Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-23
Address of Oliver wendell Holmes.

DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes delivered this
address at the late Harvard College inaugu-
ration, to his fellow-alumni:
Brothers, by the side of her who is mother
of us all, and Friends, whom she welcomes
as her own children The elder sons of our
common parent who should have greeted
you from this chair of Office, being for differ
ent reasons absent, ii has become my duty to
half fill the place Of these honored but truant
children to the best of my ability. A most
grateful office, so far as the expression of
kind feelings is concerned; an undesired
duty, if look to the comparisons you must
draw between the government of an associ-
alton existing de jure and its government
de tdcto. Your President (Mr. Winthop) so
graces every assembly which he visits, by his
presence, his dignity, his suavity, his art of
ruling, whether it be the council of nation,
the legislature of State, or the lively
democracy of O dinner table, that when he
enters meeting like this, it seems as if the
chairs stood back of their own will to let
him pass to the head of the board, and the
table itself, that most intelligent of quadru-
peds, the half reasoning mahogany, tipped
him spontaneous welcome to the highest
seat, and Of itself raped the assembly to
order.
Your first Vice-Presdent Mr.. Charles
Francis Adams) whose name and growing
fame you know so much better than his bodily
presentment, has not been able to CRAFTY
your eyes and ears by showing you the linea-
ments and stirring you with the tones in
herited from men who made their country or
shaped its destinies You and ! have no
choice, therefore, and must submit to stand
IN this place of eminence as speaker instead
Of sitting happy listner with my friends and
classmates on the border platform beneath.
Through my lips must flow the gracious well
come of this auspicious day, which brings us
all together in this family temple under the
benignant smile of our household diyinities,
around the ancient altar fragrant with the
incenseaof our grateful memories.
This festival is always joyous occasion.
1t reassembles scattered family without
making any distinction except that which
age establishes, an aristocracy of silver hairs
which all inherit in their turn, and none is
too eager to anticipate. In the great world
outside there are and must be differences of
lot and position: one has been fortunate,
another, toiling as nobly, perhaps, has fallen
in with adverse currents one has become
famous, his name stares in great letters from
the handbills of the drama of his generation;
another turks in small type among the super
numeraries. But here we stand in one un-
broken row of brotherhood. No symbol es-
tablishes hierarchy that divides one from
another; every name which has passed into
our golden book, the triennial catalogue. is
illuminated and emblazoned in our remem-
brance and affection with the purple and sun
shine OF our common Mothers hallowed past
and hopeful future.
We have at this time two-fold reason for
welcoming the return of our day of festive
meeting. The old chair of Office, against
whose uneasy knobs have rested SO many
well-compacted spines whose uncushioned
arms have embraced so many stately forms,
over whose inheritance of cares and tolls
have ached so many ample brows, is filled
once more with goodly armful of scholar
ship, experience and fidelity.
The President never dies. Our precious
mother must not be left too long widow,
Tor the most urgent of reasons We talk so
much about her maternity that we are ant 10
overlook the fact that a responsible Father is
as necessary to the good name of we'll
ordered College as that of well-regulated
household
As children of the College our thoughts
naturally center on the fact that she has this
day put on the weeds of her nominal widow
hood, and stands before us radiant in the
adornment OF her new espousals. You will
not murmur, that without debating questions
OF precedence, we turn our ewes upon the
new head of the family, to whom our Younger
brothers are TO look as their guide and co1n-
sellor, as we hope and trust through many
long and prosperous years.
Brothers of the Association of the Alumni
Our own existence as a society is so bound
up with that of the College whose seal is
upon our foreheads, that every blessing we
invoke on our parents head, returns like the
uew nom Heaven upon cur own. SO closely
Is the welfare of our beloved Mother knitted
70 tnat OF her chief counsellor and official
consort, tnat in honoring him we honor her
under whose roof we are gathered, at whose
breasts we have been nurtured, whose fair
Iame IS our glory, whose prosperity is our
of our own perpetuity.
] propose the health of the President of
Harvard University: We greet our brother az
the happy father Of q long line Of future
alumni.
The capitaI of the state Rank Of indiana