Record of the semi-centennial anniversary of St. Nicholas Society of the City of New-York, February 28, 1885, Part 1

Author: Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: [New York, T. L. De Vinne & Co., Printers
Number of Pages: 60


USA > New York > New York City > Record of the semi-centennial anniversary of St. Nicholas Society of the City of New-York, February 28, 1885 > Part 1


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SAINT ! NICHOLAS SOCIETY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK


RECORD


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FOUNDED Feby. 28, 1835.


TIFFANY & CO. NEW YORK.


RECORD


OF THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF


ST. NICHOLAS SOCIETY 11 OF THE CITY OF NEW-YORK.


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FEBY 28!#1835.


FEBRUARY 28, 1885.


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THEO. L. DE VINNE & CO. PRINTERS, NEW-YORK,


PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS.


- T a stated meeting of the Saint Nicholas Society, held at the Hotel Brunswick on the 4th day of Sep- tember, 1884, the following resolu- tions and recommendations, presented by the Board of Officers, were unanimously adopted :


" Resolved, That the Board of Officers do hereby recommend and advise that the Society celebrate on the 28th of February, 1885, its Fiftieth An- niversary, and


" Resolved, That the Board also recommend that the President appoint a Special Committee of nine, to be composed of three officers, three of the Committee of Stewards, and three other members; and that said Committee take the entire matter into consideration, and report in writing to the Society, at its next stated meeting, such plan or


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plans as the Committee may consider most proper to carry into effect the foregoing resolution."


Pursuant to the foregoing resolutions, the Presi- dent appointed the following Committee : Messrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, James M. McLean, and Charles A. Schermerhorn, of the Board of Officers; Messrs. Stuyvesant Fish, E. Benedict Oakley, and James H. Beekman, of the Committee of Stewards; and Messrs. Alfred Van Santvoord, Edward N. Tailer, and John B. Pine.


At a stated meeting of the Society, held at Del- monico's on the 4th day of December, 1884, the above-named Committee rendered a report in writing, recommending that the Semi-Centennial Anniversary of the Society be celebrated by a Dinner, followed by an address or addresses, at Delmonico's, on the 28th of February, 1885; which report and recommendation were unani- mously adopted, and the matter of arranging for the Anniversary was referred, with power, to the following Committee :


JAMES M. MCLEAN, Chairman.


CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, ALFRED VAN SANTVOORD,


STUYVESANT FISH, FREDERIC J. DE PEYSTER,


JAMES H. BEEKMAN, ROBERT C. LIVINGSTON,


E. BENEDICT OAKLEY, FORDHAM MORRIS,


EDWARD N. TAILER, AUSTEN G. Fox.


CHARLES A. SCHERMERHORN, Treasurer.


JOHN B. PINE, Secretary.


HIM


THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.


HE Semi-Centennial Anniversary of the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New-York was celebrated on the evening of Saturday, the Twenty- eighth day of February, Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-five, at Delmonico's, Madison Square, New-York City.


LIST OF PERSONS PRESENT.


The following named gentlemen, seated at the President's table :


Mr. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, President of the Society.


Mr. BENJAMIN H. FIELD, a former President of the Society.


Mr. AUGUSTUS R. MACDONOUGH, a Manager and a former President of the Society.


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Rev. THOMAS E. VERMILYE, D. D., Senior Chap- lain of the Society.


Hon. CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW, a Manager of the Society.


Messrs. ALEXANDER I. COTHEAL, and WILLIAM H. JOHNSON, two of the original members of the Society.


Mr. JOHN R. PLANTEN, Consul-General of the Netherlands.


Mr. J. W. HUNTER, President of the Long Island St. Nicholas Society.


Mr. JOHN REYNDERS, President of the Hoboken St. Nicholas Society.


Also the following named officers of the Society : Mr. CARLISLE NORWOOD, Jr., First Vice-President. Mr. JOHN C. MILLS, Second Vice-President. Mr. JAMES WM. BEEKMAN, Third Vice-President. Mr. STUYVESANT FISH, Fourth Vice-President. Mr. EDWARD SCHELL, Treasurer.


Mr. CHARLES A. SCHERMERHORN, Secretary. ABRAM DU BOIS, M. D., Physician.


