The New York herald., 1876-12-13
FREE TRADERS CENTENNIAL.
THE ONE HUSDREDTH ANNIVERSARY or ADAM
SMITHS swEALrH or NATIoNs'-GRAND DIN

THE ONE HUsDRRDTH ANNIVERSARY OF ADAM
SMITHS 'wEALTH or NArIoNs"-GRASD DIN
NER AT pELMoNIcos.
Asumptuous banquet was given last evening at Del
monicos, Broadway and Fifth avenue in commemo-
ration OF the huudredth anniv crsary OF the pub-
cation OF Adam smiths enquiry into the Nature and
Causes the Wealth OF Natonsn The note OF invita-
tion 10 the festivities stated that "thc principles ol
commercial freedom taught In that immortal work
prc-eminenty adapted the highest development OF
national rcsoarces' Ii WILL therefore, be readily
conceived that the disciples of the free trade creed Of
Adam Smith, the great Scotch philosopher OF the last
century, assembled around the festive board IN
Yoodly NUMBERS I do honor to the occasion.
Among the distinguished gentlemen present
William Cullen Bryant, Secretary of State Bigclow,
Parke Godwin, Professor Barnard, Professor =. W.
Sumner OF Yale; General Frank Walker, OF Yale;
Cyrus w. Field, Howard Potter and among those from
abroad, Horace White of Chicago; President Ander-
son, OF tho Rochester University; Professor o. c.
Marsh OF Yale College; Professor Atwater Of Priuce-
ton: Henri cheruschi Isaac Spencer Professor Dun
bar. OF Harvard, professor OF political economy:
David A. Wells and about eighty others, ninety
I'VE In all
AZ seven o'clock the company, headed by w. c.
Bryant and Parke Goodwin, marched into the banquet
hall 10 music OF Bcrnsein's string band took
their of the most elegantly furnished
festive boards gotten up the Cty OF New York
rho banquet presided over by Mr.. Parke Cod
win Alter grace by the Rey pr Atwa,er, OF Prince
son, and after tho viands had been thoroughly
cussed, the speech. making began.
Mr. Parke Godwin The FIRST speaker. He called
tho attention OF his auditors TO the cond
tion OF affairs which wing public mind
He then referred TO one ADAM Scolchman who bore
Ihe Ubiquitous name OF Smith, one who had init-
acd inquiry INTO the causes OF the wealth VI
tions showing where labor the basis OF all such
Nr hs anaHt etf
attention. reference TO William Cullen Bryant and
the reading oil an extract from one OF tho latters
poems about ssCrowdcd Streets eiciting marked ap
plausc
received from Governor Samuel j. Tilden tumultous
applausel, Lieutenant Goyernor Dorshemer ('Hurruh
Tor Dorshe'mer,,D. Professor woolsey,, President
Eliot OF Harvard College; President McCosh OF Prince
ton; President Cbapn, Uhitcd states senator Bayard
Congressman William X. Morrison, /. Y G. Lamar,
Professors Perry and Dunbar, SIR Edward Thornton,
The British Minister at washington Charles Francis
Adams, the older and tue younger Adanscs Professor
Longielow. Ralph Waldo Emerson William Lloyd
Garrison, Il II. Dana. Jr, and many others
The hrss regular toast "rhe Early French Econo
msts,n la tn. absence ot Professor Perry,
sponded TO by the Secretary OF the staic Of New
York. Mr. Bigeiow. In fehctous manner. lie re-
terreu especially 10 the man who hai done so much
TON ard the science OF political economy IN France,
Colbert lie called attention 10 what Mr. David a.
Wells had done III. way of statistics, and thcn at
tho acme OF his usefulness rcsiguod He wanted TO
krow why mad not an edition OF the works OF
Adam Smith ai this time In this country. Several
voices announced that there copies the latest
editlohs In their libraries.
In response 70 the toast TO the wealth OF Nations
IAN 1mperishaDe Monument OF Human Genius y &c,
David A. Wells responded. Mr. Wells gathered all his
multitude oil ilcls bearing upon the subject Of free
trade aud presented them In his usual ccaf and torci
bic manner.
