New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-05
COLLEGE COMMANDMENTS.
AMHERST COLLEGE.

AMHERST, July 4.-COmmencemenJ week ""s
tnaugurated yesterday by Baceaaureate ADDRESS
delivered In the Presbyterian Church TO the graduating
class by Rev. Dr. stearns President OF the OOese
The edlce as is usual on Baccalaureae occasions WI"
srovded to its utmost capacity by what may term
aibIinctyely NewEngland audience TemafkaDe "liAo
or its intelligence and sincere appreciation OF suen
preacher and such DISCOURSE President Sears chose
COR his theme, "Ameuca Among tho Nations, suoJeev
nggested doubtless by the fact that the nations nata
saw falls ON Sunday this year. It was delivered IN an
.oonent and sturdy manner and was received WIN to
closest attention and the widest accepaton Among 'uo
audience noticed the Rev. DIR. Laurens r HekoA ca
President Of Union Colleges President Fairchld OF lo'
Senator Patterson OF NewHampslire and Johu " o"A'
Ihe poet President stearns spoke in substance d" O
Exodus XIX 8: "Now. therefore, # ye VIII G0ey III inS
voice ndeed, aud keep my covenant u,g for ali tbe
Earth is mine" The day Of the month determines tGo
Tho serhoOd OF great powers, has yet reached 10 o
venerable age OF g. ana only we.I Us nav con
TALLY for the blessed Sabbath 70 pass that se may %
ncnorate in high rejocngs the memorable day OF htr
brtn time ike this, when reIneinner VINO ri ~
"that made the world ana an Ih'nSSS 1ross men
when l remember that L am to aH9ress h men
the fun glow t5To,,bne yyi G6' Patriotism many
OF whom, should their country call them M9ulu oleI
themselves up sacrifices on her affairs as aiu so many
N their elder brothers the recent day OF Their cou
ry trouble could feeling too the sword or tne sr1u
war i'm INV Wn soul suffer this day Of mark To pass, ana
new company Of graduates TO 80 out fr0m our l4Stru
hons without consecraung this hfteenn OF my Pa d
aatiye landf have chosen my text from he u
,3 aud i'm MANY of their rel ous relations, so much
resemble Our pilgrim ancestors W
suaoges Of themselves in that ancient people nor
were they irrational IN their application OF the OLD 10 he
new Histories respecting themselves IL Is more tnah
cation wnen the Church Of this continent hear Jehovah
the audience chamber Of their hearts TelteratHg o
cid commandment and the ola promise 70 US ,s iiS
cans Now therefore II ye viii obey my voice Indeed
M me- oove ali neople; for the earth mine"
These words suggest the opportunity anu tho ineabE
mean What is her opportunity, what is the command
nen what the invitation which the voice OF PfOHl-
dence addresses To American people, and especially
20 the American Churchi snail answer these Questions
IN one, when say That america, the yOuus S SS IN
civilization quite above what has yet been seen on e
America means universal freedom, universal education,
universal Christianity America STANDS TINS oenL on
ta before the nations ana before Cod ~ respect 10 e
opportunity aud 10 is this which makes duty nperOus'
willie the fearulpes OF uncertainty aud the terrible re-
suit winch j. possible makes every wise nau 'ISinple l.
