Press enter after choosing selection

New England Society

New England Society image
Parent Issue
Day
10
Month
January
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Last week wn gave tho toasts aiirl s iveral of tho speeches made at the reeent I Bupper cf tho New England Society of' tliis city, and this week wo give the romaining ones. "America and Japan - The Occident welcoracs the Oriënt to lier Halls of Learning." Kespondcd to by Mr. M. S. ïoyania. Mr. President : It is a great ploasuro to me, as the representativo of tüat nation whioh is iinmeitsurably indebted to the people of the United States for the introduction of that nation irito the society of the civilized nations and blessing hrr with tho sunshino cf the wondorful ciyilization of the 19th century, to celebrato with ym to-night tlio doy whose memory will fee forever dear to tlie b.eart of every truo American, for it is my be lief that true fricnd3 ought to sympathize with each other. Now, Mr. l'resident, Mii I wat invited to speak bef of 8 y ou to-night, I thouglit I coulil do no botter than to expresa my feelings asa Japanese townrds Americana, and to gWo you some idea how the raany and invaluable services rendered by the Ainericans aro appreciated by cnr people. If I acknowledgo oiir ob;ig:mons and expresa our gratitudo towards tho Americana, I feel not only th:il I rtin doing justioe to you, the living Aniericaiis, but I feei as f I urn paying rtuc hormige to the spiiits of the Pilgrim Prtthera in hearen ; for who can teil thst it' you vrere not the deeeendants of such ülustrioufi ancestors the United btates might not be th great nation she nowis, nor if it woro not for thia great United States Jipín might be still shut up withíti hsrselt, and the blessings of the true cirilization might beyet utterly unknown to her. Mr. President, onca thore was a well, end in it there lired a risb. It was very aiTal!, but it was old - Tery oíd. As it lived in .1 well it thought the water in which it lived wns the only water in the universo, and as it did not know any other fishes than some small one3 in the same well, it thought it was the best and largest fish in existenoe But by and by thero happenod an inundation and the well was deluged with water from the ocoan, so that this fish, togeter with other fishea was carried into tho ocean. Now it had a hard time, for the real state of things bacamo manifest. The fishes in the ocean were all fat and stont, for they lived in invigoratirg and henlthy water, and their motions were f ree by reason of its extent. On the othor hand the fish whieh had lived in the well was pitifnlly thin and weak, for the water in which it had existcd was stagnant on aoconut of its age ; nd boaides the raotion of eourse, had not been free in the well However, at first thin fiah did not realize its own diminutiveness as compared vith the magnitude of tho ilshes in the ooean, nnd it was only by degrees that it becrmip it last fully aware ei' tho truc 9tate o: things. But now that it roalizcd its own pitiful condition a great dosiro to grow largor and stouter carne npon it. Bui the fact was that this fish coüld not grow unloss it should be nourished by some lftrge fish of the ocean. Fortrnately a fish like whale in hizo and power wna ai hand from tho Tory beghming oï that inundation willing to nosirish it, and under the kind nd ealutary care of that generous and magnaniraous flsh its condition bas been gradually nnd constantly improving. Mr. Prosidpnt, such is tho pic tnre of the relations hetween the Unitec States and Japan. Kvcr since tho opening of the country to foreign nationa, the ïiourishinent that Jnpan ha3 receivec from the ontside world hos been almos exclusiTely American. No other country has been as ready as the United States to help Jnpan. Thus whea we requiree men of science, or statesmen, these have always been supplied from thia country You hará oponed to our countrymen evcrj' institntlOB of oducation. Thus, a1 the present momení, the sona ot Japan are receiring a liberal and enlightenec eduoation in yarious branches in the different States, a bleasing which we cannot haTe at home Into whatever institution our eountrymen have been adiuitted, there they have been always welcomf2d, and the instructora have treatoc thcra with the true Chriatian loTe anc kindness, ao that when these young men go back to their country you can imagine how great will be their respect, adrairation andlove for the Americana. - Thus the future relation between this country and . Japan has a yory