33 



Art. III. Annual Address, delivered before the Insti- 

 tute, April 3, 1833, by Amos Dean, A. M. 



GENTLEMEN OF THE INSTITUTE, 



In attempting to perform the duty devolving upon me on 

 this occasion, may I hope to experience from you a degree of 

 indulgence in its discharge, equal with that of the kindness 

 which I have already received in its imposition. The guar- 

 antee of that would be, to me, an ample indemnity for disap- 

 pointed hope, or realised fear, for baffled expectation, or un- 

 successful effort. 



The history of our race has been hitherto read and regard- 

 ed too much as a mere mass of particulars. The events it 

 details have been considered more with reference to them- 

 selves merely, than as presenting the successive undivided 

 links of one continuous chain. It is time we should profit 

 from the lessons of the past. An experience of almost six 

 thousand years should be able to present us with, at least, the 

 rudiments of a system. It is time we undertook to compre- 

 hend the great volume of our history as a whole ; to observe 

 the agency of each event in the formation of that whole ; and, 

 in this manner, to seek for the elements of order amid the ap- 

 parent evidences of confusion. 



In the constitution of the material universe we have not 

 failed to discover proofs of the most perfect order. From the 

 beauties of proportion, and the harmonies of arrangement, 

 and the mutual adaptations existing between its diversified 

 parts, and between each part and the whole, arises the infer- 



its operations would require a new modeling of the entire 

 whole. 



In the phenomena of intellect are exhibited evidences of 

 the same order. The complicated machinery of mind ; the 

 nice adjustment of its faculties ; the accurate balancing of its 

 powers ; the modifying influence of each upon all, and of all 

 upon each, indicate with a clearness, setting all doubt at defi- 

 ance, that the Master-mover has there left his impress. 



