New York, November 4, 1825.

DEAR SIR,

Agreeably to your request, the undersigned proceeded up the Hudson, this morning, in the steam-boat Washington, for the purpose of meeting the fleet of boats from the north and west; and of receiving, and making welcome, the Committees from those sections, as they should arrive within our jurisdiction, on their passage to the ocean.

At sun-rise, we met our new and anxiously desired visitants, between the State Prison and Weehawk, when the Commander of our boat, Captain E.S. Bunker, hailed the leading boat of the flotilla, and inquired the place from where she was, and her destination, to which the cheering answer was returned, by Charles Rhind, Esq. acting as Admiral, that she was "from Lake Erie, and bound for Sandy Hook."

Had the great Poet of Nature been present, he would have exclaimed with reason,

On being received on board of the Chancellor Livingston, we were introduced to the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Canal Commissioners, and Committees and Deputations from different parts of the State, appointed to assist in the Celebration, and to whom we had the honor to present the following address: –

"The accomplishment of this interesting object, to the commemoration of which we are indebted for your visit, will, in future ages, be ranked among the most splendid efforts of genius.

"How many months and years of profound study and application, on the part of some of our wisest citizens, were expended, before the mighty project was matured, and all the springs of action, necessary to bring it to perfection, were fully arranged and systematized, it is impossible now to calculate or determine.

"What new combinations, favorable to the growth and prosperity of this section of our empire, are to take their rise from this magnificent work, and shed their benign effects upon present and future generations, it is equally impossible to conjecture, and can only be ascertained by the lapse of time.

"But we may rest satisfied, that, as it is the product of the most comprehensive intellect, and of the most lofty patriotism, – as it is calculated to extend and multiply the advantages of external and international commerce, and the essential interests of agriculture and the mechanic arts, – and more especially as it is to render the chain of our Union stronger and brighter, – so will its projectors and friends receive the blessings of their cotemporaries, and of posterity, and their names be enrolled by the faithful pen of history, as public benefactors.

"We repeat to you our congratulations, Gentlemen, that we are permitted to join you in celebrating the union of our northern and western frontiers, with our Atlantic sea-board, and we invoke the Great Father of the Waters, and of the Land, and who is the Maker and Lord of all things, to smile upon our undertaking, and upon all the concerns of our beloved country."

To which the following reply was made, by Governor Clinton: –

"The congratulatory address of the Corporation of the City of New York, on the completion of the Erie and Champlain Canals, has been received, by the several Bodies to which it has been presented, with the most profound respect, and with the most cordial reciprocation.

"In offering to you our felicitations on an occasion so honorable to the intelligence and patriotism of this State, we can add but little to the forcible views which you have taken of this consummation. In its auspicious influence on the interests of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce – on the duration of the Union of the States – on the holy cause of Republican Government – on the elemental principles of social prosperity, it is a measure of the first importance, and will be felt and recognized as such by all future times.

"The gratifications naturally associated with the celebration of this event, are greatly enhanced by its intimate connexion with the prosperity of the City of New York.

"Standing near the confines of the ocean, and now connected, by navigable communications, with the great Lakes of the north and west, there will be no limits to your lucrative extensions of trade and commerce. The valley of the Mississippi will soon pour its treasures into this great emporium, through the channels now formed and forming; and, wherever wealth is to be acquired, or enterprise can be attempted, the power and capacity of your City will be felt, and its propitious influence on human happiness, will be acknowledged.

"The munificence which has distinguished the City of New York, in liberal appropriations for education, charity, and public accommodation, evinces the wisdom, public spirit, and energy of its constituted authorities; and reflects honor upon our country, of which it forms a most important portion; and every measure which tends to enlarge the sphere of your useful operations, and to increase your means of dispensing good, will, we trust, always be hailed as of primary importance by the good people of this State.

"We entreat you to accept our best acknowledgements for your kindness, and for your arrangements, on an occasion so worthy of the hospitality and munificence of this great and opulent City; and we most humbly implore the choicest visitations of the blessings of Heaven, on you and your constituents."

The several boats then proceeded to their stations, to give to the Corporation and their guests an opportunity of embarking on this joyful visit to the ocean, and of celebrating the opening of a communication between our inland seas with the Atlantic, which it is hoped will endure, while the waves of either shall continue to roll.

While passing down the river, for the purpose just mentioned, our newly arrived friends were greeted with the peal of bells, martial music, and the roar of cannon, in our City, and in different parts of the harbor, – and their reverberations from the rocky shores, and romantic cliffs of New Jersey, added, if possible, new glories to those that were opening, on one of the finest days in autumn. Earth, air, sea, and skies, seemed to unite in the invitation to rejoice; – the face of nature was illuminated with a smile from Heaven; – the scene was magnificent and imposing, and altogether beyond description; and, surrounded as we were, with glowing hearts and animated countenances, we could not but give way to the feelings of admiration and gratitude, with which all were enraptured.

At nine o’clock the Corporation, with their numerous guests, repaired to the steam-boats Washington, Fulton, and Providence, at White-hall Slip, where were also stationed the barges Lady Clinton and Lady Van Rensselaer, which had been engaged, by order of the Corporation, for the invited ladies. And shortly after the above hour (the embarkation of the joyous throng being completed, and being joined by the boats from the north and west) the whole proceeded round the Battery and up the East river, to the Navy Yard, where salutes were fired. On returning they were joined by several other boats and bands of music, and the wharves of the City, and the shores and heights of Brooklyn, were crowded with spectators, all pressing forward, and eager to participate in the festivities, bustle, and hilarity of the day.

When the fleet arrived between the Battery and Castle Williams, they were joined by the Marine and Nautical Societies, in the ship Hamlet, which had been fitted up by them, with flags and standards, in a style of splendor that could not be surpassed. The whole were here arranged and manœuvered by signals, preparatory to the display that was to follow, in the procession to the sea, and the spectacle became beautiful and interesting beyond anticipation. The Battery – the neighbouring shores – the ships and vessels in the harbour, and shoals of small craft, sporting about on the calm surface of the Bay, teemed and swarmed with men, women, and children, of every rank and condition, who testified their high gratification, by all the expressions, and by every method in their power. This elegant, and almost magical prospect, has already out-lived the power of adequate description, but will long be retained in the recollection of those who witnessed it, as an object of the most pleasing wonder, and of the most delightful association.

All arrangements being made with promptitude and regularity, the grand Aquatic Procession commenced, and proceeded down the Bay, like some air-drawn vision, of matchless grace and proportions, occupying the utmost stretch of the eye, and absorbing every faculty and power of comprehension, amid loud, repeated, and enthusiastic cheers, from every quarter.

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Transcribed from the original text and html prepared by Bill Carr, last updated 5/25/99.