President’s Address. 
11 
weeks ago a fleet of half a dozen war vessels sailed from China 
manned by Chinese sailors who, whilst waiting for the com- 
pletion of the contract by the builders, commended themselves 
to the English community by their orderly conduct. These 
vessels were built by a special contract with Chinese officials. 
With these ships alone the Chinese could easily revenge the 
cruel treatment perpetrated upon their people on the Pacific 
Coast. They could readily seize San Francisco, and with the 
aid of their 40,000 countryman, now in that city, not only 
destroy it, but sweep American commerce from the coast, and 
it would be months before sufficient force could be sent there 
to resist the invasion. ‘‘The thing that hath been it is that 
which shall be” may again be verified, and with the resurrec- 
tion of that people to new life, another but greater than 
Genghis Khan may change the conditions of the civilized 
world. Science, however definite and general it may become; 
literature, however brilliant; and wealth, however enormous 
it may be, cannot, singly or combined, secure a permanent 
civilization. It alone can be so when it is based upon the 
high principles which flow from the throne of God, for it is 
righteousness which truly exalteth a nation! 
In conclusion, I beg to thank you for the honor conferred 
upon me for many years. The society has existed for quarter 
of a century. During the most of that period I have occu- 
pied the chair. I am perfectly aware of my short-comings in 
that position. Your work has made the society what it is. 
The time has come when I must yield up my position into 
more efficient hands. ‘‘ The thing which hath been it is that 
which shall be.” The old must disappear from the scene 
and the young must take their place. It is so ordered. It is 
not necessity but duty which demands the change. Not only 
do I wish that great success may attend the future of the 
society, but I feel assured that such will be the case. You 
have material that would secure a prominent position to 
any society, and I have no doubt that a first rank will be 
maintained by the Natural History Society of New Bruns- 
wick among those of the Dominion. 
