The Portland daily press., 1871-06-09
= commencement AT Kens's Hill.
KENT's HILL, June 8, 1871

noon at two o'clock, by Rev. q. w. Field. D
D., of Bangor. The speaker, In bt ginning,
paid high compliment to the institution, and
spoke with pleasure of the now frequent later,
cbanoe of cou1 teses between the various re.
Esious denominations ia regard to the selec-
ton of speakers for such occasions. Formerly
il was not so. Occasions of this kind were fnr
nished with orators from their own denomipa-
tions. He remarked this as an indication of
Progress, of which his theme treated. The adj
dress was of an honr's duration, Of rare merit,
and delivered in an earnest and impressive
manner. We CLEAN few ideas.
Is being chaos or plan? Gradual devel-
opment is the law of the universe All things
begin low and advance slowly. Our globe has
been long cycles of years arriving at its
present state of perfection. First there was
the rough molten mass OF matter in its slow
progress, till finally lowest vegetable life could
maintain itself upon its surface, then develop
ment of plants till animal life appeared; each
MAI king an era of time and each an age of
progress. From the lofty aud beautiful cedar
of Lebanon to the lowest animal growth there
is Il wide separatiou-the ore only life, the
other life end motion. Finally the highest
present growth is mar, Standing at head of an
imal creation with his vast powers and capa-
blities--a being vino thinks and reasons-has
ideas ideas of himself and the great foundation
of duty and of government And the law is
still TO be the law OF progress From the an
aloey progress must be slow and the race still
in its infancy. Ii the great architect has be en-
so many cycles of years in tittin up this great
theater of mans existence. and man has for so
short a time dwelt upon it. he must still be on
ly in his infancy. Man recognizes this by in
stinct. We think Of progress boy, who in
his earlier years begihs to measure himself; so
the race asks itself how it grows, and what is
the progress of man? There seems to be a test
by which We L1ay measure our growth one of
which is this, that in earlier ages of the world
while perhaps the greatest instances of mental
power and culture were produced, the common
people We're dwarfed in comparison with those
of later years Then a Plato hourished ia
philosophy; Oratory had ITS Demostbenes,
sculpture its Phidias. Appelus sketchcd up
on canvas the most beautiful visions of his ma
tive land. AS the race progresses, instead of
prod uctlOn of heroes or development uf indi-
v;dual instances OF mental power, a general
advance of mental strength and culture is no.
ticeable among the masses. 10 the same d. 1
rection toward the general prosperity of the
masses the mechanic arts and inventions are
prOgre ssibg. To-day there is within the reach
OF all such works OF science, art, pictures,
sculpture, &C., as in the Elizabethan age could
not be obtained by the modest and wealthest
dwellefs within the English realm, or found to
adorn the walls OF choicest palaces. The steam
engine, that does the work OF a thousand men;
that feeds on Goa, and when sickness paral, yes
its power is cured by blows of a hammer, is an
ally of civilization. i gaze in wonder as
stand beside the machinery of our large man
ufactores as | see steel hand thrust ont to tie
broken thread or AN iron hammer crush bar
Of steel, aud seem TO see III all this the begin
ming of a new dispensation -mnd making
matter do its work. Think too, how slow has
been the progress of all these inventions, that
from their first conception to the present time
of their progress has been slow. Look at the
perfection OF the beautiful Instruments that
now mark the progress ct time. Yet from the
n-dial 10 the first cumbersome clock and from
The clock to the now elegant watch has been
period of almost thousand wears. What Il
period of incubation for a watch Many OF us
remember the stretching OF the first telegraph
wire that carries on its winged winds of Ii aht-
ming the messages across llnd and oceans
The world is slowly waking up to the fact that
governments are made for people and not the
people tor governments, general transferring
of power from the governing to the governed.
A few generations ago nations whose execu-
tive power could all be gathered in perhaps
one small room, now count their numbers by
tens Of thousands. What stride from those
years to the present time. He closed by an
earne st appt al to all 10 assist in the progress of
the nation and the world, partly because it is a
law of our beipg and of Providence, and part
ly as duty we owe to the past and to posteIi-
IS.
Immediately following the address Rev. DR..
