Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-08-12
COLLEGE COMMENCEMENTs.

These commencements this year are somewhat
remarkable for the presence of distinguished indy
duals who have heretofore beenSnored on account
of their advocacy of unpopular truth. Frederick
Douglass at Hudson, c. c. Bureigh at Obcrln
and Wendell Phillips at Union College, indicate a
marvellous change in public sentiment.
We give brief report Of Mr. Phillips's Speech
which we find in the New-York papers:
Attn P. NJ, WENDELL PuILLIps of Boston de-
livered an address before the Adel phic and Philo
mathean Societies, in the First Reformed Dutch
Church, to which the exercises were transferred en-
this occasion, the supply of light being better in
that building than in the Presbyterian Church
The attendance more numerous than on any
of the previous occasions, the church being filed
Dr. Hicock introduced
WENDELL PHLLIPs who was received with loud
applause. lie said: | thank YOU, gentlemen Of
these Societies. for the candid Judgment and wide
liberation which invites me 70 your platform to-
night known to you as am, only as the advocate
of class of opinions which find at least distastC
with n large portion of the community | thank
you for that generous confidence which lends me
an hour of your attention at so momentous crisis
in your lives as the present. The events Of this
day may give character to your whole lives; to-
day you are nothing tomorrow your voices go tC
make up that public opinion ON which our hopes
and the fate of our children depend. You do not
now appreciate your pOSltlOn-Wncn you
do, you will understand bow gladly those
who are in the battle seize an opportunity,
rs do now to gain any advantage. | feel the deer
responsibility of this moment, and would point out
to you the responsibility which rests in republic
thoughtful men,-a phrase which | prefer to
that of "the educated class" Our diploma gives
us little education the printing-ofice educates us
almost well University. ] will not tread
the ofttrodden pathway in discussing literature in
its means, appliances, aims and results. l would
endeavor to draw still finer line, than that drawn
by many great men who have discussed the topic
would wish to point you to the duty Of men o
thought, in republics. Our country is often com
pared to Greece, but Greece was not republic
she gave us noble language, but God seemed
only TO have made it, that the Gospel, when il
came, might not stammer in a barbarous tongue
loud applause Even Rome had no individual
liberty; and her elevation seems designed only
that her car of triumph might smooth the pathway
for the naked feet Of the Gospel. Applause.
With her, whatever was good for the State, was
right whatever bad, was wrong the sacrifice OF
life not being taken into account. Strange enough
only in the feudal system do we find The element
of individuaism, matured by the Christian religion
The motto of Venice was g..
Primo Tenezianj,
Poi CTistiaRi."
"irst Nenitians and then Christians" and such
was the Roman princpe-frst Romans, then men
40 Christianity alone, aided by the prior mechan-
ism of feudalism, is due the true idea of indivdu-
ality. The soldier has had his day the priest
(thank Cod is passing into obscurity; the day of
thinking men is coming. The era of force. the
epoch of law, are rassed-the present is the gov
ernment of ideas. We live much more under the
government of newspapers than of law, where
those represent public opinion. In the language
of Taleyrand, "EreryLody kHo,os more than any
body kao'os." The responsibility of thoughtful
men is the greater Life under an aristocracy is
safer when the masses rise, than where equality i,
the law; the people dash their brains out against
deeply-rooted institutions, as sea-birds against
lower amid the waves. With us the neglected