, 1879-01-03
AMERICAN LIFE.
Dean Stanley'a Views Of Some
Aspects OF It.
In Address Delivered Before the Birning-
ham and Midland Institute.

Lessons from Americas lllstary-'Peur Great
Epoets...rr.sent Condition and Pusurs
Prospects.
Dean stanley delivered hIs inaugural address
a. President OF the Birmingham and Midland
Institute ut Birmingham, on Dec 10. This ad-
,7ress, upon the hlstoticai aspects Of American
l{e, expressing thoughts suggested 10 Dean
stanley by tts recent visit to this country, Is
given below.
TN tlts occasion hare thought that, instead
of eparg,pg on the commonplace topics Of edu-
lion or literature, which would be equally adj
xnntaecous at auy time or in any place. II might
be uscful to say fcw words, suggested BY
recent Journey ~ tho United States, which will
not bo unsuitable 10 the general Qucs-
,lon, involved In Institutions like this.
IL Ia not my purpose to give to
you what are called "lmprcsslons OF
Amer,sa," Even X the circumstances Of my
Journey did not render such an undertaking 'n-
noss.blc, should havo felt that, before an audi
ence ut Birmingham. the ground had already
beer, preoccupied by distinguished pastor, we'll
ruoyp to all of Yoil, whose activity anil zeal
must be admired even by those who most vide
II differ from him, and whose controversial
yteor Of style few Gnu imttato Or emulate. I
propose 10 conflpe myself to Tint side Of Amer
icau life which perhaps rms OF more interest to
me than to most travellers: its purely historical
aspect, that aspect presented by the original
Eastern StRtes to which my Journey Was con-
lined, 1t Is q part Of history which, for what
ever reason, Engllshmon ara strangely iRnor-
aut-at least 1 spcak for mysetf-untt1 their
Imagination hns been touched BY tho actual
sight OF that vuat continent, with its Inspiring
suggestions and rccollect!ons.
Tbcra nre two remarks which an Englshman
constantly hears from tho tips Of Americans,
uttered With Kind OF ptaintive apology: eve
are a young people," and "Wo have TO autiqut-
slcs." The truth Of the first Of these remarks
every one must admit; tue truth OF tho second
venture to question. There "a a saying OF
l.urd Bacon, part Of which has been made
familiar from it, having become the tlllo Of an
interesting work by m eloquent and multtfa-
RIOTS writer Of our own time. "Anti9nitas tatc'al
.jn,vntus aumd'," "Tho age Of the world Is also
It's youth" Bnt there fs the reverse OF this
taYine, which is equally true: "Tho youth OF 4
nation IA also its antiquity" ltWus a iundn'
mental maxim Of the historical philosophy
Of the great teacher oncc we'll known 10
rho nelehhorhood OF Birmingham, and
trust not Jet forgotten, Thomas Arnold, ot
Rugby, that every nation has It's ancient and
modern history, irrcspect!ve'y OF tina chrome
logical place which such nation may hold ID
the general succession OF events. Ths.fs str!k'
iuely illustrated In tho case Of America. Its
youth brnga 1t within tho catogory Of II period
Of history which may truly be called ancient,
hecal,ac 1t still. brcaths something Of tho fresh.
ness Of ia Grst beginnings. because Il still ex-
hibits society not In the shape Of. absolute
achievement, but of era dual formation. NJ
doubt tho scientific mud material appliances Of
the nineteenth century,, In aomo respects cat
ried to further extent In the New World than
iu certain sense, Of perfection, which Ii alto
gether allen to tho first origin of d proplcs bu!
when VIC penetrate, below. this VIC shall tint
suat there a!e xbunonnt traces OF tht!
tive azbtct OF American history. .dIhe ,,youtl
u America corresponds to tho tho antiquity .
Europe. It Is this pecullaririty 81 Arlcrica1
history In It's past Its present. aud i's tutuFf
best apology, always IT, powerful incentive. !
Is characteristic which. In )arGo measure,
shares with I'uss!a. but vhiel, ~ America !
brought to q nearer focus from the sAertlieAa
tue career 1t has hitherto run, 80.
TUB ERA or THH F0rNnEHs.s
The history Of the United States may b. Rai
10 class ttsclf into four different op,eis, whlc
emerge from tho lcTcl to which tso lnrrer pa,
whnt no may tAll tho Era Of the Founders.
is rarely that ws arc able 50 nearly to place o,,
uelycs within tho reach Of Tho ilFst fuhabitant
aud tho -. tlrat ehlcltains Of s,t naxeri.
perhaps, the aceo.inis. historical or legcntlar'
of thu foundation of tho 0rccta
htateR, whether In the tnOtllcr country or Its d.
pendencies. But the ilrcek founders arc, Il
tha 1nost part, more Or lcss involved In ciol
ol fable, whilst tlloss Of tho American Cot1
1nouwrhlth stand out III all tho disttnctncst
liying and nctual personalities. i was All c.
lraordluasy sensation which, cxpertonce
when, two days after landing in America,
found ysclf asslsting ut tho celebration Of Il
no5auil anniversary Of tho town vi Salem 10 Ma
sacllusetts. Around mo Wcro guests and speo
~rs who derived tncir lineage and ramo fro
those who nad first act foot on what was ttc.
.lcsoate wtlderness. On one stde was .. d
ttnguished Judge; tho representative Of Ent
co,t, tho sirst tloycrnor; on the other sias Z
thrup, II not tho tir.t .staal tho i1rst und ID
itself was we'll represented by I
honorca citizen ,s Iho r,a,,oe,. u direct suct,
right nAnd aud the left ,werss, tho sa'tonstal
lie bowtlitche., aud the Hlgginsona.-n
obscure hcrc but household Words therr. Thl
presenter. arc not snsdoxy tna
shining through them, but stout and stalws
yeomeu, or merchants, o. clergy, llks ourscl7s
each home Ii, thc place claimed soMa conncctt
with pnt or Oltlef OF tjlcxe anGtetF2I pAbslu1Cl
theIr portraits, the!r letters, tho trcca thar h
planted, tho churches they had built, wero u
table iar back iu thu opcning Of English or F
ropean history, with the gsandso,ss or .gse
s1an.isons Of tlengist aud llorsa. or Clovis a
P~pIr. 1t was that sense Of near proximity
the beginning Of the STATE which, IL 50 mary
ous!y reproduced by eir Walter Bcott's novel
"lvanhoe," wllere, With pcrhaps q too u.
loreshurtennR OF hk picture, he tnakcs " I
that Cedric aud Athetttan, Front dc lhruf. .
the Tpmp!ars, aslll brrathed tis spirit Of
saxon monarrhy and OF the Norman CouQut
I4ook for moment A. s0mu vi the aeEar
Rro,,ps Into which the fuundcra Of tbs Am
ican 6tatea arrange themselves. III tho brill!
pages OF tlla venerable Historian of the tnl
States, George BANCROFT, you see them one
ooc, froul Florida to Quebec, emerging, q
tr.m the ocean, under the EutaencU OF II
common partnnca called the Mother Statu