The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-28
KLoouRNr AnpnEss
OF Hon. George BAuOrVft Before the Amer.
lean Historical AssooIntIon,

ELOQUENT Address
OF Hon. George BauCrpf. before the Amer.
lean Historical Association,
WAsHISaToN, April 27,-Ths American
Historical Association met in Its third an-
nuSl convention this morning at the Col
umbian Unlversity. Hon. George Ban
croft, President, delivered his last address,
having declined reelection, Mr.. Bancroft
spoke as follows;
Brothers Of The american Historical ASsOcia-
ton: w
welcome you TO this third anniversary
OF your existence, You, who in our uni
YeTsitiss instruct the cominggeneCation Ia
the history Of their race you, who break
from duties in church or In State to show
your love for your fellow men by yonr zeal
in the study Of their progress you, who
for moment throw aside the cares OF the
press, the toll Of authorship, or the do.
lights Of study In retirement, In the name
Of the Association, bid you all joy at
your renewed presence with one another,
The object ot our pursuit is one Of the
grandest that BOliCits the attention of
man. The movement Oi mighty States
over the scene OF eYer.suCCe ing action Is
like the march Of so many armies with
their various civilizations for their ban.
ners they themselves have faded away
their career, their enduring contributions
To the sum OF human knowledge, their
men Of transCendent genius, such as are
vouChsaled to the race at great intervals
oil centuries, all come within the range OF
our pursuits. Moreover, we are nearest
Of kin to the atudents OF moral philosophy.
The movements Of humanity arc gov.
erned by Law, 1t istrue that the sparrow,
when the time comes for It's fall to the
ground, obeys law that pervades the
Kosmos and 1t Ia equally true that every
hair In the head OF a human beingis mum.
bered, The growth and decay OF empire;
the morning lustre OF u dynasty and its
fall from the sky before noon.day; the
fret turning Of sod for the foundation Of
o city TO the footsteps OF traveller search.
ing for Its place, which time has hidden
all proceed as it Is ordered. The charaC.
ter Of science attaches to our pursuits.
LESSONS LEARNED.
The difficulty OF discerning the presence
Of law in the actions Of rational beings
grows out OF the infinite variety Of move.
ments OF the human will and OF the mo.
lives by which it may be swayed. In
the department OF history tho difficulty Of
judgment Is diminished, for history deals
with the pa0t, which Is beyond tho reach
OF change. Tho discerning statesman
may forecast the character OF coming
events, and form a plan Of action with .
reasonable confidence in It's wisdom; but
the critic, who does not bring with him
the spirit Of candid inquiry, cannot COM
prehend the institutions forming them
selves before his eyes. In all antiquity
no true democracy existed as Govern.
ment; yet our national organization &C.
Cepted elements from the political organ.
izationb OF the Greek; itCounts Christian
ity among It's sources; 1t proated by the
experience OF tho Roman Empire in estab-
lishing inter.citizenship and domestic free
trade. 1t was essentially imbued with
the spirit OF the reformation, which rose
up In Germany with Luther, and was de-
yeloped by Calvin in France and switzer-
land.
1t drew from England ideas OF per.
sonal liberty and elements suited 10 the
form OF government which II had to frame.
In its colonial period 1t derived from ila
own experience an opulenCe Of forms Of
representative government.
INHERITANCE or AMERICANS.
The American people has cause to be
grateful to preceding generations for their
large inheritances. Here Is no rule oi
"the many 1t is the government OF the
people, the government by all. Were In
diyfduals or a class to set themselves
apart here they would constitute only a
sect. A government that is less than the
government by the entire people is a
government OF which the legislation will
; BY It's very nature incline to the benefit oil
; classes. The Government OF our "new
nation" Is rightly described by one Of It's
greatest exponents as q Government oil
the people, by the people," The singular
combination Of the best elements OF the
past In our Institutions favored the increase
OF territory. Our fathers expressed their
vast aspirations in thearticles Of coniedera.
tion. We never extended our limits In
the direction which they pointed but II
was not long before we reached the Gull
Of Mexico. When foothold was offered
to the United States in the West India
islands, they, after reflection, refused 70
plant their foot on the richest Of them all
aud have never departed from the deCis.
ion not to enter tho tropics. The com.
pleteness Of the country was not eetab.
iished till a President Of the United States
eucceeded by one treaty with Great Brit.
ain and another with Mexico, To enter into
the peaceful possession Of the continent
for sixteen degrees on the Pacific. II was
this settlement which perfected the Union.
From that moment ita majesty and safety
rested on tho line Of east and west, and %
far as the human eye can sec we may In
consequence hold our Union In perpe-
tuity.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
In the first Congress slavery brought
danger to the Union; under the Pfesi'
denCy Of John Adams II took steps for an
early dissolutlonj 1t was quieted fot
awhile by Jefferson and bis immediate
successors, but from the moment that the
country had lie vast establishment on the
Pacific, the dissolution Of the Union be-
came impossible. The will Of the people
, was able 10 exact Its preservation but
what an inlnity Of power was necessary tc
carry out that will 10 express II, adopt
ihe words Of an English writer, master
OF his own noble language, thorough
! scholar, and honored as an historian 10
both hemispheres. "There are certain
ihinpg,n y he says, (which only democracy
> can execute, No monarchy OF privileged
: order would have dared 10 take measured
+, necessary 10 maintain the. AmefiUar
. Union. They would iniallibly have wreck
ed Themselves In the effort.
Papers were also read BY General Jane
! Grant, Of New York Prof. Z. n. Hofslord
: Of Cambridge Dr. A, u. Hart and Prol
I Moses Colt Tyler.