Proceedings at the Second Anniversary Meeting of the Loyal Publication Society, February 11, 1865/Proceedings
REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
at the
SECOND ANNIVERSARY MEETING
of the
LOYAL PUBLICATION SOCIETY.
The Loyal Publication Society held its second Anniversary Meeting on the evening of Saturday, February 11, 1865, at the rooms of the Society, 863 Broadway.
The President, Dr. Francis Lieber, in the Chair.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
The Report of the Treasurer, Mr. Morris Ketchum, with an account current, showing a balance to the credit of the Society of $916 30, was read by the Secretary, accepted and ordered on file.
The Secretary of the Society, Mr. John Austin Stevens, Jr., read a general report of the operations of the Society, which, on motion, was accepted.
The Report of the Committee on Publications was read by the Secretary, and, on motion, accepted.
The Report of the Executive Committee was read by its Chairman Mr. W. T. Blodgett, and, on motion, accepted.
The Secretary was requested to superintend the printing of the foregoing reports, together with the Record of the Proceedings of this the Second Anniversary Meeting of the Society.
On motion of Col. McKaye, seconded by Col. Le Grand B. Cannon, the thank sof the Society were unanimously tendered to the President and Secretary, for the great care and fidelity with which they had performed their duties and looked to the interest of the Society during the past year.
On motion of Mr. Stevens, seconded by Colonel McKaye, the thanks of the Society were unanimously tendered to the Executive Committee, for their faithful attention to their duties, and especially to Mr. Wm. T. Blodgett, not only for his constant and assiduous care of the labor of distribution, but also for his personal efforts so successfully made to collect funds for the Society.
On motion of Mr. Blodgett, the thanks of the Society were unanimously tendered to the Publication Committee and its Chairman Col. McKaye, for their faithful performance of their arduous duties.
On motion of Mr. Putnam, the thanks of the Society were tendered to the Treasurer, Mr. Morris Ketchum, for his continued kind and faithful care of the funds of the Society.
The President Dr. Francis Lieber here addressed the Society:
Address of Dr. Lieber.
Gentlemen,—You are aware that by the rule adopted at the last general meeting of the Society, its officers and committees are annually elected or appointed. The Reports which have been submitted to you have alluded to the important labors of the Society during the season which has past. The importance of the Society was acknowledged last year, and has been since clearly established and confirmed in various ways, until now it is admitted to be a valuable element in the great movement—nor can it be said that its importance has been increased because of the election, although that election was more important than any which ever occurred in the history of the Republic, unless, perhaps, that of Washington; for who can say what would have been the fate of the infant Republic without his directing and sustaining hand. Indeed, there have been few national acts recorded in all history which can be compared in vastness or effect with that of the 8th of November; an election which deserves a separate name and a chapter from the historian. Yet even this does not show the whole importance of the labors of this Society.
At no previous election were there ever so many undecided men; so many men who were undecided up to the very day of the election. The Chicago platform had unsettled and upset the minds of numbers of men. Numbers hesitated between the platform and a candidate whom their own party had proposed.
Many of these hesitating votes were decided by the loyal publications of our Society. A curious instance occurred, one no doubt of many, which showed the influence of the publications of this Society. On one occasion in this city a German procession carrying the so-called democratic banners, was temporarily arrested, and entering a hall near by, some of them received from one of the distributing agents of this Society copies of one of its publications. The views of the pamphlet appealed directly to their understandings. The procession was broken up, its members retired to their homes, and, later, voted for the country.
Again, on an occasion in New Jersey, one of the pamphlets was read before a Democratic meeting and received with great applause.
Nor should it be forgotten with what limited means, when compared with the sums spent upon publications in the country, this widely honored and respected name had been established by the Society.
Dr. Lieber then tendered his resignation as President and nominated Mr. W.T. Blodgett as his successor.
Mr. James McKaye was called to the Chair.
Mr. Blodgett addressed the Society, declining the use of his name as a candidate, whereupon, on motion of Col. Cannon, Dr. Francis Lieber was unanimously re-elected President for the ensuing year.
Mr. John Austin Stevens, Jr., also placed his resignation at the disposal of the Society, whereupon, on motion of Mr. Bristed, he was unanimously re-elected Secretary for the ensuing year.
Mr. Morris Ketchum was unanimously re-elected Treasurer of the Society.
The Chairman designated Messrs. Putnam and Tousey as an Auditing Committee, to examine the accounts of the Society.
On motion, Mr. Stevens called the attention of the Society to the propriety of making some change in the "Declaratory Resolution," so as to define more clearly its position with regard to slavery, urging that the time had come for an open avowal of the determination of the Society to lend its influence to the total abolition of this institution.
The Chairman appointed Messrs. Stevens and McKaye as such Committee on Declaratory Resolution, with power.
On motion of Col. Cannon, it was
Resolved, That the Society will hold Quarterly Meetings on the evenings of the second Saturdays of February, May, August, and November.
At this period in the proceedings, Mr. Blodgett, on behalf of the Committees of the Society, addressed the President, Dr. Lieber, and presented to him, in their name, an elegantly bound set of the "Rebellion Record," with the following remarks:
Dr. Lieber—The pleasing duty has been assigned me of presenting these volumes of the "Rebellion Record" in the name of the Committees of this Society—your associates during the past year. Recognizing, as we do, the cordiality with which you have seconded all efforts of the Committees in promoting the efficiency and usefulness of the Society, we ask your acceptance of these volumes; and, should they find a place on the historic shelves of your library, we trust they will often remind you of an association which has been agreeable to us all, and of profit to our common country.
Dr. Lieber replied in a few, touching, and eloquent remarks.
The President named the following Committees for the ensuing year:
Publication Committee.
James McKaye, Chairman.
|
John Austin Stevens, Jr., |
Dr. F Schutz |
Executive Committee.
William T. Blodgett, Chairman.
|
C.E. Detmold, |
Charles Butler, |
|
Finance Committee.
LeGrand B. Cannon, Chairman.
|
James A. Roosevelt, |
William E. Dodge, Jr., |
|
And after some discussion with regard to the arrangement of business for the ensuing year, the Society adjourned.
A true extract from the minutes.