William Cullen Bryant made the principal speech of
The evening IL was good because brioi and orcf be-
cause the previous speakers had exhaused all the
most valuable hours OF the evening Mr.. Bryant
sad:-
WILLIAM CULLEN BRyAxrs SPEECH
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN ALLOW me to
you on the OCCASION which has brought you
L
u purposc--ihat of comnemorating the pub:ca-
,on Of Inc great work which nrsl ceariv
10 MANKIND the benefits OF FREQ exchange of com.
modties between the natious OF the world, and the
miscnicIs OF that tyranny which seeks 10 check tins
free exchange by the strong arm OF the law. The
doctrine OF Tree trade placed on the imprognable basis
oi fact and reasoning. was twin born with this
public o ours and can only wish the republic like
pcrpctu!ty with the doctrines
Ii is now four years a concurrence or circum.
stances To winch i will dc no more than aladc, had
The effect OF causing movement Ia iavor of
trade, winch was then IN considerable activity and
stacnaie and almost To sleep And what wears. my
friends were thcscs Years of iangushng enterprise
years Of dcsparing industry years Of strikes, years
.oi contention between the employers and the en-
poyed, years WHICH showed the spectacle of laborers
by hundreds looking III vain tor occupation, and hun
ger, r,pinchcd families shivcring their unwarmed
garrcts. All this while The protective system. II is
called has been In uil force. Everything s pro.
itcctcd-that is to say everything important In the
country taxed ss II never taxed before lf tho
protective system be the ground Of commercial pros
perity the country should DC prosperous beyond
all its previous experience; our mills, now stient
should be their fullest labOrers should
be in constant employment; not willing arm should
be idc not spindle should cease to hum.
SIT not time tor areaetony Are wo 10 go on IN
this manner indcnnte.ys We have tried the procc-
sve system fully as - possible; We have tasted It's
fruits, and they are bitter Let us now have
p Tree exchange. have no doubt, for my own part
that a lbcra system oil revenue laws especially
bned with return 10 specie payments would make
instantaneous and most fortunate change In the
condition OF tho country. Hundreds OF commodities
che raw material OF Us many forms OF industry,
would be released from the taxation which nov
puts them beyond tho reach OF many classes OF
artisans and new lite would BIO at once communicated
10 the arts both useful and ornamental. Toe old
handicraft OF shpbuding. which made barks tho
wonder OF the world Tor speed and economy OF mau-
change In present unhappy policy received the
sanction Of the Executive would see the gloom of
times dispelled us suddenly as bright morning tol.
lows storm, there Is power able under these
circumstances to hold back people from plum gng
into enterprises which they now shrink from In do
Spair
Yes my friends, the Tor a reaction has arrived
and determined that It shall have TAR Held
Free has slept while enemies have been per-
forming their unhappy experiments upon the public
welfare and now look ~ seek II rise invgoraicd by
its long slumber Let me say here that favor
OF protection, but protecton OF kind very different
from that which Tor many years past has dealt SO
cruelty with the interests OF the country. Tor
protecting the consumcrs-the class whose numbers
are counted by mIons am for protecting THIS class
In IT'S natural and proper right TO exchange what pro-
duccs IN whatever market II exchange them to
most advantage. am ior rescuing IL IRON the hands
into which IL has faien and which p.under IL with
little remorsc the rovers OF tho Baroary States
she early part OF this century paged the merchant
ships that entered into their
Depend upon II, my friends this s righteous
test on our part, anu blessing will upon H. |
have been long soldier IN this war and have never
grown weary Of It, may not see the day OF triumph
Lut many OF you Will The torch which have borne
for more than nifty years shall 10 aber, doubt
less, though more faithful hands, assured that IL
will yet shed Its rays on n glorious victory.
Mr.. Bryant was followed by responses to toasts to
sCommcrciai Freedom International Freedom I
and The science OF political Economy" severslly re-
Rponded to by Nr. Edward Atkinson, Mr.. Henry
Armot Brown, Professor W q. sumner and President
Anderson. according TO programme, aiter which tho
esSemDlage dispersed
OBITUARY.