New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-18
c,, literary Association.
r,.rei.es at Lincoln en'ver-
..,.r county, Penn.

-. NJ Lincoln rntvsr.
Anniversary chester County, Penn
~ II, Ne,o National Era:
~ a. ~. rhnrsday, May 4th, the oarne' L'2rary
on in a.n celebrated its fifth anniversary.
Associaa .s;.es were held in the college chapel,
Inc as r.s beautifully decorated with festoons'
"n,'D md wreaths of evergreens. The stage
alI s.peeially beautiful, with evergreens,
s.o. paintings, &C., hung around and sus-
a.nd.d from the walls in charming confusion.
IN, before the time of opening every avail
.h,e snace was taken up by the many students,
nsigbbors. and friends Of the society. At IL
o.clock the. Garnet Society. preceded by the
snosksrs and officers of the society, president
md professors of the college, orator of the day,
nd nre.dept of the board Of trustees. entered
ID. chapel. keeping time to the Grant grand
march performed on the college organ by the
organ;st of the institution. The society per-
formed some very fine evolutions in taking the
seats reserved for them, while the others took
their position on the stage. The president OF
the college. Isaac n Kendall, D. D., offered up
fervent aud eloquent prayer, after which the
Eolian Glee Club, under the direction of Mr..
H. B. Fry, sang q stirring chorus. The presi'
dent of the society, Mr.. w. II. Chambers, In q
few eloquent words now introduced the orator
Of the day, Prof. John NJ. Langston, Dean of
the Law Department Of Howard University,
Washington. i. c.
Mr.. Langston's subject was =" Fitness and
Place" and was profound, eloquent. logical,
and convincing throughout.
The generally accsded ability OF Mf. Lang
ston as an orator and profound thinker was
fully established on this occasion. He said
fitness in body and mind determined the par
ticular calling which men should follow as a
business Of life without this life is failure
Fitness respects a moral as well as intellectual
sense man must have bis understanding de-
veloped and be must have Christian faith. The
men who possess the strongest Christian faith
are those who accomplish most The speaker
was particularly earnest in his enforcement OF
the value of this condition of mind to useful
life, and pointed out the dangers besetting the
path of him who regards with indifference the
needs of his religious nature. He asked was
there any moral power in msn which slept
while he disobeyed his conscience. Attention
to the wants Of our religious nature begets
purity Of soul, Deus nObis. This, in the man
whose intellectual nature has been thoroughly
trained, makes the we'll balanced. perfect. fit
man, whose powers of mind, as a we'll disciplined
army, move forward at the command of the
will The speaker stoutly denied that men
ever became great except through long, patient,
earnest, and systematic effort. Poets and ora
tors are not created, they make themselves In
this connection he spoke of the Hon. Charles
Sumner as second to no dead American, and
inferior to no living one, and wished that the
young men of America might each sit a half
hour under his teaching. He regarded Mr..
Sumner as model after which the youth of the
country should pattern, and as an instance of
that perfect education in intellect and heart
which any one equally endowed by nature may
attain to. As opposed to this, he did not be.
lieve IN selfmade men, and so denied that time
Is ever lost in education, as they claim. He
never knew a selfmade man who was sound.
They always ride one idea. They are often
but, as water, their mind must seek its own
level. Davis in the Senate is Davis still, aud
will be twenty-five years hence. Place does
not make great men. They are and mus. be
made before they find place. He urged upon
the young men the Importance Of knowing
themselves and determining upon their fitness
before accepting place; and, knowing them
selves and conscious of their ability, to RELY
upon themselves, thus armed, for their work.
The GRAFTON, which was one and a half hour
long. was listened to throughout with the deep
est interest
At the conclusion of the Grafton the Glee
Club sang one Of their selections. After which
the regular exercises by the members were in
troduced. Mr.. B. James, a prospective men,
Der OF the medical department, read a disqui-
sition on "Quackery." His essay was deeply
interesting, especially to those whose minds
were engaged on medical subjects. He was
very severe on quacks, and regarded them az
undeserving the confidence and oountensnce
OF rightminded men. He regarded the medi.
cal science as yet very imperfect but believed
1t was destined to become as exact as that Of
mathematics.
Mr.. Luther Hubbard, of New York, mex.
delivered an eloquent and powerful GRAFTON
npon The True Object of Manliness." Mr..
Hubbards acknowledged ability as an orator
was fully sustained here His Grafton was
very practical, unlike the usual effusion Of a
college student, and yet the whole abounded
in beautiful imagery, while the language and
diction was chaste and smooth.
Mr.. Ash, of Providence. Rhode Island, fol.
lowed with al essay on " Progress the Re-
suit of Conflict" He made palpable how
progress has always been preceded by con-
hict In arms or ideas The essay did not
present marks of scholastic sbiity, yet it wa.
pointed and vigorous in its style
He was followed by Mr.. =. Morgan. of Pc
tersburg, Virginia, in an grafton on "Our
Young Republic" This was fine production
but was marred considerably in its delivery.
This was evidently induced by the occasion. for
the speaker manifested every indication of his
uneasiness In the presence OF so large and crit
cal an audience.
Next came debate by four contestants.
The subject for debate was, Which Have
the Greater Influence in Forming the Charsc.
ter OF Nations, Physical or Natural Causes ?"
Mr.. q. b. Fry, Of Reading, Pennsylvania, and
Mr. w. Hargrave, Of Lexington, North Caro-.
lima, debated the question in the affirmative.
and Mr.. ). W. Cain, Of Petersburg, Virginia,
and Mr., s. NJ Coles of Gn;Irord Co,,oo,;,r.