America universal freedom. Through all history
oppression has been the rule justice the exception IN the
Geuules, with brief and imperfect, any e1cepons,
aud despotsm Ia all the earth repeated waves OF Zero
,on9latio4s appear now TO the antiquary piled like
geological strata above the other, each III turn crush
ln down an that are beneath them, and upon the most
recent ~ the inrushng hOTdes which get possession
great government pressing like an incubus from which
there Is no awakng, upon the mlonheared nation DO,
low Eighteen hundred years ago. while shepherds we're
abiding the fields Of Bethlehem, Keeping watch over
their hOcks by night the Klngdon SI goou oSs1'
Bat yet not yeti the DEGREES OF God are slow OF exc
The multiplying flock Of the Great Shepherd was
the Earth. But IN the nght OF "alShIulhess Ilo nUli
crept up and passed the wall and m Sleeps cloth
- mastered the fold Ever since, the second Rome has
been almost as oppressive IN heF way as lue ooi b
tOug centuries from the churchy robes OF her papa he
srehy there dTpped almost necessarily the blood OF non
couformists Medieval Governments, though nominahy
Christian. nearly despotlsms But europe Is not
m ms providence had been reserTng through thousands
Of ages unknown continent AT the times appointed
sPScTs' % IITI feTyaes ana great mountain ranges
audi r4g air
gested aud proclaimed Freedom Begin again. said the
providence Of God, as the gates OF world were
peopled continent, where, in the immenseness Of
Territory there room enough Tor all 30 IN tie germs
OF the country the first settlement OF it freedom
The Puritans OF Ne%Engisha me hGguen9s pI Soun
Carolina ana Massachusetts, the Cathoiles OF Mayah
al ned from oppression and when the Dutch came TO
terror at home The Pilgrims TO our shores that
they might enjoy church liberty and their own civil lib
lis should come in and defeat their undertakings. They
subjected heretcs 10 no fortunes or uconvenenees to Sc
wa anprove of our Ways and cannot be quiet
among US the territory is great, go somewhere else.
But on the other hand while they stood up for their
tSe eXtent often supposed They accepted the African
hondsneu for labor when he was brought to their shores
coming Of this pOrtentious immigration. That which
fastened slavery upon Ie eG.Qes Oh the South was ,e
palry OF ROYAL Adventures Of England trading into
@'s e us, u harGhearted Charles H. and his pro
gate cOurueTs that contaminated the iufamy.
caly true OF our national BIRTH And here the testimony
L. uneauivOca and we need not dwell upon IT. The prn
cples of the confederation the Declaration Of indie
peudenee the Constitution OF the United States the pro
fracted debates in the convention which constituted II,
the readiness Of the Southern members 70 keep out
that instrument all language suggestive Of any:
thing but freedom and OF al the burning words Of
Mr. Jefferson himself stakeholder, against the King Of
England for wagDg war on human nature ITSELF" al.
lowing legislation against that execrable commerce
which threatened the peace Of ms American dOmuiOns
All show that notwithstanding the shameful anomaly
which existed in the nation, the mystery OF nquity
which bad begun 20 work and afterward wrought so ter
rncay In country, the true meaning OF the great
birth commemorate is freedom And our great ma
tiona conflict meant freedom. We have no time 10 set
forth It's anecedeuts its events Nor are they neces
sary the hour They are Impressed upon your mem
ory some Of them burnt IN upon the spirit 10 be
always in view The great change which came over tho
Southern mind IN respect 70 the odousness ana mischief
liberty and build nation OF aristocrats and slaves
ebgrehes in defendlns system Which the AiBisEY from
His throne pronounced damnable the sayehOders' con-
spracy and the Shareholders rebellion and the rushing Of
millions Of freemen TO arms the day Of patriotic Dspi
ration and heartaohug when sent noble
OF encouragement going down almost 70 despair DAYS of
great battle when the vision Of the apocaypc seer was
tTOddeI, and blood OF the wine press even
SIX hundred furongs the first day Of January 1859
when the great bell Of destiny out for
feet and stood forth as men, and our victories aud our
tfumps aud the assassns bullet and the groan Of tho
EQl and doubt and fear for four long years aeTYard,
and the rest and t2pf which game at length when liberty
had Tiumphed-a these things written In letters OF
Ere, Your hearts And what 90 al these thpgs mean
II they do not mean freedOhf
And freedom viii cOme; 1t is knocking at the door;
equal rights privileges before the law will be-
corded 10 ali; the ballot is for allfOr the freedman,
for the Indian for the Chnaman OF the racine LOT alt
not what ought 10 be but what Will be- not just now
perhaps, but ere lOug II not question OF preference
1nt OF providence WIENER So9 TIS ~ se az 9 w
question OF prOprety or desiTaOleness DO not
limited yote-thoueh / think government would be
safe IN the hands OF the ten thousand mothers who