The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-10
ADDRESS OF HON. TRos. j. sEMMEs
TO THE GRADUATING CLASS, LAW DEPART
MENT. OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF LOUISIANA.
Delivered in erunewald Hall, Monday April 81
TO THE

| uentemeh tfddadhs or the Lar School :-Yo
are about to commence the practice of q dig
nifed and honorable profession. That success
| may attend your efforts is the sincere desire q
these who have been engaged in your lega
borions study, if accompanied by integrity i
the diligent discharge of your professions
| duties. There is no short road to eminence il
the profession of law; the fruiton of it
| honoIs and rewards is the result of constan
| application. Without earnest and intcps
study you will be deficient in the reouisit
| knowledge to practice profession which de
| mands the most varied information: withou
| integrity, the most brilliant talents and mos
diversified knowledge, will fail to commant
respect and confidence without the con fidenc,
OF the pnbilc compromising employment i.
never realized.
Themis is truly jealous mistress she de
mands constant and undivided love her favor.
are withheld from those who, led astray BY
tions, grow cold in worship at her shrine
Action makes the orator, as we are Informed
by Demosthenes, but study makes the lawyer.
knowledge of all kinds is required in the az
tended practice of Unsuccessful advocate. and
therefore no branch of science is to be neg
iected. Philosophy, physics, metaphysics,
history, political economy, all in their turn,
the service of the law, in adjusting the rights
of iitigants in courts of justice But, in the
culture of your minds do not become devotees
at the shrine of that modern system of mate
rial philosophy which excludes the supernatu-
rail- and by which man is converted into n
mere reasoning machine, without hope with
ont satisfaction of his aspirations, without an
object to crafty the irrepressible yearnings of
the soul, and therefore without happiness. The
most melancholy instance of a purely material
culture is to be found in the autobiography of
John Stuart Mill, who began Greek at three
years of age, read Plato at Seven, studied logic
at twelve, went through complete course of
political economy at thirteen, including the
most intricate points of the theory of currency;
at eighteen became a constant writer for the
y estminster Rerie,o and at nineteen edited Ben
hdms Theory Of Eridence. He was brought up
by his father to believe that Christianity was
there was no ground for faith; for he laments
:" that those who reject revelation, very gener-
ally take refuge in an optimistic Deism
worship OF the order of nature, and the sup
posed course of Providence, at least, Gas he
ays,) as full of contradictions and pervertinc
to the moral sentiments as any of the forms Of
if only it is as completely anal
7zed." We rise from the perusal of this drear
autobiography with sad compassion for him
v ho tells r that Coleridge described his men |
al condition in two lines:
Work without hope draws nectar in a sieve,
And hope without an object cannot live"
The tendency of the age is to materialism {;
he intellect of the age is mechanical; the |
metaphysical and moral sciences arc falling
nto decay the science of the mind is neglect
d, and philosophers are found who maintain
hat the brain secretes thought as the liver
ecretes bile"
1t is no longer the moral, religious and
plrlCual conoltlon OF the people that concerns
ur legislators; the physical comfort of the
lasses is the sole object of government.
The recent scheme of compulsory education !
gnores moral and religions culture, sacrifices
cart and soul on the altar of material science;
he body polite is alone cared for, while the
oul polite is thrown aside, unworthy the
of statesmen. Men seem to have
,st their belief in the supernatural, the in
isble, the divine, the spiritual they no |
niger worship the beautiful and good virtue,
aVing lost it's absolute character, is measured
y tho extent of its usefulness. The spirit of
aterialism has invaded even the domain of
lie masses; the song of The poet; is it any
niger q tone of the Memnon statue breath
g music as the light first touches it 7 a
quId wisdom, disclosing to our sense the deep l
finite harmonieS of nature, aud mans soul I" .
Alas, no J it is either the cold and drear song
a philosophy which rolegates the soul to the
oomy region of the unknowaJle, or the
eretricious chant of worship of the senses, .
It i'll suited to tho choristers of the Temple
Venus. e
We are gravely told by the scientists of the C.
esent day, that belief in the supernatural, @
hlch is the foundation of all positive Iel- h
on, Is Inconsistent with the GIG uity "f man,
at religion is the iuteI vrntiun OF tyranny
grades the intellect, supprcsses the aspira- C.
ms OF nature, and is autag Onistic ~ tie ! =
IeTty of tie people. :.
No assertions have less foundation in fact
d in reason. Religion, in it's nature aud
nstltntlon, IS theological; it teaches that
0 end for which all creatures are made is 4
t temporal, but spiritual and eternal, for
N who is the abBointe, the iBal cause, as
~ &c the first cause Of creation that the A