The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-03-05

dAam ClH5s ssr Kss X EebruarT 12r383@
For the xRnnaons manner and kindly
words in which gou have maze me
WslcoE - your hospiAble honHe end
mere h0spitable hearts, be so good as
to accept my cordial thanks none the
less sincere that they come from q
heart in which the pulsatione Of e1gla-i
ty-three years have not enfeebled the
appreciation Of deeds Of generosity
and kindUeas@ hen the suggsstlon
Ae honor fFhi3a Fbh designed for
me was Communicated to me, j con-
fass was reluctant TO acceed TO your
wishes, because my acceptance seemed
81 [Etply eonscf0UsrgaS on ny part
VA dsselS, which did not feel and
my reluctance was only oyercems by
the assurance that the recognition
which you desired to make of my
lifelong desire to de nay duty to the
city Of my birth and to my fellow
men, might be useful in helping other
and especially the young. to do their
dnty IN community in which so
much depends upon Che voluntary ae-
tiDnd of its individual members. II,
u1eu. Ehad done or accomr lished any
ming which really merits your good
opinion, LET me say at once, and for
al, that haVe found and received full
compensation in the satisfaction which
L I.GFe derived from the consciousness
II dnty performed and that the ex-
perience of long life enables me to
say that money and efforts expended
for the general good are better pay
ing Investment than any possible ox-
pandifure for personal gratifcation.
In looking back, however, over my
lifesT Amn cmHnpelled to make q remark
in which most aged persons will GYM
pathize, and that is, how much / have
seen come TO pass, and how little /
hara been able to do In long career,
the cardinal rule of which has been te
rendar momo equivalent to society in.
some useful form Of labor, for each
day Of my existencs. When I was
born, New York contained 81, 331 in
h&bikanks. The upper limits of the
ctr we're It Chambers streets. Not
4 angle free school, either BY day or
a Rif. existed. General Washington
had jutt entered upon his first term as
President OF the United States, the
whole annual expenditures of which
did not exceed $2, 100000, being about
sixty csnta per head Of the population.
Not . single steam engine had yet
been built orserected on the American
continent, and the people were clad in
hanaesnnn, and we're characterized BY
the simple virtues and habits which
are usually associated with that priIn-
MtiVe aarb. need not tell you what
the country now is, and what the hab-
its and the garments Of the people
now are, or that the expenditure, per
caDfta, Of the General Government
lleN Increased ffteen-folds But I have
Witnessed and taken q deep. interest
In every step of the marvellous devel-
opmeuf and progress FThich have
characterised this century beyond all
the centuries which have gone before.
Measured By the achieyaments of the
years have seen, am enc of the old
est men that have ever lived butt do
not feel Old, and propose to give the
recipe bv which ] have preserved my
youth. / have always given frlend-
" welcom6 to new ideas, and I have
endeavored not to feel too old to
learn, and thus, though / stand here
with the snoWs Of so many winters
upon my head, my faith in human ma
ture, my belief in the progress Of man
to = better social condition, and es-
peeinlly my trust IN the ability Of man
70 establish and maintain sslf-goVern-
menf, are as fresh and as young as
when I began to travel the path of
life. While had always realized that
NJ object of business was to make
money tn m honorable manner; have
endeaTored TO remember that the OBJ
iect Of life u to do good. Hence I
have been ready to engage in al new
enterprises, and without incurring
debt to risk the means which ] have
acquired in their promotion, provided
they seem "a. 70 me calculated to ad-
vance the general good. This will
account for my early attempt TO per-
feet the steam engine, for my early at
tempt to construct the first American
locomotive, for my connection with
the telegraph in course Of efforts to
unite our countey with the European
world, aud for my recent efforts to
solve the problem Of economical steam
navigation on the canals to all Of
which Won have so kindly REFEREED
] { happens to but few men to change
the 1carrent Of human progress as il
did to Watt, to Fulton, to Stevenson
and to Morse; but most men may be
nearly to welcome laborers in 3 new
field Of usefulness, and to clear the
world for their progress. This have
tried to do IS well in the perfecting
and execution of their ideas, as in
making such provision as my means
have permitted for the proper educa-
tion Of the young mechanics aud citi-
zens of my native city, in order to fit
them for the reception OF new ideas,
social, mechanical and scientific hop
ing thus 60 economics and expand the
intellectual as well as the physical
forces, aud provide larger fund tor
diaErl bhtion among the yarfous cIassss
which make DIP tie various total OF
society. feel that nature has pro-
vtded bonntiEutly for the wants of all
men, and that we need only knoWl-
edge, scientific, political and religious
and self-control, in order to eradicate
the evils under which society has suf-
fernd In sill ages. Let me say, then,
in conclusion, that my experience Of
life has not dimmed my hopes for hu-
manify; that my sun is not setting in
clouds and darkness, but is going
down cheerf1lly in q clear armament
lighted up by the glory of God. who
should always be venerated and loved
as the infinite source and fountain oi
all light life power, wisdom and
goodness.
za{s - --sas-.------
a. RLRAsANr SITUATION.
our young friend Parker Wen1