brigh prospect, and our joy is boundless. When we sent embassiesto this countrj you always reccived them with warm anc cordial welconie. Other nations inay say that their governments receired our peo pie, but what other nation can say tha' its people gare them sueh a cordial wolcome? When I read the apeechea delivered by tbe eminent citizens of this country, such as Ralph W. Finerson, Gov Washburne, üliver W. Holmes, and Geo 8. Boutwell at the grand banquet given to our embassy by the gentlemen of the Board of Trade in Boston, I was exceed ingly glad, for the spirit which pervadec their speeches was warm and sincere. I: in the course of their speeches I find enunciated complimentary remarks upon our people, I do not resent them as mere flatteries. But I take them as the cheers from our kind and well-meaning friends who think that Japan in its present struggle to improve its conditiüii needs u greal deal of encouragement. Thuseven those remarks which if made by other people ] would regard as fluttorics, I take from tho America as the mark of their goodwill. This is because I regard the Aruericans as our true friends. Mr. President, these kind and gensrous deedR of the American people make us cheerfully and hopefully toil to improve our serni civilized condition, and to become one of the civilized nations. As yet we havo done but one thing of which we can boast, and this ia that Japan, which was formcrly proud and conceited without any ground, now knows its real worth and acknowledges its pitiful ignorance - for to know une's own ignorance is tho only sure road to knowledge. All these circumstaiices make us hope thut America, which has held out her right haud to Japan, will not withdrawit without a just reason, and may God grant us that Japan will not givo such a reason to America. The reporter for ft Detroit paper said - and with much truth : "Mr. Toyama, at tho conclusión of his remarks, was warmly applauded. His delivcry was good, and his appearance personally very fine, giving one the impression of a quiet, scholarly gentleman, as be is in overy respect." "Rhodc Island - A happy illnstration of the maxini that choice articles are to be found in small packages." Responded to by M. Cyrus A. Lewis. Mr. Pkesident : - I confess sir, that it requires no little control of mind tomaintain a freedom from enthusinsm while opening and examing these small packages - aualyzing thoir oontents - contemplating their scope, and tho broad field of inquiry and cffort which they suggest - and I fear that many would be disappointed here to-night wero it expected that I should enumérate the host of choicoarticlefl, physical, intelloctual, moral and scien tifie which these littlo ïthode Island packages havo given to the world. Time would not admit had Itheabilty so to do. ïherefore, like Artemus AVp.rd, I proposo to make excuses. States like individuals dift'er in sizo and also in disposition, and I think as a rule that the smaller they are the biggcr they feel. Now we admit that Ehode Island whuther nieasured lengthwise or crosswise, endwise or edgewiso, makea a rather small showing beside her sister States of New Engand, her en tire aroacomprisingbut about ,300 squaro miles. But sir, Hhodo Island recognizes this act that with a fair measuromont wp and down thoro is not a taller Stato on the face of tho globe - no sir ! ■vnd whilo she permita tho broadest toloration in all matters within her own borlers, yot she don't tolérate any nonsenso 'rom her neighbors across tho lino - not ny -and the man from Counecticul who remurked (upon sooing Market Square bridge in Providenca for the first time) that tho architccts who laid it had m idu the hugo raistake of oarryinz une end round 90 degrees too far noith, 'just because it happens to be 2 or3 times í, i lev than it is long), only displayed his ig-norance of one of Hhode Islands insti tutions. He left the noxt day for hia homo in tho nutracg Stato - not bcfore perpetrating, however, an outrageoua libel upoo our little Stato of sraall packagea and choice artiolcs. Why sir, ho said he rose half an hour beforc breakfast, and to cultivate an appetite for that meal walkod twice round the State, thenclimbed over the fonce into Connectiout for the purpose, ho said, of getting a botter perspectiva of tho outside boundaries of the State. I believe that man was afflicted with too muoh of Connccticut's extracto' rye. Perhaps tho peo Khode Igland are somevvhat sensitivo and peculiar - in fact it is a peculiar State - and when we consider tliat one-tonth