The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-26
AMHERST COLLEGE.

symphony Of all the heavenly harps. swell donc, goov
and faithful servants enter thou into tho JOY Of thl
Lord
AMHERST COLLEGE.
BAcCALAUREATE SERMON By president
sTEARNs-A NATIONS LIFE CONDITIONED on
INTELLIGENCE AND VIRTUE.
At Amherst College yesterday President Stcarns de-
lvered his baccaaureate before tho graduates
nations c said he Is conditioned ON intelligencs
and virtue II government dcncs tho eternal laws Of
righteousness II perjury and corruption prevail
a people, If tho fear OF God orsakes thcm and mora
recklessness riot among thcm tho
quencc is political death. So said the Hebrew lawgveI
than 1900 years ago. and all history attests the
fact
That ID wonderful chapter OF prophetic staesmans
ship the twenty eighth of Deuteronomy The author.
in religious civil ode through fifteen verses
ates blessings which pledged to God-fearing
TONS especially to the elected people whom, vice
gerent OF jehovah he controlled And then reversing
the picture, in nty -four no pours down hal
Of denunciatoy eloquencc, certain to blast and
beat them the earth II thcy should 10 fear
tie glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God,
and become rebcous and vile. And now
America is on trial. dear native land, before
God and mankind and all the blessings expressed II
this twentyeighth chapter of Deuteronomy prom
iscd to us, and all the curses the II
not in kind threatened 1t is destiny; thu
foresight of wise mon, without written inspira
tion, perceives IT. to be exalted above all nations
sink down INTO the lowest hell of political disgrace.
The air Is fragrant and bracing with centennial rcoic
ings to-day. But who knows whether our postsrity
will be jublant or ashamed leo years nencca Tho
answer to this question will depend greatly upon "a
II keep the body polite hcaIthtuL il wo car
nd fran ctc virt nnus
more immediate descendants, We may hope that they
also will hand generations following glorinel
republic. II Is with these sentiments that como
you this morning with plea for the nation
exhort you, first OF all, to love your country.
Do you realize, ~ has recently been called
70 your notice. that In building the Garth your Creator
selected North Central His best adaptations
to the human racer Immense rivers, vast spaces Of
the richest intervsles, mountains piled up to the
heavens and filled with mineral wealth. countless bays
and ndcntations Of coasts great oceans connecting
with al the rest Of tho world, while separating II
therefrom. II was treasured up and hidden by the
covering Of the Amightys hand till, for our fathers
and for us, tho limo OF It's showing should come.
Love your country Tor it Is worthy OF love; stall
worth Christian ancestry, sclfgovernment instead o
dcspo,sm; liberty restrained only by laws which pro-
tcct schools churches open Bibles; great HISTORY,
human freedom and the right; the sacred dust or sol
ders graves, our lost ones and our loved, with
ments OF glory above them; how they call to loH
affection aud patriotic dcvot0n
Love your country; 1t IS a nation. And this nation
yours 10 honor yours 10 save, yours TO make
great Encourage and promote general education II
is accepted trusm, saying which has been repeated
In this country Thousand times that republic
prosper or iong exist without intelligence among tha
people 1t was the ignorance and semi-barbarsm q
the masses Of our Southern States quite much q
The ambon OF their leaders, which snook the pillars
Of our government And there are millions now grow
ing up without knowledge, without training just tho
material 70 break OUT 6y and by, under The goading
demagogues and rush forth like herds OF iufurated
buffalo trxmplng down all good things in their way.
But It is Of the training OF tho intellect alone
that would speak; the pubic conscience must Do
educated, or We are lost as q nation. Mere
knowledge, sharpening the mental perceptions,
strengthening the faculty OF continuance without moral
principle Is just tie way to mako devils in human
form By such education you arm ten thousand for
mischief This fact Is well known, but needs 10
peated with ever recurring emphasis. Moral training
must accompany the intellectual or We ruinsd
Tho recent uncovering OF public frauds-stealngs by
the million carried by respectable men, the every
nothing Of sensuatcs which might make the angels
blushali show that, where the INTELLECT quick.
pect crime and shame II this condition OF things be-
comes general shall be regarded with disgust and
terror by all nations The fathers OF American
sttutons understood this, hence the Of
Massachusetts, says"lt shall be the duty of Legisla-
and magistrates in all future periods OF this Com
monweah to cherish the interests Of literature and
the sce noes and all scminares them;H and again
says that IA constant adherence to the principles d
piety justice, moderation, temperance, industry and
vantagcs o. liberty and 10 MAINTAIN free government
Our fathers would not leave these duties 70 the
caprice OF legislative enactment but embodied them
In the primal law OF the Commonwealth; ana no man.
however deep sunk IN political corruption, has over
had the daring 20 move their repeal Washington in
his Farewell Address, reiterated the same prncipea
and all the statesmen Of America have echoed and
echoed the same II not without reason, then thai
say encourage and promote education, especially ID
the department OF conscience
And here let 1t be that this never can b
properly done, the pubic conscience can never b
an nj an nd
Whatever may be said of select persons, naturally
amiable, d,sihclncd to low viccs the million
God or they will not keep HIS commandments and II
order to this there be intense religious life
somewhere. exhort you again to be faithful your
untitled man IS more strongly pressed By che duty ol
securing good government than yourself II curses
come down upon an ungodIy people, none among the
millions OF us will deserve thcm, II you neglect CIVIL
obligations more than you. You must devote time,
thought, effort 10 promote tho common good The
Republic and you must take care OF H. Lea ne
indosnce, no shrinking from contact with ignorance
aud vugAruy drive you into social ssciusion or nsu-
traize your power.
you aspire TO high national trust and think ycu csa
do good service Tor the country there . nothing dis
honorable in tho ambition Fit yourself Tor costroiag
ONCE seeking, how ignoblc Tho old patriots Of
America, they scorned T. Fifty years ago young mea
secret when they read OF dgnIned Roman Senator'S
humbling themselves before tho people ~ they went
about them snsa .r. rSns ~
reverence which characterized our English fathers
before tho Revolution had not deserted VA Bat the
sptr,t Of French communism camo and Il vulgaryeA
the nation oh, IL Is mean, this sacrificing Of man
hood for place Thank God. II Is cause Tor honest
pride that. when tho cynics lantern going round
in search Of incompatible men. founu candi ~
length occupied tno quiet studies OF philosophy juss
here IN the halls o. Old Amherst who could mol % made
10 fawn upon the gcnieel kiss tho unwashcd hasd
votes In tnis connection exhort you 10 truth
fuincss 10 politics. and that loo, both personally ana
through tho press There frauds 1t the baioJ Dog
and brides often IN disgusting forms to votes.
but these vices almost vcnia comparci with the
enormous yn with when every great election sands
charged Encourage honest Journalism la sagxcssy.