Messrs. JAMES M. MCLEAN, ROBERT G. REMSEN, EDWARD F. DE LANCEY, BENJAMIN L. SWAN, Jr., NATHANIEL P. BAILEY, and the Hon. ABRAHAM R. LAWRENCE, of the Board of Managers. Messrs. FREDERIC J. DE PEYSTER, JAMES H. BEEK- MAN, E. BENEDICT OAKLEY, ROBERT C. LIVING- STON, and FORDHAM MORRIS, Stewards.


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Also the following named members of the Society :


Mr. ALFRED T. ACKERT, Mr. CHARLES H. ADAMS, Mr. JAMES M. BAILEY, Mr. GEORGE V. N. BALDWIN, Mr. GERARD BEEKMAN, Mr. HENRY W. BIBBY, Mr. WILBUR A. BLOODGOOD, Mr. JOHN BOGART, Mr. RICHARD W. BOGART, Mr. CHARLES B. BOSTWICK, Mr. HENRY A. BOSTWICK, Mr. WILLIAM A. BOYD, Mr. JOHN I. BROOKS, Mr. SYLVANUS T. CANNON, Mr. AMORY S. CARHART, Mr. LEONARD J. CARPENTER, Mr. WILLIAM E. CLARK, Mr. FLOYD CLARKSON, Mr. A. T. CLEARWATER, Mr. J. H. V. COCKCROFT, Mr. EDWARD S. DAKIN, Mr. EDGAR DE PEYSTER, Mr. HENRY DE PEYSTER, Mr. FREDERICK W. DEVOE, Mr. GEORGE G. DEWITT, Jr., Mr. E. N. DICKERSON, Jr., Mr. MENZO DIEFENDORF, Mr. LAWRENCE DRAKE, Mr. SIMEON J. DRAKE, Mr. HENRY DUDLEY, 2


Rev. WILLIAM R. DURYEE, Mr. J. B. DUTCHER, Mr. WILLIAM H. FALCONER, Mr. JAMES W. FELLOWS, Mr. WILLIAM H. FIELD, Mr. HAMILTON FISH, Jr., Mr. JOHN FITCH, Mr. CHARLES H. FORD, Mr. EDWARD L. GAUL, JOHN W. GREENE, M. D., Mr. JACOB L. HALSEY, Mr. WILLIAM G. HAMILTON, Mr. EDWARD H. HARRIMAN, Mr. WILLIAM M. HARRIMAN, Mr. A. W. HAVILAND, Mr. WILLIAM T. INNES, Mr. JOHN B. IRELAND, WILLIAM H. JACKSON, M. D., Mr. LYMAN A. JACOBUS, Mr. BRADISH JOHNSON, Jr., Mr. WALTER R. T. JONES,


Mr. EUGENE M. KETELTAS,


Mr. HENRY KETELTAS, Mr. EDWARD KING, 1 Mr. ROBERT LANE, Mr. EDWARD V. Z. LANE, Mr. FRANK T. L. LANE,


Mr. P. VAN ZANDT LANE, Mr. SMITH E. LANE, Mr. ISAAC LAWRENCE,


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Mr. EDWARD M. LE MOYNE, Mr. WILLIAM T. LLOYD, Mr. JOSEPH B. LOCKWOOD, Mr. R. P. LOUNSBERY, Mr. GEORGE H. MCLEAN, Mr. JOHN MURRAY MITCHELL, Mr. GEORGE F. NELSON, Mr. HENRY A. OAKLEY, Mr. J. SEAVER PAGE, Mr. SCHUYLER L. PARSONS, Mr. ARCHIBALD M. PENTZ, Mr. CHARLES E. PELL,


Mr. GEORGE H. PELL, Mr. EDMUND PENFOLD, Mr. WM. HALL PENFOLD, Mr. R. N. PERLEE, Mr. JOHN B. PINE,


Mr. GILBERT M. PLYMPTON, Mr. M. TAYLOR PYNE,


Mr. HENRY REMSEN,


Mr. WILLIAM REMSEN, Mr. JOHN L. RIKER,


Mr. WILLIAM J. RIKER, Mr. WALTER RUTHERFURD, Mr. EDWARD R. SATTERLEE, Mr. GEORGE B. SATTERLEE, Mr. SAMUEL K. SATTERLEE, Mr. G. S. SCHERMERHORN, Jr., Mr. E. E. SCHERMERHORN, Mr. EDWARD H. SCHELL, Mr. FRANCIS SCHELL,