of lts area is water, and of tho residue a very considerable portion is made up of islands, the question may naturally ariso, where do the people frad land enough between the icater and rocía to raise what tliey need V "Why gir, we plant and oultivate tho beds of our rivers, bays and mng Htreams, and we raise therefrom immense cropa of oysters, clams and somo six other varieteis of choico fish, whioh our let fawred neighbora acrosa tho lino aro only to willing too buy of us, in tmall ■packagu at good paying profits. Thus you see, we Lave got a domestio "fishery qucstion" down there which is quito beyond tho reach of "general aibitrations" or of any poasible political fluctuations ; indeed we inay aay, that nothins; short of an earthqunke can ever vpset our "kettlo of fish " Somo have found fault with Rhodo Islund many yeara ago for neglecting the cnuse of public edncation. Lot Buch recollect that she nevet had any resourcea for auch an object - no public domain. The State nerer owned an acre beyond ita present boundaries, every dollar needed for what ever purpose iaraised down there by direct tax. But 1 waa brought up "in the faith" that her educatioual facilities were always abundantly ampie, and whfin a boy at school I yraa puzzling my braina over the obstruae oolumns oí simple addition. It seemed to me then that a boy who could keep up with his classes and gradúate from Lyon & Frieze's school in Providence had rcachsd tho very ultima thiiU, and if after all thia that boy ancceeded in getting through Brown üniversity, he had then advanced au frsr as he could possibly go - by lajid. It ia true that many years ago Rhode laland was engnged in putting up sundry and divers small packagea in the form oí cotton and woolen fuctories, churchea, school honses, machine shops, rolling milis and the like, and in the long interval these pachages haTe grown to exceeding large proportions, and their contenta and resulta may be counted to day by untold milliona. Finally, Mr. President, Rhodo Island is a plucl-y little State. She gare more men and better öenerals to the Kevolutionary war in proportion to hor area than any other State. She abolished her oath of allegiance to the king, thua declaring hprself independent, months before the Continental Congre3S drew up the greiit Declaration. She waa among the first to aign tho articlea of Confederaron, snd I belisva the very last to resign them and adopt the Constitntion. In fact sir, it ia truly aaid of her that "though flrat at the fifjht she was last to the feast." "Ou f Üniversity - lts Faculty and its friends." m Responded to by Prof. Winchell. "Education 13 a topic never to be left out where meu arn assombletl to pay respect to the memi-rv of our Xcw Eog)and forefathers. Prompt to make proyision for primary education and to see that every cliild roceived it3 benefits, they were equally prompt m laying the foundations of schoola of higher learning. Han-ard College founded in WW, by a public bequest of 400 pounds, and Yale in 1700, by the contributions of leu ciergymen wno Drougut each lus armlul ot books to consécrate to the cause, are enduring teatimony to our f orefathers' high estímate oL the service which schools anl colleges may ronder the church and society. Tliere were among the early New England immigrante, many graduates of Oxford and Cambridge in the mother country; and these universities were naturally adopted as models. The curriculum was the traditional sound of Latin, Greek, Mathematica, and Logic, and the method of instruction was by recitation and drill. In the courae of time, New England emigration, in its march westward, made its first halt in New York, and its second in Michigan. One-üfth of the inhabitants of Michigan were bom in New York - sons of New York and grandsons of New England. With their inherite'd appreeiation of learning-, the Eons and grandsons of New EngUffid laid, in Michigan, in the very formation stages of its existence as a State, the foundations of a University, which, while it should reproduce and pei-petuate the excellenties of the New England and the English Universities, should also assimilate the peculiar excellencies of the Gorman. With the method of drill was incorporated the method of lectures. The University was interwoven with the primary schools and academies into a hannonious system. The curriculum was liberalized by the admission of modern sciences and literatures, and improvement and expansión have been continued, till five several coursea of study are now offered for the