New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-24
THE NEW. ENGLAND S0GlETY'S DINNER

hls anniversary iestlTel teek place 81 the AS
tor House last evening, attended by large and
brilliant company About three hundred gentle
men sat down to table spread in style worthy
Of the hosts of that popular hotel The President
Of the Society u. e. GRISSELL, Esq. illed the
chair. On his right hand sat Mr.. WEBSTER, on
his left Sir Henry BULwER, the British Ambas.
sador, among the invited guests we noticed
Gen. WHITING, Z. S. A, Gen. MosqyERA, Ex
President Of the Republic OF New Grenada, g. ?
R. James, Esq. Mr.. BUScH, British yice.Con
Recorder Talmadge, Rev. Dr. Bethune, Rev. Dr.
Fermilye, Rev. DR.. Bellows and others. Grace
before meat was sad by Mr. Bellows. aud thanks
returned by Rev. DR.. yemilye.
Nh Grinnel, the President, then briefly ad
dressed the Society, consrasulating its members
on its prosperity as eyinced BY the large Assem-
blage present, and concluded by reading the irst
regular toast as follows, received with three
cheers;}
Tie D9y-An era in the history Of human progress
EYER 10 Be honoed sad eommemors.-d u al Tue Of
Z The Freaideat u II, Jnit,4 state.
Tie toast to the President OF the United Ss,t=s
was received with great enthusiasm
s The Geuern5r Of me t5faAe Of Eerz Iorf
! The Ci-eg II Ne1g IN gi0nd-Teir -tandsri - ftjfa
liz preGr!es
To the 9Th toast Rev Ms Bellows responded.
saying that the band Of Pilgrim hearts vas bet
fer orchestra than thar whose tones mad Just re.
sounded through the hall. The Clergy of New
England meant the Religion Of New England, and
TO other theme which would be discussed on this
occasion could be great as this. In the first colony
of New England there was 10 Minister OF religion
for many years. because every member Of the col
opy was priest unto God knowing the Scrip
lures and requiring no learned clerk make plain
their me aniug. The Pilgrims came TO New-Eng
land not so much for freedom OF religion as for
purity Of religion. At later date the clergy be
came Of greater Importance and had much To do in
shaping the institutions of the country. The cer-
gy of New England to this day exercise sreet
political influence, and though not allowed to Ob
trude themselves into the formal contests of poll.
tics, they have ever had great weight in Stsse
and Law. The Bible is the foundation OF all that
is good and safe in our institutions, with clergy
Interpreting that Bible not in the fear OF man but
in the fear OF God. The clergy are the lungs of
the country and their business is to bring the
country into contact with the free and pure air OF
God. There ought to be no misunderstanding be.
tween the Church and State. He held the Bible
which be had in bis hand (one brought in the
Mavf1owel Of no less account because it had been
twenty years in Georgia. But his discourse should
not be long, bat resemble kiss which had been
said to CONSIST Of two heads and application -
Mr. Bellows concluded By hoping that the office Of
the clergy would be always regarded with respect
and appreciation in this country.
The Chair next read the 9th cas-:
). The Common Sohool-A Tree OF knowledge Originally
planted New England its seeds are waited over ms
| Continent
To this toast PRESTON HALL, Esq. appropriate
| IL responded, justly eulogislng the cause OF the
! New. England fathers for the establishing sys-
| TEN of free public instruction. A papable ailu'
sion to Mr. " ebster in the course OF Mr. Hau
speech drew forth long and warm applause
| The Chair then introduced with suitable re-
marks toast which he said was not on the cata-
logue among the regular toasts, but which ne
| doubted not every one would place there with his
| whole heart Ii was as follows:
Tie Constitution and tie Union and heir Chief Defend
er. Prolonged Cheers
Hereupon Mr. Webster rose and replied at
length as follows:
Mir. President ana Gentlemen OF the New York
New England Society. Ye sons Of New.Eng
land. We brethren Of the kindred tie have
come here 10 night, not without inconvenience,
tbst might behold a congregation whose faces
/ bear the ineaments of New England origin aud
whose hearts beat full with New England pulses.
| AN not a Dung man, with very young blood IN
Inv veins, but thank sod, still pretty freely
flowing and have come here some hundred
miles to meet this Pilgrim Society, offshoot
| fr IN the Pilgrim Society of Massachusetts,, to
wish You all all sorts OF happiness and prosperity
Gentlemen this has been stormy cold lnhos'
| ritable, boisterous and Indictment day. The winds
| have been harsh, the skies severe and the aspect
| Of nature repulsive and forbidding. Ii we had no
| houses over our heads TO security against the
incIemency Of the skies, il we were wan and worn
| cut half Of cur number sick and ready 30 descend
into the grave, ana ii We had come upon bleak
barren and unknown coast, with nothing over our
! teaCa but the heavens and the GOD OF the nee.
vens and il we had, beside, hungry and distressed
wives and children upon our hands, we should see
! something Ike the memorable scene presented at
! Plymouth on the 22d OF December 1920 In the
| delivery of this passage, Mr.. Websters voice
shook with emotion; one gentleman near rs #as
so much affected by its pathos that ne ourst mo
tears and could hardly restrain his soos-l THANKS
! 10 10 Almighty God who from that distressed
| condition has raised as to state which our
ancestors neither enjoyed nor anticipated :
! Would 10 God we could arm ourselves with the
stern virtues which supported them " ouId 70
/ God we possessed the resolution fhey possessed
sttong as bars of iron, The patience sovereign
/ DER transmitted III and the faith which trampIes
ali things earthly beneath its triumphant feet
Our ancestors were called upon for perSever-
a,cs sh.tinence ard labor; they were obliged 10
exercise exc the austere virtues, which made them
susfere men The fashions habits, conditions OF
lie sre now changed. Their sterner virtues We
sre called upon TO smulatS indeed, but not TO im-
tate. The milder, the mora subdued virtues
seem 10 belong to Us. They were great suteFeFs
iy INTOLERANCE and their faith and practice in con-
sequence 's Of that state OF thingt were rigid /:
NAV be that we have learned more genial
charity and an improved Interpretation OF Chris,
tisn doctrine. Blu! no doubt they were attached
to their particular form OF worship and Inelf par
ticujar religious .enets they esteemed thar
xoTshn and these tenets to be borrowed from the