, 1862-12-10
CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Adjourned Annual Meeting.
Report Of the Secretary.

The seventh annual meeting Of the Histori-
al Society, pursuant to adjournment, was
ie3d last evening, ut The house Of Hon. J. |
! loung Scammon-W. L. Newberry, ESQ, the |
President, in the chair. Besides the members
u The Society, there was present numerous
Of ladies and gentlemen, inclul-
ng many prominent and influential gentle
men, among whom VIC noticed Dr.. Terry Of
Detroit, Prof Sindig Of Denmark, Hon. BENZ.
laryer or New York, Mayor Sherman, Judge
Bell, Thos. B. Bryan, Philo Carpenter, L. W.
Volk, Judge Goodwin, Col. Tucker, and
many others. The large number Of the fair ]
scS present Was also j noticeable fcaturc Oh
this occasion.
The ePrcsidentannounccd that Mr.. Scanmoll,
for personal rcasous. had determined that hc |
would not deliver his proposed address.
The Secretary, Rev. DR.. Barry, rcad . COM |
from ME: scan'mon, ewing ms rea-
sons for 50 dcclining-which, while they could
grrt Dcing deprived Of the expected pleasure
# listening to hi:il-and asking the permission
Of the Society to defer the address to another
occasion.
A letter was read from lion James Myers,
If Toledo, Ohio, expressing his regret at be-
ing unable 10 attend the Society annual mcet-
my, and his high appreciation of their Ia
hors.
A letter was also read from Rev. s. c. Akin,
D. D., Of Cleveland, Ohio, regretting lis be-
ing unable to bc present at tho meeting of the
Society lie expressed his admiration Of the
patience Of the Secretary in arranging the
large 1s!ass of publications donated. by Dr., a.
himself; and concluding with the remarkable
assertion that he did not know of the exist
cnce of any similar society in the State Of
Ohio TT thought it high lime that the wis
dom Of the past should be laid up for use i'll
the future.
The Secretary read his annual report. He
began by referring 10 the Chinese custom Of pre-
serving in thtif households, ancestral tablets
before which the flame Of burning incense Is
,,evrr a1]owcd to aie mt. and which we're field in
Iirhesf esteem Ne nav smile at this excess Of a
nafnral sentiment. INT We should lct it win us to
respect tho paet, and TO honor those to whom tue
nrSent o,,ss its nriyi1terrs hen,.fits and trreat.
ness
II il onr renroach that ve have ncrlected our
history. THIS. ncrhaus. is pardonabIr in a State
and r31, t3at l,Eo heen coinne1lni tn achicve in
dre,ir the work nj century at ie mt rntftin,
fh1t Ills rfv shn,ld aSsnne its sharte f 1ahor iS
r.ntering Justice TO tie history Of Illinois and OF
ia,ion. the center Of not less than Ten railroads.,
whose aggregate coet hns exceeded one hum
dred and thlrty-eIGht millions of dollars
tE13S- -G@G- sa43 with an amount Of trade i'll
real and other agricultural products and merchan-
disc. probably much exceeding two hundred mil
n,any schools oftheOogy. three ofMcdlclne and one
81 law: add to which with several institutions Of
,leGs e ro[ s as4 aug
Taied IN tac west brc2dth and number c[thelr
c!ltuiation-Ets ei1y cen!d not 10 icss tha:l lis
par N irea:nIns nI r. aa,n;: nemgrS @ 81 re-
nsAshabh history. Mhils lonnolng ahd upho!dlig
i.9@e i5s.ltGtons HiSl tsnu " tue nSucl culture
;,u m aosanethi sts!i:z..lpn !1s Q! y s!2te;
;. AZ, 4st1I; % yt NY ~ .nG Moaa a5
wv Ain liaunE isAo"it " tiStl lG:.tn!tis alu
aIts. S Mn'ie thelE eonaasse1A ana pout1ea! glory
LINZ M..! !e4ie y slhcc ee9al!'g
~ ~ s'Etlais rrpofsso me conIlnaca ana una"
Eateu prosperity Of tllc Society. Thc war has aug
mefteti lt- laoors Wlt;fout diminishing either its
resources or !t5 energies. Perhaps at no period Of
or nat:onai history have the labors Of historical
the additions to the Society's collections we have
art ady published from lime to time: Such Static
i!se however otf inadeguatcly exhibit the coIn-
p'ctc iaior anu achievement Of the year The in
Ee1ce OF -ucI in institution Us this, and Of such
litrarvas t row possesses drawing an ever WIDEN
ing Afternoon cannot 0e iully measured More
tGan thousand persons nave vis1trd the rooms
III tht past ycar-a considerable runlaer for the
purposes 0i fc5tarch-somr pursuing inquiries OF
public aud genera! Importance An Interesting
1tE!hisecnse o. the year VIII ne int frequent re-
sort 10 our library Of young men connected with
IEe press Of our titE whose appreciation Of its
saus ! - pfotFtea l;ie o.
