Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-08-08
commencement OF the University OF
Vermont.
rHR RAccALAuRRArR,

mencement OF the University OF Yer
mont, began yesterday afternoon with
the baccalaureste discourse Of President
Angel. The flneness OF the day, and
the fame OF President Angel rs q public
speaker, drew out very large audience,
tLe church being crowded to its utmost
capacity.
TIE Introductory services of prayer
and reading rom the scriptures were
rend, red by Rev. NJ. H. Buckham and
Rev. +, Mix, The discourse of Presi.
dent Angel, We shall not do him the
Injustice to attempt full report of, but
shall content ourselves with brief ref.
erence TO the idea of the address, which,
10 our understanding, was Perfection
of Individual Freedom, the Perfection of
Obedience to Divine Law"
This comprehensive idea the speaker
considered first in its application to the
attainment OF the highest moral excel
lence and the consequent higest moral
freedom OF the individual, which is pos
sible only through the largest obedience
10 the Divine Law, moral and physical,
and Is entirely inconsistent with the
idea of license that Is too often the no.
ton OF pseudo freedom that Is the false
light on the shore that too many young
men follow TO their eternal wreck. The
inclination OF lervd youth, In its hot
blood and superintendent vitality Of
mind and body, was to be exceedingly
tenacious OF their freedom, to be FESTIVE
under restraints that are recklessly
styled the letters OF desires that need
not be disciplined because the pulse and
glow of natural feeling, and the dread
full mistake is made, and appreciated
when too late, OF attempting to blink
and ignore the existence, and inevitable
binding and controlling force of Divine
Law.
The speakers elucidation of this
point, OF which the above Is but mere
the consideration of his subject idea in
its application TO the attainment OF the
highest civil freedom in the State. His
sound moral philosophy Of course logi-
cally carried him to sound and high
toned political philosophy, the President
arguing with force and eloquence that
the truest and most permanent form OF
3 State was that which took the keenest
and most jealous cognizance of the
rights OF the individual.
The ancient civilization was failure
because it began with the supremacy OF
the State, where the individual and his
rights were swallowed up to their utter
disregard. Greece had intellect enough,
of the purest ray, of the finest tissue,
Rome had plentitude of rude, aggress.
i've physical force; to-day the beautiful
light OF their genius in arts, in arms, in
literature still falls upon US so aston
ishingly bright that we, in wonderment
at so much fallen greatness, might well
question our own stability.
The death of the ancient State was its
humiliation of the individual, the life of
the modern State was its recognition of
the individual Christianity given to our
modern civilization and element of moral
and spiritual humanity that the ancient
civilization fatally lacked. Christianity
gives to the modern State its preserva-
tive principle, makes it start with the
individual, and makes it bend its whole
governmental energies to evolving in its
perfection, the power to develop the in
dividual, and to protect the rights OF the
individual.
His hope for the future lay in the fact
that the power to save State resided
not in the State, but In the individuals
that composed it. We are glad that
President Angel dismissed the young
men with so excellent and clearly
wrought out moral and political lesson
1t was lesson needed for the times,
since no yunng man who has the brains
to comprehend the Presidents eloquent
Argument Tor the rights OF the 1ndlvld
ual, can, ~ltnou. dishonest disregard fol
his intellectual convictions, ever give
his vote or his voice in after life in sup
port of that miserable school OF politics
whose representative ideas for the las
ten years have been the approval OF tht
crime of human bondage, and the resist
ance to an equal standard OF suffrage
To-day, when the contest over this recog
milton of the inalienable rights of the in
dividua is not yet over, President An
CELLS able presentation of the argumen
In behalf of the true idea of q Christian
state polty was eminently appropriate
and ought TO be Of great practical WORT
to every serious thinking student wh'
listened to the address.
President Angel, spoke as is his wont
without manuscript, and his delivery o
so compact and strongly connected dis
course, without any recourse to notes
we consider remarkable feat of publ
speaking. While the discourse in beaut
of style and felicity of language and il
lustration was worthy the attention c
his Oldest and most scholarly and cult
waited listeners, we were glad to see tina
the Presidents aim was to say some
thing to the young men who were th
immediate objects OF his discourse tha
was of practical worth to them 10 carr
away, and this purpose, in choice an
treatment o! q subject, is too often ne
elected in Baccalaureate discourse.
We annex the closing remarks to th
Graduating class:
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRADUATING Glass
Ny Belorea Pupils and Friends
Most aftctionately and earnestly do
urge you to show by your lives that 20
comprehend the true relation of Libert
to Law, May you each strive wit
your whole might after that freedom