The American patriot., 1854-12-27

NEw YoaK HisroRcAL SocrrrY.- -Massachu-
setfs vas happily represented by the celebration
cfshe View York Historical Society, Hon. r. c.
WSrHRor made . noble speech, from which we
make the following truly eloquent extract
''f~st me not draw these remarks to close with
eut sdsling word more serious; without saving
thae VIC ought, none Of US to Be forgetful that,
ailss I'll, Sir, there is another worka work going
on in this day and gsneration-bcsides that Of
writing the history Of our fathers; and that is, the
acting of our own parts in life We cannot live
upon the g3ories Of the past Historic memories
are precious and inspiring. Let US sustain our
Institutions let u preserve our liberty, for there
: another history to be written, to which every
State, and every citizen at this hour, and every
hour 10 contributing materials. In the generous
rivalry q sister States, each may furnish the most
hrilliant rsccvds Of the past but this SHOULD not
render as regardlass Of that nobler rivalry, in
which Il becomes Al moro ardcntly and ambitious
10 cngage. .'@ 1t1v4o s83a9g'ai sDezsisvm
II know no nobler spectacle in the history Of
the world than that Of the multiplied States Of
this Union, joining with fratcrnal competition
which should add the brightest page to the history
rscted liberty, the most complete illustration of
the success Of that republican experiment, of
which our soil has been providently selected as
the scene. If these thirty zone commonwealth
ranged under . common banner from ocean to
ocean, could be seen engaged in such conten-
ton as this instead Of a struggle for some miser-
able political mastery, or selfish ascendency; in
stead Of cherishing a spirit of mutual jealousy
and hate by striving to aggrandise themselves
either tcrrtorially or commercially at each others
expense, should they be seen laboring side by
side to improve each one its own character-to
reform each one its own abuses-to abolish each
one its own wrOngs-to show the best efforts of
which civilization, Christianity and freedom aro
capable, what history would there be to the
world hereafter! W1o would envy the writer the
privilege Of penning such record! Methinks he
would catch some inspiration from the psallnist Of
old-his pen would be that Of u ready writer
No cold and heatless skeptic could portray such
progress; no Gibbon could delineatc the glowing
picture. He might be trusted with the task which
told the decline and fall Of empire but theme
like that would inspire new faith in him who wrote
faith in the capacity of man for sef-government,
and in the ultimate prevalence Of the Gospel of
Christ, which, after ALL is the only sure and efIec-
tlal instrument by which either social or political
Host in enthusiastic applause| THAT history is
to be written; and when written is to exercise nm
influence on the world, for good or for evil, such
as no other uninspired history has ever yet ex-
erted. 1t is not too much to say that American
history-the history Of these United States, and
OF the several States-is to be the fountain to
mankind Of such hope, or of such despair, as
they have never yet conceived Of [Great ap-
plausel You have all heard how the accomplished
lAsUeenant Marlfy kas bcen engaged in gathering
the old log-books of your sailors, out Of them to
make wind and current charts to render voyages
across the ocean more safe and speedy. So it
would be with the log books Of our great Repub-
lie and those lesser Republics which sail under
common flag. From those is to be made up
great sailing chart of freedom. fApplause God
grant that on no corner of it shall be found the
sad record that here upon some hidden rock, or
there upon the breakers, or there in fatal fog,
by the desertion Of some cowardly crew, Tsensa-
ton and applause, or by the recklessness Of some
rash helmsman, a New Era struck, fOundcred,
and went to pieces, to the exhultation of despots
and the deep grief Of all friends Of freedom fAp-
plause. May it rather give encouragement to all
who range upon the same sea that there Is pros
porous voyage before them and safe haven within
their reach!" [Appause.] 80;
Hon. EDWARD EVERETT also sent an excellent
letter. He thus remarks on what America has
done for history, while yet in her infancy
'No branch of literature has been 50 success
fully cultivated in America as history; and be-
leve that even European criticism--llot over par
tia to merit this side of the Atlantic-will bear
me out when ! say that, in addition to many
works of sterling value, which have no room to
name, America has, within twenty-fv years,
produced three historians, whose works will 70
down to the latest posterity with those that have
already stood tho test Of ages. am not more
confident Of the abiding reputation Of Hcrodotus,
Huydides, and Xenophon; Of Livy, Sallust, and
Tactitus; of Hume, Gibbon, Robertson, Hallam,
and Maccaulay, than am Of the abiding reputa-
ton of Irving, Prescott and Bancroft. believe
their works will be read till the English language
is forgotten" {
s aeiqet----4- ---e----- ii ssitls 'iiifs
The WORLD 70 colfE--The following were the
meditations Of the celebrated JoHN Foster, on the
death of his wife. They will seem to many as
transcript of their own thoughts under similar be-
a Can it bo--how is it-what is it---that we are
now not inhabitants Of the same world-that
each has to think Of the other as in perfect diff
ferent economy Of 'eXstcnces Whittier has she
gone-in what manner does she conscientously re-
alize to shcrself the great change-how does she
look at herself as no longer inhabiting mortal
tabernacle-in what manner does she recollect
her state as only few weeks since-in what man
ner does she think, and feel, and act, and commu-
ncate with other spiritual beings-what manner
of vision has she Of God and the Saviour of the
world-how does she review and estimate the
course of discipline through which she had been
prepared for the happy state where she finds her
self-in what manner does she look back on death,
which she has 80 recently passed through-and
does she plainly understand the nature of phe-
nomenon SO awfuly mysterious to the view Of
mortals? How does she remember and feel re-
especting me! Is she associated with the spirits
of her departed son and our two children who
died in infancy! Docs she indulge with delight