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der his touch. He erects uo glittering monuments, objects of popular 

 curiosity, — but moves always for tlie education of mankind, for their 

 religious culture, and for the relief of their suffering and sorrow. He 

 says " no" with all the Avisdom laid down in that remarkable discourse 

 of our own President Walker ; and he says "yes" with that unerring 

 judgment and prudence, which have thus far enabled him to avoid 

 unworthy objects. And when I remember the labor which has been be- 

 stowed upon this Institute without money and without price, the devo- 

 tion which has characterized those who carried it for years in their arms, 

 and have cherished it to manhood, I cannot be too grateful to him who 

 has now included it among the objects worthy of his encouragement 

 and benefaction. The Essex Institute has now been enrolled among 

 the best institutions in our land by the bounty of George Peabody. 

 They who have looked upon us heretofore as an association of "bug- 

 hunters," may remember this. They who have looked upon our field- 

 meetings as mere excursions into the woods and among the pleasant 

 valleys of our County, may remember this. And they will find that the 

 bounty of Mr. Peabody has been bestowed upon an institution en- 

 gaged in the most careful scientific exploration, in investigating the 

 wonders of nature wherever found, in opening leaf by leaf the great 

 volume, in gathering up and preserving all the historical incidents 

 of our locality and country, and the story of our great men. 



In coming to our aid, Mr. Peabody has done one more act to enrol 

 Ms name among those distinguished men of old Essex, whose record 

 we would here enshrine. I know not, sir, when or by whom the work 

 is to be done ; but I trust we shall one day see that volume in which 

 the lives of these men and their great services will be immortalized — 

 of Higgiuson and Peters and Woods and Stuart in tlieology ; of Par- 

 sons and Story and Dane and Gerry in the law and jurisprudence and 

 statesmanship ; of Prescott among the historians ; of Whittier among 

 the poets ; of Hawthorne, the greatest of all in the philosophic myste- 

 ries of romance, the genius of this sombre spot; of the merchants and 

 benefactors who stand forth in our local history in long array. The 

 interest of such a work as this it is hard to estimate. To us of the Es- 

 sex Institute how is this interest increased by the fact, that foremost 

 among them all will stand the name of George Peabody, our benefac- 

 tor and friend. 



Mr. President, I most cheerfully second the appropriate resolution 

 of Mr. Putnam ; aud in order to give full force to the event which has 

 placed the Essex Institute on a firm foundation, I would also move 

 that a committee be appointed to arrange becoming ceremonies for the 

 inauguration of this new era in the life of our association. 



Tlie resolution was then unanimously adopted, and, on motion of 

 Dr. Loring, it was voted that a copy thereof be communicated to Mr. 

 Peabody. 



The following resolution was then adopted : — 



Besolved, — that a committee of seven members of the Institute be 

 appointed to confer with the Trustees of the fund of $140,000 given by 

 George Peabody, Esq., for the promotion of science and useful know- 

 ledge in the county of Essex, to receive any proposals from said Trus- 

 tees, and to report thereon, as well as to report any plan for future 

 action, in view of carrying out the wise and laudable pui-poses of the 



