Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-08-02
AN ADDRESS,
Delivered before tie alumni Association
Of Erskinc College, July 10, 1867,
ny n. A. FAIR, ESQ.
AN ADDRESS,
Published by request of the Association
[coNcLUDED.l
I'LL.

DuC "naC OI INC luCuro pFOSpcCIs
of the CoIlege7 What are tho hopes
of its friends as to it's usefulness for
years to Gomez
IL it to be revived and re.invigora-
ted and pursue again, rejoicing, the
oven tenor Of it's way? Or are its
days numbered, its mission at an end,
and it to be named as thing of the
pastY Are these buildings to crumble
into ruins-these grounds to pass into
tho hands of strangers-this grove to
bo fayod by tho axe-men-th:s soil
to bo turned by tho harrow-and the
spot of hallowed memories and sweet
associations, only to bo marked by
the tasseling corn or tho waving
whcat7 Or is the College to exc out
a miserable existence of foeblencss
and imbccility, always dying and yet
denied tho boon of death? Oh who
~ean bear the thought of all this-or
oven any of all this? And yet there
is danger of tho realization of Just
such fears as those.
There is no Disgusting the tact-ln-
dood, it would be folly to disguise the
fact, that the condition Of The Insti-
tuition as a we'll developed, fourishing
College, to say tho least of it, is quite
prccarious. And who would desire
to soc it making claims no higher,
than TO be considered tolerablc
academy, or a decent, high school?
1t is true tho Institution has suffer cd
greatly, terribly, from tho effects Of
the war. AS before remarked she
was stripped Of her students and de.
spoiled Of her endowmonts. To-day
2he is weak in numbers and destitute
of means. But notwithstanding
those facts arc SO, her condition,
though prccarious, il not desperate
or even hopeless. But one thing is
necessary to insure her long life of
prosperity and usefulness-but one
thing is necessary to restore her to
previous glory-but ono thing neces-
sary to make her oven Transcend the
utmost of her former achievements
and a simple thing, hear it; it is effort,
effort, effort. Let this but be pat
forth, combined effort, earnest effort,
.coatinr ,d effort, and all will be well
with Ae College. Her destiny is in
the Ands of her friends-it is but for
tb IN to do and she lives-to neglect
d she dies.
Now, who are the friends of the
College, who aro or should be inter-
osted in her welfare7 Let us search
them out, that we may say word tc
them.
These may be divided into three
classes, the first of which we viii
make to include the founders of ths
Institution, and by these we NEAR
the members, whoever, and wherevc
they now may be, Of the "Associat
Reformed Synod of the South
These should be deeply Interested il
tho welfare of the Institution fo
three reasons
lst. Simply because they are it
founders. And it would be strange
were they not interested in it, TO
this, if for no other reason. It woul
be contrary to the promptings c
human nature-indaed, to we'll know
principles existing in the heart.
Man is the protector OF schen,e
the originator of thought, the erccte
of structures. And having schemes
having thought, having builded, h
lovos To see bis schemes prevail
his thoughts to live, bis buildings
endure.
And what ib his idea in all th
perpetuation He desires to exist
the memory Of his fellow men--l
vtshes 70 be known and thought
BY nations yet to be born-he strus
9ies to transmit his name and fan
throngh countless ages to the poop
living upon the very vsrgesof ete'
nifty.
Illustrative of this principle, in Il
bosom of man, .is HE beaueathipg
his children, portraits and heirloom
and mementoes-h building of CO
ties, palacessand temples-his erecti'
Of monamehts, obelieks and pyramid