resistance to British aggression at the old North Bridge. 

 In February, the men of Salem and Marblehead struck 

 the key note, which, in April, resounded from Middlesex. 



Col. Pickering was Post-master General, Secretary of 

 War, and Secretary of State in the cabinets of Washing- 

 ton and Adams. Later, he was Chief Justice of the 

 Essex County Court of Common Pleas, United States 

 Senator, and Representative in Congress from the Essex 

 District. 



He rounded out a long and useful career by promoting 

 and organizing the society under whose auspices we are 

 assembled to-day. Under his call the first meeting was 

 held at Cyrus Cummings' tavern, at Topsfield, on the 16th 

 day of February, 1818. Ichabod Tucker was chosen 

 moderator and David Cummings, secretary; these, with 

 John Adams, Paul Kent and Elisha Mack, were appointed 

 a committee to report a plan of organization. Timoth}' 

 Pickering was chosen president ; and William Bartlett, 

 Dr. Thomas Kittredge, John Heard and Ichabod Tuck- 

 er, vice-presidents ; Leverett Saltonstall, secretary ; and 

 Dr. Nehemiah Cleaveland, treasurer. Timothy Pickering- 

 was annually chosen president for ten years, to 1829, 

 when he again delivered the annual address. 



Col. Pickering was followed by Andrew Nichols, the 

 botanist, the beloved physician of Danvers. 



Then came that liberal preacher, the Rev. Abiel 

 Abbott, of Beverly, of whom President Monroe said that, 

 he was the best talker he ever knew. 



From that day on, the clergymen have done their share 

 of the talking, as was eminently fit in a society of Puritan 

 descent. I shall not presume to speak of the living, so I 



