Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-08-19
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, AUGUST IA, 1850.
Middlebury Comm encemcnt.

Middlebury Comm cncemcnt. :
On Wednesday morning the assocnteo
Alumni held their annual meeting at the
college, o report of which, will be given
hereafter, after which a procession was
formed, headed by Halls Boston Band,
and marched through the streets to the
Congregational church, arriving there at
about eleven o'clock. After the Band had
discoursed piece of music, and prayer
had been offered, the Rev. DR.. Jonathan
Blanchard, President of Wheaton College,
Ill, was introduced, and delivered an ad-
dress before the Associated Alumni He
referred to the tender memories which
cluster around New England, and asked
for what we loved New England 1t is
not for her scanty and hard soil, and her
spruces and hemlocks hide hills perpet-
ually covered with grass or snow. New
England is the mother and nurse of her
etics we are told. The mormon was born
there her orthodoxy is frugal, sharp and
brain-splitting. The shareholders Of the
South had no mormons among them. They
had the words of an orthodox religion
on their lips and their children said their
catechism. We love New England for
the same reason that mountain people
always love their home, and we can bo
expected to give no other reason for it.
Ihirty-seven years ago the Speaker said
his theme on graduation was, A perfect
state of society" since then he had often
written, thought, prayed and pondered on
that subject, and he should again take it
as his present theme. The pilgrims left
their home in the old world and came
here for freedom to worship God, they
came AS protestants against professionalism.
and in the cabin of the May Flower in
Cape Cod Bay they organized the first
American Institution. There had been
earlier colonies farther south, but they
had received their government, civil and
ecclesiastical from over the waters, and
this compact of the pilgrims in December
1920, was the first American govern
ment. That compact was both a town
meeting and a church organization,
and under that government voters
in one were voters in the other
The speaker then traced the religious
denominations, from their origin to the
present, and laid down upon authority of
eminent writers. and as sound in prin-
ciple, the rule that whatever is enjoined |
as part of Divine service not contained |
in the Scriptures is unlawful and damag-
ing. That the tendencies towards CEN
Puritans who discussed religious matters
in town meeting, according to the ihjunc-
tions of Scripture, were working the only |
safe rule. The speaker then at length
discussed the dangers from the Papists
and Cinnamon in the country, and de-
clared that our religion was rendered |
idolatrous by the consecrating of priests
the putting wells upon INNS, and initial
ing of men into Masonic Lodges These
were all condemned as opposed to religion,
and the theory of true religion was pre-
scented as nothing beyond the revealed
will of God, and that God being infinite
He is beyond the grasp of the finite mind,
whether man or angel !; and Mormon and
Masonic tricks were denounced as cheats
to be avoided.
The place of the Pilgrims and their
government, by them instituted, was an
as first town meeting second
the Congregational church third, the
township; fourth, the United States and
an appeal was made to all to preserve
the institutions thus created, and a way ,
pointed out to do so. !,
AT the conclusion of the address, the :
introduced and delivered very rich, +
,acy and instructive poem, which was I
we'll received and highly commended. |
In accordance with an ancient custom, {
the orator and poet before the Alumni t
each AN honorary member for 7
the Associated Alumni Dr. Blanch ard ,
nominated the Rev, j. L. Roy, ID, of I
Chicago, Ill; and Mr.. Blake nominated ,
S. Lawrence, E-q., of New York City,
and each We're unanimously elected. The ,
exercises of the forenoon were then closed
with music by the band.
ALUMNI MEETING AND DINNER. c
At the Alumni. meeting held on We'd t
aesday morning, the following officers
We're elected for the ensuing year: |
Dra.idart Tnlp W. St.u.,,t =.
Vice-Presidents n. Boardman, w. h
,. Dunton, w. Ii. Walker. f
Recording Secretary NJ. Slade,
Jr. ]
Corresponding Secretary Rufus Vain l
wright. {
Treasurer-Emerson r. Wright o
Contra! COmmittee-L ID. Eidrid1e, L. t
g Knapp, c. S. G. Steele 5
Necology Csmmttee-W. " Winche8- s.
er, r. S. Cushman, w. II. Parker q
Orator 1S70-Andrew f. Rankin; O. 5
". Whitaker, substitute.
Poet 1S70-Rev. c. d. Noble; NJ. d. a
substitute. a
ALUMNI DINNER. 81
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the Ii
and Associated Alum Il
j, with invited guests and ladies', assem-
led in the ample dining rooms of the :,
addison House, to part.ske of the annual u
alumni dinner. Prayer was offered by
lev. Dr.. Hall, after which ample justice :
1as done to the magnificent repast pro- :
ided for the occasion :
After all had fully satisfied the cravings +
hunger, and the band created its be- .
vitching strains of harmony until the last =
-lnmnus hal tasted of the nuts, peaches a