Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-06-09

with the postulate that man alone
of all created beings, starts in life
with predetermined plan, in this
respect more than any other show
ing himself to be made i'm Gods inn
age, since the universe, which is
Gods work shows evidence in every
feature of predetermined plan.
He then spoke of the pursuits of
wealth, fame, power as exercising
ard developing in their degree the
highest human faculties, and then
went on with the development of
the social affections by studying the
welfare of the whole race. AS each
of these in succession was touched
upon he demonstrated that in every
one the immediate object of pursuit
failed even if obtained, to satify the
aspirations with which the pursuit
was initiated, while, in thepresenceo of
death the test Ofall things, all Ofthem
faded into nothingness; so that the
moral and mental faculties develop
ed in the effort, the formation of the
character and the elevation of hui
manity in is entirety was the only
object which even in this life did
not turn out failure. But now fol-
lowed his main point reserved with
sound rhetorical, discretion, that
even this development lift ended in
death was a failure since just as it
eliminated at its zenith point, it
became imperative and was lost in
nothingness. The inference of course
was immortality. We have given
more than ordinary space to this re-
markable essay because we consider
it very unusual achievement for a
young man just completing his edu-
cation; the broad scope of the
thoughts, their logical structure, the
rhetorical Vesture in which they
were clothed, the voice, manner and
gesture, all combined to raise this
effort far above the level of ordinary
college exercises-let us say, hOwev-
er, that the treatment of the subject
did not quite remove the impression
produced by the title of the address.
While we readily concur in the con-
clusiOn that the greatest value Ofall
human efforts consists in theirrefleX
influence on the character, yet we
cannot admit that, where this effort
upon selfis the conscious object Ofthe
efforts, the most exalted character is
the result-devotiOn to great works
for the acOrkS' sake, constitutes the
heroic character jim perfection, and
produces the most ennobling inf1u-
ence in the individual character eX-
actly in proportion as its effects in
that direction are least present to the
consciousness of the individual.
We have much less space to spare
for the other essays though every one
of them was highly creditable to its
author.
Mr.. G. H. CHAMBERLIN "Night
brings out the stars" The scope of
this address is best expressed in the
quotation from Seneca near the COM
mencement of it. "He who has
seen nothing of adversely knows but
half of what the world can teach"
1t was occupied with the important
uses ofadversity in developing pow
ers which would otherwise remain
latent, and he demonstrated in the
persons of FTar.;haI. Washington
Franklin and Lee, that the struggle
with almost insurmOntable difficult
ties, the bearing up against over
whelming disaster, and apatient for
titude under inevitable defeat, were
the stern teachers which invested
these illustriOus men with immortal
greatness. The treatment of the
subject was rhetorical rather than
logical, and some of the thoughts
were beautifully expressed; a less
lavish expenditure however, of
rhetorical decoration at the COM
mencement of the speech, would
have given we think, greater effect
to it as a whole the due economy
of ornament is one of the last
achievements of the accomplished
orator.
Mr.. J. w. GREEN: "7He Ne,C
South" An acquaintance with re-
cent political history and range of
thought as addressed to political
subjects, were manifested in quite
an unusual degree in this effort. The
causes of the stupendOus CONFUSION
which Frustrated the South in social
and political ruin twelve years ago,
were analysed with clear and search
ing insight; some space was then
devoted to a manly sorrow for the
death of so much that had been
great and good and conducive to the
nations prosperity, and then the
main subject was entered upon,
namely, the recent resurrection of
the South; her reviving industry,
the kindling of religious zeal, the
promotion of intellectual discipline
by the many educational institu-
tons now at work, and especially
by the prevalence of that natural
sound sense, which disdains whin-
ing and weeping over the past, and
girds itself to manly effort with a
prophet glance to the future. Judg-
ing by this effort, Mr.. Green is one
of the few young men whom we
would council to direct his thoughts
to political affairs.
MR.. A. S. CALDWELL: "Ptt6Ijc
opinion" The speaker devoted the
early part of his speech to an esti-
mate of the value of public opinion,
and showed that it was to be appre-
ciated according to the principle
on which it was based, in other
words, it was set down as valuable
or worthless according as it was
basa1 unou a conviction or a