New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-04
THE KNICKERBOCKERS;
AN ADDRESS.
BY WILLIAM BELTS. ESQ. OF NEW'foRh
rr-tl..

By W Lillian bEl ISfti4a'S- w ''A-''' SAN'N
Reported for The Tribune.
The Annual Meeting of the Saint Nicholas So
ciety took place last evening at the Chinese AS
sembly Rooms in Broadway. The exercises con,
sisted of Music, Prayer by Rev. DR.. Vermilye.
followed by Music then the Address OF the even
ing by William Belts, Esq. "On the Causes OF
the Prosperity Of Newly ork, then Music, aud
finally the Benediction
Mr. Belts called the attention Of the members
of the Society to the curious and peculiar position
they held, in the fact that they are virtually stran
gers in their native land. The unprecedented in
crease of the population OF New-York, from
abroad leaves the descendants of the original
settlers here mere handful, in the midst of an
overwhelming mass of people, which has flowed
in from every part of the world. 1t becomes
them. under these circumstances not them
alone but the new corners as we-to reflect oc.
cssionally upon the causes which have led to this
immense AUGMENTATION and consequent prosperity
of their common home, and to inquire, further,
whether those causes still remain III operation
and finally, whether the prosperity we have NTH
erto experienced does not impose on us cores
ponding duties and obligations toward those who
are to come after us-or, admitting those duties to
exist whether they have been duly pertormed.-
The present was, III his OPINION an appropriate
occasion for such inquiries and he had according
" yentured to deviate from the ordinary route of
research and pursue that line OF thought which he
had thus indicated
In the month of September 1914 nearly 250
wears AGO the weary bark Of Hendrick Hudson
entered what is now the magnificent harbor Of
what is now tho great city OF New-York and
threaded its way up the great river, winch
now bears his name, then skirted by forests
touched by the hand of man. Strange and curl
GUS as must have been mis- feelings, on that
memorable OCCASION how little could they have
Appropriated to just impression oil the sudden
change which time was to work In the panorama
bv which he was then surrounded. How little
did he then anticipate those vast forests OF masts
which were within so short period to cluster
around that calm and solitary point, luttln8 out
between two of the three rivers whlch poured
their waters into that quiet bay no" niue dpo
he reck of the cares and crimes and busy scenes
of oy and sorrow, the hopes and ASPIRATIONS the
bitter disappointments, the torturng suspense
and the dispairing anguish which now form the
daily life OF the vast multitude, who, lnhaDlt tins
little spot of sand which he then, first among the
inhabitants OF kie old world, contemplate .si
Little did he then think that the peaceful little
island imbedded in woods was SO soon to be
the mighty metropolis OF mighty empire power
full for good or powerful for evil, as the virtues or
the vices of its inhabitants stamp its character
Could he have visited the same spot q century
afterwards, he would have observed no striking
difference The early growth of the settlement
was slow and gave no promise OF its future great
ness In 1909, New Amsterdam was still VII
lage Of only 1000 inhabitants, one sixth Of whom
were negro slaves.
Fifty yearsIater there were only $1,000 inhabi-
tants with similar proportion OF slaves, and the
population in all the ten counties of the State was
less than 100000 persons 1t had required one
hundred and fifty years to reach this point. From
that time forward the augmentation began TO be
rapid In twenty years more the population had
doubled. From that period the State and espec-
ially the city, have sprung forward with unexam.
pied rapidity to the immense SIZE strength and
development Of resources which they now ex-
hibit.
The causes which have produced these great
results existed partly within and partly without
ourselves The peculiar situation and circum-
stances Of foreign countries which have contrib
uted to them It was not his purpose to discuss.
OF the internal causes he would contine his obser-
yations to reom which seemed toibe the principal
ones; the Geographically position Of the City, the
old colonial races the manners Of the coOnists,
and the system Of laws and Government
good natural position, o temperate climate
and salubrious atmosphere, although elements OF
prosperity, could not alone secure or retain the
ADVANTAGES of commerce The island Of Malta
possesses all these, perhaps in a higher degree
than New. York. The site OF Alexandria pos
sessed them all equally for centuries before the
eagle eye Of its immortal founder selected it as q
monument upon which to inscrbe his name for
future generations The central and commanding
position Of the city, although greatly contributing
TO the majestic growth could not have produced
it. Causeastill more indispensable and influential
were the 2aces from which their population en-
mated, the manners Of their population and their
laws and institutions
The precise point at which the people of New
York assumed distinction and as it was ma
tonal character Of their own, cannot be fixed def
nitely From 100 to 1850, may be safely taken
as embracing the period The Dutch Government 5ssa
which terminated substantially In 1864 had 0 G
ambiguous and indefinite. The preparatory Soy
eminent Of the Duke Of York was of si1ailaT kind y.
The final preensons Of the Bsds S S.Sa the ID
though eztFayngant and nns n.egbe Under
tSas DsR the Isasas assa na from
the first substantially the same t1es chiefly from
The races who settled ed, here su at adnixture
Il ao tss French saa hns sssns bs. bss ase
OF are cast Of unigsrssity to 'he ''a' ~'