. present
greatness, aud future prospects. Two
may be mentioned and first und chiefly,
the establishment, OF the present general
government. Never within her broad
borders was there acted scene of so
much true grandeur and Importance, of
so much moral sublmity, rs when, on
the spot which HupsoN had found II will
dernrss, filled with fierce savages, the
constitution of the United States was
first put into operation, and George
Washington inauguated, amidst enthu-
siasiic acrlanallons, as the fist Chief
Executive Magistrate Of the great Amer
lean Republic. New York had snrren-
dered her noble bay aud rivers to the
uses Of common commerce. VicH
ccd,mlo. by that very act, she placed
herself at the head OF that common com
merce. No acquisition. within her pow
er, or within her thoughts, could have
been =" useful TO her, as this profitable
REIMBURSEMENT, this gainiu and glorious
surrender Of nnportan, rights, clearly aud
exclusively her own.
The other great event, was the con-
s'ruction OF the canal, which has carried
the ocean up to the lakes, and brough,
the lakes down TO the sea followed, as
il has been, by other magnificen, works
of public utility. Ever honored be The
names Of Norris and CLINTON, aud of
those who so readily embraced their
conceptions and aided their designs,
Van Rensselaer,, De Witt, North, Eddy,
and Porter
1t is to the honor of our old Bay State,
that she gave early and decisive proof
Of her favor and support TO this siuprn-
dous prnJcc, of New York enterprise. -
Then, as now, she regarded the prosper
ity, and the high cornmercia prospects
of her neiehbor, not with jealousy, but
with sy" pathetic hope and Joy. Then,
as now she could say, IN the language
OF the delighted shepherd in Virgil,
"Nou cquidem Incidco, mirror mss."
In 1911, De Witt Clinton, then a
member Of the Legislature, introduced
ga bH 10 proride Jor Me Internal M-
proremem otihe Stale" 1t bore this adj
mlrable preamble
Uhreas a communication, by The
means Of a Canal Navigation, J,iwecn The
Great Lakes and Hudsons Rirer, wiH
encourage agriculture, promote Commerce
and .Wanutactmes, facilitate free and
general intercourse behceen different parts
ot he United States, and tend 10 The az.
grandisemcm and pro periiy Of ME coun-
try. and consolidate and strengthen The |
U.VIO.N"
The Act authorized the Commission
ers 10 apply To Congress, and TO THE
OTHER STATES, for co-opera,ion in this
great work and the Commissioners re-
ported, that .uossochnseiis, IN Mnguage
Characteristic Of he impartial and dgni-
PED utsdom Of conscious greatness, hal
81, f5I ,T,,g, 4,