Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-07-05
sPEECH OF
HON. WIN. @. HASBROUCK,
OF NEw8URGH, N. ".
at the Laying Of the Corner Stone Of the
MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY,

4 num- VIM ". uA00nOOOh,
OF NEwsvRGH, Ny.
at The Laying Of the Corner Stone Of the |
MINNESOTA H1sToR1cAL SOCIETY, j
JUNE "a, 1856.
CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA, AND GENTLEMEN or
THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Two things
have happened unexpectedly to me, to-day
the meeting here, in st. Paul, with my friend,
Lieut. Maury, and being called upon to address
you on this important occasion. My friend has
told you he was to be followed by me; that l
was his OLD schoolmaster, and wiser and better
man than he, and worth listening to. Now !
thank my friend and quondam pupil for his kind
commentator, but confound his mschievous in
sinuation before SO many ladies, that am older
than he is. Though it be true, was his school
master when we were both younger than We now
are; yet as to youthfulness, l think he has not
much, if any, the advantage Of me.
My friend, since was his master and he was
my pupil, has become great philosopher, and
has learned amongst others things, all about tho
the gasses, and all he has said about my being
NOW a wiser and better man than he is, Is CAS-
ALL PURE GAS. When he was my pupil and WAS
his master, ] thought l was much wiser and
greater than he was; or if did not, tried to
make him and the rest of my pupils think SO.
Since then, he has become distinguished man
Of science and letters; and by applying his
genius and wisdom, practically and successfully
to increase the power of man over the sea, he
has put his name high On the scroll of fame be-
side Bacon, Newton, Franklin, and Humboldt.
| He has measured the depths of old Ocean, and
| marked out the tracks of its winds and currents,
and made easier, swifter, and surer, the passage
of the mariner and merchant between the most
distant Ravens of the earth. The great fame of
| nv friend is but the Just reward of his great
mind successfully directed to the achievement of
great and useful results, and fear the world
will never compensate Elm for his services
While claim for myself only the humble and
| fair reputation of country lawyer, and cheer
fully admit my pupil has beaten his old master,
| warn him, if he. loves me, never again, before
So many ladies, to say he is younger man than
l am; or before so many intelligent people, on
such an occasion this, to say that l am worth
listening to after he has spoken.
Called upon as | am to address you impromp-
| tn, all can do is to express, in unprecedented
words, briefly a few thoughts as they spontane
ously occur to me.
My Oldest child and son, having completed his
( education and attained the age of manhood, de-
cded to pitch his lot somewhere in the growing
West, and desired me to accompany and aid him
in selecting place. Iassented, and for that pur-
| pose, in May last, we left my home, far away at
Newburgh on the banks of the Eu,;son, in pursuit
| of the object of our search. We have travelled
many days and many miles, and visited and
viewed many beautiful places. At last we came
to Minnesota, and now here we are in the city of
ST. Paul. Above all the States and all the
towns We have seen, my son likes Minnesota and
With nv blessing, here he will probably pitch
his lot. As soon as he does so, my advice to
him will be to pay the requisite initiation fee
| and be admitted, at once, to a life membership
in the Minnesota Historical Society. Let every
aspirin intelligent young man in Minnesota do
SO, and is edifce, now dedicated to history and
SCIENCE Its fair proportions will not only be
soon erehS ed and furnished with all the necessary
books and apparatus, but its halls will be filled
with young gentlemen emuating each other in
this good work and aiding the founders of this
noble enterprise; and when its founders and
first members shall have ceased from their good
deeds, the surviving members, from generation
to generation, will continue and increase its USE
fulness, and at no distant day, the Historical
Society of Minnesota will become what it should
be now-the pride and glory Of all Mnnesotians.
Of the exceeding loneliness and fertility of
Minnesota, which will be the first object of your
Society to describe, need say little to you who
know it; but when return home, must be eau
tious how speak of its clear and beautiful lakes
and rivers, and wide fertile praires, and rich val
leys. Should speak to my neighbors, and tell
them One-half Of the surprising fertility and
beauty of Minnesota, | fear | should lose nv
reputation with them for truthfulness and sanity,
which believe heretofore has stood pretty fair
| amongst them.
your Territory, not to reflect, that here, but a
short time since, wild Indian tribes chased their
game, and fought their savage battles that here
were few traders and trappers pursuing their
uncertain and scanty business that here was no
law, and only solitary military outpost Of the
United States kept at Fort Smelling to protect the
trappers and traders, and to prevent and restrain
the barbarity of Indian warfare; that here, only
about seven years since, Territorial Govern
ment was organized; that Minnesota now con-
tains about one hundred thousand intelligent,
healthy, enterprising and prosperous inhabitants;
that within its borders already St. Paul, St. An
thony, Minneapolis, Hastings, Winona, Red Wing,
have risen up if by enchantment; that the
husbandman plows, and sows his lands, and reaps
his rich harvests as safely as in New York or in
New England and that already here great at
tentlon is bestowed upon art and science and the
refnemcnts of civilization, as is most happily il
Illustrated to-day in the ceremonies of laying the
corner stone of beautiful temple, dedicated to
history and science.
In these ceremonies, observe that a large and
respectable number of the Ancient Order of
Free Nlasons, warmly participate. This fraternity
has always prefessed charity, and practced it.
Its object, from the earliest ages, has been to
ameliorate the condition of man. Great and
good men OF all ages and countries have been
Free Masons. In our own country, Washington,
the greatest and best man of any age or country,
was Free Mason, and till death honored and
| respected this Society. What he honorcd and re-
spected, let no man revile.
God speed Minnesota, that is soon destined to
be one of the brightest stars in the glittering
galaxy of our United States and may it ever be
the happy duty Of the Minnesota Historical So
cety to record in its annals the increasing glory
of Minnesota and all the United States of North
America. May the wild fanaticism of mad men,
and the mischevous schemes of bad men never
sever our happy Union, or destroy the Constitu-
ton. As long as the Mississippi River runs from
Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico-so long NAV
the Union and Constitution of the United States
be perpetuated.
THE ANTI ELECTORAL VOTE.
The anti-Nebraska party have doubtless the
power to elect the next President in their own
hands, and we also think it will be found that
they have good disposition to use it. Since
the passage of the infamous Nebraska bill, the
following States have been carried against that
measure, and may all be carried again next No
vem5er:
STATES. ELECTORAL VoTEs.
Maine, 8
New Hampshire, 5