Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-10-16

,adroos q lodge ]. +. Dillon,
Ys~ng Men efDryaaa,
asrasaea 4 nerrill's CONNER
ciml College: Delivered Oca.
ash, lss0.
INTRODUCTION. W
essay this evening 10 make an address
o the You've MkS, who arc, and have been
with this ins,itat,ou. sm some.
ghcre near the boundary line which separ
ses Young men iron ehnse. - leagcr such.
cot 20 far removed from the scenes, the
thoughts, shs hopes and the aspirations d |
roush and early snanhood - to have To-.
rotten The Vaccinations which belong 70, and |
Inc perpetual charm which plays about and |
sluuinstes With . splendor ~ IT. own, this
most interesting and withal most important
FRO Of life. And yet far enough tcmoved,
still standing ID the sweetest hues
Of departing youth, hsvs csms in ccntrae
with the world and With life q 70 =. There
fore Il 10 not unbsftting, 1t least on the
score Of age, that should have been re-
auested 10 address you On this occasion.
And Il will b. Pavdoned tone. II ! avail
my self Of one Of the privilege d ths age.
confess 10 offer, omoWg other things, some
words Of friendly counsel ard sdvIcs, -
rived from or suggested BY ny experience
and observation.
m,sssox Ans burr o. yoCxo nES.
| love youxs nsa; especially those who
have the enthusiasm and ambition requisite
N attain marked succsss IN Me. :.
Years ago, the wosds Of the poet usde .
dcep impsess,on, and their memory yet I'm
gsss With me:
..who that surveys THE span Of earth ~ pssss.
This spsrk os life 10 Tins's great wilderuess,
This na.rc. .sthmns ssIas We oos1essse ssess'
Would sully the bright spot &C leave i bare.
When he ghs build him . proud temple
there"
can conceive n no apsctacle on this
earth Of more absorbing interest than that
of young man who h settiug out rpoo ~
life course, or hss begun his liis-wosk ami
mated BY the high resolve tisst his III sllaM
not 10 . failure.
On the other hand, whst . pitiahls spec :
taclc does the young man or young woman
present, who. almlcss and listlcss, Is wiling
10 let life run thoughtlsssly By. Of "dis and
leave no sign"
Young men Il 10 solemn thing 20 live;
equally - solemn a. it 10 to die.
Life 10 not toy 70 Amuse for day and
then to be tossed aside nor 10 Il holiday
10 I've wasted in indlcness.
Moulded BY God's own hand end 10
Ood's own lkeuesn, rich In netise faculty
pregr ant With the undevslopsd seeds Of
wisdom end knoviSiae, tcudsr Of heart and
pure Of spirit. Nan wss not created simply
10 exist, Die, and leave no trace u vesaags
Of h,s presence here. Mol but be ~
created 70 seflns and Improve. 70 sxset hia
MON With hrs great Creator and ~ sympa
thise with aud to b Of advantage 20 his TEL.
low men.
Young men il you do not wish 10 uasks
your hvss wreck, bssesch you to acl
upon the theory, Outing stud Mt life and 81.
forwards, thst you have been signslixsd
with reason, endowed With coneoicncs, in>
sp,sed With On inm0stality u hope, i,npas-
stoned With irrepsseoiblo asplsations. not TO
b. nero idless 10 the greet nsld Of the
world, hut diligsat. active. sasnest laborera
in the same.
TEE Young HBN or AMkRiCA-ApvANrAGk0 ov
Cur INSTITUTIONS.
II sheuld, 10 young men. especially, b a
source OF exhauatlsss gratitude that their
lots have been cast in such m age and Zach
. county ~ this. There have been period
in thu history Of the world when life 10 the
poor and untitled, waa u beat . wc,risoml
burden. TyrannIcs bsilt the pyramids 81
the Old World. Popular rights were un>
known
"Monarchs and nqueie rs there
Proud DER millions trod
he earthquakes OF Iii. human race.
Like them. forgotten when the rum
That makes their shock 10 psst -
Coming down 20 the midile s.ea We have
tho Testimony Of the accurate and iud.ciouS
Mr.. llallam. fM,d. Ages, Vol. I. Chsp II,
part that "a line was drawn between the
high-born and ignoLls classes almost Al
bread As that which separated liberty tro.n
servitude. All otiices Of trust aud pewcl
were conferred on the former, those except.
ed which appertain to the loyal profess ion.
A plebian could not possess land. A gentle.
man In France or Germany could not exsr-
else any trade or follow any business, with.
out derogating. that 10 losing tho advanta.
ges Of his rank. But in nothing did the
Federal hsughtiness Of birth, than in the
diagracc which attended unequal MARI iages
Without going into deseil and quoting his
fui thcs prOots Of Tho slight estimation in
which oil persons Of ignoblc birth we're con.
sidercd," cali tcntion TO the remaskab
statement In which he sums up his critical
and historical researches on this subject
That statement 10 this .-"In every are and
country until times comparatively rccent
personal servituds appears to have bcen che
lot Of large. perhaps the greater, portion
oi mankind"
Aud even 10 day in most countries, ours
excepted, the avenues TO profitable labor,
generous effort, wealth honor, or even coins
fort arc either wholly closed or greatly rex
stricted BY perspective expressions, mono.
pies or partial and class legislation.
Most prcvdentially in the ,nidst OF Che
struggle for civil aud religious liberty in
Europe, America. although more than one
hundred years had elapsed since il had beef
discovered BY the sublime genius and LOFTY
courage Of Columbus, received into he,
bosom, AFTER the decay Of Feuielsm. Oh,
first feeds which took permanent root aut
ripened into Celesies asd Statsa
Thus and then Il was that our free insti
tutions had their Arst, feeble origin.
These institutions thus originated. b Il
se'a'essscVSVsss paw WHY uuUu upon u0OSo00
Of perfect equality hsfses Shs he. whs
advantages ere here secured 10 sssry man
and especially 70 every young man. EQUAL
undiscfiminassd riehea besose The Nv Liz,
cir, and sunsh:ae and health how little =,
prize It. Bat lot Il b emphasized and r.
msmbsrcd that in no other couusrs on shl
face u the globe can Il truly be vaid- Ever,
man 10 in tbs eyes Of the lsw equal, having
equal privileges and equal ris hts.
We hive no lsndsd asistocracy. No Or
der Of nobi'ity-no pserags unlsss it b,
the nobility of intellect and The peeeaes Of
talents.
Talents and iadustsy, and DOT biseh an
ths title deed< 70 wealth and honor.
And just here il 10 that The chief excel
lsnce Of our institutions Is 10 bs feunl-vk
IN the equal Opportunity which they sdsrd
70 industry and tAlsat.
Icannos advert Ct length 70 the MANY e.
amplss ofgreat men In church, IN Stats. in
comusrce, in business, in art Who hav,
risen to the highest sanks end foremeee ~
siticn from obscure birth and poverty. Al
yet there 10 one standing q : type OF thou
sands 70 whom. BY way Of illustration,
may briefly allude.
Some years ago. when the Mississippi uas
navigated by the rude sti ucluras Of our eu.
oyro commerce, there was . young man,
nineteen years Of age, tall. lsnk, uncomelr,