Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-12
LOCAL NEWS.
Law Del artment OF Columbian Cui
NersiIN

the annual commencement of the law depart
ment of the Columbian University The stage
was tastefully decorated, and the array OF bo-
Duets At the front, designed for the grad uRtes,
showed their popularity in Washington.
Upon the wall in the rear OF the stage wa
"'7i-ln memoriam, Farrell-Cuthbert," beau
tfully and artistically woven OF eyergreens,
and the members OF the class each wore Grape
upon bis left arm in respect TO the memory Of
their departed classmates, j. ID. ID. Farrell and
j. II. Cutheert, jr., the former one OF the grad
yates, and the latter q member Of the Junior
class, who both died during the latter part OF
the month of May.
on the platform were seated James G. Well
ing, LII. D., pre- sident Of the university; Rev.
Drs. Elliott and Atkins, Professors Tyler, Ken
nedy, Appleby and FrlstOe, w. W. Corcoran,
esq, president, aid Judge BOlss, vice presi-
dent, of the board Of trustees; Associate Justice
Strong, OF the United Stats Supreme Codrt,
Hon. William Stickney, and the graduates.
Tit. band, uLder the direction Of Professor
Weber, played march dedicated 20 the class
of 1874, after which the exercises were opened
by feTyent prayer offered by Rev. DIR. Elliott,
OF the Church of the Ascension.
President yelling announced that they had
expected, until few days ago, 70 listen TO the
eloquent voice OF Senator Carl SchurZ, who b ri
accepted tie invitation OF delivering the annual
address on this occasion. He regretted 70 state
that Lis illness, which had CAUSED bis absence
from the Senate chamber for several days past,
u ade il impossible for him TO be present
President yelling then proceeded 70 address
the graduates 18th that felicity OF language
and thought for which he is distinguished. de
said:
Gentlsmen of the graduating class; You are
about 20 cross the threshold which leads from
the training 5, htol 10 the forum. few more
words that make US finger while these mo. neuts
are running themselves into golden sands before
our eyes, and you III be called 10 exchange the
yigiIs OF the ITiva'e study for the tug OF the
glSdiatorial combat. The miIsic preluies OF
the classroom aud the moot court must now
give place 20 the st=Jn joys o. contest in that
arena where man strives With mao, not only for
the PAINS OF victory and ;he pr.zes Of ambition.
hut Tor all that he hold most uesT-hls property
his reputation, AUD hi hte. Others NAV seek
pavilion % hide to- IN from the strife OF tongues
| hut through the very thick Of this strife, a.
through q pillar IF cloud, YOU must learn 20
pick your way, with firm aid TesJlute step.
Others may walk in 1.-The coil, seQuestered
wales" of LIE, but sou must run your appointed
course in the smo. e and stir uf the busy world
that awaits you on the MORROW.
We are encOura, ed TO believe that your ewes
have been opened 10 behold what a great mas
ter of your profession has called 1.-The gladstone
iight Of jurisprudence IL this light has al
ready gwen adness 70 your eyes II shall hence
| forth be As lamp to your feet n you proceed
TO scale the hills OF difficulty which lie before
you. IL Il only in 50 far as you may have been
| thoroughly gTOundtd in the princi Piles OF the
| law thst you shall hereafter be induced with
power TO wiz tie logic of the bar with pre-
| cisicn ard effect. You DO not go forth a.
knights errsnt, rowing o and fro IN search Of
adventures; but, as sober men, you will stand
in your lot ready TO do sober work for God and
humanity in the figure of society. A the swOrD
defenders OF justice you are 10 DC swords and
shifting of the Oppross0r shields for the protec-
ton OF innocence. AS members Of that one
among the learned professions which, more thar
any other, tries the stuff its vJtarics are made
of, ard which, less than any other, has place
for the charlatan in its ranks, you must be
ready at al times TO give full proof OF the vo
cation and ministry 10 which you have been
called.
Isptak Of your service as a ministry, for you
are to minister as priests at the affairs OF justice
In the scheme OF human life. with its INFINITE
acfiOIE n
stand for himse II alone and he IL the greatest OF
all Who If the servant Of all. That vicarious ele
ment which ruDs sometimes like bright golden
and sometimes like a crimson thread through the
very warp and woOf Of civil society, nnds it,
highest exemplncation in tie members Of those
great learned professions which constitute the
main pillars OF the state, because they bear the
greatest burdens and yield the highest Of human
services The professional man mast deem IL no
lefs JOY than the crown of his rejoicing that he
lie counted worthy to bear for rther. burdens ther
cannot lift. He becomes, in the highest sense of
| the term, a debtor to other men-having obliga-
nsns to e, me Of s sndSS
| will bear with me while 1 briefly recapitulste
| some of the obligations under which you are to
come tins night BY the y sS,s You shall no" as
In the first place, as being nrst suggested by
the proIIieti,s Of this time and place, may bid
you 70 remember what i due to the dignity and
| and the practice Of the law, tina so by the pu-
Tty OF your lives, and, IL may be, by the splen-
Il cor OF Your careers. you IN Ay bring q revenue
Of honor 10 its name. Every school lives its
best life in the lives of thoee whom IL SENDS forth
a. the opponents Of its discipline. We read in
| the pages Of Plutarch how Spensippas, the suc-
cessor OF Plato, enjOined on his pupil. Dim,
| when the latter had been raised 70 the rule Of
Sicily, that he should be careful to bless his
land with good laws and good government, for
| by 50 doing she could add fresh glory to the
Academy When, in after days, you shall
come TO hang up your ar nor In the halls OF your
Alma Mater, let 10 rust be seen on your swords,
20 ish m
In the second place, il behooves you ever to
remember the debt you owe TO the profession
| you have chosen. You are about 20 enter the
ranks OF gOodly tellowship-a communion
partly visible and partly invisible. In the tore
front OF that visible communion, with hands
| extended 10 receive you, stands the long line
OF the graduates, nov nearly a thousand ia
number, Who have gone forth from the same
| school es yourselves The foster son OF com
mon mother, you owe 20 each other the love
| and duty which spring from common lineage.
| Many among the elder members of this family
have already risen to distinction in the wake
| Of their profession. Let IL he yours 70 enhance
| whatever bar you may stand for the defence OF
| truth and right And when 10 this visible COM
munion You add the great cloud of witnesses
| which bold you in full survey from the heights
| OF their fame-the illustrlous lawyers, judges,
| advocates, jurists and chancsll0rs who have
sdorned the annals Of the past generation, you
| can deter mine what manner of men IL becomes
you TO be, that, in your generation, you may do
no discredit TO the honorable traditions you are
| called 70 perpttuate and adorn-
In the thud place, / need not remind you OF
| the debt which you owe 10 yourselves You will
be required In many q critical con- uncture 10
| set TO yourselves the measure and bounds OF the
| professional responsibility you shall assume in
the interest OF your clente- You can owe no
| duty TO your clients which is inconsistent wit
| the duty you owe to yourselves as men Of homo
| and men of truth. You will see 70 IL that you
| client is not wounded through the laws which
you rightfully iuterpose Tor his defence, but
| you will also see 90 il that the moral order o.
| society Ia not wounded to save the person o
| your client Justice between man and man l.
administered under the sanction OF the oath tina
| cur human tribunals may borrow lustre and
| purity from the Great White Throne that Il Sc
| In the heavens In the light that streams from
| the Throne You shall see q new force and q new
| beauty In the sublime aphorism Of Hooker when
he wrote that ''of law no less can be ackn0wl
| ed ged than that her seat is the bosom of God
| and her voice the harmony Of the world.D
AS a class you ere specially called to do nom
age 10 these lowers Of the world to come. You
| sit in their shadow tonight. for one OF your
number, after having attained to the same de-
gree With yourselves, has gone from your visi-
tile fellowship TO join the invisible communion
OF there who beckon TO you from their exalted
seats. And still another In the class below you,
while pressing Tor ward with eager steps towards
the mark OF your high ambition, has suddenly
STAINED 10 the mark of that higher prize which
q set before you by the Great Task m aster Far
rell is not here 20 take the guerdon he had won
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