USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Proceedings at the dedication of the building for the Public library of the city of Boston. January 1, 1858 > Part 3
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But there is another reflection, Mr. Mayor, which more than reconciles me to any amount of expendi- ture which may have been honestly incurred in the execution of our trust. The building which we are here to dedicate is eminently and peculiarly a build- ing for the people ;- not only constructed at the cost, but designed and arranged for the use, accom- modation® and enjoyment, of the whole people of Bos- ton. Almost all the other public edifices which may be found within the limits of our city, though they
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may be devoted to purposes in which the many are more or less deeply and directly interested, are yet specially and necessarily assigned to the occupation and enjoyment of a few. Our convenient and com- fortable City Hall is for those, who, like yourselves, gentlemen, may be intrusted, from time to time, with the management of our municipal affairs. Our mas- sive Court House is for the still smaller number, who are set apart for the administration of civil or of criminal justice. Our excellent school houses are for the exclusive occupation of our children. But the edifice within whose walls we are assembled is em- phatically for the use and the enjoyment of all the inhabitants of Boston. Even the old Cradle of Liberty itself is far less frequently and uniformly devoted to the uses of the whole people, than this new Cradle of Literature and Learning will be. A political canvass, or a patriotic celebration, or an anniversary festival, may fill that hall ten times, or it may be twenty or thirty times, in a year ;- but even then, the free discussion which justly belongs to all such occasions involves an element of division and strife, of party, of sect, or of section. But this hall will always be open, and always be occupied, and the free reading which is to find a place in it, involves neither con- tention nor controversy. Those who entertain the ' most discordant opinions may here sit, shoulder to shoulder, enjoying their favorite authors as quietly
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and as harmoniously as those authors themselves will repose, side by side, when restored to a common shelf.
One of the very conditions prescribed by our prin- cipal benefactor, - that large-hearted and open-handed native of Massachusetts, JOSHUA BATES, whose bust is at this moment looking down upon us with the kind and genial expression so characteristic of its honored original, - one of the primary conditions of his magnificent endowment was that this library should be "free to all, with no other restrictions than are necessary for the preservation of the books." Here, then, Mr. Mayor, there is to be no invidious discrim- ination of station or condition, of occupation or pro- fession, of age or of sex. No passport of personal pretension or popular election will be required for entering these doors. It is to be a library for the whole people, and the building which contains it is thus, above all others, the people's building.
And which one of us, in this view, fellow-citizens, could find it in his heart to cavil at the cost, or to complain that more of economy and parsimony had not been observed in its construction ? Which one of us is disposed to maintain that the people of Boston, in this day and generation, ought to have been con- tent with a cheaper and more ordinary edifice for a purpose common to them all, and preeminently dear to all their hearts? Which one of us is ready to assume the ground, that the building is too good for
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its objects, or too good for its rightful occupants and owners ? I rather begin to fear that it may not be considered good enough.
When a celebrated ruler and orator of Greece was arraigned for the costliness of some one of the many magnificent structures which are associated with his administration, and whose very ruins are now the admiration of the world, he is said to have replied, that he would willingly bear all the odium and all the onus of the outlay, if the edifice in question might henceforth bear his own name, instead of being in- scribed with that of the people of Athens. But the people of ancient Athens indignantly rejected the idea, and refused to relinquish, even to the illustrious and princely Pericles, the glory of such a work.
Nor will the people of Boston, I am persuaded, be less unwilling to disown or abandon the credit which is legitimately theirs, for the noble hall in which we are assembled ; - and while the munificence of bene- factors, abroad and at home, and the diligence and devotion of Trustees or of Commissioners, may be remembered with gratitude by us all, the City her- self -" our illustrious parent," as she was well entitled by our venerable benefactor, Mr. JONATHAN PHILLIPS - will never fail to claim the distinction as exclusively her own, that, with no niggardly or reluctant hand, but promptly, liberally, and even profusely, if you will, she supplied the entire means for its erection.
