New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-08-08
YORK. TUESDAY MORNING. AUGUST 8, 1913.

through the laws and the established constitution
Of the land. But in the way in which it is most
generally announced, it signifies the will of the
people IN caucus assembled, instead ofthe people
IN c0ncenfion assembled. The chief merit of
public officer is deemed TO be to find out and TO
fellow the will OF his constituents. He Is to have
no viii, no conscience, no reason ofhls own-but
must float with the current. Hence the land
! swarms with demagogues, whose only merit Is
the loudness and distlnctness with WHICH they ro-
clferate, : | am servant of the people | bow to
the will OF the people: O the dear. dear people
/ how love them. The feeling is general that
public man must have no voice, no will, no
mind OF his own. We thus sweep all the re-
straints that the Constitution has imposed upon
popular passion, and leave entirely TO shallow
/ pated politicians the government of the state-or
to men who, as John Randolph no less truly than
wittiIy SAID, have seven principles, namely: five
oaves and two fishes.
The tendency with US and throughout Christen-
dom Is to make all responsible to the people-but
the people are responsible. to whom In every
thing we do we have an eye solely to the public
sanction. Nov, SO far as this tendency is really
one Of progress Mr. BpowNsoN said he did not
contend with it. Whatever tends really and truly
/ to benefit the mass, he SAID he was prepared TO
dcfend-both IN religion and in morals But he
denied that this was the tendency. Democracy,
when 1t means simply TO follow the will of
the many, is worthy of no wise mans sup
port. 1t requires us not to sacrifice ourselves TO
the mass. but for the mass. Their Omn g00d often
requires that we should ritiStand them. TWAS
the peope-the sovereign maSs-that condemned
Socrates 10 death; it was the people that cried
out concerning greater than Socrates, Cruelty
HIM! it is sin that such man should llvc.
Every real benefactor Of the human race has been
regarded and treated an enemy. The race
never can be savca but by those who are cruel
fed for lt-who wander over the face OF the earth
and dwell in caves and among the mountains,
men of whom the world was not worthy. Nor
can it be otherwise.
Your mission, then, as scholars, is to with
stand the leveling tendency of the age and coun-
try, far as it is a tendency TO level downwardS
and rot upwards. The tendency is so strong
that you will find opposition to it no chlld's play
The public mind and conscience are perverted;
and you must begin your work by applying to
that higher and holier tribunal to which the pub
lie are accountable. Mr.. BRowNsoN said he
knew how strong were the temptations to sacrl-
flee principle to popular applause he knew how
easy it to acin-ay, and to lose-the ap
plausc Of the multitude. The old school of VIII
tiers, to which DR.. JOHNSON and others belonged,
were extremely anxious to get rid of patronage IN
literature, to shun the necessity OF pleasing their
patron and to appeal directly to the public. But
the writings produced in each period show the
essential difference between the system of that
age and this. A few phrases of weturned COM
plment received the favor of the patron, and left
the author free to express his own convictions OF
duty and of right. But now our author must
come before the public and ask, in the first
place, how much truth the public can bear How
much will they read and pay for in solid cash ,
Here is one cause Of the degraded character Of
modern literature, and of American literature by
way of emphasis.
Here is, them your work TO remedy this great
evil, and you cannot do it by going back to any
previous state of society. | leave, said Mr..
BRowNsoN, the Middle Ages: and from the bot
tom of my heart | believe them better than any
we have had since. But | would not recall
them-for they have fulfilled their mission The
children of Israel were far better of while ma
king bricks in the land of Egypt than while wan
dcring in the wdcrness-all except tie hope of
the promised land and so it is with u.s. We must
never look for any past age to return, but strive
for another period of still higher Development.
Do your work. then, lrih the public approval ii
possible,-but DO it at any rate. Ask not what
come from the cowardce, the unfa!thlulness, of
scholars and educated men-thcy not feeling their
responsibilities. The remedy, is in rearing up and
disciplining army of true scholars. The high
schools throughout the land should be well sup
ported, for from them goes out the influence
which must affect the world. 1t is better to speak
words Of truth and power to five hundred lntelll-
rent and thoughtful persons than to five thousand
of lower stamp: for every one OF these five
hundred may address five hundred more, and so
on from one generation to another, till the whole
race shall feel the influence of the new truth at
first spoken to but few.
Mr.. BRowNsoN closed his address, Of which |
have given You mere outline, and that, oil
course, in my own language rather than his,
with an urgent and eloquent appeal to those
whom he addressed to 90 forward with unlalter-
ing courage in the discharge of their high and
responsible duties as he had endeavored to ex-
PLAIN them He spoke boldly, clearly, and with
carnestncss; and his address was received with
remarkable favor by all who had the pleasure of
listening TO ii.
The exercises of commencement day were
held on Wednesday; but so much Of my letter
has been devoted to Mr.. BRowNsoN's Grafton
that have but little space for any notice of the
proceedings. observed upon the stage an I'M
usual number of distinguished strangers, among
whom were His Excellency Gov. PAINE and his
staff, Gen. ERAsTus RooT, of your State Senate,
Hon. WILLIAM SLADE, Hon. c. P. VAN Ness,
Hon. HEMsx ALLEN, Hon. GEORGE P. MARSH,
Hon. JuDGE GALE OF the Queens Bench In
Canada East, Colonel CHURCHILL, Inspector
General of the L. 5. Army &c. The orations
OF the graduating class filed up the exercises of
the day. They were in general exceedingly well
written, and evinced habits Of careful thought
and GOOD discipline in sound. essential nrinci.