The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-16
ADDRESS OF HON. II. M T. HUNTER,
Diiraed Ltoe the Literary socaies Of die Virginia Military
Lashtute on he Sd Of July, 1857.
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know there are those who reject shs great hope for
man future destiny upon Garth and who point 70 his
limited powers and finite capacities necessarily aixing
boundaries to the path Of his progress but nc
has already done much with more restricted means,
what may he not hope to accomplish in the future, with
his enlarged facilities and appances II each succeeding
generation may reasonably expect to bequeath to its
cessors larger stock OF wisdom and experience than
received from its predecessors, who can say that the
boundaries OF mans progress shall be either proximate
narrow Take organized nature IL around ms,
from the vegetable to the animal Kingdom and what do
we behold but constant advancement ia the order OF
creation, in the degrees of being Take Natures
its leaves of stone what do find traced there by
her hand In the everlasting rock but the history OF
successive progression in the series OF her grand designs
We constant advance from the lower to the higher
orders of creation in the vegetable the fish, the reptile
the Bird the quadruped until Nature her work
with the masterpiece OF man. With his appearance she
closed her wonderful book because according to the sg
gesons OF some, through his capacity OF progress le
was destined to present within himself the process of
constant creation, eternal Genesis.
But these not the only leaves of stone from which
may derive lesson upon this subject there is por
ton of mans history for which we have to depend
upon the pictured rock In the plains of Mesopoamia,
In that great paleozoic basin of the human race,
dsncr scupturod stones, which picture to MS with
reasonable degree of certainty the state of man
and his arts at that early day Between the states of
these arts and manners pictured them and now, is
there not almost much difference between the
ccssye stages ofreaton in of these other leaves Of
which have been speaking There In, then, word
in which Nature has summed up the whole history of the
successive process of creation and that word progress
There is perhaps, desire more common than any
other to every human heart from the howell to the pal
ace from the dungeon TO the throne and that for prog
ress-the aspiration to be something better than
There is idea with which that of life is inseparaby
connected is the idea of growth To grow is to live
to decline is TO die
bns hapu 1eany irnpla led fp
the heart by Nature herself is it to be supposed that she
would withhold the of gratifying it But what
the ultimate destiny of may be- thing
is certain carries within himself the capacity for
progress and for the of this development he Is
dependent upon himself, and upon his God alone, The
soul of bears light within itself which no aorta
hand but its extngush His felow-Inaa may
aid him, but human power crush out the immor
tai germ which has been implanted in the soul by Deity
himself If he consults the oracle that speaks within him.
he learns that the great object OF his existence is to grow
morally and intellectually, and by thus enarging the
pacty of his soul to elevate himself in the order OF being
When he has secured the consciousness of his inter
nal progress and spiritual growth he may well despsc the
things time and the accidents of fortune If they should
stand between him and the higher and nober objects OF
pursuit With the consciousness OF growing power and
expanding faculties and of the development of the mlor
tai part of his nature he may be happy without these
things but without that consciousness they fall upon the
like food for which do not hunger and water for
which we do thirst That this great sefdevcopmcnt
to be obtained only through the pursuit of virtue and
wisdom has been often proclaimed and acknowledged
Poets have sung the maxim, philosophers have pro-
nounced it, and the great of mankind have said
Amen to it readily enough But to feel with the whole
force of conscious truth that human happiness depends
upon the pursuit of virtue and wisdom and that moral
and intellectual progress spiritual growth is the great
end Of our existence, Is not common among
Too often this conviction does not force itself upon the
mind until after long and sad experience in life, when
its best opportunities have been thrown away and when
late for this world the teachings of that great truth
npfv in thor hath ny
later, it is well for ii the conviction comes at
ALL When that conviction is secured it is matter OF
minor Importance in what particular profession
patton to engage, for which of the prizes of life
to struggle 1t has been said that in this matter
cannot choose for another, and the saying Is
doubtless true one.
But, after all, this is matter Of inferior consequence
to the youth who has conceived the true purpose of his
existence and who, understanding the highest and no
blest end OF human pursuit has fixed his eye upon the
immortal flower, which Ii to crown the victor in the
great battle Of life In this favored land there many
roads, any one OF which lead him to fortune and
fame. Let him choose then that which is best suited
10 his circumstances and taste In TRUTH there is
much difference between them as is generally supposed
have some experience and have never yet seen the in
stance Of young OF good habits good endowment
and average capacity, who failed IN any of the
professions occupations of life if he had the will
to dare and TO persevere If he did not faint by the way
SIDE sure to crown him at last, In this
country happily thousands of golden opportunities Offer
themselves to the adventurous and the qualified Why
should any its young men despond who arc properly
trained and armed for the struggle Of life, with such
prospects lie before and around What generation
Of have been attracted by prospects varied
and brilliant those which rising before the young
men of our country
There have been individuals, perhaps, who were as
much favored, but when has whole generation OF
had many of the high and laudble objects of human
ambition placed within their reach lying open
to grasp All the greatest and most auring prizes
of life that be found in fresh free and mighty
country, rich in all the elements of social strength and
wealth. spread out before you They will belong
the successful champions in the great battle of life and
ii is to be remembered that there is regular army all
citizen soldiers here Choose we amongst them but
you must grid up, and yourselves for the contest
for they not to be without many hard blow ;
to the laggard craven by no chance they fall
Or if the soul sickens at the prospect of the dust and
tmuit Of such strife and with gcntler and quiet
tates turns rather to the sweet content and unobtrsye
occupations of domestic life for its hopes Of happiness
when before in what other land have the temptations
and facilities for such enjoyments been great
and here1
Nor must 1t be forgotten in choosing the ends Of life
that the pursuit of knowledge for its sake be-
the Of growing and unailing delight 1t
Is immortal taste which like that of the tabled Lotes
when once acquired more be lost or forgotten.
How often has il sustained its possessor under the soest
trials and raised him superior to the accidents of fortune
and the Affections Of life, peopng the solitude Of
fnement with mute companions, which while away all
sense of loneliness surrounding the sick mans couch
with pleasant thoughts bcgue him of tbs consciousness
of pain II give attractions to studies, from which
most men shrink improbable and wearisome and the
fact that the pursuit leads to knowledge in
its forms may make it asuicing for the happiness of
a life.