Oration

BOSTON ORATORS Appointed by the Municipal Authorities.

Reading edition

For the Anniversary of the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770.

Note.—The Fifth of March orations were published in handsome quarto editions, now very scarce; also collected in book form in 1785 and again in 1807. The oration of 1776 was delivered in Watertown.

1771.—Lovell, James.

1772.—Warren, Joseph.[2]

1773.—Church, Benjamin.[B]

1774.—Hancock, John.[A][2]

1775.—Warren, Joseph.

1776.—Thacher, Peter.

1777.—Hichborn, Benjamin.

1778.—Austin, Jonathan Williams.

1779.—Tudor, William.

1780.—Mason, Jonathan, Jun.

1781.—Dawes, Thomas, Jun.

1782.—Minot, George Richards.

1783.—Welsh, Thomas.

For the Anniversary of National Independence, July 4, 1776.

Note.—A collected edition, or a full collection, of these orations has not been made. For the names of the orators, as officially printed on the title pages of the orations, see the Municipal Register of 1890.

1783.—Warren, John.[1]

1784.—Hichborn, Benjamin.

1785.—Gardner, John.

1786.—Austin, Jonathan Loring.

1787.—Dawes, Thomas, Jun.

1788.—Otis, Harrison Gray.

1789.—Stillman, Samuel.

1790.—Gray, Edward.

1791.—Crafts, Thomas, Jun.

1792.—Blake, Joseph, Jun.[2]

1793.—Adams, John Quincy.[2]

1794.—Phillips, John.

1795.—Blake, George.

1796.—Lathrop, John, Jun.

1797.—Callender, John.

1798.—Quincy, Josiah.[2][3]

1799.—Lowell, John, Jun.[2]

1800.—Hall, Joseph.

1801.—Paine, Charles.

1802.—Emerson, William.

1803.—Sullivan, William.

1804.—Danforth, Thomas.[2]

1805.—Dutton, Warren.

1806.—Channing, Francis Dana.[4]

1807.—Thacher, Peter.[2][5]

1808.—Ritchie, Andrew, Jun.[2]

1809.—Tudor, William, Jun.[2]

1810.—Townsend, Alexander.

1811.—Savage, James.[2]

1812.—Pollard, Benjamin.[4]

1813.—Livermore, Edward St. Loe.

1814.—Whitwell, Benjamin.

1815.—Shaw, Lemuel.

1816.—Sullivan, George.[2]

1817.—Channing, Edward Tyrrel.

1818.—Gray, Francis Calley.

1819.—Dexter, Franklin.

1820.—Lyman, Theodore, Jun.

1821.—Loring, Charles Greely.[2]

1822.—Gray, John Chipman.

1823.—Curtis, Charles Pelham.[2]

1824.—Bassett, Francis.

1825.—Sprague, Charles.[6]

1826.—Quincy, Josiah.[7]

1827.—Mason, William Powell.

1828.—Sumner, Bradford.

1829.—Austin, James Trecothick.

1830.—Everett, Alexander Hill.

1831.—Palfrey, John Gorham.

1832.—Quincy, Josiah, Jun.

1833.—Prescott, Edward Goldsborough.

1834.—Fay, Richard Sullivan.

1835.—Hillard, George Stillman.

1836.—Kinsman, Henry Willis.

1837.—Chapman, Jonathan.

1838.—Winslow, Hubbard. “The Means of the Perpetuity and Prosperity of our Republic.”

1839.—Austin, Ivers James.

1840.—Power, Thomas.

1841.—Curtis, George Ticknor.[8] “The True Uses of American Revolutionary History.”

1842.—Mann, Horace.[9]

1843.—Adams, Charles Francis.

1844.—Chandler, Peleg Whitman. “The Morals of Freedom.”

1845.—Sumner, Charles.[10] “The True Grandeur of Nations.”

1846.—Webster, Fletcher.

1847.—Gary, Thomas Greaves.

1848.—Giles, Joel. “Practical Liberty.”

1849.—Greenough, William Whitwell. “The Conquering Republic.”

1850.—Whipple, Edwin Percy.[11] “Washington and the Principles of the Revolution.”

1851.—Russell, Charles Theodore.

1852.—King, Thomas Starr. “The Organization of Liberty on the Western Continent.”[12]

1853.—Bigelow, Timothy.[13]

1854.—Stone, Andrew Leete.[2] “The Struggles of American History.”

1855.—Miner, Alonzo Ames.

1856.—Parker, Edward Griffin. “The Lesson of ’76 to the Men of ’56.”

1857.—Alger, William Rounseville.[14] “The Genius and Posture of America.”

1858.—Holmes, John Somers.[2]

1859.—Sumner, George.[4][15]

1860.—Everett, Edward.

1861.—Parsons, Theophilus.

1862.—Curtis, Thomas Ticknor.[8]

1863.—Holmes, Oliver Wendell.[16]

1864.—Russell, Thomas.

1865.—Manning, Jacob Merrill. “Peace under Liberty.”[2]

1866.—Lothrop, Samuel Kirkland.

1867.—Hepworth, George Hughes.

1868.—Eliot, Samuel. “The Functions of a City.”

1869.—Morton, Ellis Wesley.

1870.—Everett, William.

1871.—Sargent, Horace Binney.

1872.—Adams, Charles Francis, Jun.

1873.—Ware, John Fothergill Waterhouse.

1874.—Frothingham, Richard.

1875.—Clarke, James Freeman. “Worth of Republican Institutions.”