Mr. ROBERT SCHELL, Mr. EDGAR S. SCHIEFFELIN, Mr. GEORGE R. SCHIEFFELIN, Mr. SPENCER D. SCHUYLER, Mr. GEORGE H. SCOTT, Mr. CLARENCE A. SEWARD, Mr. HENRY L. SLOTE, CHARLES D. SMITH, M. D., GOUVERNEUR M. SMITH,


M. D., Mr. L. BAYARD SMITH, Mr. S. FRANKLIN STANTON, Mr. W. E. DODGE STOKES, Mr. THOMAS STORM, Mr. WALTON W. STORM, Mr. JAMES A. STRIKER, Mr. CHARLES C. SUFFERN, Mr. SATTERLEE SWARTWOUT, Mr. EDWARD N. TAILER, Mr. WILLIAM H. TAILER, Mr. GEORGE W. TALBOT, Mr. RICHMOND TALBOT, Mr. T. DEWITT THOMPSON, Mr. LAWRENCE TURNURE, Mr. EUGENE UNDERHILL, . Mr. ABRAHAM B. VALENTINE, Mr. WM. J. VAN ARSDALE, Mr. GEO. W. VAN DERLIP, Mr. A. ERNEST VANDERPOEL, Mr. VEDDER VAN DYCK, Hon. GEO. M. VAN HOESEN,


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Mr. DAVID VAN NOSTRAND, Mr. KILIAN VANRENSSELAER, Mr. ABRAHAM VAN SANT- VOORD,


Mr. ALFRED VAN SANT- VOORD,


Mr. CORNELIUS VAN SANT- VOORD,


Mr. GEORGE W. VAN SLYCK,


Mr. ABRAHAM V. W. VAN VECHTEN,


Gen. STEWART VAN VLIET, Mr. AMES VAN WART, Mr. MAUS R. VEDDER, Mr. J. D. VERMILYE,


Mr. T. E. VERMILYE, Jr.,


Gen. EGBERT L. VIELE, Mr. HERMAN K. VIELE, Mr. GEO. AUGUSTUS VROOM, Mr. C. C. WASSON, Mr. HAMILTON F. WEBSTER, ROBERT F. WEIR, M. D., Mr. C. YATES WEMPLE, Mr. HENRY S. WEMPLE, Mr. J. RUSS WEMPLE, Mr. DAVID B. WILLIAMSON, Mr. D. D. WILLIAMSON, Mr. JOHN D. WILSON, Mr. CHARLES WISNER, Mr. WILLIAM H. WISNER, Mr. EDWARD I. WOOLSEY.


At the conclusion of the dinner the Weather-cock of the Stadt-Heuyse was borne into the room, pre- ceded by the Society's Trumpeter, and escorted by the Committee, and was placed upon the President's table.


The song, "Sancte Claus goed heylig Man !" was then sung by the Glee Club.


The President, thereupon, arose in his place, and delivered the following address :


ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT.


Gentlemen of the St. Nicholas Society :


QN Saturday evening, February 28, 1835, at the Washington Hotel, in this city, the Constitution of the St. Nicholas Society of the City of New- York was adopted and the first election of officers held. To-night we meet to commemorate our Fiftieth Anniversary.


I take pleasure in stating that our Society is in a flourishing condition. There are no vacancies in its membership. It has a permanent fund of over $30,000 well invested. Its income is suffi- cient to meet all its needs, and, when called upon, to help such of its members as may require assistance. For these happy results we rejoice together this evening.


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Of the twenty-five gentlemen who have occu- pied the honorable position of President, but ten are living, and of these, eight are now present. Of those who were members of the Society in 1835, eight are now living and two are with us on this occasion. The speakers whom we are to have the pleasure of hearing will tell us of the formation of the Society, and of its history through the past fifty years.


We had expected to have with us our first Secretary, the Hon. Hamilton Fish ; but a severe and protracted illness deprives us of that pleas- ure. He drafted our Constitution and presented it at the formation of the Society, fifty years ago to-night. Since that date he has filled the highest positions of honor and trust. He has been successively Governor of our State, United States Senator, and Secretary of State in the Cabinet of General Grant; but to-night it is our duty to believe that the most distinguished of all his honors was the Presidency of the St. Nicholas Society.


