Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-06-02
The Rise, Progress and Present
Condition of the GreenW ood
Literary Society.

The Rise, Progress and Present
Condition of the GreenW Jod
Literary Society
Ecl0W- Mn,btrs -
In accepting the invitation to ad-
dress you upon this topic, | regret that my
engagements will be such, during the brct
interval assigned, that it will be impossible
for me to collect the he edtul facts and pre-
sent anything strikingly novel and inter-
csting upon subject with which the mot
of you are presumed to be familiar. Since
! the organization of this Society, enough
has trarslired at its various meetings, in
the solid and useful portions Of our pro-
ceedngs, TO furnish mater for volume
that would reflect credit upon the Society
and hold respectable rank among the float
ing literature of the day. These things
may have tran,pired within a compara-
lively small circle, and so do many of the
important events ot the world, but to those
| who compare that circle, or who come
| within the range OF its influence, tn " are
none the les lmpo. tant, though the world
outside may be indifferent to its operations
Or even Ignorant Of its ,Xi-tence. Our
ives are made up OF individual act ;-a
Community Is but the aggregate OF indiyid
ual cXl tonccs Il literary society is but
tnc combination OF individual lrinds united
IN Il co.nInon level Tor purposes Of mutual
advantage; aid ali the act performed i'll
| thcac lives, commuliti-S ur svcil tics, make
Impression, which become Incorporated
w,tn our mental and PHYSICAL pyculiaritics
become IL part anu parcel OF our char
actor and beng. We cannot change the
act, We cannot cscHpe the consequences ;
ana III u,sh IL, may rAvrcist the uM 20 as
Go modify surrounding circumstances and
III u measure mould our future destiny !;
We cannot change VI even modify the II I.
dIt,rabla laws ny which thc universe is
governed, ana which rXLiplt such order
and harmony @nl designing wisdom i'll the
great Baba. and apparcn confusion Of the
uusy world OF lncessant activity. Each
individual act add an atom to our lives,
and every impression made i'll our social
and intellectual intercourse, is deposited
to our ,x;ernal growth, like the eel of an
cmGogrnuus tree, and is cemcntcd as it
we're by the current Of our mental cogita-
tlons, to the acts OF oar prcviou. lite, in
uullulns UP the aggregate .. our individual
identity.
hus it is in our Literary Society, and
As our object is mutual improvement, the
great prompter to every act i'll our conncc-
ton herewith, should be desire to I'm.
]1u or to ucetCe, to receive un0 to impait
not only for our own benefit, but for the
/ NJ
the world, and perhaps in all portions Of
it, who seem so supremely selfish, that they
deprive thcms Ives of all the pleasures
winch liberal and philanthropic soul is
constantly receiving and enjoyiug-so in
tent upon their own qualifications to the
utter disregard of others feelings and III.
tcrests, or with sous SO limited and cramp-
ed so closely within the hard shells of Pc
nurous selt-abstracton, that the world is
seemingly made for them alone. Such as
these however, operate in narrow circles,
and though they exert deletorious infu-
ence upon society, and have Il retarding
effect upon the progress of the masses, they
hold quite subordinate rank to the mas
ter spirits which govern the world of mind
We do not find the names of such enrolled
among the great and the good of past ages
among those who have made personal
sacrifices for the cause of humanity-for
the advancement of literature and science
and philosophy and religion and truth.
And then how striking is the contrast,
when we find that those who have spent
: their lives in being useful to their fellow
beings, have not only lived for all future
generations and have inscribed their names
[ upon monuments more enduring than
Parian marble, by the noble deeds they
have performed. Thus Socrates, who has
been termed /" the hoathen philosopher"
made not only Il marked impression upon
, his own age, but by his persevering efforts
to promulgate the truth, by an upright life
in consistency with his avowed principles,
and by the martyrdom he suffered for the
sake of freedom, free thought and opinion
for himself, for the Athenians and the
world, maintained the dignity of his man.
hood, proved that the God like principles
in man cannot be crushed out by violence
and left name to be recorded by all fl-
ture historians with respect and admira,
ton. Many similar cases of striking
character could be instanced, but the most
noted upon record is that of the lowly
Jesus when he resigned his life upon the
cross and prayed that his prosecutors
might he forgiven. In looking back upon
the heroes of the olden time, upon the sa
ges, the patriots and philanthropists o
! the world, upon all in fact who have made