Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-04-20
SPEECH OF 7. DARLINGTON MAcAuLaY.

On Wednesday, The BIS! March last Mr.. t.
3. Macaulay was Installed as Lord Rector in
presence Of the principal professors, students,
and brilliant lhrcng OF ladies' Mr.. Macau-
Law, after thanking those who had elected him,
said:
am not using meIc phrase, OF course, when
say that the feelings with which bear part
in The ceremony OF this day are such as | find II
difficult TO ulter in words do not think II strange
that when that great master OF eloquence, I'D
mund Burke stood where now stand, ne laef-
ed and remained mule. Doubtless the multitude
OF thoughts which rushed into his mind was
such as even he could not easily arrange or eI-
press. In truth, there are few spectacles more
striking or affecting han that which great his
lorical place OF education presents on solemn
public DAY.
There Is something strangely interesting in The
contrast between The venerable antiquity OF The
body and the fresh and ardent youth OF the great
majority Of the members. Recoeciiuns and
hopes crowd upon US together The past and
the future are al once brought close 10 Us Our
,hougi:s wander back 10 the time when me loun-
dalioGs OF This ancient building were lad, and
forward 10 The time when those whom II Is our
office 10 guide and 10 teach Will be the guides
and teachers Of cur pos;erliy. On The present
occasion, we may, with peculiar PROPHECY, give
such Thoughts heir course. For II has CHANGED
that my magislracy has fallen IN great secular
eloch. This is the four hundredth year oil the
existence of your university (Cheers.) Al such
| iuoilees as lhese-jubiees Of which no indiyidn.
Al sees mote than one-ii IS natural, II IS good,
| that society like this-a society which, survives
all the lran,ltory paris OF which il is composed
| "a society which has a corporate existence ana
| perpeiual succession should Icview lis annals,
! should rerace the stages OF lis growth, from ~
| fancy TO maturity, and should Try 10 ma 10 INC
| experience of generations when nave Passeo
away, lessons which may be pfon'aoie 10 gene
rations vet unborn. The reirospec'is !uii OF m
! terest and instruction
Perhaps il may be doubled whether, since Inc
| Christian era, there has been any point OF time
| more impori ant 10 The highest interests OF man
| kind than that al which The existence OF your
| university commenced. Ii was The moment oi q
grea, destruction, and OF great creation. fou
society was Instituted just before The empire o
The East perished-hat strange empire, which
dragging on lansui lie through The great as
OF darkness connected together The Two srca
ages OF Ijehl-,hal empire which, adding noihin!
10 our stores OF knowledge, and producing no
one man great in letters, III science, or IN an, We
preserved in the midst OF barbarisin, those mas
Ter pieces of Attic genius which the hshes
|
plare, with admiIins despair; and, a! that yer
lime while the fanatcal Mosem were plumber
ing the churches and palaces Of Constantine
nile. breaking in pieces Grecian sculpture, an
Giving 10 The flames piles Of Grecian elDqncnct
few humble German arlZans, who little Rne'
that they were calling into existence power la
mishtirr than that OF the victorious Sultan, Wer
busted in cutting and setting The inst types. In
University came into existence Just IN Time
sre lie last trace OF the Roman empire disappear
AMI 10 see The earliest printed book.
, Atlhis conjunclure, coDjuncluTe oil nnrivalle
interest in the history Of le,ters-a man never
be mentioned without reference oy every 'oVe
OF letters, held the highest place IN europe. w
lust attachment 10 that protestant lain 10 whic
our country owes SO much, must not prevent I
nom having The tribute which, ON this occasio
and in this place, justice and gratitude deman
IN The founder OF the University of Glasgow, u
creates, OF the revivers OF learning, Pope N'ch'
las The Filth. He had sprung from The commo
neoole; bu, his abilities and his erudItIon mao ca
~ attracted the notice OF the great. de mao st'
died much and travelled tar. he had Visi'e
Great Britain. which, in wealth and rehnemen
: was 10 his naive Tuscany what the oaca setii
). ments to America now are 10 bnhaiu. ne ID
lived with the merchant princes OF flofenc
those men who first epnobed ifade oy MAXIM
trade the ally OF philosophy, oil eioquence' al
d of TASTE. Ii was he who, uncef Inc plo'ecion
The muni6ceat and discerning Cosmo, arrange
me fiTsr puhIic library that modern Europe pc
sessed. From privacy your founder rose TO
throne. bu, on the throne he never forgot the ST
= dies which had been his delight in privacy. (
J. was The centre OF an iusl'ious grot
n composed com partly OF the last grea! schOla
y Of Greece, and partly OF the first gre
scholars OF Italy, Theodore GAIA al