What an eventful half-century it has been to this city! Many now with us recall its rapid growth, and can remember when the very spot on which we are dining was a farm in the country, far removed from the residences and business center. I think I may safely say, without ego- tism,-and we all know that the Dutch are a


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modest race and speak only the truth, -that much of the growth and development of our city is due to the earnest and honest purpose of our Dutch ancestors, in laying the broad foundations they did. Yet how amazed would they be could they step on the scene to-day !


As perpetual reminders of our forefathers and their customs, the cocked hat, of the style worn on State occasions by Governor Peter Stuyvesant, is still an emblem of authority; our Trumpeter, as in olden days, leads to the banquet hall; the Weather-cock presented by Washington Irving is from the first Government House ; the pipes, bear- ing the image of the ancient Knickerbocker, are now, as then, the helps to good fellowship and wise reflection; our badge bears the old City arms, and for our flag those arms are borne upon the tricolor of the Dutch Republic.


Among the names of those who have been members of this Society, will be found many who have been foremost in promoting the best interests of this city, and while, as all the sons of St. Nich- olas should do, they have enjoyed the good things of this life, they have not neglected their duties as citizens and Christians.


Let us, therefore, in our rejoicings, recall, with love and tenderness, the memory of those who have passed from among us. Let this evening be remembered as a bright spot in our


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existence, and let us go on with renewed and earnest effort, in our next half-century, toward accomplishing the objects for which the St. Nich- olas Society was founded.


At the conclusion of his address, the President expressed the regret of the Society at the absence of the Hon. Hamilton Fish, its first Secretary, and one of its original members, and stated that Mr. Fish had written a letter for the occasion, which would be read by Mr. Stuyvesant Fish, the fourth Vice-President of the Society.


Mr. Stuyvesant Fish then read the following letter :


LETTER FROM THE HON. HAMILTON FISH.


251 EAST SEVENTEENTH STREET, February 27, '85.


JOHN B. PINE, EsQ., Secretary.


Dear Sir: I have delayed until this late day an answer to the invitation of the St. Nicholas Society to their Semi-Centennial Anniversary Dinner in the hope that I might be able to attend, but the persistence of an illness which has confined me to my house for some weeks past leaves me no hope of being able to participate in the festivi- ties and enjoyment of the occasion.


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Having been one of five with whom originated the idea of organizing the Society, and who carried the idea into practical success, and being one of the very few survivors of those who attended the first meetings in "Washington Hall," it would have been a very great pleasure to me to witness, in my old age, the strength and vigor of the Society, at whose birth, fifty years ago, I was present, and whose infant utterances and early movements for many years I faithfully recorded.


Long may it prosper !


With friendly and brotherly wishes toward each and all of its members,


I am very sincerely yours,


HAMILTON FISH.


The song, "The Rolling Zuyder Zee," was then sung by the Glee Club.


The President then introduced Dr. Vermilye, as follows :


We have with us our Senior Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Vermilye, who has been a member of this Society for forty-four years, and its Chaplain for forty years, and to-day he is celebrating his eighty- second birthday.


ADDRESS BY THE REV. DR. VERMILYE.


Mr. President, and Members


of the St. Nicholas Society :


T is impossible for mere human nature, such as mine, not to feel a throb of the greatest delight to think that the St. Nicholas Society has gotten up such an entertainment as this upon my birthday. I know that the gentlemen have said, out of delicacy to my own feelings undoubtedly, that the intention is to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the St. Nicholas Society. Well, sir, the St. Nicholas Society to-day is fifty years old, and, I make a clean breast of it, so am I !


Mr. President, it is just about forty-four years since I was introduced into this Society by being made a Chaplain, and I recollect that the meet- 3 15


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ings at that time were held down at the City Hotel, on Broadway, a block above Trinity Church. Mr. Julian Verplanck was then the President of the Society; in body and mind a fine type and personification of a true Dutchman. The Society from that time, and before that, in fact, has been distinguished by the presidency of men who would do honor to any association in this city, or any- where else. They have been men signalized in the ordinary walks of life, who have brought fine reputations to the Society, and the Society has rightly and justly honored them. I see several of them present this evening, much to my sincere gratification. Bishop Onderdonk was then the Senior Chaplain ; and allow me to say, with some little degree of pride, that I find in looking over the annals that the Chaplains have been the sub- stantial part of the Society ; for, they have held on while the other officers have fluctuated from year to year. After Bishop Onderdonk, Dr. Berrian was elected Chaplain, though I do not recall hav- ing seen him present on any of these occasions. He was followed by the Rev. Mr. Johnson, a very amiable and admirable man, who, however, did not continue long.