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For myself, certainly, Mr. Mayor, I have no excuses or apologies to offer here to-day ;- nor shall I ever be found shrinking from my just share of the responsi- bility for the expense which has been incurred here. Conscious of having omitted no effort in our power to secure all reasonable economy, if censure should ever fall upon the Commissioners from any quarter, -. · which I have not the slightest reason to apprehend, - we shall arm ourselves, I imagine, with the panoply of that philosophy, which fell almost unconsciously, at one of our meetings, from the lips of our valued associate, Alderman Bonney, - when he said, in language not unworthy of being included in the next edition of " The World's Laconics," -"I am not afraid of the blame I may get, but only of that which I may deserve."
It would hardly be becoming in me, fellow-citizens, to indulge on this occasion in any phrases of compli- ment, or even of acknowledgment, towards those who have been connected with me in the interesting com- mission which is now about to terminate. It is well known to the City Council that Mr. Samuel G. Ward and Dr. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, together with myself, have been members of the Board from its original organization, on the twentieth of December, 1854. Mr. Joseph A. Pond has, also, been with us, on the part of the Common Council, since the thirteenth of April, 1855. Alderman Bonney has been a member
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of the Board for two years; the Hon. Edward Everett for a year and a half; and Mr. William Parkman, of the Common Council, for nearly a year.
We are all here to-day, fellow-citizens, in your presence, to render an account of our stewardship, jointly and severally; and it is fitter, in every view, that others should pass judgment upon us and upon our acts, than that we should presume to bear wit- ness to the fidelity of each other. I may not forget, however, that, during the progress of our work, we have enjoyed the valuable and efficient aid of others ; and I should be unjust to allow the occasion to pass away, without at least mentioning the names of Mr. George Odiorne and Mr. George W. Warren, who were associated with the commission during the first three months of its existence ; - of Mr. Charles Wood- berry, Mr. Edward F. Porter, and Mr. Joseph Buckley, who represented the two branches of the City Council at the Board for nearly a year; - and of Mr. George Ticknor, who was one of the representatives of the Trustees of the library for a full year and a half, - during the most laborious and responsible portion of our proceedings.
But I need not detain you longer, Mr. Mayor, with any detailed recital of names, or of dates, or of doings. The ordinance of the city under which we have acted, expressly provided that "the Commis- sioners should meet at stated periods, and cause a
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record of their proceedings to be kept; and that for this purpose the Librarian of the Public Library should act as their clerk." Those stated meetings have been held, and those records have been kept. And here, sir, in the ponderous volume before us, which is presently to be deposited in the archives of the city, are the recorded proceedings of no less . than one hundred and forty-five meetings - seventy- three of them stated meetings, and seventy-two of them adjourned or special meetings ; - and every motion, vote, report, - every proposal, specification, contract and payment, - will here be found fully and carefully inscribed. It would be strange, indeed, sir, if some occasional evidence of temporary disa- greement, or even of important and permanent differ- ence of opinion, should not appear on these pages ;- but, taken as a whole, they will exhibit not only a punctuality of attendance and a willingness for work, but a harmony of counsel, a unanimity of decision, and a unity of action, which cannot be remembered by any of us at this hour without the highest satis- faction.
These records, let me add, Mr. Mayor and gentle- men of the City Council, are all in the fair, round, legible hand of our faithful and industrious clerk, Mr. Edward Capen, whose labors in this behalf have, as you know, been superadded to those which he has been called upon to perform in his capacity of Libra-
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rian to this institution. As these services were ex- pressly assigned to him by the City Government, the Commissioners have not felt at liberty to make him any allowance out of the funds which have been . appropriated to the building. But I should be unjust to the sense which we all entertain of his untiring industry and unfailing accuracy, if I did not cordially commend him to the grateful consideration and liberal remuneration of those by whom he was employed.