1876.—Winthrop, Robert Charles.[17]

1877.—Warren, William Wirt.

1878.—Healy, Joseph.

1879.—Lodge, Henry Cabot.

1880.—Smith, Robert Dickson.[18]

1881.—Warren, George Washington. “Our Republic—Liberty and Equality Founded on Law.”

1882.—Long, John Davis.

1883.—Carpenter, Henry Bernard. “American Character and Influence.”

1884.—Shepard, Harvey Newton.

1885.—Gargan, Thomas John.

1886.—Williams, George Frederick.

1887.—Fitzgerald, John Edward.

1888.—Dillaway, William Edward Lovell.

1889.—Swift, John Lindsay.[19] “The American Citizen.”

1890.—Pillsbury, Albert Enoch. “Public Spirit.”

1891.—Quincy, Josiah.[20] “The Coming Peace.”

1892.—Murphy, John Robert.

1893.—Putnam, Henry Ware. “The Mission of Our People.”

1894.—O’Neil, Joseph Henry.

1895.—Berle, Adolph Augustus. “The Constitution and the Citizens.”

1896.—Fitzgerald, John Francis.

1897.—Hale, Edward Everett. “The Contribution of Boston to American Independence.”

1898.—O’Callaghan, Rev. Denis.

1899.—Matthews, Nathan, Jr. “Be Not Afraid of Greatness.”

1900.—O’Meara, Stephen. “Progress Through Conflict.”

1901.—Guild, Curtis, Jr. “Supremacy and its Conditions.”

1902.—Conry, Joseph A.

1903.—Mead, Edwin D. “The Principles of the Founders.”

1904.—Sullivan, John A. “Boston’s Past and Present. What Will Its Future Be?”

1905.—Colt, Le Baron Bradford. “America’s Solution of the Problem of Government.”

1906.—Coakley, Timothy Wilfred. “The American Race: Its Origin, the Fusion of Peoples; Its Aim, Fraternity.”

1907.—Horton, Rev. Edward A. “Patriotism and the Republic.”

1908.—Hill, Arthur Dehon. “The Revolution and a Problem of the Present.”

1909.—Spring, Arthur Langdon. “The Growth of Patriotism.”

1910.—Wolff, James Harris. “The Building of the Republic.”

1911.—Eliot, Charles W. “The Independence of 1776 and the Dependence of 1911.”

1912.—Pelletier, Joseph C. “Respect for the Law.”

1913.—MacFarland, Grenville S. “A New Declaration of Independence.”

1914.—Supple, Rev. James A. “Religion: The Hope of the Nation.”

1915.—Brandeis, Louis D. “True Americanism.”

1916.—Chapple, Joe Mitchell. “The New Americanism.”

1917.—Gallagher, Daniel J. “Americans Welded by War.”

1918.—Faunce, William H. P. “The New Meaning of Independence Day.”

1919.—DeCourcy, Charles A. “Real and Ideal American Democracy.”

1920.—Wiseman, Jacob L. “America and its Vital Problem.”

1921.—Murlin, Dr. L. H. “Our Great American.”

1922.—Burke, Dr. Jeremiah E. “Democracy and Education.”

1923.—Lyons, Rev. Charles W., S. J. “The American Mind.”

FOOTNOTES:

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Passed to a second edition.Note 2 · A third edition was published in 1773.Note 3 · Reprinted in Newport, R. I., 1774, 8vo., 19 pp.Note 4 · Reprinted in Warren’s Life. The orations of 1783 to 1786 were published in large quarto; the oration of 1787 appeared in octavo; the oration Note 5 · Delivered another oration in 1826. Quincy’s oration of 1798 was reprinted, also, in Philadelphia.Note 6 · Not printed.Note 7 · On February 26, 1811, Peter Thacher’s name was changed to Peter Oxenbridge Thacher. (List of Persons whose Names have been Changed in Massac Note 8 · Six editions up to 1831. Reprinted also in his Life and Letters.Note 9 · Reprinted in his Municipal History of Boston. See 1798.Note 10 · Delivered another oration in 1862.Note 11 · There are five or more editions; only one by the City.Note 12 · Passed through three editions in Boston and one in London, and was answered in a pamphlet, Remarks upon an Oration delivered by Charles Sumn Note 13 · There is a second edition. (Boston: Ticknor, Reed & Fields. 1850. 49 pp. 12o.)Note 14 · First published by the City in 1892.Note 15 · This and a number of the succeeding orations, up to 1861, contain the speeches, toasts etc., of the City dinner usually given in Faneuil Hal Note 16 · Probably four editions were printed in 1857. (Boston: Office Boston Daily Bee 60 pp.) Not until November 22, 1864, was Mr. Alger asked by th Note 17 · There is another edition. (Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1859, 69 pp.) A third (Boston: Rockwell & Churchill, 1882, 46 pp.) omits the dinner at Note 18 · There is a preliminary edition of twelve copies. (J. E. Farwell & Co., 1863. (7), 71 pp.) It is “the first draft of the author’s address, tu Note 19 · There is a large paper edition of fifty copies printed from this type, and also an edition from the press of John Wilson & Son, 1876. 55 pp.Note 20 · On Samuel Adams, a statue of whom, by Miss Anne Whitney, had just been completed for the City. A photograph of the statue is added.Note 21 · Contains a bibliography of Boston Fourth of July orations, from 1783 to 1889, inclusive, compiled by Lindsay Swift, of the Boston Public Lib Note 22 · Reprinted by the American Peace Society.