Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-07-22
INAUGURAL EXERCISES
OF
BRYANT, STRATrON 4 MERRuLL's
COMMERCIAL COLLEGE,
A Davenport, July goth, 1865.

a. Davenport. July 2Oehs 1865.
METROPOLITAN Hall was we'll filed on
Thursday evening, with most respectable
audience, assembled to participate in the
inaugural exercises of the Davenport
Branch Of Bryant & STATIONS Chain Of In
tcrnational Colleges. The proceedings
were opened with prayer by Rev. VIM
Windsor. After some excellent music by
Storms Union Band, Mr.. Carpenter, of St.
Louis, Principal of Bryant, Stratton q
Carpenters Commercial College, read the
following Geographic message
CmcAGo, July 90.
~ B5yani, .ct,ntton d Morrill,
Being prevented by pressure Of busi
ness related to the closing OF the Interna
tional Convention from being present with
you this evening, we send few words of
greeting; May the Davenport link be- a
bright star in the constellation of Bust
ness Colleges. and shed light and influence
upon the commercial interest of our coun-
try. II b. BRYANT,
H. ID. STRATToN.
WI II. "A -vlVIiiis iiuSiI1bi VI tit DuN-
export Branch of the College, then spoke
as follows:
Our purpose in establishing the Iowa
State business College in this city, is to
carry out an enterprise that is national in
its conception, and To meet the demands
OF the interests of Commerce In planting
a College in Davenport it is our design To
make il IA link in the Great International
Chain Of Business Colleges in point of ia
cilities as well as worthy the name and
place We shall ride no hobby, claim no
mystery or secrets in this branch of teach
ing, but ever strive steadily and openly for
the general good Of the cause in which we
are engaged. We shall not only aim to be
sound in theory, but practical as well for
we well know that all practice without
theory is a body without soul, and all the
DRY without practice is mind without body
But it Is not my purpose to speak to any
length this evening. as there are Others
now in the house who will speak more to
the point. Yet cannot sit down without
saying that no labor, talent or expense will
he spared to qualify, in the most eminent
degree possible. those who become men,
bers of the Iowa State Business College.
nC plCc NluD IlCAt SuIlg, anu NJ
the close of the singing, Hon. G. G. Cole
was introduced to the audience and dcliy-
cred the following Inaugural Address:
AT the Inauguration Of any new public
enterprise, intended or calculated to have
IN important bearing upon the interests,
general or special, of the community and
people where it is established, it is both
pleasant and profitable to take an obser-
walton" whcretrom we may learn its bear
ing" as to the past aud correctly judge as
to its influence upon the future. Such IAN
observation" is profitable, in that it places
the enterprise in the light ~ the past and
surrounds it with the advantages to he de
rived from the lessons and teachings OF
experience; it is pleasant, in that it stimn-
latcs bright hopes and encourages to re-
newcd efforts for the future The advan-
tages of such an observation as to the pros
pect aud retrospect are, of course, measured
by its correctness, which can only be OBJ
tanned 10y the most careful attention to the
past and the true philosophy Of events.
Each century is marked with its own
peculiar and important cpochs. The his
torian discovers and records these great
events in their completeness and symmetry.
He discovers and fills in also between these
towering crosts of the tide of events. the
lesser pillows which have characterized the
generations and decades making up the
century. The superficial reader Of history
learns these great and prominent, and may
be the lesser events, thus recorded, and
wonders at their magnitude rs well as at
their completeness and symmetry He does
not stop to consider the individual acts and
single efforts which, like particles of gran
lite, as it were, make the mountain, he be
holds with admiration and wonder As he
dwclls with amazement upon their great
ness and importance, he is impressed with
the thought that the real greatness which
could act such history was exhausted by
the Efforts and lies buried in the past, and
he is ready to mourn its departure To
him. the men of Ia day are but AS pigmics
IN comparison with the giants of the past
lie sees the little acts of each recurring day
and compares them with the great events
Of history. and draws his conclusion from
the contrast and wceps.
Not 80. however. with the careful stu
dent Of history and its i,hiiosophy Such
student discovers the causes and combina-
tons which moved and made up the tow
ering bllows that marked the century of
It's occurrence; and examining closer still
ne learns the comparative little details
winch acting and bearing each upon the
other and other upon each have lowered
the historic billow to its greatness and
symmetry. He learns from its philosophy
that the deeds Of to day are parts Of a
greater combination, stimulated by higher
causes and forming events and epoclis OF
infinitely greater importance, both in them.
selves and their bearing upon the interests
OF mankind, than any recorded in the his
tory OF the past Ii is this knowledge oil
the philosophy Of history which enables us
to judge correctly Of passing events, or to
read with profit the recorded deeds Of those
who have gone before.
To illustrate the thought desire to i'm
press upon your minds, before proceed in
Its application. to the occasion which has
called us together Let me invite your attcn-
ton to what may still we'll be termed a
passing event, and which will pre- eminentlv
c"Arac'erize the Nineteenth Century in all
.; a alludc ofcoursc to the aboli.
~ - african Slavery. Who, other than
10y mos. 'noN satcful student Of history and
s'ssoughiy skilled in its philosophy,
- anything hut mere passing event in
tbs imprisonment of colored seamen in
south Carolina; the attempted abduction Of
6lascs from Kentucky by Fa;rb,nks and
Della Webster; in the ESQ calledn ;nsa ~.
lhnatical rartings of the few Ahoi;t;"r;s.s
Of the North; or the occasional coa,s -
tars md feathers, furnished ;na;v;dn. =
a that class ~ an acclimatinv nr,.cass
when they wandered too far from ,hs
Mnstberp latitude; the surrender mad. T..
DASiei Webster in his 9Th Of March s,,s.' ~
q shs ece Of bringing suit for the freedom
4Drsd 6dG1t: the attempted enforccmen,
~ LecpmptOn Constitution by R,ch.n
-, ~ ~ t4pn1olCal ettempf b obey
GTcf mOEAl duty 70 emencipate slaves by
John Brown, 81 II Thousand other act
q agreaker q - impostance And We
sasss form pasG X tie grest combination