Dr. Noah Hunt Schenck was his successor ; "a man formed in the very prodigality of nature "- a man whose personal appearance always attracted attention, being of fine, majestic proportions,


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whose address at all times was gentle and court- eous to all classes of men ; whose countenance was beaming continually with intelligence, good nature and humor, just like beautiful sunbeams that play around the mountain top. Dr. Schenck was possessed of fine literary acquirements, with- out any tincture of pedantry ; open-hearted and generous, without pretension, and despising every- thing like cant; a man who carried himself through the various spheres in which he was called to act, with dignity, with affection, with earnestness ; and who seemed by his example, as well as his precept, to allure to brighter worlds and lead the way. In this place, and in all others which Dr. Schenck was called upon to occupy, his genial, kindly, welcome presence will never be for- gotten ; and I may say, without any disparage- ment to those who remain behind, hard will it be to fill fully the place of Dr. Noah Hunt Schenck.


Mr. President, I have often heard the inquiry made, "What is the object, the raison d'ĂȘtre, of the St. Nicholas Society ?" Well, some would suppose that it is like all other institutions of the same kind-the main object in view being, of course, the annual dinner at Delmonico's. But the final cause of the St. Nicholas Society cer- tainly is not to eat a fine dinner; this is not the end of our institution, and I should be very sorry that any one could imagine so. The higher ob-


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ject of the Society undoubtedly is to cultivate those amenities of life which are the growth of our intercourse with our fellow-men, with our fellow-citizens-we who have been boys together. I have often met some of my old school- friends on these occasions. And whilst we have had these meetings very pleasant incidents have occurred. I recollect at one time Washington Irving was sitting as a guest at the officers' table, and in the course of the evening there was a cry, "Irving, Irving!" I well recall Irving, twitch- ing about nervously, a strange, mystical smile covering his face ; but he still kept his seat. The call went on, "Irving, Irving !" and finally Irving arose half up-" Mr. President and gentlemen," said he, " I am sure I am very much obliged to you for this kindly reception, but, Mr. President, you know very well I cannot make a speech"; and one of the most fluent and classical of our writers sat down. The same thing was charac- teristic of Addison and Cowper; the latter was obliged to give up his clerkship in the court, as he was too shy to read aloud the documents that came before him. I am sure that my friend on my left (Mr. Depew) will agree with me, that it is miserable to be shy.


Ogden Hoffman also filled the office of Presi- dent. He was known as Hoffman the "golden- mouthed," whose voice was perfect music, and


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who seemed to have an endless flow of the finest language. On one occasion he arose in the midst of the Society and made a remark or two, and was about to sit down, but they called all around, "Go on, Go on." "Oh yes," said Hoff- man, "it is very easy to say, 'Go on,' but what shall I go on about ?"- a most awful question for an extemporaneous speaker. My friend on my left will again agree with me that it is always an awful thing not to know what to go on about. But I can say that I never knew him at fault.


During his Presidency a Dutch ship, with a Dutch prince on board, came into the harbor, and this Society sent an invitation to him. Hoffman presided, and Webster sat on his right hand. Well do I recollect Hoffman, in the course of the evening, introducing Webster, and speaking of him as the Kohinoor of our great men and orators. Webster sat there, and never shall I forget his turning those two eyes of his, like two orbs, upon the speaker, seeming to pour out admiration upon him who thus brought up his name, while Hoffman wrought out his figures of speech to perfection.


I recollect when Mr. Benson was the President of the Society, that a gentleman, a guest of our body, sat beside him, and said to him in the course of the evening, "Mr. Benson, I find that nearly all people have some peculiar dish which is their national dish. What is the national dish of the


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Dutch? "-he supposing, no doubt, that they lived on sauer-kraut, cold-slaugh, and dough-nuts. Mr. Benson made a neat reply, saying, "Sir, the na- tional and peculiar dish of the Dutch is every other good dish of every other people."


