The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-09-09


Contrary to our expressed purpose We
arc induced to admit the following para.
graph which with the remarks wo may
| append will be the last of the subject
Editor of the Aidd1eJurg Regi,ter.
observe III your account of the Com
mcDcemeDt Of Middlobury College ref.
erence to the discourse Of Dr., Checver
before the Philadelphian Society. which
you characterize as "a discourse on the
Higher Law principles" purely polemic
in all its bearings" and "a violation of
the prophecies Of festive occasion"
There are two sides to this question
You have given ono side, will you
| allow me to give the other2
| The festive occasion 10 strictly the
commencement dinner and the ronvivi-
alities connected with The anniversary
A strong pungent pointed discourse over
any subject,would Of course have been out
OF place tthe commencemen t dinner, or
at the Presidents levec These are seas
ons of general relaxation when it is ex.
pectedthst small change will freely cir.
| culate.
Not 40 with the addrcsses before the
societies, we expect the we'll prepared
productions of strong vigorous thought.
and distinguished Of course by the speak.
ers mental and moral peculiarities. If
| there were musical society in the col
| loge and il should conclude to have a
musical performance at commencement
| and should send for trumpeter. il
would expect him to bring his instru
ment, and play upon it, and would be dis.
appointed if he were to undertake to re.
gale the assembly with the music Of the
violin or flute. Not less would have
been the disappointment if DR.. Cheever
| had brought forth an address upon some
speculative subject. or tame pointes,
address upon any subject. He is emf.
nently practical man. whose concep.
tions of what he deems truth are very
vivid, and whose soul is deeply stirred
by contemplation of the wrongs i'm.
posed upon humanity. This peculiarly
was manifested many years ago in his
attacks upon the manufactures and
vendors of intoxicating liquors which
brought down upon him their wrath and
made such strong impression throught
out the country, and it has been more
recently mi infested in his attacks upon
the sum of all vilanies' Slavery, and
his denunciations of the daring attempts
by congressional legislation and judicial
decision to make it national and also
in thorough examination of the assum.
ton that human law whatever NAV be its
character, is, at all events binding He
maintains, the supreme authority of
| Gods law-the higher lawn-and de.
nonces the "framing of mischief by law
and the claiming that obedience be i'm.
plicitly yielded to it.
Now here is great living, practical
issue, which, in my judgement, NAV be
very properly discussed in an address
before College Society and especially
before society, whose leading purpose
is the examination and discussion of
moral questions Almost every body
believe. wanted to have DR.. Cheover on
the question which was the subject of
his discourse, 1t might not, indeed be
expected that every body would agree
with him but it might | think, be rca.
sopably expected that those differing
from him, would like TO hear what a
strong vigorous thinker had to say on
that side of the question. And this the
more especially, as we had, think two
years ago. very pointed discourse be-
fore one Of the College Societies on the
other sido ofthe same question a dis.
course vehemently denouncing the high.
err law principle" listened patiently
to what was said on that occasion; aud
/ do not remember that it was spoken
of by the press or elsewhere. as q viola.
ton Of the proprieties of the occasion.
For myself, like freedom of thought
and of speech, Oh Commencement occa-
sions, and on all occasions which like
that, demand strong, vigorous thinking,
and utterance would not have the
speaking on such occasions hold their
breath for fear of offending somebody.
Let us have bold, fearless utterances,
upon the ipe issues Of the age.
There is ira oscenden alism. DR. Hall,
il ia said-I did not hear him, drove
his battering ram against it, in his ad.
dress before the ailmni, to its utter
demolition. A few years ago we had
Emersion on the other side. I have
heard of no complaint Of Or. Hall OK
cept that he was too long snd prosy for
the WEAKNESS of the afternoon If CON.
mencement day. Transcendentaiism
nigh, receive very hard knocks without
violation of the prophecies Of the fes'
tive occasion. What, | beg to know
, 81 !.