The national Republican., 1869-06-11
LIST OF THE GRADUATES.
MUSIC, ELoauENoE AND FLOWERS.

The annual commencement OF the law de.
pattment OF Columbian College took place At
the The n1c1srsgstioI q al church, corner of Tenth
the most imposing occasions OF the kind
which has ever been witnessed In this vicinity.
crowded TO oyerfiowing with an audience com.
posed Of the beauty and intelllRenoe OF Wssh.
inston, assembled 70 testify by their presence
newiy.estsbllshed branch OF Coiumbisn Col.
ieEss;. ,,,,, .,,. a., =, -,
as the platform. or stage, on which we're
seated the faculty OF the department, the
graduating class and nu mber OF distinguish
Hon. i. o. Bsnneid, Solicitor Of he treasury, Ty
o. W. ss%.en' b j, FieasS v. " +. F. SssslnSiy, Sal Sy,
AZ eight O'Clock, siter music by He.li,.
Band, Rev. Dr. samson, clothed In his ofiolal
robe, advanced to the front OF the platform and
The band then played a fsvoritc air, and
Hon. L. y. Banheld delivered the following
AsNivknsARY Address.
Class Our lives are full OF eras. Every few
years bring what seems an Important advance
Or a momentous change In the progress OF our
You have arrived, ,geuticmen,s at what doubt
not appears an Important era In your lives. You
have completed that part Of educstion which
| 10 obtained under the dlcipline OF the schools,
gagged In the active and serious duties Of the
You have my sympathy and my earnest con.
not manv, II not all q you, have with me a
pleasantly regretful remembrance OF those
early years when we were embarrassed with
the least sense OF personal responsibility,
when lie stood pictured before US In Its live
Hest oolorsi when our sports seemed little
romsrces and our hopes were charming visions
You have my congratulations, ,becauss you are
entering upon your full manhood; because you
are prepared to assume the full Responsible
ties which attach to maturity, because you
| are passing out Of the realm OF impossible
dreams and vague hopes into that OF possible
may be attained unto.
You are proposing to become lawyers. or
course you honor the profession. 1t may we'll
| sharp censure and severe criticism. But the
| oensure and hostile criticism are not well
founded. The profession Of the law 10 as es-
| occupation. As well might the clergy ne con-
| demncd as = class because q hypocrite or a
oigot is sometimes found in their ranks. As
| well might the medical profession be de.
/ nouneed because II sometimes includes a
| quaek or blunderer. As we'll might every
other occupation be condemned because hon.
esty and fair dealing do not always character.
| lie those who follow 1t.
| A lawyer is simply one who studies and pro-
tesses to understand the laws which regulate
| the business relations OF the different mem.
| bers OF society to each other. He 10 as much
| OF a peculiar student as 10 the doctor OF medl.
cine or divinity. He helps to sustain the DIFF.
ferent parts OF society In their relations to
each other, and contributes most largely to the
creation Of those maxims, principles and laws
M whitn y, enable me maitiisrious occupations of
freedom consistent with the freedom OF them
| all.
,,,,.I lam not one q those who srrog.te any pc.
| profession OF the law. 1 simply regard IL AS
one OF those Inevitable forms OF occupation
| growing out OF the nature of man, and the con-
| human
| sary, and highly useful as q regulating bal
aneins guiding force. 1t assists, sustains, re.
will continue to do so until human nature is
transformed into divine nature.
welcome you, therefore, my friends, to the
| RANKS OF profession, venerable In age, born
with the Organization OF civilized society;
| changing As the world changes, with wonder.
lul elasticity adapting itseli to new conditions;
avenues to business; clinging with tenacity to
| whatever 10 old that 10 of value; advancing
with untiting eagerness and originality to the
| development OF new ideas, new rules, new
| methods and new laws; and embracing within
itself more Of the active elements OF a restrain
ing conservatism on the one hand, and an IRE.
sistible progress on the other, than is to be
iound In any other single organized class OF
The Invitation to address you came SO re.
| centiy, anu found mo so.engrossed In the pres
sing duties Of my position, that 1t has been ut
teriy out OF my power to prepare anything In
The nstnre OF an elaborate address. fpropose,
therefore, to occupy your time briefly by throw
Ing Out few brief sugsestions OF a simple and
practical character, based some what upon INV
own eSpericnee and observation, which l trust
your lives.