choice of the student. The Medical and Law Departinents have vied with the Academical, in responding to the deinands of modern civilization and science. The University has not been slow or reluctant to take these steps forward. Almost simultanuously with the founding of the Scieutific schools at Harvard and Yale, she made provisión for the ampler education. When she had begun, she even outsiripped these older institutiona. This progress has been effected through the continued and well-directed efforts of the l'aculties. Tappan, Haven, Boise, Frieze, and Wood - among names not represented here to-night - are to be conspicuously mentioned in coniiection with bui Uuiversity liistory. -Further progress, as the times demands, is to be effected by other friends of the University. The demands of the times and the plans of the i'aculty exceed the resources of the institution. We imist make "friends of the mammon of imrighteousness." We have hope for the future. Though in looking around, our friends have sometimes seemed to be "few in number thóugh brave m heart," we have reason to hope they will increase in numbers. We have sometimes ieared that our people, from the habit of spurning distinctions founded upon accidents of birth or fortune, would be led to ignore merit earned by virüie, industry, intelligeuce and public services, and by losing tlieir estimate of the value of eduCftted men, neglect to próvido adequately for tlieir production. In this, however, we can do uo better than stick to the example of the forefathers, by iostering; learaintr and matin" it ueíultó the State. Uur maases must be educated to a respect for learning in all its grades. May they never lose sight of the truth which our forefathers saw so clearly, that the welfare of society is intimately coivnected with the promotion both of higher and of elementary eduoation. We must also insist on men of broad and cultured intelligente to represent ua in the legislature. Can we secure these ends, the future of the University is inore than hopeful - it is sublime. I can oonceive of no gr&nder spectacle - no happier realization of the ídkal which inspires every Truly educated man - than a great State pledging its magnrfleent resources, with one consent, to the enlargement and perfection of a great Uni-an arena ita the discipline of the superior nature of man - a chosen agenoy for worKing out the highcst ends of civilb.ation and of huiiiauily. "Our Municipal Authorities - Riglit or wrong, they take the responsibility." Eosponded to by Dr. Douglass. I ani greatly obliged to you, Mr. President, for the construction you have given to the sentiment to which I am called upon to respond. I approve of and most cheerfully respond to the first and last parts of this sentiment - that is tho "right" and tho "responsibility." I loatho and abhor a weak-kneed and cowardly man. When our city fathers set on their mission to reform tho city thny were advised by many good friends thatit would prove a rnost lamentable failuro, and I assuro ycu that it required no small amount of nerve to face the storm. They easoned that whatever was right should je law, and they w.oro willing to tako tho responsibility and accept it as law. - Thanks to our Circuit Court and our most Honorable Supreme Court, the irido of our State, thü right bas been Inclared to be the law. And what bas jeen the result? But littlo over oneyear ago we had nearly ono hundred saloons, most of thein sink holes of dissijiation and corruption, open on Sunday.and generally from sunset to eunrise. They doied restraint añd law, and the powers of State and County dare not or would not encounter theirj. It remained for tho city o enter tho arena in their own way - and what has been tho result ■? Thonum)er has been reduced from 87 to less than 40. A watchful pólice forcé closes them on Sunday and at 11 o'clock at night.and t.OOOhaa been plao d at thecoutrol of tbc city from liceusss, aud wc havo an orderly city. The Mayor alludcd to the water project as a moasure which the Council had dovoted muoh laboi upon and had finally ited to tho people; but, unfortunately tho Hurón rivor did not flow whisky, and it had npparcntly for thisroaeon been rejected. A largo amount of stntistioal material and facts had been nccumulated by the untiring labor of tho Water Committee, and lic hoped that the timo would como when water would bo prized more highly than whisky and these facts becomo valuable. He finally appcalcd to those present as emigrants from tho "land of steady habits" to be