The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-20


gentleman, who Is Superintendent OF
the United States Military Academy Is
here by my side, to manifest his pater-
nal interest in your welfare. BE has
been a fatherto you, and you are among
his children. Like two cherries on
one stsn1 seeming pafted. yet an union
in partition has your fellowship, for
four years, been, and now is, mingled
in a common well of gushing tender
ness between ,himiand you. ila VII
Your Commandant is here, who has
SO tempered severity with love as to in
fuse his own, disciplined heart into
yours. In mutual reverence of military
rule and In the personal attachments
as'comrades in your country and SER
vice. 1t Is a charming result OF West
Point training, that Off ctal and person-
al relations are duly recognfzed-not
confounded, but distiuguished-not
clashing, but harmonions,-like the
centrifugal and centfipetai forces in
nature, causing stability without stag
nation, and a progress without peril,
and producing a system of habits In
conformity with universal law.
q Your Professors are here in humble
consciousness Of having done their
duty toward you, and in proud admi-
ration of your attachments through rev.
erent submission TO their plastic hands.
The blackboard Is become, hencefor-
ward, a bright reflector OF their assidu-
ity and of your Industry. sending forth
not CLEANS of terror, but rays of light
and gladness.
And here are parents and friends
you to welcome you to
their hearts and homes, waiting to es-
cort yon back amidst familiar scenes,
changed indeed, but only changed as
the boyish Aensibilities are hardened
into young manhood's perceptions.
You were all appointedt to your cadet
ship when the clouds of war enveloped
the land and the thunder of arms re-
sounded along its borders. Some of you
came from the ranks of the army In the
field, and show a record ofengagementg
that Field-Marshal Emight envy and
could scarcely rival You were select
ed by Generals for your valor in war.
But blessed be God, you are graduated
to-day in the sunshine of peace and
good will. The clouds are dispersed
and the warlike clangor Is silenced, and
the glorious light Is introducing the
dawn OF a better civilization and or "a
more perfect union" of hearts and of
Esto perpetua! May this union be
perpetualf May no hand be stret' he'd
fofth' to sever its bonds; no voice be
raised to defame its honor; no foe TO hu-
man happiness WELD power that
threatens 70 destroy the compact tenn
Pile of Liberty and law which God has
reared for man by the national union
of the States, from which you, cadets,
are come. Let this national school
train national soldiers, scholars, cit-
zens; men who, shall be the patriot
guardians OF national union. Tgs75r...
But the time is come to part, and the
thought Of what you have actually ac-
7complished at the United States Acade-
my demands utterance.
- Youthave been taught to be citizens,
,embellished with the amenities and
charities ofa Christian civilization.
the soldiers OF the world with whom
war is trade, and puts you in the cate
CORY OF the people. who are themselves
the soyereigns and the brethren Of Re-
publican society. =, r.. -. =. =. -
But let me caution you not to think
more highly of yourselves than you
ought to think. There is a wide field
of literature and Bellies Lettres, into
which you have not entered, and where
in you Will find scholars more accom-
pliAhed than you. Let your training in
the exact sciences furnish you with the
habits of Investigation and study, that
shall make you pre-eminent in the lit
erary walks that the scholar delights
in, and where you may be unrtvalIed.
Your education is but the foundation
of the edihce-a broad and deep foup-
dationg on which You must build TO be-
come great and good and truly learned:
YOu have been taught TO be men.
Upright in moral integrity, conscien-
tions in duty, impressed with your re-
try; with affections warm and gushing
toward your fellow men; courteous and
maEnaniuous, with the Instincts and
accomplishments of true gentlemen.s
You have been taught and trained to
be soldiers, furnished with strength,
FLAG OF your country against domes-
tic insurTectioni and foreign invasion.
While you are commissioned with the
authority of rank and powerlet me en9
Join upon you kindness to your auborl
dinates. When Moses epjoined kind
ness toward Pondmen he said sRe-
member that .ye were bondmen iini
Egypt.n BY this strong argument OF
sympathy 1 bid you to be considerate
OF the private soldier and courteous to
the Junior officer. Let not angels pro-
long their.weeping ut the "fantastio
tricks of men" clothed In brief 'author-'
ity, butdoiye so1tenper discipline with.
kindness as you have been taught by
experience in this grand school,, sic at
, Graduatesl Cadets Go forth to real-
izes these hopes. Eyince your charao-l
ter, remembering that character is not.
reputation. Character is built up by O.
lifetime Of self-government and self
control. Reputation is made by q bpb-
BILE, whioha breath may break. Gain
reputation by good service, but cherish
the character OF gentlemen, of soldiers,
and of citizens, loving God and duty
fearing only what is wrong aud sinful.
Be loyal to the Constitution. Cherish
national union. Defend the hRg-that
ensign SO dear to them who are
free, or painting to be free, under the
mgiS OF liberty and law. Learn thus
~ 1.-Two and InaFn tn Len Mo-
The eInnate admiration Of the soldIerand
sailor, in the human heart, Is the con-
viction that they carry their lives in
their hands. They are kind of con-
fessors, who may be martyrs. They
are not butchers, but champions, ready
to die for truth and law and God. Life
is now to you, like nature around MS.
1t Is Summer now. But Autumn and
Winter may come suddenly. Disease
and the battlefield may quench your
life The Indians arrow, or the cAn-
non ball, or the accidents Of frontier
peril may lay yon low. One thing is
gether again in this world. But go
forthl God be with you, TO protect,
preserve and save you, through JESUS
CHRIST OUR LORD.
Silence that was painful marked the
delivery of this splendid production,
made all the more impressive and
solemn py the 1eeunSR OF tue oEuSoE.
AS he concluded the grand booming of
cannon from Fort Knox denoted the
conclusion of this ever memorable oc-
casion; and as the hereverberations struck
hill and mountain, sending back echoes
that rolled and rolled in their grandeur
over officer and cadet, the graduating
class was dismissed, and then. happy
as the happiest Of mortals, rushed to
the embrace of friends on the Mall, re-
eeiYing such salutations, as IN the
opinion of your correspondent, more
than compensated them for many OF