The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-27
The Ideal Of q Merchant.
LECTURE OF Oh. WILLIAM ADAMS BEFORE THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.


The Ideal OF Merchant.
LECTURE OF Dr. WILLIAM ADAMS BEFORE THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The third lecture OF the delivered on Monday
night before the Historical Society, by the Rev. Or.
Adams. The reverend gentleman commenced by stating
that while revolving in his mind the propsiety Of accept
ing the invitation 70 deliver the lecture, his eye had
Glanced to fall upon the inscription Of tho seal Of the
note Of invitation, "Res uerba" and he had deter
mined 10 take that for text. True, il might be inter-
preted TO invitation 10 him 70 TO the point
possible and with few words but he had evil
dence the seal prepared expressly for the
sion or he might interpret the seal Of the
the representative of Yong America calling upon him to
go ahead with but few words. He would suggest
tain modification Of the phrase-from the phrase Of
Luther, ascrbing to himself action without words, 10
Erasmus words without action, and to Melancthon both
tho words and action And could there be any doubt
which should be preferredY His amendment
res ct pcrba-words and things. 1t was az strange
that some of the most renowned literary productions
given by those who rolling in wealth. that
the best essay poverty had been written amid the most
volupuous surroundings Of riches. II might be hoped
that these characters should indicted holding stolen
goods and that they should be brought down 70 the
mon surroundings Of mankind. He had read Of Lamar
tine and of the scheme of republic in this New World
and noticed the different kinds Of which were here
called acton-the Washington Franklin and Jeffer
SON. res rerba-men Of actions and words The idea OF
any profession sometimes became fattened like much
used coin and would require moulding Shakspere
had given strong characters Of the merchant Shyock
and Antonio the graspng and repulsve the other
magnanmous and admirable Dickens had done nothing
better than describing the brothers Cheeribe contrasting
strongly with the despcable Screw. For HIMSELF he
felt that he might be capable OF speaking fairly the true
merchant, because, being apart from the profession
he would be above the suspicion Of professional partially
When he remembered the business habits aud literary
excellence of Roscoe Of the labors of Bowdtch
his translation Of ola Place the London literary
chant Thornton the names of our own Haeck Bryant
and Spaque he felt that active baps of busine render
ed capable Of literary and intellectual excellence
the hot metal receives the mould. The richest NOR
chant of Italy likewise her greatest scholar, collect
ing with his costly goods the valuable manuscripts
and had inscribed his tomb "Paer Patrie like
own Washington. The merchant should not write over
mittance except on business The idea OF a merchant
in the mind Of child was that of man dispensing end
less joys to others from countless stores but when this
msconcepon took bold Of older persons should be
reced Many good mechanic had been spoiled in bad
merchant prefering soft hand 70 hard one with the
impression that the life Of merchant was
OF and without work II such men should say, ~
live way, he would say 10 them, with DR..
II was mistaken idea tina. the life Of merchan, was one
of ease without work. that welding pen in broad
cloth was more creditable than following plough in
homespun True, there had been fools stumbling for
tunes a merchants like the who shipped cargo OF
warming pans the West Indies, but the life Of mer
work and digent application There we're some, indeed
waiting the time when they could enjoy social and intel
iSeip lives were fast wasting away Our well. Of plea
should be dug day by day, where our tents are
pitched and OF these men might find that life
gone before they found out how 70 live happy Man mad
been described who makes bargains True homes
~ had the reputation Of being the side OF the pocket
but was honesty TO be regarded with higher motve'
The honesty thai verified conception merchants
far higher than the mere legally honest man. There
might be released from the statute book OF law who
In
There could be doubt that there bad been deprecia
ton the character Of international law Our venerable
historian Dedrich had recorded that
worthy forefathers bad decided To "sdopt the law Of
Noses until they should have time TO make bser but
he thought there nothing better than the good old
command apo others you would that they should
do unto you" 10 be able 10 review long Of
camille pursuits without any recoectons which were dis
creditabe, was anything could be, good title 10 be
deemed chivarc and honorable As faith the basis
Of religion, was the basis Of mercantile transactions
and faith were destroyed many bags Of gold would col
lapse like bags OF wind lie did not believe in the pro-
that such "too honest 10 succeed" He
knew honest men who had succeeded, but il
their honesty that drew them back He would not have
honesty the pack horse OF all failures OF honest men,
Their failures were due TO other causes Il WAS
all 10 attribute their want OF success "
their goodness. IF there merchants whose ac
tons might well deserve for them the cognomcu Of
might tend 70 make good the argument that the tendency
Of mercantile pursuits was TO debsse mems natures 70
that extent The merchant learned to work quickly aud
TO be ready for any emergency, and his contact with
human nature made him little liable 10 be imposed upon
or the fights Of fancy in which the merchant must in
duge he follows his minds eye his ventures 10 the
uitermost parts OF the EARTH and OF the lessons OF bu
mani,y which taught the reverend gentleman eio
quenty spoke, concluding that there was more W en-
tighten rather than TO depross the spiritual bark Of man
In mercantile pursuits To the products Of the uermcst
parts Of the earth which brought together by the
merchant 70 compose ady's dress-the diamonds,
the urs the brocade and the silk, coming from all
ers OF the globe all tending 10 show that the MERCHANT
more than a machine working 10 get money
he alluded 10 In eloquent terms
The reverend gentleman deprecated the practice of
having the foreign correspondence q merchants
Quoted by foreigners, while he thought Il might oe
conducted well by their children, who
might be easily educated 10 than vernacuar
lie placed himself with the Vicar NJ Wakefield aud Doctor
Franklin advocate 81 early discreet marriages and
deprecated the metropolitan lite which encouraged the
practice Of waiting for the Of living in style. He
knew Of perncous sentiment than that OF waiting
for mairmony until II could be accompanied with wealth.
Wives not merely 10 dispense that which had been
gained Cor them but might well enjoy IN later years the
| fruits Of early patience and diliseni labor.
The lecture replete with classical illustrations
celebrating the most solid good sense and closed With
splendid calculation OF the proper application OF wealth.
paying deserved and appreciated compliment 10 our
liberal New York merchants in their contributions 10 sci
enee and and charity net forgetting the princey MGR
chant whose Is perpeuaed in the Arctic regions by
| the immortal Kane
The Port Warden Act.
| from the Albany Argus, January 20
The case Of nnsham and others against Iapscou CO..
involves the question OF the constltu0naly and validity
lo44 H. ...lt. n,r4W af4