Nor can I omit to bear testimony to the obliging and assiduous manner in which the architect has con- stantly attended to the wishes and directions of the Board, and to the unwearied zeal with which he has fulfilled the important trust which was committed to him. His work is before you, gentlemen of the City Council and fellow-citizens, and that work will speak for itself, and speak for him, far more im- pressively, and far more impartially, than any one of those could speak, who have been associated with him in all his cares, and who have necessarily been involved in so many of his responsibilities.
And so I may say, too, of the numerous con- tractors, master mechanics and laborers, who have been employed in constructing and finishing the vari- ous parts of the building. Their work must speak for them ;- and if it fails to speak satisfactorily, now or hereafter, no flattering words of ours could cover up their delinquencies, or screen them from merited
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reproach. But we have no fear of such a result. It will not have been forgotten by those who have been employed here, from time to time, that they have been working, in more than one sense, for them- selves, as well as for the Commissioners and the city ; -that not the humblest laborer among them is to be excluded from his equal share of the repast which is here to be enjoyed ;- and that their own children, and their children's children, will be quite as likely to be found hereafter among the most frequent and intelligent partakers of that repast, as those of any of their more immediate employers. Considerations like these are enough to have insured a zealous cooperation on the part of all, certainly, to whom they may have occurred; and we trust and believe, that this building will bear witness, in all time to come, to the proverbial intelligence, fidelity and skill of Boston mechanics.
It would have been most welcome to us, Mr. Mayor, to be able to say, that so extensive and protracted a work had been brought to a close, without the occurrence of a single casualty to cast a shade over the joyousness of this occasion. Within a few weeks past, however, a worthy painter, Mr. Thomas Rowin, fell from a scaffold on one of the towers in the rear, at a height too great to allow the slightest hope of · his surviving the fall. It was decided by those to whom we appealed for advice, that no provision could
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be legally made for the relief of his family, either by this Board or by the City Council. But prompt and generous contributions from his sympathizing fellow- workmen, from members of the City Government in their individual capacity, from members of this Board, and from other friends of the library, have already done something- and it is hoped that still more may be done, if more be needed-to relieve the sorrows and wants of a widow and children, who were so strongly commended, by the circumstances of their bereavement, to the sympathies of the people of Boston.
Mr. Mayor and fellow-citizens : my relations to this occasion, as I have already intimated, are simply those of a Building Commissioner, - one of the humble Ædiles whom you have intrusted with the erection of an edifice, of which others are henceforth to have the responsible care and custody. My legitimate theme has been of designs and contracts, of iron and stone, of brick and mortar, - of those who have wielded the plane or the trowel, of those who have carried the hod, or rigged the derrick, or reared these stately columns, or moulded these beautiful capitals and cornices, or given the last hand to ceiling and wall by these harmonious and exquisite tints. It is not for me, to-day, to take up more time, by enlarging on the advantages which are to result from the insti- tution which is here to find its permanent local hab-
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itation. Still less may I attempt to deal with those who have contributed the literary treasures, which are soon to be unfolded and displayed here. Other voices, now or hereafter, will do justice to the original projectors and founders of the institution. Other voices, now or hereafter, will be heard in grateful commemoration of the munificent donations of JOSHUA BATES and JONATHAN PHILLIPS among the honored living, and of ABBOTT LAWRENCE among the lamented dead, whose names are preeminent on the long roll of our benefactors. Nor will those voices be wanting in acknowledgment to the many hundreds of others who have entitled themselves by ever so small a contribu- tion to a place upon that roll.
