nation's wealth and progress seemed to have fairly begun. Strong and
vigorous intellects ruled in the councils of the nation and inspired
confidence in the people. Science was breathing new life into our
enterprise, and leading us rapidly into new fields and richer prospects.
It was also brushing away the prejudices that had narrowed our thoughts
and confined our action to things of a past age. Steam was an adjustable
power now, a reality; still there were sensible men who shook their
heads in doubt; and the men who declared it would soon revolutionize the
commerce of the world were set down as not safe to do business with.

Steamboats of improved model and of increased size seemed to spring up
every day, and might be seen passing up and down the Hudson night and
morning. Now a company of reckless New Yorkers proposed to build a
steamboat two hundred feet long, and with an engine of one hundred and
fifty horse power, to navigate the Hudson to Albany at the rate of
thirteen miles an hour. This great experiment, regarded so hazardous at
that time, sent the honest and peace-loving Dutchmen along the banks of
the river into such a state of alarm that they called meetings, and in
the most solemn manner declared that no man's life would be safe while
sailing at such a dangerous rate of speed. And they further declared
that all these new-fashioned methods of putting an end to the lives of
honest people must be stopped. In fine, they predicted nothing but
distress and ruin on all who had anything to do with them.

It was at one of these meetings, held in Nyack about this time, and
presided over by the school-master, that a number of these honest and
peace-loving old settlers resolved, after much grave deliberation, that
a man who paid his debts and was contented with what he had was the only
true Christian. And it was further resolved, that the world was getting
to be very wicked and very full of foolish people, who were in such a