Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-08-22

xo1xtkos ana Juo x1mo9.
George w. Curtis. the author. de-
liversd . graceful aud eloquent ors,ion
on Tuesday. bs'vre the Literary So
clsslea Of Wesleyan Universally. Md
dletown, Connecticut. The following
IL one of the opening passages -'
The occasion pveseslbes my thsms;
the times determine l,a treatment.
That thrme 70 the Scholar; the les
son. Of the dusy Of the American
scholar 10 politics. asl.i "a
1 would gladly speak 10 you Of the
charms Of pure seholaEship: OF tbs
dignity and worth Of The scholar; Of
tbs abstract relation Of the scholar To
the State. The sweet air We breathe
and the reposs OF mid-summsr Invite
= calm ethical or intellectual dIsccurss.
But would you have counted him =
friend Of 0rssos who quietly discuss
I'd the abstraot nature Of patriotism
on that Greek Summer day through
whose hop~lssa and immortal hours
Lsonidas and bic three hundred stood
~ Thsrmopyks foe liberty Z And
to-day ~ the scholar mediintss that
deed. the nir that steals Ia At his win
dow darkens HE study and su5ocstes
him ~ he resds. Ddhing across q
continent and bllehtIng the harvests
that gid u with plenty from the Al.
lsntIo 10 the Mississippi. = black cloud
obscurss the psgs that records m old
crime, and compsls him 10 know that
freedom always has i,s Thermopylss
and that Thermopylas 10 called Kan,
sas. pas ph
Because We are scholars Of to-day,
shall We shrink from touching the in.
terests OF to-dayf Bsoaus~ ws are
scholars shall We cease to be citlsens
Because We are scholars shall We cease
10 be men ?
Gentlemen, ! am glad that, speak
Ing Of the duty Of the American
scholar 10 the times. / can point 10
one who fully understands those du.
ties and has illustrated them a. Milton
did. Among fellow -countrymen that
scholar falls defending the name and
rights OF his country men, and one ci
those couurymen stares ct him AZ he
lies insensibIs. and will not raise him
lest his motives be misuuderstood and
another turns bic back upon his bleed
ing colleague. because for two years he
has not been upon speaking terms
with him. Gentlemen, the humane
heart is just. and no traitor TO human
ity escapes his proper doom. Sscre'l
history hands down to endless infamy
the Pfsest ana tne' Levite who passed
by on the other side. Amoag gentle.
men this scholar pleads the cause
dear to every gentleman in history
and = bully strikes him down. In a
Republic Of free men, this scholar
speaks for Freedom. asd his blood
stains the Senate floor. There it will
blush through all our history. That
damned spot will never out from mem.
ory. from tradition, or from noble
hearts Every scholar degrades MS
oroer' ana couFts 'ne pity OF oil gen.
erous men. who can see Just liberty
threatened, without deserting every
other cause to defend liberty. Oh
what use are your books? OF What
use Is your scholarship? Without
freedom OF thought. there Is no evil
isst'on or human progress; and with
out freedom OF speech, liberty ol
thoughts q mocsery.
Know wei 'nst = eonvenuona'
prejudice consecrates this occasion e
dull abstractions and timid. Il moi
"eacnefous genersn"es' ~ wou'o a.
low me to speak OF the scholar. and
Of the American scholar. IN his reIa'
tot 70 Greek roots and particles. bu'
would forbid me to mention bis dutie!
to American topics and times
might speak OF n'm ss professor, OF
diA'ect'tian. . dictionary. = grammar
put must not SPEAK OF MS asa man
! know that . literary orator 70 held
to be bound by the sane dscsncies tha
regulate the preacher. but what are
those decenc'es! 10 the preacher Y
rebaks the sins OF Jerusalum or o
rn''sde'Pn'a ! is ne 70 say 10 gene
raj. ''be good" when ne sees In wha'
particular We are bad. and counsel si.