is no less gratifying to me than I
know it will be agreeable to you--that of proposing that the thanks of
this meeting be offered to the chairman for his presidence over us
to-day. Every one who admires Mr. Garrison for the qualities on account
of which we have met to do him honor on this occasion, must feel that
there is a singular appropriateness in the selection of the person who
has presided here to-day. No one can fail to perceive a striking
similarity--I might almost say a real parallelism of greatness--in the
careers of these two eminent persons. Both are men who, by the great
qualities of their minds, and the uncompromising spirit of justice which
has animated them, have signally advanced the cause of truth and
vindicated the rights of humanity. Both have been fortunate enough in
the span of their own lifetime to have seen their efforts in the
promotion of great ends crowned by triumphs as great as they could have
desired, and far greater than they could have hoped. There is no cause
with which the name of Mr. Bright has been associated which has not
sooner or later won its way to victory.

I shall not go over the ground which has been so well dealt with by
those who have preceded me. But tho there have been many abler
interpreters of your wishes and aspirations to-day than I can hope to
be, may I be permitted to join my voice to those which have been raised
up in favor of the perpetual amity of England and America. It seems to
me that with nations, as well as with individuals, greatness of
character depends chiefly on the degree in which they are capable of
rising above thee low, narrow, paltry interests of the present, and of
looking forward with hope and with faith into the distance of a great
futurity. And where, I will ask, is the future of our race to be found?
I may extend the question--where is to be found the future of mankind?
Who that can forecast the fortunes of the ages to come will not
answer--it is in that great nation which has sprung from our loins,
which is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone. The stratifications of
history are full of the skeletons of ruined kingdoms and of races that
are no more. Where are Assyria and Egypt, the civilization of Greece,
the universal dominion of Rome? They founded empires of conquest, which
have perished by the sword by which they rose. Is it to be with us as
with them? I hope not--I think not. But if the day of our decline should
arise, we shall at least