OPENING ADDRESS 



AT THE THIRTIETH ANNUAL FAIR OP THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, 

 SEPTEMBER 21, 1858. 



By the Hon. Henry Meigs, Recording Secretary. 



Ladies and Gentlemen — I am performing a duty more agreeable to 

 me than all others of the whole year ; I have the honor to open to you our 

 halls and dome, containing a feast of reason — one which gratifies every good 

 taste, satisfies every sound judgment, pleases our patriotism, strengthens 

 and enlightens it, gives solids to our use and enjoyment, and adds the 

 finished graces of fine arts. When another does a great cr a good deed 

 every one admires it, when our own beloved child does it the admiration is 

 thrice exalted, and the joy is felt at the heart. 



Here, then, are some of us, old American fathers — I the oldest of all — 

 showing you, in a real palace, equal to one of Aladdin's, our bright progeny, 

 the children of our new nation — lovely and civilized — the first ever seen 

 on the Americas since the deluge, all (nearly) born and grown in my time ! 

 No ancient genius here before us like that of the old world, from century 

 to century slowly adding invention to discovery in every line of knowledge 

 of art, no Egyptian, or Greek, or Roman to lead the way ! Here, where 

 the tameless fierce Indian had left the ground untilled and forest untouched 

 for ages, here behold the magic change, and on it the smiles of our Creator, 

 of whom our forefather (our pious ^neas) said "Qm2 transtulit suslineV — 

 " He who transplanted us will sustain us." And let us never forget that 

 for the mighty land He has saved for us that we should " till it and keep 

 it," we are bound by immortal bonds to bow down before Him, thank 

 Him every hour and exert every nerve and every thought to His glory, 

 and thus keep ourselves before him worthy of his infinite maintaining 

 power and blessing. 



In the beginning of our labors here we suffered all the pioneer difficulties ; 

 all was rough, and must be hewn and made smooth, all was to feel for the 

 first time the wonderful operations of labor and of art. A vast natural 

 world was to be converted, by its only master, civilized man, into one 

 adapted to his unlimited artificial works. All the powers of earth, air and 

 sea have been enslaved to do his work, and he has yet but begun. He, 

 like Earey among wild horses, will tame steam 'til it shall fly with him 

 more than a hundred miles an hour on land, and never hurt a hair of his 



