The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-11-02
INDEPENDENT INTEGRITY.
An Exaugural Delivered before the Am-
phyctiOn Society OF Hillsdale College, at
. Its First Anniversary. June 10, 1858.
PUBLISHED NJ nrQuksr OF rur SOCIETY.
By :. r nokK.


tegrity is the crowning glory Of human
nature. Other traits Of character may
glitter with their tinsel like splendor but
tho integrity Of the heart is the measure
Of the man. 1t is the strongest fiber in
great ties Of our common humanity, and
without it all tho relations Of life, both So
cial, political and moral, lose their value,
dignity and purity. 1t is the star of sue
cess in the sky of our futuro-a guide 10
greatness, and way mark TO glory.
II wreathes in beauty the sacred shrines
of social life, and decks with flowers Of
virtue the altar of the home circle. There
the warm currents of life centre-eye
speaks to eye, heart throbs with heart, and
mind mingles with mind-there integrity
is the offspring Of the soul--an attribute
of Deity bcqucathcd to humanity. 1t cx-
pands the warmt!i Of the heart into a ICON
stcllation of virtues" and sets a rainbow
of peace in tho tcmpests of the SOUL
1t throws n halo of sacred purity around
home, builds its walls high and strong,
through which no rude eyes may gaze, or
strange forms enter TO mar its peace and
happiness.
But when the integrity OF social life is
gone, the dignity Of human nature is taken
away; home is robbed of its beauty and
lovlincss and the firesidc is rendered bar
rem and desolate. The Integrity Of inno-
ccrce is sacrificed TO the pretcnsions Of
passion, and TIE simplicity Of the heart is
drowned in the deep, dark currents Of vice.
The ardent hopes and plighted faith Of fc-
la inn lo1 in
ming smiles of the heartless william, and
feminine beauty tha. wrcathed the brow Of
smiling vltuc, strews the highway Of life
with the flowers Of death Nightly thro
orr great cities and busy thoroughfares cbb
and flow tho deep dark floods Of abandon
ell neutrality-suspicious. beings, once
clothed in the moral beauty Of their Crca
tor, bat now, from lack Of integrity,
fallen victims 10 tho fires of passion. Oh !
how sad 10 contemplate-yet beautifully
docs integrity, like rock.founded light
house, stand up amid the raging war of
the social elements, and guard the virtuoas
aud innocent from the malstroms of vice
But the highest manifestations Of in
tegrlty are less contingent and dependent
upon the natural relations of life--thoy
arc founded upon broader principles and
moro Independent rules of action. AS we
look abroad over the great moral battle
field Of life, and through the dingy clouds
and murky smoke view the deadly strife
that is going on, here and there, like the
tall sncw.cappcd Alps, stand towering Up
noble examples of stern Independent in
togrty. Tier the strong arm, ncrv d with
an integrity Of puinosc, wiclds the great
sword Of truth with power and skill
When that long and draary night of
years, the ia ages, satt! d down upon
the world aud threw It's maatlo of gloom
around tie wrecks and ruins of kingdoms
and cmpitls, still through The s7rrounding
darkness was sotn tho meteor Ike biazo
Of noble integrity. How often during that
lorg gloomy night did Che stern oldyoierans
Of reivf.a ascend the walch-toweis OF hope
ana look to the East for the breaking of
day, and when no ray OF light could be
seen St.. Ing across lie hoF,zJa they wiped
the sweat from their brows and again as
sumcd ,hc.r sentry wax. And when the
long, tedious d.nsuesi seemed to whisper
thai the day never would dawn, that the
sun hal forever SIT, wrapping their man
ties ,uoIe closely around lLem they stood
firm in ihc Integrity Of lh,ir trust. So
strong were hpl souls neyycd for the bat.
Ties of III l.ll ey,u in death they pre-
served t,.ir integrity when life closed
their sun went d,Hn without cloud in
the ky Such IN % lat6 been the torcE-
b5mcrs Of r5!orn in ile worlds dark hours
- such u"n lave laborcd and died for
down-tfodden humanity. They have kin
died the volcanic fires beneath tho strata of
custom anl caste, and shook with the
earthquake Of ag,taion the ca,tles and
towers Of tyranny and dcspotism.
When oppression with strong bars and
bolts shackIcd humanity and bound it in
the prison house of hopeless servitudc aud
the great mass of mankind bowed meckly
to the tyrants yoke, stern integrity splaug
f up in the warm heart Of philanthropy, and
opened n way Tor dcliveraucc aud freedom
, During the past history of the world, civil
government has been great stronghold OF
tyranny and despolism-law has been
turned into an engine Of oppression instead
of dispenser Of iustice-and law givers,
with mcrciless mockery, have bound the
> the legal bands with their iron links around
, the CALLED limbs Of humanity, but wherever
integrity and intelligence, in unity, have
, appeared, there has been the dawn of re
form, and an advance towards freedom
. and truth. 1t is trlo that men OF integri
, ty hayc crimsoned the block and the gull
. lotine with the warm red current Of life
and poured out their hearts blood in tho
cause of right, vet their efforts were MOI
/ lost they were pebbles dropped in The
/. great ocean Of life, whose rippling wave,
. should roll fart er and wider until lost in
|. the great ocean Of eternity.
When Rome in her majesty and gran
I deur stood up among the nations of earth
b and her heart sent the life-blood through
5 the veins Of the republic, then spirit o
2 integrity pewaded her rulers and subjects
Q but when the dark turbid streams of vice
and corruption had washed away virtuou
integrity from her people, then her he
great flame work trenibed, and down cam,
! her battlements Of defiant greatness. Af
II ter her down fall long period Of 'dark
;, ness brooded over the waters" until the po