The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-14

| washington CITY. at Bethany Col
lege, on the Thirtieth Anniversary
OF the metropolitan society, Nov.
6.1S7l.
Published by request of the Society.l
LADIES AND The duty
has been assigned me OF speaking to
you as the representative OF the Alumni
of our Society on this, its thirtieth an
niversary. Whether l consider the
honor which my fellow Neotrophians
have done me and the confidence they
have manifested in my ability, or the
expectation Of entertainment expressed
by the assemblage of so large an audi.
ence, | feel that there rests upon me a
responsibility very great for one SO
young. 1t is fact, we all know, that
what is said is frequently not so much
considered az who saws it. And this is
most just, for surely the advice of the
veteran, who has made war study
aud spent his life ir active service, de.
serves greater respect than the rhetoric
of one
THAT never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of battle knows
More than spinster."
Realizing this truth, | could almost
wish to-day that my hair were gray
with age, and my eyes sufficiently dim
to Justify the wearing of spectacles, for
then my venerable appearance would
supply the deficiencies OF my speech
and give weight to all my utterances
1t is said, "Old men for counsel, young
men for wal" and feel most forcbly
that this trite saying is true, for with
more hope OF success | would undertake
to whip five men than to entertain or
counsel an audience constituted so
largely ofthe fair sex; not that they are
slow TO overlook faults, but because am
fully persuaded that no entertainment,
however varied, could meet their deserts,
nor any counsel, however excellent,
make them much better.
Here, too, observe seated about me
our venerable professors, some Of them
worn and weary in the service OF educa-
ton and humanity: from their lips in
the recitation room | received not only
my daily lessons in the text books, but
lessons OF moral rectitude, and incen-
tives to Christian endeavor. And is it
any wonder that | should feel like re-
naming silent when they are present :?
The short time that | have been from
under their oversi ght seems like the in.
PERMISSION from Friday evening to Mon
day morning; and every student knows
that Mondays lessons are always the
worst. lean not but imagine the Presi-
dent turning the leaves of a Political
Economy, and asking if l have observed
the proper relation between Individual
labor and the capital which | received
at the hands of my Alma Mater; or tie
Professor of Astronomy, with an omin-
GUS twinkliog of the eye, enquiring if |
can calculate a moral eclipse, tell the
angle which the orbit of right makes
with the orbit Of wrong, inform him
how great a perturbation will endanger
a mans conscience, or write the formu-
la which expresses the relation between
the centripetal force of virtue and the
centrifugal force of wee. Or the Pro-
lessor OF Sciences, first telling an anec-
dote, demanding that take two human
hearts, separate each into its Adamic or
Eve-il elements, and tell which belongs
to the honest man and which to the
rascal. 1t is well for me, ladies and
gentlemen, that am not here to under
90 any such rigid examination, for l
should most certainly be pitched. -
The science of human nature is an ex-
detrimental science, and the study OF a
lifetime makes men poorly proficient.
But though we cannot know ourselves
thoroughly effectively considered, yet
we can recognize the principles which
| if followed will constitute us good and
noble beings. Men breathed the air
before chemistry told its composition;
and pure air was as healthy when
Abraham lived as it is now. So, also,
if we breathe the pure air of morality,
and drink from the well OF wisdom,
though we may not be able to analyze
the heart, we may rest satisfied
it will he sound and healthy,
And it is just as impossible for us
TO live in bad society and preserve
our integrity and virtue, as 1t Is to IN
hale a poisonous atm osphere and pre-
serve our physical health. tits equally
impossible to be where good influences
are at work without receiving noble
as vibrations and generous impulses. 1t
is upon this principle that institutions
of learning do an immense amount OF
good which the superficial thinker Is
not likely to consider. Enterprlslng
youth are collected into one society,"
with one aim, aud in common sympa'
thy. forming a more perfect association
than any other we can imagine. They
are assembled to inquire after know
LEDGE. The motto of our society,
"Ols1imus Vsrum," is the motto OF
eyery honest student; for with any
other aim there is no certain road 10
success. and success, il attained with
anv other view, is worse than failure IN
the cause of truth. As l have saih'
there is a principle, a very simple
nrinciple upon which there Is done oy
colleges and universities another and
Greater work than that Of dlttuslng a
knowledge of Greek or Latin, or any
language or science that principle. Is
simply that association forms haoits
and habits form character. we nave
our habits of thinking, of feeling OF
speaking, aud our habits OF acting a
mans character is said to be good OF
had as his habits are good or bad. II
j. for the purpose of acquiring habits
that we enter college or form ourselves
into literary societies. BY daily a'.en
ton to the lessons assigned him, tht
student acquires the habit OF menta
anplication or power OF concentration
Gfor habit is power); by attendance
Wv Ias The habit of punCtu