The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-09-18
Eittrarp NOtifrs.


At the outset Of this discourse, Mr.. Winthrop
dscaims all purposes of literary discussion, pho-
sophica speculation or literary display, his simple
object being to present concise memoir Of the life
and services of James Bowdon, the founder of the
college which bears his name. In this undertaking
Mr.. Winthrop has succeeded most ably. He has
not only presented interesting array of bio
graphical facts but he has given to them the vivi-
flying charm of a graceful and animated style, and
nterfused touches of eoquence and of humor, which
continually relieve the sobrieties of detail Bow
dom was a descendant of Pierre Baudouin, one Of
the Huguepos driven out of France in the persecu-
ton consequent on the revocation of the edict of
Nantes. The subject of the present address was
born in Boston in l726. The following passage
from his address will indicate the scrupulous
dor with which MIR. Winthrop approaches disputed
historical points:
The late Mr. Alden Bradford, whose name has
many titles to respectful remembrance, does
not hesitate to assert in his history of Massachu-
SETS in view of the facts which have stated that
Gov Bowdoin il entitled to the honor of having
first urged the enlargement of the powers of Con-
gress for regulating commerce with foreign coun-
tries, and for raising revenue from it to support
81 need not say how gladly would vindicate the
Bowdoin title to this distinction. He who can
rghtfully claim it, needs other title the eter-
nal gratitude of his country The man. upon
by him that the great idea of glorious Federal
Constitution was first conceived, and first urged
need not envy the proudest epitaPh in Westmin-
ster Abbey or the Pantheon. To him, the rarely
interrupted peace, the unparalleled progress and
prosperity, and the firm and cordial union of this
mighty nation for sixty years past, and we hope
and believe, for sixty times sixty years to come,
will bear grateful testimony. TO him. the first
great example of successful constitutional repubi-
can government will acknowledge a perpetual
debt Around his memory the hopes of civil liberty
thra,, rt,n,f IL.
chaPlet;
'Such honor, however, is too high to be lightly
appropriated to any one man. know the danger
ofsetting up pretensons Of priority in great IDEAS,
whether of State policy, philosophical theory scien
tlfic discovery, or mechanical invention. 1t was
claimed for Patrick Henry, that he the first to
exclaim under the sting of British oppression in
l774, must ight;'-but it has since been clear
ly proved, that he only echoed the exclamation of
Joseph Hawley, Of Massachusetts, communicated to
him by John Adams
'sThe first public proposal of general convention
to remodel the confederacy has been traced by Mr..
Madison to one whose family name would thus
seem To be associated both with the earliest sugges-
tion and with the latest and ablest defence Of the
Constitution-Pe Webste--a correspondent
and friend of Gov. Bowdoins, who brought it for
ward in pamphlet published in ISL This was
followed by resolutions in favor of it, passed by the
Legislature of New York, on motion OF Gen. Schuy-
Ter, in 1852. Hamilton declared himself in favor of
the plan in Congress in 1888. Richard Henry Lee,
in a letter to Mr.. Madison, urged it in 1884 But
one doubt that the earnest official recon-
mendation of Bowdoin and the strong resolutions
of Massachusetts,, (then of the three great
States Of the Confederacy) in l7S5, were most inn
portant steps in this momentus federal movement.
They preceded, by more than year, the resolutions
of Virginia, to which SO deserved prominence has
always been given, and they should not be suffered
to be omitted they too often hitherto have been,
from the history of the rise and progress of the
Constitution of the United States
cit may be doubted, indeed, whether any one was
earlier more intelligent advocate than Bow
doin of the great commercial principle which the
Constitution was primarily established ovindcate.
The necessity of regulating the trade and naviga-
ton of the United States, with view to counter
acting the restrictive policy of Great Britain and
other nations, and of protecting the industry and
labor OF our own people, was illustrated and
forced by HIM ON every OCCASION"
The following are the concluding paragraphs of
Mr.. Winthrop's eloquent and interesting address,
and one has better observed and exemplified
their njunctons than the speaker himself:
"The mere money which endows school or col
lcge is not the only or the highest contribution to
the cause Of education or Improvement II may
have been acquired by dishonorable trade or ac-
did hoardings, or wrnng from oppressed depend
ents. II may carry with it to the minds of those
for whom II provides, the pernicfous idea tas PEI
cuniary bequest mag purchase oblivion for life of
injustice and avarice, secure for the vile and the
infamous that fresh and fragrant renown
which belongs to the memory of the just.
make for the benefit of posterity is that of good
character. The richest bequcst which any man can
leave to the youth of his native land is that of a
shining, spotless example.
"Let not then, the ingenious and pure-hearted
young men who gathered within these walls
Imagine that il is only on account of the munih-
cence of the younger Bowdoin, that would claim
for the name their respect and reverence. Let
diem examine the history of that name through
four successive generations; let them follow it
from the landing at Casco TO the endowment OF
the college; let them consider the religious con-
stsncy of the humble Huguenot, who sought free
dom Of conscience the shores of yonder bay; let
them remember the diligence, enterprise, and hon.
esty Of the Boston merchant; let them recall the
zeal for sience, the devotion to liberty, the love for
his country its constitution and its union-the
frmness the purity, the piety of the Massachusetts,
patriot; and let them add TO these the many esti
mabe qualities which adorned the character Of their
more immediate 'benefactor, and they viii agree
with me- and you, gentlemen, will agree with
them that il would be difficult 10 ind name
which, within the same period OF time, has fur-
nished nobler succession oil examples ior their ad
miration and imitation And neither Of you, am
sure will regret the hour which has now been spent
In once more brushing off the dust and mould
which had begun 10 gather and thicken upon
memories which, in these halls at least Will never
be permitted TO perish ~
Pendernis. Harpers have published the Sc
cond number of Thackepy's Pendennis. To say
that it equals the first, is to say that have in il
tbe promise of the best novel of the day
Mornings among The Jesuifs al Rome is the title
OF a duodccimo, from the Harpers' press-being
volume Of notes Of conversation held with certain
Jcsu,ts the subject of religion, in the city OF
Rome, by the Rev. M. Hobart Seymour, NJ. A.
This volume and the preceding may be found at
Taylor & Msury's
The Lam Reporter, for September, published by
Little Brown. Of Boston, contains It's usual valu-
able reports, and an admirable article ON the Bench
and the Bar IN England, from the pen Of an Ameri-
can gentleman. We shall endeavor to find room
for few extracts from this paper in an early
number.
Messrs Little Brown havoreccnily effected an
arrangement with the publishers of the Edinburgh
Re,isto, by which they will receive each number
nearly simultaneously with it's publication in Eng
land, aud which enables them to offer II TO sub
scribcrs at the extremely low price of -four dollars
per
The publishers have also in press, and will