, 1870-07-13
C0lf1fEECENEUT AT HEIOlT.
Address of Mailer J. u. BuRAV u
sBae AIaAanl ~ Dolsit C%tlege, 1all
ra1n

1N3 A1AOS
Brpkkr Atuuat Of R<lcI: ..... :
II Whist your orator may say tonight lacks
gresely IN logical sequence, OF ID less scholarly
than be6ts veteran graduate on such an oc-
c1sion ard before such an sudience As tllls,
you must bear in mind two things: First, the
fact that your committees summons was
served on me bnt few weeks aimee, and, aec-
oudly, that have not been able to snatch 3
single day from my ordinary and tolerably eI-
acting routine Of duties, to devote to the work
Of preparation. / am sure that you viii not
refuse to be charitable, therefore, toward any
deficiencies or c1udities which my 1onarks may
show.
As for oratory. under any circumstances,
you who have known me Of old cannot expect
nai. We're to succeed in this direction to
any considerable extent, fear that nf6dR7its
would be necessary to establish either my
identity OF my authorship Of this effort
which is generally called an oratiou, I sup
pose, because it is an essay.
Yet were to any degree endowed With tho
gift Of oratory, there is enough in this occa-
familiar and loved faces that thrill me
with their presence. and, still more,
in those equally faniliar and loved
faces which seem to turn kindly down on
ne from beyond tho veil-.to make me- eso-
quent to the fullest capacities OF human e3-
preaaiop. What see, however, and what is
only "in my minds oye," alike fill me with
emotions which arc too deep for rhetoric and
too confused for distinct uttefaneo. For this
is to me peculiarly sacred ground. Not only
is the growth Of this college intermingled in
with my own growth, but that Of tho dear old
town itself, as well, and along the
double get parallel pathway Of these
two lines of associations spring up
thousands Of memories Of playtellows, com
rades, classmates, seniors, and juniors, social
.3kA i = d-ot~ 117l
Of whom como remain here and moro are acat-
tered over the face Of the earth, while too many
have left us forever. I confess that Wheu, in
the great city, thought over the question Of
meeting you here Oh this occasion, the mere
anticipation Of this cloud Of old associations
for ali instant depressed me With an inexpres-
sible sadness, and almost determined me to
forego the honor Of serving ns your orator.
But for IN instant only, for there is sad
ness WHICH il full OF Joy anil peaee and fruit
fulncss in its after-rcaults, and such ID the
mingled melancholy and delight which this oc-
casion brings to me, and undoubtedly to 1l Of
the older graduntes. It is good to DO hero, in
blessed associations, and to rcy7re friendships
whose like cannot be made elsewhere or here
aftez by Ra,y Of ua.
And as We thus come together to re-onkin.
ule old feelings OF couaradeship, AID to
cultivate another festival Of our A1ma Mater,
hravcly how far this occasion, which
is SO great and precious one to US,
ii important to tho community ut large. Ii
this college, which we regard with tho preju-
dice OF devoted sons worthy to endure and to
receive III still greater measure the benefac-
which is to survive and grow mainly through
tho faEorittsm Of local and Hectarian Interests,
Or has it taken root 30 deeply and firmly in
broad and enduring and common intere8ts
that its benefacto1s will be recognized a. the
benefactorB OF mankind7 In . time when
colleges are born in day, at tho viii Of
single citizens OF the republic and set into
full activity with endowments leaving our
deaE old college far in tho shade, has alma
mater the elements OF continuance, Of
strength for tho competition with richer col
lcges, and Of development to meet the omez-
geneies Of an exceedingly progressive age'
crowded. ssd an 81 9oe my mind M as thoashf what %
should say here and now. Thoy aro questions
which viii answer themselves in time, and
which wish no more time had been given nc
to answer. But they hayo often occurred to
me, and hayo, az believe, been honestly con-
eidercd. at all events.
If You will allow me 10 present my thonghts
on this subject in my own way, viii state
briefly my REASONS for believing that Belois
College has not only an excuse for existing,
but tic promise Of career far brighter than
itB most enthusiastic friends dared expect in
my college days. In order to do this, shall
be obliged to Eay more or less on tho subject
OF my remarks-viz., "Our College SEstem"-
for, if our present college system is q mistake
and NJ anomaly, Deloit College might aB well
cease to ask for further aid from IN already
too liberal community, and theee commence
J mont festivities shou1d be sobered down into
funcreal obecrTances over the remains OF al.
aptlqutte1 and fOrsaken educational ideas.
