of which we have met to do him honor on this occasion, must feel that there is a singular appropriateness in the selection of the person who has presided here to-day.  No one can fail to perceive a striking similarity—­I might almost say a real parallelism of greatness—­in the careers of these two eminent persons.  Both are men who, by the great qualities of their minds, and the uncompromising spirit of justice which has animated them, have signally advanced the cause of truth and vindicated the rights of humanity.  Both have been fortunate enough in the span of their own lifetime to have seen their efforts in the promotion of great ends crowned by triumphs as great as they could have desired, and far greater than they could have hoped.  There is no cause with which the name of Mr. Bright has been associated which has not sooner or later won its way to victory.

I shall not go over the ground which has been so well dealt with by those who have preceded me.  But tho there have been many abler interpreters of your wishes and aspirations to-day than I can hope to be, may I be permitted to join my voice to those which have been raised up in favor of the perpetual amity of England and America.  It seems to me that with nations, as well as with individuals, greatness of character depends chiefly on the degree in which they are capable of rising above thee low, narrow, paltry interests of the present, and of looking forward with hope and with faith into the distance of a great futurity.  And where, I will ask, is the future of our race to be found?  I may extend the question—­where is to be found the future of mankind?  Who that can forecast the fortunes of the ages to come will not answer—­it is in that great nation which has sprung from our loins, which is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.  The stratifications of history are full of the skeletons of ruined kingdoms and of races that are no more.  Where are Assyria and Egypt, the civilization of Greece, the universal dominion of Rome?  They founded empires of conquest, which have perished by the sword by which they rose.  Is it to be with us as with them?  I hope not—­I think not.  But if the day of our decline should arise, we shall at least have the consolation of knowing that we have left behind us a race which shall perpetuate our name and reproduce our greatness.  Was there ever parent who had juster reason to be proud of its offspring?  Was there ever child that had more cause for gratitude to its progenitor?  From whom but us did America derive those institutions of liberty, those instincts of government, that capacity of greatness, which have made her what she is, and which will yet make her that which she is destined to become?  These are things which it becomes us both to remember and to think upon.  And, therefore, it is that, as our distinguished guest, with innate modesty, has already said, this is not a mere personal festivity—­this is no occasional compliment.  We see in it a deeper