The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-07
THE LECTURE SEASON.
Lectures or the New York Histosi cal Society,"
ROn. John A. DIX on tine city Of New York,
its 6rswth, Destinlss, and Dutiss.


RO0. John A. DIX on tine City Of New York,
its 6rswth, Destinlss, and Dutiss.
The fourth lecture Of this course, for the benodt
Of the Fire proof Building Fund, was do
Evered last evening at Metropolitan Hall, by the
Hon. john Dix, on the above subject. The lee
turer was introduced to . very numerous audience
by the PRECEDENT Luther Braiish, Esq, and said =
ME- PRECEDENT, LADIES AND GEST1ENSN -
At the opening of the series Of lectures in which
have been requested to take part, you were ad-
dressed with great eloquoncs and force on the cu-
ture art, with special reference to this CITY SO
far the application is concerned propose to FOL
low the example of the distinguished speaker, but in
much more humble sphere. ! shall, with your in
diligence devote the hour allotted to me to brief
review of the growth of this city, some gances into
the future, to see, if can, what are its probable
destinies, and the discussion of few topics OF do
mestic interest and social duty.
II Is a remarkable circumstance that the Hol-
landsrs who laid the foundations of this city, should
have foreseen, more than two centuries ago, the
commercial pre- enainenoe to which 1t was destined
In Sept 1862 forty three years after the landing Of
Hendrix Hudson, the directors of the West India
Company in letter to Peter S.uyvesant, tho Di-
rector General urged on him the Importance of pro-
noting commerce with the settlers IN New England
and virgisia, by which means, they say, "must the
MaDhattans prosper" and their trade and Ravga-
tion flourish. 9'Fer wben," the letter adds, 'these
once become permanently establishsd-when the
ships of New Nether'nnd ride every part Of the
ocean-then numbers, now looking to that coast
with eager eyes, will be aured to embark for your
leland" II these sagacious adventurous could have
LOOKED for ward to the changes which the lapse Of
two hundred years has wrought, their language
could hardly have been prophetic, or dascrip.
tive Of the reality Great discoveries, it Ia true
have been made in the application Of physical po
to the practical uEes of mankind, which were not,
at that day, revealed to human foresight. The lux
uries which always follow in tho train Of commerce.
the resistess power Of our enterprise, the maufes
tations of industry In an endless variety OF forms
the genius with which architecture has elaborated
this hsliall denote spirit of Development Ia oivi
ization and in art, which no vividness OF the imagi
nation woad have attributed, even ut this day, to
the wildernesp, on the skirts OF which this feeble
and nrecarous lodgmont had be- made.
Indeed, il was not until the United States had
thrown off the colonial shsclles by which the spirit
Of their enterprise was represSed, and the central
government had given strong evidence OF its ability
to sustain tho weight of the system it vas designed
to uphold, that tho elements Of this oitys growth
became fully developed Since that time It's pro-
gress has had no parallel in the history of modern
Fifty years ago Canal street was entirely beyond
the settled precincts Of the city The place Of public
execution was in Franklin street, selected, as all
saoh theatres of the vengeance of the Law we're at
that day account of its distance from the abodes
Of the people, and the busy haunts Of commerce aud
industry. Thirty years ago the spot on which I
stand, was unoecupied space, far from the Suste
and the activities Of the town. Now at least eight
Of the twenty-five square miles Of surface which
the island contains, are covered, the population
has risen, in half century, from 60, 900 souls to
$50 600, and is increasing With augmentipg rapidty
quarter Of n century ago, in pamphlet which
wrote while q student at law, on the Resources of
the City Of New York I expressed the belief that
in 1873, twenty-five years hence. the inhabitants
would number nearly q million and half, and that
the whole island would be covered with dwellings.
and buildings devoted TO trade the mechanic arts,
and the various other uses which large CONNER
oial population requires.
The estimate was, by most persons, thought ex-
travagant at the time it was made, and was, by
many derided as wild and dnwarrartable spscula-
ton And yet 1t has been thus far outrn by the pro-
gress of the city. All past estimates, however I'M
calculations. are mere lagga-ds in the race which
We are running against time and the i'm pedinsRts
TO human progress 1t ia not probable that shall
1--we t. zee my prophecy isniIea but there are no
Setting apart the spsceH needed for squares,
voirs, railway appurtenances shops, warehouses,
manufactures and public edfoes, and the Island
will not conveniently contain more than million
and a half Of people, But this is by no means the
limit o! its growth. It's population viii flow into
surrounding spaces The process has already COM
N Nerss has crossed Il. East river the
Williamsburg, Jersey City, and MorriSanis, ell
dependencies of the great metropolis and for every
practical purpose, parts Of it. circle, with q ra.
Union square, will now enclose seven hundred and
fifty thousand people II the population Of the city
and the surrounding districts referred to, increase
Is rapidly during the next twenty eight years IS u
1865 million and half Of 50 als, and in 1880 three
millions
If cur peaceful relations with other countries
pue uninterrupted, see reason why there should
a
ment of the country the extension of commerce,
the tide Of immigration, the numbsrlssS lines Of
communication pointing to this city as TO centre
Of radiation al combine to confirm, and, indeed 70
accelerate its growth In the pamphlet referred to,
published IN 1921 remember to have stated that
the inhabitants Of the States Of New York, Ohio,
Igdiana and Illinois and of tho territory Of Michi
gan whose industry was subservient to the mner-
cia interests Of this city, ard dependent en- 1t Tor
foreign products, numbered nearly o million and
half OF souls; and estimated tina, the number would,
Ia l8i9 amount TO Desry three millions, and IN 1878
to more than sye millions and half This estimate
has already been vas ly exceeded by the result
Taking tho same basis, modified by the railway
Communications which bave been opened TO the
city, and the population Of interior districts do
pendent upon for their commercial supplies, can
not number less than i've millions and hat-About
equal to the number estimated for the year 1878 We
quarter off century in advance OF this estimate,
and With no apparent limit to the growth Of the dis
tricts thus connected with us. This extraordinary
extension Of the internal trade Of she city IL dUs IN
some degree, 20 railways, which did nos enter INTO
the estimate Of it, increase twenty five years ago,
because they had then been introduced into this
State. Our comasuicaton with Lake Erie, and
che agricultural supplies it receives from the North
western Stotes, is now more speedy and more GER
tain than Intercourse was with Dutcbess county
fifty years ago. Five hundred miles now more
easily and speedily overcome both m regards travel
and transportation. than fifty milee wore a. the
commerce eaent Of the present oen.ury. One of tho
practical effects of these facilities Of intercourse IL
TO place the products of the interior Of ths state
and neghborpg States at the very outskirts of the
CITY, and to bring the immense variety Of the pro-
ducts Of other countries which centre here, into
virtual contact with the interior.
Who shall venture to assign limits to this extern
SION! London, with far inferior capacities fer
merce, ereigp or domestic, has population Of two
rquare miles With the further advantage which
New York p0saesses, as q general mart, to some