The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-01

There was very large blags in Metro
poltan hall, on "Wednesday evening, to cou-
nemorate the life and gsnius of James Feni-
more Cooper The platform was occupied by
the Rev. Drs. Bethune and Hawks; the Rev.
Mr.. Osgood, Ogden Hoffman, Luther Bradish.
Geo. Bancroft, G. p. K. James. Cha.. OConor,
and r. w. Kimball, esq, Elk Chief Justice
Jones'; Gen. George p. Morris, DR. Francis !;
and other distinguished persons The Hon.
Daniel Webster entered the hall. shortly after
six o'clock, accompanied by Washington Irving
and Mayor kngsland, and took the chair, amid
enthusiastic and repeated cheers. When silence
had beeh restored, Mr. Irving introduced Mr..
Webster to the audience, NJ the president OF
the evening. and the cheering was again re-
newed. MIR. Webster then spoke in substance
| as follows.
! Ladies' and genllemen-I deem it a very high
distinction to be called upon to occupy the
chair of this meeting The object OF the meet
ing, ladies' and gentlemen is to contribute 10 the
erection OF an appropriate ststue to the memory
Of distinguished citizen of New York, who
has not only honored the State to which he be-
longed, but who has honored the country of
which he was citizen, by his large, and distin-
guished aud eminent contribu ions to American
literature There, are ladies' and gentlemen, roads
to fame of various characters; military achieve
ments transmit distinguished individuals to tho
knowledge Of posterity-polical life also pre-
SCENTS to the contemplation of mankind, and to
the history Of the country, those who have
rendered service to their country in their day
and generation. (Applause.)
lie, in whose memory and whose honor we
are now assembled, to bear part and make corr
trbution, was not soldier in arms, nor was it
his lot to command the applause of listening
senates, although, by the great diffusion of his
literary productons--by his taste and talent and
industry--he had become, before his decease, so
much the object of national regard. that we may
all say of him, with truth, that he was enabled
to read his history in a nations eyes. Ladies'
and gentlemen, is there anything more to be de-
sired than that reputation which is made by adj
dressing the taste and the cultivation the moral
ity and religion Of civilized men in civilized
country? Can any person deserve more praise
than he who contributes to the literature and to
the moral culture of the age in which he lives
should not be here tonight, ladies and gente-
men, to raise my feeble voice in praise of Fem
nimors Cooper, however distinguished by genius,
talent, educaton and the art of popular writing,
if, in the character of his writings, there was
anything to undermine the principles of our re-
ligious faith, or to debauch the morality of the
country Nothing could atone, in genius or in
talent, for such an injury as that would be to
the young and rising generations of the conmu-
nifty.
Ladies' and gentlemen, as far as have become
acquainted with the writings Of Mr.. Fennimore
Cooper, those writings uphold all true religion,
sustain all good morals, and maintain Just taste
and after religion and morals and good taste, the
next thing have to say is, that oil his writings,
from beginning to erd, are American, thoroughly
American in'character, throughout and through
out. Great applause.] 1t is, therefore, ladies'
and gentlemen, that deem it an honor to be here
on this occasion, to perform my humble part in
whatsoever may Do necessary to rear a proper
statue or mo' ument to the memory of Fenni-
more Cooper | consider him as having con-
trlbuted largely to the character of American
literature at home and abroad. He is known
everywhere. His writings have been read not
only all over this country, but wherever our Ian
guage is read; and wherever they have been
read, they hayeinspired good morality and good
| taste. Mr.Fehnimore Cooper showed the power,
imbued with deep principle, of amusing, and, to
great extent, enlightening the present genera
ion, without any injury to their morals or any
solicitation OF depraved passions. This is his
great praise; and what is more honorable, what
is more likely to endure, than the fame which is
secured by writings of this tendency-ful Of
amusement and information, founded on our
own American habits, aud our own American
scenery!
suppose there is no author, living or dead,
who imbued his own mind with fresher and
stronger feeling of tho generation which went
before him III his own country--who understood
our original forest scenery-who understood
the character of those who preceded MS, from
the settlement of this country to his own time,
better than himself, or who has infused more
largely the spirit of that time into his compost
tons, and thereby transmitted them for the ed-
fication of those who shall come after us. He
has gone. He has left name and fame which
1t is ours to cherish and to honor; and 90 far
as marble or bronze can perpetuate it, let mar
BILE or bronze be employed but it il rather, /
think, for the purpose Of manifestng onr own
sense OF his merits--0ur own gratitude for his
well deserving efforts, that we contribute by
these material fabrics to testify our sense Of his
merits to our children. The monuments Of
Fnnmore Cooper are his works. Applause
Letters, says Cicero, sreman--as to brass it
| may perisl--as to columns, they may be thrown
! down. The earth itself may be shaken until it,
| structures are FRUSTRATED"
But living in an enlightened age--in an age
of literature and of science-in an age Of histo-
| ry and poetry, the monument of Fennimore
/ Cooper exists in the minds Of n en-, and will be
transmitted from man to man in the ordinary
succession OF generations While mind, memo
ny, and laste--!Ove of religion-l0ve of country,
and good morals prevail, his monument is in
the hearts of the people [AppIause Ladies'
and gentlemen. my duty on this occasion is
very simple. It is to signify my sense of the
honor conferred on me by being called TO the
chair OF this meeting. and to prepare you for the
| discu sson and remarks which are now to fol-
low, on the life character, and literary merits Of
Fenuimore Cooper.
number of letters from eminent gentlemen
in various parts of the country, re GREETING their
| inability to accept invitations to be present on
this occasion, were then read, after which, Viii
liam c. Bryant esq, pronounced an extended
and elaborate discourse, reviewing Mr. Coopcr's
life, and critically noticing his voluminous
writings
Mr. Bancroft returned the thanks of the as
semoage to MIR. Bryant, "for proving to them
how satisfactorily one man of genius can do
justice to another" and after paying an eloquent
tribute to the memory of Cooper, he spoke Of