watchful of the future. Tho saloon influence is an influence that is 1ways on the alert, and in an unguarded hour all the good that has been done will bo lost, and this accursed tratïio will gain. tho ascendency in our city politics. " The Press- Potent for good when rightly employee!; but pregnant with mischief when directed to personal or sclfish ends." Ecaponded to by Mr. E. C. Seam&n. lie said, he supposed ho had been selected to respond to thig toast becauso ho was for sorao years connected witb. the press ; that he ws proud to belong to so noble a profession, composed of comparatively few persons, the iist of whoni were headed by snch honored ñames ag Dr. Benjamin Éranklin, noruca (irooley, and President Angelí. He said the art of printing with moTable types was invented and so iinproved as to be randered availablc and useful for printing books, newspapers, and othcr pcriodicals, between the years 1430 and 1430; that the rr.formation was commenced by Martin Luther in 1517, and Luther's Germán translation of the Biblo was printed in 1533 ; that the biblo wag printed in the English, French, Dutch, and soms other languages of uorthem Europe, and largo nuinbers of the people, furnished with copies of it ; in coiisaquenco of the great labor and cost of niaking copies of the bible with the pen, it was confined almost exclusively to the priesthood and to the monks in nionagteries, and that it waa impossiblo for many of the people to have it ; that by printing tho biblo in several languagei, and furiiiahing great numbers of the people with it at a moderate expense, and by piinting and laying before them also the viiiws of the reformers contained in serïnons, tracts, and the reiiolutions and acts of religions meetings and asseiablies, Bueh a feeling was aroused among the people and also among mauy of tho nobles, that the reformers were nobly su?tained and ihe refornaation was inado practicable and successful ; that without the aid of tho press, the succass of the reformation would hTe been iinpossible, the reformers would hsva been orushed, the reformation put down and crushd out, and the whole of America as well i as Europe would haT beon at this doy, under the dominion of the Pope, and tha tyranny of ecclesiastical premier - with no Christain liberty - no education of the people, no republican or public spirit, no puritana in power anywhere, no pilgrim fathers landing on Plymouth Bock, and we should not bo here to-night celebrating the aniversary of their landing. He said theie were academies and seminaries of learning for the education of princss and the wealthy classes, in Egypt,' Greeja and Rome, centuries bef oro the Christian era, and numerous collogos, academies and universities in Europo during the iniddlö ages, bút no schools for the education of the coinmon people, until they were gradually introduced and established in Scotland, through the influence of reformers and the Presbyterian church in the years 1561 and 1C38; that the puritans, borrowing the idea from Scotland, made provisión by law for the establishment of common schools for tho education of the whole people in the colony of Massachusetts, in 1647 and in the colony of Connecticut in 1048, HarvardUniversity having been previously estabtished in 1638. That previous to tho invention of tho art of printing and tho use of printed books, it was imposible to furnish tha childTen of the common peoplo with books ; all teaching was necessarily oral children could learn nothing without tho constant aid of a teaoher, and the education of tho masses of the peopie was impracticable. Sucn felf-educated men aa Dr. Franklin, Horace Greeley, and men oí that class, got a very little education at schools - learned to read - and by the diligent sudy of booká for a series of yer, educated themselres, and in some department3 of knowledge. became men of learning, which was an impossibility before the age of printed books and libraries. Ho referred to the great importance of the newspaper press, but did not dweil upon the subject. He said that free gOTerninent and Tepublican institutions cannot be maintained without the press nd ' the products of the press - -popular education and religiou3 liberty. He said schools and colleges and universities were of very little valuo without printed books and libraries, and spoke of the importance of multiplying books and libraries in cities, TÜlages, towns and school districtg, by library associationi, as well as by school districts.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus