The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1872-08-16
ADDRESS OF
Hon. Thomas Hardeman
BEFORE THE CADETS OF THE GEOR-
GIA AGRICULTURAL MECHANICAL
AND MILITARY INSTITUTE, AT
THE COMMENCEMENT, ON
9pn JIrTY 1872
BIRD july, 1872.

I AND MILITARY INSIll O1G, IA
THE COMMENCEMENT, ON
BIRD july, 1872.
Cadets, Ladies and Gentlemen -.
Surrounded by the pageantry of
commencement occasion, in presene
of Georgia's noble sons and he
lovelier daughters, in this tempt
dedicated to Science and Religion
while the bright past flashes bacl
the memories of happier days ant
the gloomy present casts its dari
shadow on the horoscope of the fu
ture while the Heavens smile ii
gladness and nature Through hel
stately forests and "fruit bearing
trees" through her mountain
heights and valleys green; hei
ocean 'glassed in tempest" or MIR
rored in calm; her wild cataracts
and silver lakes; her fruitful fields
and Towering gardens,) verifies the
loneliness of our land its past glory
and present surroundings, its record
ed history and the unsealed book
well may l exclaim in language Of
patriotic solicitude, What Of my COM
| t,y,-her wants and necessities p
How pregnant the enquiry, how mo-
mentous the answer? Born inrevo-
luton, monarchy derided her infant
slumbers; Graded in humility, pow
err sat sponsor at her font, while
greatness covered her as with can
opy. Gloom darkened her morning
hour, but the sun of her being soon
rose, like Sion in the prophets vision
above Tabor and Lebanon, dispelling
the clouds that had gathered at their
base and revealing her to the nations,
her feet sandaled with power, her
waist girdled with strength, her head
crowned with majesty. Passing
down her history necessity demands
an altar and temple. With COM
mendable unanimity, each colony
furnished stone for the edifice and
when the capstone was set, each
builder brought his sacrificial offer
ring for the temple service. Joy
and gladness animated the worship
pers as they instituted the ritual
and the liturgy. Following the
canons then instituted, the nation,
rose and prospered, commerce viii
tened her seas, industry enlivened
her martS, peace brooded over her
hearth-stones, plenty crowned her
boards, justice governed her courts,
wisdom her councils, while liberty,
fair daughter of the skies, builded
here her Bethel and invited the ma
tions OF the earth TO its altar and
its service; and so complete was the
structure, so imposing the ceremon-
les, so devout the worshippers, that
the old world gazed with envious adj
miration at the grandeur of its pro-
portions and the simplicity of its
creed; while in the new, hill top and
valley, city and plain, palace and
cottage, resounded with the excelsior
shout of a people, great, prosperous
and free. Linked together by a
constitutional compact, there was
but little division around her board.
A family Of peers, each brought a
meat offering to the feast and par
took (of common right of the choic-
est viands of the table. Beautiful
were the ceremonial services Joy
and gladness reigned in Shiloh-for
no envious Peninnah married the
happiness of the occasion. Earth
was famed with the ambrosial
breezes of a new Paradise. The
Heavens glowed with the brightness
of an unearthly shekinah, while man
reposing under the branches Of the
tree of liberty, was enthused with
the golden dreams of the future Of
his country-looming up in his Wis
ion a Zion panoplied in strength, a
Jerusalem arrayed sin beautiful gar
ments."
Under such auspices, this united
family in 1887, in the ship Constitu.
ton, set sail upon Empires stormy
sea. Beautiful was the morn when
her cable was cut and she drifted
out into that broad ocean,
"Whose barren beach, with frequent wrecks
is paved"
The clouds of revolution had rolled up
their curtain darkness. The waters
of strife had hushed THEN angry ca
dences. The moan of the tempest
had died away and the sun of peace,
high over receding clouds and
storms, stretched his wings of light
over a sea, that had fretted itself to
quiet and to sleep. Afoat upon the
rolling deep-the Constitution their
chart-a common destiny the guide
star Of their hopes-marvel not, that
they dreamed only of calm seas and
sunny skies. Years have passed
despite of storm and tempest-the
old vessel yet rides the waters of
the sea; but the builders and origi-
nal crew have passed away. In
Vernon and Monticello and Quincy
and other cities of the dead, sleep
the fathers of the republic. To the
graves of those immortal sleepers,
go with me to-day, that you may
read upon their grave stones, of pa
triotism unsuIIied with seIfshness, Of
justice unbiased by consideration, of
power disrobed of venality, of love
of country rising above the exhala-