an thaowlnent ior Tic 1ounans o! section o.
Morks n and 1ihf:trsplly to DC called
te iI'eIH u @ i.otat3. lne.r s.'esess. II nc:o MOI
&c auen M WI ne an honGf 70 tr M M
lie good
He fh.n aEutset! TO orr tcaelcncics n the North
M*st; Nhsle w h;ve nf:te n,:sSampied progress
h..,c within sinh, 1i: rn. rn,nsfornr 81 ra.f1 .y
w;ltsrr:.es: into i po;,ll'ous aud wv:,l,ny empire
w:'l;1:: large PROPORTION Of the political. inor;.
ar. sovia. power OF the na.ou-we have tsasl bu'
little done 10 demonstrate them t9 ourselves ant
Oilers: We rave no 1lssltation Wnerea coEan!e1s
~: t.; ,.,ed, =, ~, o"' ! sc7ntS Ia con,
nta ,o1rt;nn NJ H. n,a:s.rsls az surl ~ III
inr som,. imnort:,at n I;tiors In this 1o,strr ",
Eyc sv:tc1n al rai!rols,s costing us more tli
tlou-art1 millions Of dollars and which arc n
sclul}y connected with ald have rcyolutienized al
most every interest in society: and yet there cal
.sowere 1.r found epn'p'ir hr.y ,'pon r:.ilsoa.:
il as asis ~, nv Ma m ~.
Nm rTn's m xnrrncnt in Do,jtics never Irfor hcsr
al, and ilay. inns iir tccrrfe in il b.:yonI III
lngsr sa,l.llll:v expectations Of its fricnds-an
y.t we 1avc american l'cltictI Science! d.
Barry mentioned that the Socety had already mad
IN extensive eoc:iieh o. M avs VI INC soloae
*nti statr.sens o. mem aa.'n9 more tnan I'M
tenta9s ~ ~ NV ~
~ mS ,'r ~ 4h Pn',4'S;, ~. NJ, Il,
,,'t;o, nc.,.1,d In. S,n;eir has s;nJ fo s,,nni
Ills rerG-some fepc-;1ory where NAV he fonn
ali information rpon ill Cur various aud importau
interests: am! tie hope was expressed that snci,
depository will sGon he oEtainss' here.
IN American hlbI:rs. TO NJ compute, Shotli
NJ HsetS = lnerMn , n'. .saetest; I'LL @ y
H.. Dif.t:si.n IF TsrW1 K:,o;;l7c;' catabl:sic;}
n,,ulMr Of Years aso in London. st in motion u
Wifi, rsuit,. is !. sp!u;,.l 10 America. in tt
foundation Of LrceIIns and Debating Clubs in Il
.cts ~ ,r;,;c nat.. ~ ~ 2u.ta;
Northwest: and It bc1on-F to Il,c present ,,encr
lion to u:ovi3e for tbc riyl1ti;l ytucatiou Of Il
| generation low rising TO s,,c.tcd theru