I may be permitted to say, however, before taking leave of this topic, that in view of the contemplated dedication of this building in September last, I was directed by the Commissioners to address a letter to our distant and distinguished benefactor, Mr. BATES, inviting his personal presence on the occasion. And I am sure I shall be excused by him and by your- selves, for reading to you, in this connection, a brief extract from his reply. It was dated, London, August 27, 1857, and, after thanking me for my letter, it con- tinues as follows : -
I am happy to learn that the Library is approaching com- pletion, and that it is contemplated to open it next month. You express a wish that I should be present. I can assure
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you that nothing would give me more pleasure than to visit Boston, where I began my career, and to whose citizens, by their confidence and support in time of need, I am indebted for whatever of fortune or reputation I possess. Although my contemporaries, with few exceptions, are laid in their graves, the memory of the past is an unfailing source of hap- piness to me, and makes me regret the more that I cannot be with you on the opening of the new Library. I shall hope to make you a visit a year or two hence, when, if I mistake not, the importance of the Library to the rising generation will be more fully appreciated ; - when it will be admitted that the City, the Trustees, and the contributors have accom- plished a great work, that will command the gratitude of the people through all time.
Believe me, very truly, yours, JOSHUA BATES.
Admirable utterance of a generous and noble spirit! We wafted the assurances of our grateful remembrance of his liberality over a summer sea, while we were gathered, a little more than two years ago, upon the firm foundations and around the substantial corner-stone beneath us. And now not even the raging of a wintry ocean shall intercept the transmission of our renewed and redoubled grati- tude for his munificence, when the head-stone has been brought forth with shoutings. There is no winter in his bounty, and there shall be none in our acknowledgment. May the year which is just opening be to him a year of unalloyed happiness, prosperity, and health; and may it not come quite to a close,
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without affording to the people of Boston the high gratification of welcoming him within the walls of an edifice, to which he will have contributed so large a proportion of its richest and most cherished treas- ures.
It only remains for me, as President of the Board of Commissioners, and in their name, to deliver to you, Mr. Mayor, these keys of the principal doors of the building which we have erected, at once as a symbol that our work is finished, and as an earnest of the delivery of the building itself to the city, over which you preside. We do not presume to present it to you as a faultless piece of architecture. We are not vain enough to imagine that critical eyes may not discover, both in the design and in the exe- cution, features which might have been improved. But we do present it as a convenient, substantial, spacious structure - entirely adapted to its purposes, and carefully arranged for the most economical admin- istration of the institution for which it is intended- capacious enough for two or three hundred thousand volumes, and for as many readers as are ever likely to visit it at one and the same time-with no deficiency of light or air - secure, we have full con- fidence, from the dangers of fire - and which, while it is devoid of any ostentatious ornament without, and while it exhibits no excessive or fanciful em- bellishment within, is yet in no respect unworthy,
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either within or without, of the liberal and enlight- ened community in whose service it has been erected.
We present it to you, indeed, Mr. Mayor, a mere mass of naked walls and columns and arches. But these vacant alcoves will soon be occupied. These empty shelves will soon be filled. Gems and jewels more precious than any which the mines of either continent can ever yield, will soon find their places in the caskets and cabinets which have here been prepared for them; and living jewels, like those of the Roman matron of old - even the sons and daughters of our city -will soon be seen clustered around them.
It was a poetical and beautiful conceit of the great philosopher of our motherland, - of Bacon, I mean, the contemporary and fellow-countryman of our Pilgrim Fathers - that "libraries are as the shrines where all the relics of the ancient saints, full of true virtue, and that without delusion or im- posture, are preserved and reposed." But Cicero, methinks, did better justice to the theme. We are told that when that illustrious orator and states- man saw the books which composed his precious private library, fairly arranged in the apartment which he had provided for them, in his villa at An- tium, he wrote to his friend Atticus, “ Postea vero quam Tyrannio mihi libros disposuit, mens addita videtur meis ædibus." "Now that my books have been put
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in their places by your learned Greek, Tyrannio, a soul seems to have been added to my dwelling."
