The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-09-15


colleges in orr midst, by which educa
ton is to be generally diffnsed, ough
we not rejoice that one blessing at leas
| has come out Of our misfortunes? Il
Young gentlemen, the Seminary vii
ever feel the deepest interest i'll you
welfare, and no. one familiar with thu
history Of colleges can for momen
| doubt yonr love for it, Hereafter
when misfortune comes upon it, and al
others desert it, you will como to tn.
/ rescue, and only serve it the more de,
yotedly and care; for it the, more ten.
! derly, the greater danger that threat
ems US. From this time 7 have no fears
for the success Of the Seminary. You
| its graduates. will look to that; and
you will sec the day when it will DC
for the Southwest what Yale. aud
Harvard are for New England. D
But who. pray, will hereafter take
care of yoli Plainly, only yourselves
Are You ready for the charge? We
believe yo,, are, bnt time alone must
decide whether or not you will realize
sile expectations OF Your friends and
yourselves by becoming good and use
FIJI men. Your future is in Your own
hands; you can make it, as you choose,
good or bad, a faiinre or a Success
Gon viii leave lis, we think, blessed
with good principles, good sense and
the elements of a good education. -
Chiefly with the latter have we been
charged, and we have omitted nothing
that we could do to improve your
minds or add to your information. /
venture 60 say that no college. gradul
stes have ever been so much OH terms
of social equality with their professors,
and been talked to, in and out of the
class room, as much rs you have been !;
Land if anything has been left undone
to advance you in the mental or moral
scale, it must be attributed to inability
on our part, and not to design. But if
we have fallen sllortin our daty to you,
1T is too late for as to attempt to .rectify
it. You alone can, do. that, hereafter.
The critical time has now arrived,
when you are to be no longer college
students. You stand here to- lav in
the battle-line of life, and in the few
moments left us, before you advance
npon the Geld of strife and contention
with your fellow-men, for the rewards
and honors of this world, we can only
beg you to recall, as our parting adj
vice, some essential points Of our teach
inSs. 5,as
shall speak very plainly, for / feel
what | am about to say. 4 know full
well, too, that the giving of advice is
often q thankless task; yet it is my
duty, and do not shrink from it. z
Do not imagine You arc scholars,
because you have diplomas. Years
more of patient study only can make
you learned and wise and indeed you
may DO learned without being tcisc. -,
Professors and teachers, as Il class, are
the most learned; yet they are the
most childish and least wise of men.
for their minds clash not with those of
their fellow-men in the real, earnest
work of life, but with the weaker in
tellects of youth. 500 y i5
Whenever you find Your learning
bears not the test of common sense,
fling it away, for it is poison to the
mind. Many of the best educated aud
iwisest men of the world have never
been students of a college; and of this
your class, you viii be apt to find that
chose who have taken least lionors here,
will outstrip the rest in the race of life.
They have not been flattered or spoilt
by being told they have talents or
genius. The brightest of you will
likely think your names already made,
and that you need do nothing more !;
while those who have graduated with
less distinction, feel tho necessity of
further exertion. The college prodigy
is often the worlds pigmy! beg you
then not tooyerestimatey eur collegiate
education III its bearing on yonr future.
If you leave here nnder the erroneous
impression that it is no longer nccessa-
~ for yon to work in the mental
tread-milf, to enable you to acquire
further knowledge; that you can retire
to your homes and rest on your laurcls;
what q bitter disappointment awaits
you! But it stands to reason, that those
who have cxeelled here can retain their
superiority, if they will but continue
to work diligently aud thoroughly.
Remember then, that at present you
are but promising young men. know
you feel proud and glorious to-day, as
You should do, believing, as is tho fact,
that the eyes of all Louisiana are upon
you; but really each one of you is
simply, as yet, nobody, and the great
world cares not a straw for you! Only
by mnch greater efforts than you have
yet made, and through much more 81
care and trial than You have ever
dreamed, of, must you pass, before you