Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-08-28
From tho Indiana Joufnal, by request
s An ADDRESS. tgLaoi,
By REV. ]. W. 7. M'nuLlrN,


bs0 BY REV. ). W. 7. M'MuLLEN,
Deliuered Before the Ptatoaedh Society
Of Asbury Unirersity-'S Subject !, D|qaletS
/ am before you without d manu-.
script. Many reasons induce me tc
prefer this course. The .man1script
interferes with tho free and easy
movements Of the body, and prcyenIs
the proper exercise and discipline o.
the memory; permits the ,intciIect tc
Iplod lazily and coldly; brings down
the stupendous powers of the mind tc
an abject dependence on paper; pre-
vents genius, when startled By some
new and powerful thought, from
flashing forth like lightning from the
bosom of a storm cloud; imposes an
undue restraint upon the emotional
nature, and deprives an audiences oi
the grand spectacle of an orator who
is struggling, not 70 utter thoughts
that have flown down the pen and
grown cold on the pages of the man
uscript, but ideas that live and burn
in tho mind. aIa eoy l.ina saa -
You see, then, why / dare to come
before you without a manuscript, to
speak Of Daniel, the great statesman
First. Daniel in youth. ~. t.,.t.
Daniel was u Hebrew ofroyal birth;
born b. G. 5S6 or 5SS. lie was q
descendent of the kings OF Judah,
and is said to have been born at up
per Bethoran, in tho territory Of Eph-
rain" frr Uas ftrr r3 n
lie was led captiyeto Babylon, by
Nebuchadnezzar, in, the eighteenth
or twentieth year Of his age. His
captivityiwas the pathito fame. as.
Daniel soon became a student in
the royal school at Babylon. lie en-
tered theschool, ,withvery rare accom-
plishments. He had '.no blemish,
was we'll favored, skillful in all wis
dom, cunning in knowledge, under
standing science, and had ability to
stand in the kings palace.'' lie un7
derstood much of Hebrew history,
poetry, oratory, ethics, physics, arith-
metic, mathematics, astronomy me-
chanics, geography. and the law.
On entering the royal school Dan
icfs loyalty to the ,'higher law" was
put to the most rigid test. Nebu-
chadnezzar had appointed the royal
students daily provision Of his meat,
and of the wine which he drank -
Daniel purposed in bis heart that be
would not defile himselfwith the per-
ton of the kingsimeat, nor his wine,
therefore he requested OF Ashpenaz,
the master Of the school, that he
"might not dcfile himself.'' Ashpen-
az answered, 81 fear my, lord tho
king, who hath appointed your. meat
and your drink; why should he see
your faces worse liking than the chill
dron of your sort? Then shall ye
make me endanger my head TO the
king" This denial was severe tri-
al to the royal student, Tor he knew
that he was in the "favor and tender
love" OF Ashpenaz. oThou said Dan
iel to Nelzar, whom Ashpenaz had
to take charge of the, lie
brew class in theroyal school, prove
thy servants, L beseech thee, ten
days, and let them give US vegetables
to eat and water to drink. Then let
our countenances be looked upon be-
fore thee, and the countenanees OF
the children that eat Of the portion
of the kings meat, aud as thou seest
deal with thy servants. Nelzar con
sented, and at the end Of the ten days
Daniel and his class appeared fairer
in flesh than all the classes that ate
Of the kings meat. The conflict was
past; the victory won, and Daniel
stood forth n true hero and u model
young man. Why did he not eat Of
tho royal meat and drink Of the efoyal
wine? II was in conflict with tho
Higher Law. ' nsi' s'sa'ssl9 s't
Why did he not eat ofatho royal
provision, conseeratet, with pompous
rite, TO the gods of Bagylong lIt was
in collision with the Higher Law
Why did he not regard the law Of
Nebuchadnczzar the great? 1t was
an intraction of the Higher Law
Noble youth! Just admitted into the
royal school, he dared to stand for
the right, and maintain his loyalty,
to the higher law. What model is
this for all men; what rcbuke to the
corrupt, croaking, lower law men,
How incomparably, how infinitely
anti-Pettit, is this pure model of wis
dom and virtue. True hero, true to
the "higher law true to the law of
reason, true to the laws of health, he
contended with the monarch and
with the officers of the royal school,
his class into temperance
society, and established Il on the
splendid basis Of n vegetable DIET and
cold watcr. Contrastthis greatyoung
man with the rulers Of his OWN time
contrast him with the rulers OF our
times-contrast him with the present
incumbents of the highest offices in
our much afflicted commonwealth
What q tontrastl Daniel stands an
ti-Willard, anti Hammond, ani-Per-
kins, and anti-Old Line. Daniel is
a model worthy Of imitation by great
men, young men, and the young
student. Al.a'-,''a" 70 q spass s.ei'
He was student three years a,
this school In this time he mastered
physic, astronomy, judicial astrology
music, law, the science Of govern.
ment,s history, the Chaldeel language
and became the most profound schol,
ar of his age. In the learning, ant
the tongue of the Chaldeans, indeed
he became most pre-eminent for his
knowledge and skill in all learning
and skill Of the language. "'''a -
The great DIR. Clarke sspeslSi.f1 q :, 3
the three years study IN the roya
school, says: .ii. es -
y 'sThis was considorccI . sufiieien
| t;,,,, AZ aoouipn the ('haiduA IL. =