The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-08-06
Extract from the Address Of George William
Brown, Esq, delivered before the Societies Of
st. Johns College, Nd.

In the year 1S3O-thirty- nine years ago
i was a member of the junior class of
Rutgers College, and listened, with great
delight, to an address which O very emf
nent and eloquent gentleman of this State,
Mr.. William Writ, then delivered before
the literary societies of that institution.
1t made profound impression not only on
the students, but on all who heard it, and
| can say, with gratitude, that it has had
an influence for good on my whole life.
Like the other writings of Mr.. Writ, it is
characterized by kindly feeling, especial
lly towards the young, by a lofty patriotism,
by high aspirations toward excellence,
and by an earnest conviction of the power
of human will and effort.
After wildly depicting to us the dangers
which then menaced the nation, growing
out of political corruption, the conflict Of
local interests and the collisions between
the Federal and State authorities, he said {:
"Thus, gentlemen, you perceive that
your lot has been cast in stormy times,
and every political indication warns you
that the quality which above all others You
should seek to cultivate is strength of char
acter; strength of character as displayed
in firmness of decision and vigor of action.
eff, Gentlemen, Che continued) you were
about to embark in the voyage of life, on a
summers sea, in barge like that of Cleo
patra, with zephyrs only to fan and soft
music and sweet perfumes to breathe around
you, might recommend it to you to give
yourselves up entirely to the culture of
those bland and gentle accomplishments
which contribute to cheer and sweeten So
lnia info nj I o+s
that you will have to double Cape Horn
in the winter season, and to grapple with
the gigantic spirit of the storm which
guards the cape; and foresee as distinct
ly that it will depend entirely on your own
skill and energy whether you will survive
the fearful encounter, and live to make a
port in the mild ATTITUDES of the Pacific"
This startling prophesy, which rang in
our ears thirty-nine years ago, has come
true to the letter. The young men of that
day, and of after days, who lived to take
part in the great events of the last ten
years, have, indeed been compelled to dou-
BILE Cape Horn in the winter season, and to
grapple with the gigantic spirit of the
storm which guards the cape; and while
many-ah, how many-have persisted in
the fearful encounter, those who survive
have not yet made port in the mild lati.
tudes of the Pacific.
Gentlemen of St. Johns College, af.
ter all that has been done and suffered
since the solemn warning of Mr.. Writ was
addressed to my fellow students and N.Y.
self, would words offs similar import be APP
propriate from me to day, or should rath-
er speak to you, as l would most gladly
do, in the language only of encouragement
and hope9 No one can penetrate the Sc
crets of the future, and, at most, we can
only speculate doubtfully about coming
events, aided by the lights of tho past and
of those, brighter and nearer, which are
reflected from the horizon around u.s.
Now what is the general condition of
affairs at present, as compared with what
it was when Mr.. Writ warned his hearers
of the troubles which were then impend-
ing? In one important respect at least it
is better and in others it must be admitted
to be worse. / must be very brief here,
and give you conclusions rather than the
reasons on which they are founded.
A perpetual source of sectional animosi-
ty which then existed has been removed,
forever. | refer to slavery. That institu-
ton separated the whole nation into two
hostile and irreconcilable parties, and not
only drew line of demarcation deep and
wide between the North and South, but
divided the North itself into an overbear-
ing and victorious majority and an angry
and defeated minority, and thus intensi-
fed everywhere the bitterness of party
spirit, which has done more than anything
else to degrade and corrupt our political
institutions. In country SO vast as this,
and with so many conflicting opinions
and interests in the different parts, it is
difficult to foresee that any one question can.
hereafter for a long time separate the pco-
pie into two geographical parties, or into