As look back upon the ranks Of those with
whom l was associated In my own student
days, and Of Others who preceded and have suc.
eeeded me- am free to say that believe fail.
ure has oyertaken some, and but \ moderate
want ofwisc practical suggestions, based upon
apr9per regard for experience, Just at that
vital period OF young mans life when he is
riRening into early maturity
There is, or there used to be, a seriously
erroneous idea allowed to obtain possession Of
ne minds OF young men. Tho advantages OF
In snch glowing terms, and were regarded as
so essential. especially to professional men,
that incline to the belief that students were
graduated through all the stages Of the school,
with reasonable success, the great task OF life
was well nigh aeeomplishedi that they were
ready Tor the world aud all Its hlsiness, aud
that by an easy career they were to seize the
highest rewards the world offers.
ihere was lack OF experienced suggestion
as to how n man should begin and how he
should handle himself; how he should meet
other men; how he could make Immediate
practical use o. the knowledge he had &C.
much like a new and magnificent engine,
finished for use, in the hands OF an engineer
who had not been taught the rules to BE an.
piled to the safe working OF the machine; WHO
ala not know how to approach the decendlng
grade or to push up the ascending one, or to
round curve; who had not been told where
were the stations on the way, or what were
the signals to save from danger.
The result 10, see In the pathway behind
me there man who could never start; there
one who could never stop, and was soon ex.
hausted; there one Off the road; there one
rnlnedi there one crippled msnyI see, after
crate pace; some who started well And right at
once lew, very few, who made a brilliant,
early dash, and have maintained 1t to the end.
| ham A..t
| average result than see around me. Powers
are unequal, know, but not so greatly un.
| equal as to account for the great disparity In
results accomplished by different men. In isct,
| we often see men OF confessedly large capacity
attaining degree OF success not to be CON.
pared with that attained by men OF smaller
capacityi and we very often observe Instance,
| OF those who never had a thorough scholastic
education surpassing In success and useful.
In my opinion this result is reached because.
In the case OF men educated In the schools, too
much Is taken for grantedi whilst In the case
OF those not SO educated nothing 10 taken for
| granted In the first case there ia a want OF
| practical wisdom In applying themselves to
the duties OF lliei In the other case there has
| oeen from the outset constant acquisition OF
practical wisdom which for mere purposes OF
success more than supplies the defects OF a
perfected early education. In the frat place
the engine is completed before the engineer Is
trainedi In the other case the engineer 10 all
ready trained and Is waiting for the engine.
-, Hoping that you may be able to avoid the
very many worthy men who have prepared for
the practice OF the law, will take the liberty
to make few suggestions.
In the nrst place let me encourage you to
throw yourselves at once into free and "a.
millAr intercourse with the world, and espe-
cially with business men. In urging this do
not wish to be understood IS encouraging q
spirit OF audacity or impudence. But know
very well that the effect OF the process OF &C.
quiring liberal education 10 often very pecu.
liAr. II 10 apt to cultivate habits Of seclu-
sion. II young man is naturally of a re-
tiring and modest character student life IL apt
to make him still more retiring II not more
modest. He has obtained his education with |
out having had much to do with the world |
and he somehow fanoles he can pass through
life 10 the same way. Men OF this class are |
liable to grow into the conviction that with a |
good education at the foundation business and |
success will come along as q matter OF course, |
or by some miraculous Incorporation.
Now whilst 1t 10 very true In large sense, |
as Cowper expresses II, that
"All we behold 10 miracle, but seen
So duly, all is miracle In vaini"
and Will at all Of US at times, perhaps, when
In eontemplatiye mood, deem 1t one OF the
greatest OF all miracles how. through the
agency OF the artificial forms o. business, the
vast populations OF the world obtain their
lIvelihoods, and so many reach conditions Of
cnmfnFl and aHiuRnepl vet IL la true that In |