The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-25

III Oh anger, the darker spirit oi ftfenStj nau'us
with its kindred and gloomy host. was rebuked,
and love and charity spread their mantle over
the earth Would we then know 10 what refuge
we may flee from the madness of the passions
that refuge is 10 be found 10 Christian doctrine
in the charity which il teaches, in the love which
| il inculcates. The Bible is the great moral
code whose lessons address themselves with re-
sistless power TO the heart and tothe understand
| ing. Where, amongst the boosted philosophy
OF the schools, shall we look for any thing 10
compare with lis pure and divine instructions.
What lamp lighted up by all their proud wis
dom, shines with so brilliant and yet so mild
lustre along the pathway Of life q What SO
| elevates the soul TO a sublime conception Of the
attributes of the Deily2 In striving TO attain
perfection, where shall we look for an exemplar
but TO the meek and lowly Nazarene2 Let the
champions OF inhdelity in their nfuriate zeal,
declalm as they may until they shall have fur
nished TO The world something better than in
their idle rawlings they have yet done, they and
their works will go down in darkness 10 the
same grave. They have striven in vain TO
shake the edfce of Christian faith but its foun-
dations are laid deep il the affections, and their
assaults have ended only in their own destruc
ton. The banner Of in6de 'ity has been struck
down TO the dust, while the Cross has been set
in the all glorious heavens.
Under the influence of these convictions, gen
tlemen, you are destined to enter upon the thea
tire Of life. You will do so at an eventful period
| IN the history Of man. The gloom of the gothic
ages has long since passed away, and intellect
has gradually awakened It's energies. Science
has now lighted up all her lamps, and at her
| affairs are found innumerable votaries Nature
so long veIled in mystery, exhibits herself in all
her beautiful proportions to the enraptured gaze
| The chemist is at work in his laboratory, and
| the philosopher in his closet; flood Of light
has burst upon the world, and things heretofore
hid from the observation of man, are now laid
open to his view. The long and intricate chain
OF cause and effect is in the process OF exposure.
Mind is most powerfully at work, and no where
is ii more lively engaged than in this our ia
| ther-land. What heart can fail 10 beat with de-
light at contemplating the mighty results which
are transporting around US? Improvement meets
us in all our walks. The mechanical arts are
ceaselessly engaged in moulding existencies in
to new forms and new shapes, and the great
| ocean bears witness to new triumphs achieved
| by mans inventive genius. Time and space
are almost annihilated. The most remote
parts Of this widespread confederacy are
brought near to each other, and the dwell
! er upon the distant lakes is made familiar
with the inhabitant of the sea shore. Much,
however, remains to be done, and a wide field
has yet to be explored. country most highly
favored by heaven, with every diversity Of soil
and climate, will demand your aid. The gene
ration which has passed, and the generation
which is passing, will commit to the hands Of
those who are to succeed, the task Of improving,
adjoining and preserving. To you, in common
with others, will also be entrusted the task Of
fortifying and protecting civil liberty against the
attacks which may be made upon it. This is
task Of fearful difficulty, and will require vigi-
lance the most unceasing. The spirit Of change
is ever active. There is restlessness in the
affairs of men, which hurries on with equally
from vii IN md "A IN
evil. The past tells Us many tale of freedom
won and freedom lost. Nations have grown up
| in strength-have hourished. and have passed
away. The mighty ones Of the earth have long
since gone down to their graves and are forgot
ten. The tide of time has rolled, in its resist
less course, over empires and states, leaving no
traces Of their former renown, but broken pillars
and fragments innumerable. In knowledge Of
these facts, we, whoare now actors on the stage
of life, turn to our Colleges and Universities as
TO the arks in which the great covenant of free
dom is deposit d. There, history opens her
volumes, in which are recorded the causes which
have led TO national greatness, and in which are
traced out, as with pencil of light, the causes
of their final overthrow There, religion and
philosophy preside over the physical and moral
world. There, are taught those great principles
on which government should properly rest and
there, the youthful mind IS early mbued with
love Of liberty, and an adherence of tyranny
Our own system of government, apparently
complex, is explained in all its parts A po-
litica orrery is developed, which shows how
the State and Federal Governments, like the
sun and the planets, may each revolve in its Sc
parate orbit, and may roll on forever without
danger of collision-f the people be wise and
their rulers honest Who, then, can feel other
than lively interest in the prosperity of each,
and all of our literary institutions Who, wor-
thy TO be a legislator, could Tor moment hesl-
tate 10 increase their pecuniary endowmcnts,
where necessary TO extend their usefulness
And actuated, as they are, by the same motives,
and mpelled by the same high considerations,
how unworthy would they be of their exalted
calling, il the base spirit of envy or Jealousy
could find admttance within their balls. | come
to declare 10 YOU Masters and Professors of Ran
dolph Macon, that if such spirit has obtained en-
trance into other halls, il has no abiding place
within those Of the venerable College of William
and Mary. II is known TO you that hold a seat
at her vsitoral board, and have full authority
therefore TO declare that she witnesses your pros
perity with pleasure, and halls YOU as an ally in
the cause of literature, of science and of free
dom. You both fight under the same banner
the banner of truth and of justice You war
upon the same common enemy--error in deed
and error in opinion. Your trophies are the,
same-the trophies of religion aud philosophy.
Your labors terminate alike in the good of your
country and Of man.
And to you, Students of Randolp Macon
permit one, who, like yourselves, has been the
inmate of kindred halls to those which you have
frequented, TO extend to you the right hand Of
friendship, and to express TO you few more
parting remarks. The race of true glory lies
before you. close and diligent application to
your studies, and ready obedience to the adj
vice of your instructors, will best prepare you
TO run IL successfully. Like the racers nj the
Olympic games, you will keep the goal Of honor
evermore in view, and strain every sinew in or
der 10 win the nrize In after LIE many Of Won