Tarbox of Boston, read for thirty minutes
from his popular poem upon Matter or Spirit,
containing many happy hits at the present
materialstic theory of man, and was received
by the Urge audience with frequent outbursts
of applause. The poem should be heard to be
appreciated. I can give but few brt ken frag-
ments. He referred to the costly gifts of ma
ture to man, placing all dominion in him and
giving him
"An costly gifts thy bounty doth bestow,
On man thy child because though hast owed him 500
And Science asks, what is man, and the an
swer's,
What is man? the highest of the brues;
He feeds on fish and flesh, Oh grain and roots;
LIS feeding ranges through wide variety
So to secure him nom quick sat ty;
Unlike the OK and horse, good Lord deliver us.
He is at once plant ating and carniyerous;
Yet by the cid Mosaic rule, ween,
He cannot rank with animals called clean
HI ehesos the cud, but does not part the hoof,
SO with the umcteam, he must stand aioot!
The marvellous wisdom OF these latter days,
Frying ab, ut with its ingenious ways
Could take this modern Iame work all apart
And set it up again with hea and heart
For all we further need will simply be
To bring bear a STOUT gaIvanIc bnttorY,----
And SET the hands and heart and feet in motion,
And fill the head with our peculiar notion.
Snch voters shaped from rubber or +, ON ctrk
Are good as those now furnished by New York;
And with little gin, their JOINTS 10 soften,
Will vote as early aud will vote as ofen."
Many of the follies of the day got more than
passing notice.
In the evening the Mendelsshons gave con-
cert which was rare treat, not only TO those
who live away from the advantages of cities;
but to the many who have heretofore enjoyed
the pleasure of their music. s
Wednesday was the day for the regular grad
uating exercises at the church. At 10 A. M
the large church was full. The following is
the programmed:
I. Salutatory. 80. Sadie M Cannon, Chicago, I'll.
2. The Last Decade
Hampstead Washburn. Galepa, III.
g. The Ship of State. George NJ. Warren, Deer I>le
4. The Age of Action
Frank X. Wheeler, X nnebunkport.
8. Pure Gold. ..........Ro Roscoe l.. Green, Harrison
6. The Artists IDEAL. Susan E Curner, Hallowel
Z. Our State Policy. Alvano v Lowell, Unity
9. Chinese immigration. David T. Hatch, Dresden.
10. The nineteenth Century.
II. No Returning footsteps. Clara A. Libby, Wells.
~ Energy ........... Willie q. Hunton, Reiliield
10. Influence of Inventions,
IA. Our Newspapers. Enoch q. Adams 1ltchteld.
.. Dreams. IL zzIe g. Mills, Readfield
Benjamin F. Leighton, Monmouth.
IT. Swedish Immigration,
Alton Sawyer. Monmouth.
IS. A POEM. ........ Edmund p. Dole Skowbegan.
10. Mountains and Mountain Scenery,
Mary l.. lien, Manchester.
20. Through the Fire.. j. Waldo Rich, CheserVle.
a. Progression Levi W. Staples, Clinton.
%. Unfinished. .....Juia e. Tuttle, East Newport.
49, Polished Sins. .Aimon K. Andrews Biddetord.
a. Labor not Luck Ansel Smith, North Wayne.
20. Party versus Principle
Geo. Is. Wheeler, Kennebunkport.
26. Music. ....Chares w. Hill, Biadeiord.
81 Grit. j. RO c0e Day, Monmouth.
%. Cosmos-Udedicf0ry Emery BoardmaD, Belfast.
Music came regularly after every three parts
of the graduation class
At the close Of the exercises, which lasted
till P. NJ, the degree of A. M. was conferred
upon thirteen graduates of three years stand
ing. yeas -t are
The following prizes were awarded for de-
clamation: A. v. Lowell Of Unity, who de-
claimed "Perice s to the People" The prize
in reading was awarded to Miss Ella F. Viii
son OF Gorham, who rendered the "Painter OF
Seville" Prize in ladies' composition to Miss
Celia A. Scribner of Watefville. Subject
selling or Stand" On gentleman's compost.
ton to Charles w. Hill of Biddeford. Subject
"Music." Prize in penmanship to Miss Dunn,