historic gleanings which formed the first part of this address; but as he improved with the improving society, and was bo n, as it were, into the intellectual world; he gradually vindicated his claims to higher and higher consideration, as his means of access to the sources of mental light became more and more extended, until, in Great Britain and some other countries of Europe, he has finally, as has been shown, achieved apparent political emancipation. Here, thank God, he had no combat to sustain, for his political rights were never denied; but even here, the day of his complete social emancipation is not yet.

I do not mean by this to echo the common cant of aristocratic exclusiveness and intolerance, but simply to state a fact, which is a natural consequence of things, and for which nobody is to blame. I beg my I beg my brethren then to remember, that our place in the social scale has, at any given period of history, been precisely that which our intellectual advancement entitled us to fill: no higher, of course, and no lower. This I believe to be the truth, and to illustrate this truth, as an all-important principle, has been one main purpose of what I have said this day. Let us not quarrel then with our social position, since it always has been precisely what we have made it ourselves, and always will be.

What would the half savage hordes who constituted the operative class of the ancient world have done with freedom, with social equality? What would they have done with it in the middle ages? What would our rude ancestors, British, Saxon or Norman, have done with it? Had the mechanic of the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries made himself worthy of it? And alas, my friends, is any great portion of our fraternity the world over prepared for it even now? But I need pursue this train of

thought no further; your own reflections will carry it out better than my words. Improvement then should be our aim; improvement in its largest sense; religious, moral, and intellectual. You need not trouble yourselves about political, for that will follow in the train of the others, and all the powers of evil can neither prevent nor retard it. Forget not, however, that the work-shop and the plough have no right to engross our whole attention; the wants of the body are, in our country, easily supplied; let each of us remember then that he has affections and sympathies to be cherished and improved, an intellect to be cultivated, a soul to be saved : remember that the operative is to win for himself social as well as political equality; let him qualify himself then for this accomplishment of his destiny, not only by the moral and intellectual improvement which will secure it, but also by that courtesy of manners which alone will render his position when gained a graceful and an easy one.

He is told of his political power, that he holds in his hands the destinies of this people, and it is true: he stands then before his God intrusted with solemn responsibilities - let him feel their full weight: let him determine to do his part, and do it manfully, towards the dissemination of light and knowledge, as he may find opportunity: let him turn away from all appeals to his passions under pretence of furthering his political rights

remembering that there is neither satisfaction nor improvement in hatred, envy, malice, or uncharitableness; but ever cultivating the spirit of brotherly kindness towards all men; let him wait in humble hope for that promised day when all injustice shall cease, and when enlightened christian philanthropy shall extend the kingdom of peace, and good will, and benevolence, through

out all lands, from the rising even unto the setting

sun.

And, brethren of the Mechanic Association, we have also as members of that body our peculiar duties. Let us inquire then, what we have done towards "promoting good offices and fellowship, assisting the necessitous, encouraging the ingenious, or rewarding fidelity?" And we can truly say we have done something; but let us not think we have done all. Do we give in charity so much as we might? Is there not a large class of cases, families who have seen better days, now suffering in silent misery, but whose delicacy forbids them to ask that relief which we are so able, and I trust so willing, to bestow? Does not every member recollect some such? And should not our committee then be instructed to seek them out, and minister to their necessities from our abundance? Again: have we done our utmost to promote good offices and fellowship? Are our members acquainted with each other? Do they take an interest in each other? And if they do not, from the want of facilities for communing together, how shall we remedy the evil? We have spoken of erecting a building which should contain a library and reading rooms; also, halls for exhibition and lectures: If this is practicable, we should all rejoice, I know, to see it done; but if it is impracticable, there is one thing which we can do. We have abundant funds for commencing the purchase of a library, and to open reading and conversation rooms in a hired building: this we ought to do, and until we have in this way given our members an opportunity of becoming acquainted with each other, we cannot say that we have done our utmost towards promoting good offices and fellowship. We have instituted fairs for encouraging the ingenious, and a great improve

ment in the productions of manufacturing and mechanic skill has been the result. There seems, however, to be a general misconception both on the part of members and others, as to the principle upon which contributions should be sent. We must not lose sight of the fact, that these exhibitions are intended for the encouragement and improvement of the productive arts, and not for the immediate pecuniary benefit of individuals. Individuals certainly reap their share of the advantage accruing to the public from the general advance which is the consequence; but every mechanic will, I trust, have public spirit enough to come forward and sustain our fairs for the future, heartily and cheerfully-not with the sordid hope of immediate profit, but from a conviction of their importance to our country: it being obvious, that when the results of productive labor are, at stated times, brought together and exhibited for public inspection, giving each individual an opportunity of comparing what he has done with what has been done by all others, an enlightened and generous competition must ensue, bringing with it the greatest advantages to the national industry.

To reward fidelity is another purpose of our Association; and here too we have done something. We give to the faithful apprentice, at the expiration of his term of service, an honorary diploma, setting forth his claims. to encouragement, as honest and trustworthy; and this is well; but so important do I consider the relation of master and apprentice, not only to individuals, but to the community- and when, also, I consider the fact that this Association, now numbering nearly a thousand members, is continually sending forth into the world hundreds of young men, active, hardy, and enterprising ; ready to give a tone to society, for good or for evil, ac

cording to the influences of their apprenticeship-I feel that our responsibility is very great, and that we are bound to leave nothing untried which may even by possibility improve those influences; since upon them the character of this powerful body of our future citizens constantly depends.

Why can we not then give some honorary token to the apprentice, when he shall have faithfully passed through a certain portion of his time? A medal for instance, to be presented publicly by the authorities of the Association, either at the annual meeting, or on some other occasion, as may be preferred. I do not mean that this shall be awarded to superior skill, for I believe the moral effect of premiums awarded on that principle to be decidedly bad; generating feelings of pride and self sufficiency in the apprentice which are certain to destroy his usefulness. I propose, therefore, that these honorary tokens shall be the reward of morality, industry, and fidelity, thereby, as I think, doing away with every important objection to them, and securing their operation as an efficient and continued incentive to good conduct.

MY BRETHREN :

I have now completed my task. I have endeavored to set before you, as mechanics generally, and also as members of this Association, some principles which I consider of sufficient importance to be constantly kept in mind. There is no novelty in these views, I am aware; but as I have already said, I believe them to be true, and truth does not suffer by frequent repetition. If what I have said then may cause a single individual to look into the purposes of his creation, and form the resolution to be no longer a creature of mere conventional usages, but a true man, daring to live as such,