The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-20


Appear~nce or Hon. Thomas III. Benton ga the
Academy or MusIc-Immcnse Audience %
hear his Lecture on the Geography OF the
Great West.
rAe Academy Of Music presented truly magnificent
spsctpce last night At least thousand persons
assembled within its walls listen lecture from the
Hon. Thomas Il. Benton the geography Of the vast
regions lying between the Mississippi river and the Pa
oHc ocean, in reference 70 their adaptation to settlement
and the construction Of railroad across the continent
Over a thousand persons unable TO obtain even
standing room, and went away greatly disappointed.
while another thousand, who could hardly hear q word
OF what the speaker said left the house about half
hour after the lecture commenced II was in fact al
most impossible for those the stage to distinguish one
word in ten and at least of the audience
were placed in the unpleasant predcament They
had opportunity therefore, of realizing to the fullest
extent the benefits dervabie from its publication in ad
vance in the HERALD Of yesterday morning
The stage was occupied by at least hundred gentle
men, among whom we noticed the following :-Geueral
Scott Judge Roosevelt John Van Buren, Robert Kelly
Anthony J. Blocker, Hon. John Wheeler Hon. Abram
Waterman Luther Bradish, Fernando Wood, B. j. But
Ter, Wilson G. Hunt, Rev. 7. H. Taylor, H. c. Bowen,
Hon. George Bancroft, F W. Ballard Chas. OConor
Comptroller Flagg John Brodhead, Judge Bosworth
Hon. Chas. King Mayor Westervelt, Geo. Peckham and
Judge Stewart Precisely at eight o'clock the hour ap
pointed Mr. Benton introduced to the vast audience
by the President, Mr.. +. W. Ballard
When the applause with which he was received had
subsidized he proceeded to deliver the lecture as pub
ushed in the HERALD Of yesterday with the exception
OF few slight alterations in its arrangement. At its
close he addressed the menpers OF the Mercantile Ii
brary Association follows
GENTLEMEN or THE Association AND CITIZENS OF THIS
GREAT COMMERCIAL METROPOLIS
There is enterprise worthy Of your energies-wor-
thy OF your wealth and lame--worthy of the helping
hand OF merchants who know how to combine the cha
racter Of merchants and statesmen and how to aggran
die their country while enrching themselves. That
oriental commerce which nations have sought for aud
fougt for, for thousands ycars-which carried
on, lines extended by conveyances slow ani
limited, amidst populs tons which considered the
chent their lawful prey up and down rivers aud
strange and through long and rightfui deserts
and which, under all these disadvantages and perils
made Asiatic, and African cities the of
wealth and power and OF the arts and Sciences while
Western Europe yet barbarian-ani branches
OF which afterwards lit mp Venice and Genoa and made
those cities match for empires, and the and
daughters of their ceizens lin their luxurious ate) the
admiration and envy ID queens and Processes. ALI this
commerce. and in deeper and broader stream than the
merchant princes" saw, is within your reach,
attainable by road all the your soil, and
under your laws-to be flown by q vehicle
much superior to the steamboat the boat is to
the ship and the ship to the camel Thanks to the
progress Of the mechanical arts which are going on
continually to convert into facilities what stood OBJ
stac'es TO national communications. To the savage the
was obstacle mechanical genius, ia the inven
ton Of ship, made it a AGILITY. The firm land
what the barbarian wanted the Land became obsta
facility again-the preferred of transport and
travel-and with celebrity Of motion which rivals the
tight o. the carrier pge". and pun,suaty Of ar
watches; to say nothing of its accompaniment-the
magnetic teegraPh-which flashes intelligence across
continent and delivers messages between kingdoms in
the twinkng Of eye; and, compared to which, the
flying degenerates lazy tagging creeping, John
trot traveller All this commerce in stream SO much
n road nd will
conveyances so rapid lies ut your acceptance What
jew and Gentle fought for before there were Chris
tans. and which Christians fought for they
existed-fought each other and combined with the Sa-
racen TO destroy each oher-al ths is now at your
ceptance and by the benefcent Of only max ng
a road which will itself be private fortune and pub
lie benefactJn Give the lead Of your and there
will be enough to follow. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York. Boston, have only 70 sign frst-snd all the
cities inland and martime-an the railroad express
and telegraph companies-w see their interest in
opening the road which would be prolongaton Of their
own, and the increase and enhancement Of their
business and prosperity. The enterprise would be
triae to the resources of our business population
only some thirteen hundred miles of road over the
most favorable ground, and under the most suspicious
sky that ever road lit, and Indispensable, as wei
advantageous to What sustains and stimulates
every branch of industry in America at this time
California gold That gold, the weekly arrival OF which
the uics blood OF all business; and one months
failure OF which would be the paralysis OF
cial, industrial and financial world-how do
soil aud uron 3 circuit of SIX thousand milesabe TO
be cut of by the fleets cruisers and prvateers OF
power with which might come to war. do not pro-
duce political they address themselves to
the political power speak 10 business menmerchants
all the industrial casses-and appeal to their
lighted Of aud pa triosm favor OF this
road pliny the elder said that a republican form
government most favorable TO commerce, because
most favorable to freedom of enterprises and he gave
instances Of the truth OF that axiom in his ancient repub
lies. The moderns have its truth in later times
and in nearer paces-in Italy in Holland, and in our
America. We a republic, and great one-with
the elements Of more than Roman should
not allow the just and ennobing axiom OF Plny to be
disparaged IN our persons Let US make 'ne roaa we
that purpose speak to produce action and not for the
sake OF barren display. have brought you the facts
straight and short and connecting with all your own
roads, and good country to sustain people to support
oms DOZEN. Of name. in thess great cities known to
the people, and possessed Of their conhdence-men OF
means and characterize allow their names to be put
tionaI scrupe giving the right Of way in mile wide
through its Kansas and Utah Territories, 10 this com
one year TO accept the grant in which time double
animation by practical road makers going out in sum
mer and coming back in winter can solve in business
way every question which prudent business men ough
to haze soved-practicabity expense, settlement and
the 11pula.ion and cultivation which the support and
line OF the plan, requiring but few details to ill up,
and Of all which principle should BE-, no aid from the
United States except A. eust9mer when she pleased
here and 10 elsewhere at much inconvenience to my
self and great cost Of personal feeling oppressed as
Occupauou, S0u0outu
recenE and heavy misfortune. But for this cause |
could become II circumstances permitted, Peter the
Heruit-traversing the country and preaching cru
sade NOT Of against the nhde but OF beneacence
10 the human race.
Mr. Benton, although seventy.ose years Of age, looks
a. strong and energetic Of fifty, and is stl in
the fun possession Of all his physical and mental facul
ties His personal appearance is calculated to make
most favorable impression his audience, for he pos
al the dignity Of and gravity Of deport
nent which one generally expects to see in United
hates Senator In his delivery he is slow and impress
i've and occasionally lowers his voice so much at the
snd Of each that no with difficulty be heard
mis- added to the disadvantage of large building mu
have made rather unpleasant to his audience last
night. AT times he raised his voice sufficiently high to
be heard BY all present, but IL was only for moment
and then Il became low and indstnct that he could
with dculty be heard by those Immediately IN front o.