Year: 1867

Among the many eloquent addresses delivered
at the late China Nail banquet in San Francisco
we consider the following by the Rev n, Stone
as particularly suggestive and pertinent to the
occasion. In reply to the seventh regular toast A..
The influence of Commerce ON Literatpra and
the Arts: Through the aid of Letters yene-
nan galleys became yenitian galleries. DR..
Stone said


Mr. PREsIDENT-The old year has gone down
tonight upon the old past, and new year has
risen upon new future. [Appause.] If the
event winch occasions our evening festival were
only piece of money-making speculation. like
an expedition to some Island of the to dig
up Captain Kidd's treasure we might perhaps,
as many of US as hoped to touch the p fits, put
our hands together to look after our stock and to
calculate the chances Of our venture. But no
such scheme would draw together in fastive con-
graduation an assembly like this no such
thought would be worthy to occupy our minds
during these last hours of the dying year no
such venture, however it might succeed, would
nave power to inaugurate with the dawn of the
incoming year brighter future for America and
humanity.


The real character of the event which makes
our jubilee tonight has been well set forth in
the just and eloquent remarks to which we have
already listened. And the sentiment offered
and receiving its response by acclamation cele-
brates this event having grand connections
with the growth of literature and the progress
of the arts


Commerce is explorer. Its written explora-
tions are literature. 1t is student of geogra-
ply. The records of such study and research
are literature. 1t questions the pro lucts of
divers climes and the order of elemental law
1t compares man with man in his native original
his social state, his governments his religions
and his systems of education and these ques-
tions and their answers make a copous and lv-
ing literature. 1t bears abroad and brings home
the type Of comparative civilization, in their
chef expresslons-the coarser and ruder and
the more consummate and refned-and thus
stimulate inventions, and bears back and forth
the keys to the laboratories of all the arts.


Tell us how our Oriental neighbors live how
they build, how they clothe themselves how
they fashion the tools of all craftmanship how
they decorate the walls of public and private
wealth and shall find that we have some
thing to learn, and American art will start forth
on new achievements Tell them the same
story of society here-and this story. commerce.
by its interchanges, is always repeating-and
they find that they can learn of us and the riches
of the two civilizations in all that relates both
to thought and art will be ONE the heritage of
both-a literature and art for one-third of the
human race


Give us the new breadth and expension for our
American enterprise and our Ame can civiiza-
ton, and the intellect of this land in all that it
knows and dreams and produces will have
such new heritage of wealth and power as has
never fallen before by any single beques to the
lot OF any people. Shut up nation to itself Is
by some old Tartar wall that keeps out every
alien footstep and keeps itself at home in perpet-
ual isolation, and the mind is sthed and dwarfed,
and all its progeny declines. Why, sir, the very
Emperor that built that famous old wall ordered
the destruction of the whole body of Chinese
literature, that Chinese his .ry might begin with
his own dynasty. Throw down all walls of ex-
clusion betwee.. nation and nation, and the re-
Joicing intellect following the PROV of worldwide
commerce, will range ali nds and peoples ana
build its hives of honeyed sweets fl ON the flow
ering of every cline.


And over this bridal hour of the Orient and /
the Occident, thus made one by the golden chain
of Commerce, we may we'll breathe, in the name
of Literature and Art, and the whole of a Chris
tian civilization, this ancient nuptial blessing
"What God had joined together, let no man put
asunder."