September Meeting

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1869.] SEPTEMBER MEETING. 143

to the approaching celebration of the Centennial Anniversary
of the birth of Alexander von Humboldt, who was at the time
of his death an Honorary Member of the Society, and sug-
gested that those who thought of attending should secure seats
together at the Music Hall, where the address by Professor
Agassiz, was to be delivered.

SEPTEMBER MEETING.

A stated monthly meeting of the Society was held this day,
Thursday, September 9, at eleven o'clock, a.m. ; Vice-President
Aspinwall in the chair.

The record of the last meeting was read.

The Librarian read the list of donors to the Library for the
past month.

The Cabinet-keeper read a list of the donations to the
Cabinet for the past month. These included a pair of tongs
once owned by the family of Thomas Hutchinson ; also a war-
club from the Sandwich Islands, brought thence by Captain
"William Ballard, of Boston; given by his grandson, Mr.
William Ballard, of Brooklyn, N.Y., through Mr. John J. May,
of Boston.

The Corresponding Secretary read letters of acceptance
from M. Thiers, of Paris ; and from Mr. William S. Appleton
and the Rev. Henry M. Dexter, of Boston.

Mr. Davis spoke of the Montcalm letters which had been
the subject of a communication from Mr. Parkman at the
June meeting, in one of which appeared some remarkable
predictions of historical events in this country, of sufficient
importance to attract the attention of Mr. Carlyle in his
"History of Frederic the Great." Mr. Davis said that Car
lyle was mistaken in supposing, as he seemed to do, that

144 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. [Oct.

these predictions originated with Montcalm. They undoubtedly
represented the common belief of all the French and many of
the English statesmen of that day. As early as 1748, accord-
ing to Bancroft, it was " announced by reasoning men in New
York that the conquest of Canada, by relieving the Northern
colonies from danger, would hasten their emancipation " ; and
this opinion was published in Europe by a Swedish traveller
who heard it that year in America. Similar opinions were
expressed during the negotiations which led to the peace of
1762, by Choiseul and Vergennes, by William Burke, by the
anonymous writer of a letter from a gentleman in Guadaloupe,
and by many others.

Mr. Deane presented to the "Library, in the name of the
author, a book of 323 pages in the Spanish language, entitled
" Historia Secreta de la Mision del ciudadano Norte-Ameri-
gano Charles A. Washburn, cerca del Gobierno de la Republica
del Paraguay. Por el Ciudadano Americano, Traductor titular
(in partibus) de la misma Mision : Porter Cornelio Bliss, B.A."

Mr. Deane stated some of the circumstances, as commu-
nicated to him by Mr. Bliss, under which this fictitious narra-
tive was written by the latter in Paraguay, while in a state of
duress from the tyranny of Lopez.

OCTOBER MEETING.

The stated monthly meeting of the Society was held this
day, Thursday, October 15, by invitation of our associate, Mr.
Lawrence, and with the concurrence of the Standing Commit-
tee, at his house in " Longwood " ; the President, the Hon. R.
C. Winthrop, in the chair.

The Recording Secretary read the record of the previous
meeting.