And our own American Cicero is at this moment at your side, sir,- prepared to receive these keys from your hand, in behalf of the Trustees over whom he so fitly presides ; and under his auspices, and with the aid of his associates, it is hardly too much to say that a living, breathing, imperishable soul will have been infused into this now merely material structure. Yes, my friends, within these walls shall soon be gathered, not merely the mighty masters of philosophy and rhetoric, of history and poetry, whom the Roman Cicero recognized and rev- erenced as introducing a soul into his dwelling, but the great lights of all ages, the wise and learned of all climes - and those, especially, who have adorned a civilization, and vindicated a liberty, and illustrated a Christianity which that Cicero never conceived of, shall be congregated around them. Here soon shall many a waiting heart be kindled into something of the exultation of that good old Bishop of Norwich, when he exclaimed, on the sight of a great library, " What a happiness is it, that without all offence of necromancy, I may here call up any of the ancient worthies of learning, whether human or divine, and confer with them of all my doubts !- that I can at pleasure summon up whole synods of reverend fathers and acute doctors, from all the coasts of the earth,
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to give their well-studied judgments on all points and questions which I may propose !"
And not the reverend fathers and acute doctors only shall answer to our call ;- but here also the poets of all ages shall be ever ready to sing to us their choicest strains ; - the dramatists of all ages to rehearse to us their richest scenes of wit or of woe ; -the orators of all ages to recite to us the triumphant argument, or the thrilling appeal, which may have shaken empires from their base, or changed the cur- rent of the world's affairs. Here, too, the practical inventor and ingenious mechanic shall exhibit to us his specifications, his plans, and his drawings. Here the great interpreters of Nature shall unfold to us the mechanism of the heavens, the testimony of the rocks, and the marvels and mysteries of animal and vege- table life. Here the glowing pictures of fiction and fancy shall pass and repass before our vision, beneath the magic wand of a Scott, a Dickens, or a Cooper ;- the living portraits of sages and patriots, of other lands and of our own land, be displayed to us by a Guizot or a Brougham, a Carlyle or a Campbell, a Sparks or an Irving ;- and the grander panorama of history be unrolled for us by a Gibbon or a Grote, a Hume or a Macaulay, a Bancroft, a Prescott, or a Motley.
But I can do no justice to a theme like this in the closing sentences of a discourse, which has already
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occupied you too long,-and I leave it, all unfinished, for those who are to follow me.
Let me conclude, Mr. Mayor and gentlemen of the City Council, by thanking you once more, in the name of my associates and in my own name, for the confi- dence with which you have honored us in the exe- cution of our commission, and let me offer you our best wishes and prayers that this institution may fulfil the most sanguine expectations of its founders and friends. May God, in his goodness, grant that increased supplies of wisdom and knowledge and virtue, for us and our posterity, may be its rich and abundant fruits ; -that it may be so sanctified by His grace to the highest interests of the whole community, that here, at least, the tree of knowledge may never be disunited from the tree of life ;- and that, constituting, as it will, the complement and the crown of our great republican system of popular education, it may do its full part in bearing up and sustaining, for a thousand generations, a well-compacted and imperishable fabric of freedom ;- of that freedom which rests upon intelli- gence, which must be regulated by law, and which can only be maintained by piety, philanthropy and patriot- ism.
At the close of Mr. Winthrop's address, His Honor ALEXANDER H. RICE, Mayor of the city, rose, and on receiving the keys of the building spoke as follows :-
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A LITTLE more than three years ago, Mr. President, there was committed to your charge and to that of your respected associates in the Board of Commis- sioners for the erection of a Public Library Build- ing, an undertaking, which, whether it be regarded in respect to the importance of a correct and appro- priate architectural design and thorough mechanical execution, or in its connection with an institution which cannot fail to bestow the most beneficent and lasting results upon the community in which we live, has scarcely been surpassed by any enterprise in which this city has engaged. It has long been peculiar to Boston that nearly all her institutions of education, literature, science, art and charity, as well as of re- ligion, are permanently established in structures appro- priated to their especial use; and if the number and variety of these institutions evince the power of par- amount ideas over the minds of our population, so likewise the number and value of these structures may illustrate the general subordination of wealth
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to the higher behests of the intellect and the heart. To the many imposing structures already thus appro- priated, and which have chiefly been erected by pri- vate bounty or by associated enterprise, this noble edifice -the special object of your care and super- vision -has at length been added, at the public expense.
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