the people got greatly in earnest
that this park should be undertaken. They saw that the progress of the
manufactories was fast destroying the beauties of Boston; that they were
taking up the land in the suburbs rapidly: and, when I said that your
green lands were destroyed, with their beautiful curved lines, I forgot
to mention that your beautiful sheets of water are in the same danger.
Why, look at Fresh Pond, look at Jamaica Pond! They are beautiful
objects to gaze upon: but when manufactories begin to surround them,
when there are soap manufactories and tanneries, and I do not know what,
draining into the pond, the result is, that the water is unwholesome,
that the fish die, the water cannot be drunk, and then physicians begin
to tell their patients, "You had better move out of that neighborhood."
Are you aware, gentlemen, that that is coming upon us, that we must meet
it, and avert it?

Some years ago, the people of Boston were earnestly in favor of a park,
or system of parks. The legislature, for some reason or other, required
that the project should receive a vote of two-thirds of the people. That
was extraordinary and hard. But it did receive a vote of two-thirds of
the people of Boston proper, and more than two-thirds; but from the
accident of a newly added portion of the city, for some reason or other,
taking a slant in a certain direction, they voted very largely against
it, and it fell through. We must take warning from that; for land that
would have made then a handsome park, which we could have had, we cannot
have now at all. It would cost altogether too much to take
dwelling-houses and factories and railroad beds, if we could, for a
park.

Well, after six years of restlessness, at last we went before the
legislature again; and we got an act passed, authorizing the appointing
of commissioners with powers. That act passed, helped by our most able
fellow-citizen, MR. ROPES, chairman of this meeting; and it was
submitted to the votes of the people of Boston; and the park project was
carried by the votes of this entire population,--Boston, East Boston,
Charlestown, South Boston, Dorchester, Brighton, which make, all
together, a very large and most decisive majority. And therefore,
gentlemen, the question is not, Shall we have parks? you have decided
that; but the question is, Whether, having determined to have them, we
shall rest content with saying so? whether we will have our paper parks,
as we have our pa