The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-21
AMERICAN INSTIrUTE.


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HIS Ideas Of What Forms National In.
Dependence, 80.
The annual address before the American Institute
delivered Last night the Broadway Tabernacle by VIM
b. Seward The building crowded to excess by the
admirers Of that gentleman and those who attracted
there more from curiosity than from any feeling of sym
psthy with his character politics The platform
occupied by the members of the Institute and invited
friends The speaker introduced by the President,
DR.. Rees, in few remarks. When the applause with
which he received had subsidized he spoke as follows
Mr.. SEW ARDS ADDRESS
FELLOW CITIZENS IL do not know how lightly you, who
hurried fast through the changing panorama
of metropolitan life may regard the quiet scenes Of this
unpretendpg festival appointed and arranged with so
much care BY the American Institute; but confess for
myself that coming from distant and rural home and
so being never than occasional spectator here
find always the nrst freshness in these
shows OF flowers and fruits AMI animals Of subsistence
fleece and burden trained and perfected by hard yet
gentle hands and that these annual trials of the skill
emulous, yet unsmbitious and women in the of
the spade and the plough the forge and the furnace the
dairy and the needle the spindle and the loounnocent
in their nature yet benscea in their effect by stimua
ting invention and enterprise while they faithfully mark,
az years roll on the progress which country is
in sympathies and emotions profound and pleas
ing than any State pageant which have witnessed at
home, or the most imposing demonstration of military
power that be any other and less favored land
Society divides concerning that progress Those who
occupied with their personal cares and apprehn
sve OF evil in change look upon with Indifference
dsrust; others, knowing that republic constituted
ths is there is always restless activity towards either
peace war virtue vice greatness shame devote
themselves to the duty of regulating that activity ana
giving it right direction The Of the American
Institute of this class Having constantly sympath
I'd with them heretofore whsn their unremited labors
secured neither favor rejoice in meeting
them now, under more proptous circumstances.
graduate you Msssrs Rees Livingston and Hail. Stman
stitu ion has been adopted by many towns and
BY al the counties in this State by the State ITSELF
by other States and that your instructions and
ample patiently continued through many years. have
at last induced the naon itself to appear
to win significant trophies in the Exhibition Of Uni
versa Industry already held in London and inaugu
rate another and brilliant in the worlds capital
which founding this yet rude a recently
impossible ocean. Nevertheless, have been for many
reasons habituay from mnglng in the sometimes
excited debates which crowd upon each other great
city There was however an authority which could not
disobsy in the venerao ole name, and almost paterual
Kindness Of the eminent citizen who recently presided
here with dignity and serenity all his and who trans
ted the invitation of the Institute and persuaded s
acceptance. How sudden his death Only three weeks
age the morning mail brought to me his announce
summons y me- to join him here and the evening dis
patch, We self day. bore the painful intelligence
that the lofty genius which had with kindred
spirits long the interests of his country had departed
from the earth, and that the majestic form which had
been animated by had disappeared forever from among
living men had disciplined myself when coming here
to purpose to speak word for the of human
freedom lest xhat might too persistent advo
might offend But must therefore abridge Of its
just pro portions the euogiu which the
character of the hono-ed dead alike demands The first
banot which cast for the chief of nv native
of allrnad
the alternate of lie Witt Clinton If have fal.
tered in pursuing the policy Of that immortal statesman
through loud reprosch and vindctive opposition during
his e and amid camors and contentious often AMOUNT
ing almost to faction since his death have found lit
sells and examples of the iustrous compeer who after
surviving him many years has now been removed in
npened age TO the compromising OF the Just How does
not time vindicats fidelity 10 truth and to
Try vote for Clinton and Tallnaadge in 1924 what
csnsures did 1t not bring then Who will impeach
that ballot now stAtesma.s claims to the gratitude
Of his country rests what wee what would have
been, the results Of the policy he has recommended Ii
the counsels of James ramadge had completely prevail
ed then not only would American forests mines soil in
venon and industry have cred country and
forever independent nations except what
climate forbids; but then, also, NAL hand would
have ever guided plough, and no footsIep OF lave
would have ever en- tracked on the soil OF all that vast
part Of national domain that stretches away from
the banks of the Mississippi to the far western
This the policy OF James Talmadge II worthy
of New York, in whose name it wa; promulgated II
would have been noble to have altogether allied in
establishing it, He successful in part though only
which be opposed and which, tn. refoe have
not impaired his just fame And so in the end he
nearly than other citizen OF our time realized the
description of the happiest in the world given to
the frivolous Crosus by the great Athenan. he saw
his offspring and they survived him. AT the close Of
honorable and prosperous life on the field Of civic vic
tory rewarded with the honors of public funer
al BY the State that he had enriched adorl ed and
larged."
Gentlemen of the American Institute DR. John
son truly sad-that the first who balanced a
straw on his nose the st rode three horses
in ahnr a uch me o
mankind account, not of the use of what they did
of the dextey which they exhibited for that every
thing which enlarged the sphere Of human powers and
showed that he could do what he thought he could
do, valuable apprehend that this is true ex
position Of the Of your most useful abor
The increase Of personal power and skH dminhes ind
vdua dependancc and individual independence when it
pervades the whole State national independence It
is when through such individuality OF its members
a nation attains certain independence that II passes
from that condition Of society in which thinks moves
and acts, whether for peace for for right or for
wrorg according the interests caprices of OF
few persons "a condition which defines monarchy or
arsocracy) that better condition in which it thinks,
moves aud acts in all things under the direction Of
interest, aseertained and determined, by the
intelligent consent of majority or all Of its members,
which itson constitutes republic democracy so
democracy wherever it exists is less perfect aud
of less safe and strong according to the
tone Of individuality maintained BY its citizens
Of all men and of all nations, it TO
that Americans and this republic, have at
the least for want Of Independence and the most
need for assuming and maintaining it, No other nation
has equal elements Of society and Of empire Charlie
magne when founding his kingdom, saw OF might have
that while it confined by the ocean and by the
Mediterranean the west 81 the south, it was
equally shut in northerly an esstwardy BY and
mountain BARRIERS which would be successfully main
tanned forever by vigorous and as independent
as the Franks themselves Alfred the Great clearly
how his country circumscrbed by the that he
thought Of continental empire. The future
of France and England may like the past, BE-
lled up with spasmodc efforts TO enlarge fixed dominons
by military conquests and agricultural and commercial
colonies but ali such attempts IL they should be
igastc, those which have heretofore been made will
like them, be followed by disastrous reactions, bringing
the nations back again and conning them at last within
their natural and earliest borders. No political system
be held together permanently by suspending
overpowerng the laws of political affinity and gadta
tion. Unlike those nations, are homogeneous pee
pie occupying compost and indivsible domain pecui
ary adapted to internal commerce seventeen times
times more extended than that Of Great Bri
tain While it spreads eastward and westward
the continent nature has not inierpossd,
has man erected he raise, q barrier on the
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