You who have tested by q longer or shorter
experience how the training received here has
fitted you to develop your higher nature, a:
well 81 TO make the Srough-and- tumble '1gh!
with m exceeding practical, often hostile, and
never too helpful world need no such made
| quate demonstration az can give OF tho value
| Of this training. You know It in the very in
te1ior depths Of your consciousness. A sense
| Of it pervadss every fibre Of your being, when
| ever it ia recalled to your consideration
| 1t nwakens in you much Of that mingled graft.
| tudo and delight with which you look back on
the whoIesome and often nnweicome instruo
| Gods appointed and peculiar teachers
| Eut you meet daily those who decty, or DO
| little, OF assai1, the sygtem Of training which
you havo found to have been go admirably cal
culatcd to draw out your best faculties and tt
fit you for either work or study, or both. Yor
usefully emhody every shadow o. opinion
forming OF formed ca1low or mature, candle
| or preiudiced-you SEQ in these daily photo
] graphs OF 4 worlds very thoughts and i'm
| pulEes, as well aa activities, much shaltoV
criticism Of q system Of e1ucatlon which VA:
the most thoughtful, heroic, and terminating
era OF our history which has baen the con
tinuous and beneilcent element Of progress
| Immensely needing eon1e sound and durabl.
| basis; which has adapted itself 10 tb
changing conditions Of orr society, ou
learning, and cur literary cul
as ynSqt tRy rsa| sa1 rb dsssn S Or s EsSea
ablest defender N the college Which Beloi
copies, 20 far aB she imitates any Of her olde
sisters, and which has lately adjusted her cur
nculum most perfectly to the real wants OF th
times-I need hardly esy that tefer to Pro
fessor Noah Porter, of old Yale. Long mn
caso is buttressed up go strongly By an in
pregnablo array o. reasons drawn from ph,
losophy and experience
To those who arc ut all aware Of the limits
tious on the depth and accuracy OF tho ables
ctlitors when forced to deliver themselves 0
opinions On the weightiest subjects at th
briefest notice, it iH unnecessary to Say thu
there are many widely current utterances fror
influential sanctnms which arc not Btricu
Delphic in their wisdom. Moreover, it III ia
easier, as well as more popular, to csiticise e.
listing institutions than to defend them. Rid
cuIe, attack, and invectiTe arc "epicier,' live
ilor, and moro "taking than plain commend
colleges, being administered and attended b
mere human beings. AFFORD abundant opportu
1ty for aatire and ridicule. I trust they vi
never escape either so long AZ they anoI
proyocation-that is, so long az college prt
fessors have bigotries and stupidities whic
deuts and graduates have vanities aud veal
l nr4Hes which need puuctQrinE.
In our country, too, political equality sur
! Gests, although it can never bring, all othe
sorts OF equality. and our thousands of brill
ian,ly successful "Eelf-made men n-especia
ly those WHO worship their imagine
eEeators-s1e spt, sometimes, peThaI
tanges Of an education without whic
they have managed to fight life's battles
honorabIy and prohtably. The ppinions
such men deserve to be treated With reapec
although wo know that they have in q tho,
sand ways fclt the genial Influence of those il
the land from such fountains as this which b
given uH its direct and steady nurture.
But there iB less respectable c1ass, and
fear much larger, Of those who despise Z
culture which cannot be demonstrated to ha
direct reference to the getting Of money Al
college education find rank and congenial st
| for g1owth, ,andthey need at no time much exte
nal stimulus to develop Ill their native no
iousness and ugliness. am sure. howeTe
that eorpotars guard Of these men could Il
be found within gunshot Of this college, viii
has been from the day Of its birth the child
the prayers of the people, il ever college II
OF the prayers Of those among whom it b
| ncstled.
Tho mast formidable opnnnnnto Of ths 81
, | te.n Of training which Heloit-Hke most Of @
other coueges-has, are get to be mentione
They arc those who conscientio1aly Al
thoughtfuuy have coma to the conclusi
, that this training is antiquated and u
!; suited to tho age in whlch We liz
That it is folly to waste time on de-
, languages which ought to bo given to the 9
+ auisition Of Irving tongues and to the study
= modern foreign litetatures. That it is far b.