reference to the glory of God, you have steadily held on your way, using your best endeavors for the redemption of Africa, and the salvation of her millions of souls. Were I permitted to speak a word in behalf of myself, in your presence, I would say, I shall never be able to command language to express my gratitude to God for guiding my infant feet to the Colony of Liberia. My time in Liberia is almost coeval with the existence of the place, and I have yet to feel the slightest regret at my being here. And now, to Him who hath sustained you, and given you of his free Spirit to guide you in all your acts and deliberations, be ascribed might, majesty, and dominion, now and forever. HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. Mr. President: A PUBLIC notice has promised "An Historical Discourse on the Rise and Progress of the Society" which now celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. The treatment of the first topic- the Rise may, perhaps, be aided by an illustration. It shall be drawn from the practice of the ancients, mentioned by Seneca, of building altars and offering worship at the sources of rivers. Remains of such temples, evidently Grecian, are still seen at the two sources of the Jordan; and substructions, older than Grecian, at that of the Chrysorrhoas, esteemed by the people of Damascus "better than all the waters of Israel." In both these instances, however, the water from these sources soon unites with less pretentious streams, coming from a much greater distance. But what if there be no vast flood bursting forth at any one point? What if we find only here the bubbling fountain, at which the wild bird scarce slakes her thirst; there, the drops trickling from the face of a cliff; yonder, the superfluous moisture escaping from a bed of and moisture from a thousand other places, in moss; varied forms, all collected by the slopes and channels which the Great Creator has provided for that purpose, into one vast Father of Waters, fertilizing the plains and bearing the commerce of half a continent? Plainly, you can erect your altar in no one place. You can worship only the Beneficent Wisdom which is everywhere, and which has so made the world that kindred good influences naturally flow together, and combine into broad streams of blessing to mankind. So of the origin of our Society, and of our work. The sentiment out of which it grew, more or less definitely formed into specific plans, was everywhere, tending to realize itself in beneficent action for the colored race. This sentiment gushed forth at many points; so that many persons have been named as the originators of our enterprise. And there is some ground for each of these claims, and, doubtless, for many others that might have been advanced. They were originators, as truly as if there had been no others. Their relative merits cannot be settled by chronology, for the thought was often as fresh and original in the later projector as in any that had preceded him. The earliest movement known to have any historical connection with our Society was the visit of the Rev. Samuel Hopkins of Newport, R.I. to his neighbor, the Rev. Ezra Stiles, April 7, 1773. The diary of Dr. Stiles has preserved the record. Dr. Hopkins proposed to educate two pious negro youths for the ministry, and send them to Africa as missionaries; hoping, evident |