Mr. President, I might go on with these inci- dents until you would really believe me to be more than fifty years old. But I wish to make one further remark. The object of the St. Nicholas Society, even above this social, kindly intercourse, and these meetings of the brotherhood, is to lay fresh immortelles upon the tombs of our fathers ; to bring to mind again the men who founded our city, and the land which gave them birth, with all the grandeur and glory of their history, and thus to impregnate our own minds with the great thoughts and sentiments which actuated them, and under the influence of which this great empire was founded. Three hundred years - not more than three hundred years - ago, a shallop entered the harbor of New-York, and twelve men there- from stood upon this broad American continent. At that time it was a vast wilderness, the solitude being only awakened by the hoot of the owl, by the roar of savage beasts, and the cry of more savage men. And now look at what has been accomplished in the course of three hundred years. You see this wilderness converted into a grand field for civilized man, a spirit of intercourse


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spreading from ocean to ocean. And, sir, I think that New-York, and this Society, which is pe- culiarly a New-York Society, should realize that this city is the great gate for the United States and the whole continent of North America. There are, to be sure, wickets at other points ; but this is the great gate of travel to and from Europe, and anything that interferes with the prosperity of the city of New-York should be a matter of deep solicitude to all our citizens. If there be any scheme by which the traffic from the western part of our continent is to be diverted from the city of New-York, I say the citizens should resolutely stand up in opposition to it. If the Pacific coast is to be drained in any other direction, and our railroads, and all the avenues by which traffic is carried to and from New-York, be thus injured and perhaps broken down, the citizens of New-York should look well to it. The time, in my judgment, will not have come until the continent is so well stocked with people, and so superabundant in its resources, that there may be need for other openings for our traffic.


But it is not merely in this material point of view that New-York stands first through the character of its original inhabitants, and from the fact that they laid the granite foundations of this government, whatever others may have done for the superstructure; it is likewise all-important


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that we should realize the moral and religious in- fluences which go forth from this great community, spreading over our whole country, and what those influences are to be in the future, not only in the United States, but for the civilization and freedom of the whole world. We live at a time when there is a great change going on in all depart- ments of civil and political life, and projects are being formed to overthrow the principles which lie at the very basis of civilization. The sap- pers and miners of Satan are engaged in undermining the very foundations of society, that domestic love, social life, and civil and politi- cal welfare may be overthrown and perfectly de- stroyed. And what then is to come to us and to our posterity when they have accomplished their fiendish purposes? Let me ask: Is the city of New-York, the United States of America, to be made the vantage-ground from which they may play their infernal engines? Are we to submit that these influences shall go forth from us which shall be constantly jeopardizing the peace and prosperity of the United States and of the world ? Shall we look on with indifference while the law should be invoked and enforced to put down those villainous schemes? When I see these men eliminated from our borders, when they shall be prohibited from landing here and carrying out their abominable schemes, then can we claim that


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our country is the home of civilization and the source from which proceed only blessings to all the people of the world; then shall we justly say that our motto is "Onward and upward "; then shall it be written truly, "Excelsior."


The President then read the following letters : 4


LETTER FROM THE MINISTER OF THE NETHERLANDS.


Mr. de Weckherlin, Minister of the Nether- lands, has the honor of acknowledging receipt of the kind invitation to the Semi-Centennial Anni- versary Dinner of the St. Nicholas Society of the City of New-York on the 28th instant,-and regrets to state that previous engagements prevent him from being present at the said celebration.


WASHINGTON, D. C., February 20, 1885.


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LETTER FROM MR. WILLIAM H. BOGERT.


AURORA ON CAYUGA LAKE, February 24, 1885.


My dear Mr. Secretary :


I am honoured in the invitation, communicated through yourself, to attend the Semi-Centennial Celebration of St. Nicholas Society on the even-


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ing of the 28th inst. For half the number of years attained by the Society I have been court- eously and kindly welcomed as a guest at their Annual Festival. I can have no other than grate- ful associations with them. The St. Nicholas Society is another name for The Founders of the City of New-York. It has fully established itself,-I cannot quite see why it should write its date of origin as of 1835, when indeed the Society in its brotherhood established itself on Man-ha- da Island so soon after 1609. The Hollanders that faced the wilderness and the savage frater- nised. It is an unbroken chain.




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