The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-23
Judge SpOffOrd's speech Mt Amherst.
rSpringfield Republican,

While the changes relating to this college
during the last thirty years (the length of my
absence from Amherst have been very great,
yet the changes in the condition of the coun-
greater y still Much there Is in our history rye Of
thirty years to rejoce at, but alas there is
also much to dep1ore In that time over a
million of men in the bloom and flower of
their youth have fallen into Premature graves
Countless millions of property, in order that
that number of men should be sent to their
graves, have vanished in smoke. This whole
land has been mortgaged fathoms deep with
debt, debt that will be an incubus upon the
debt, State debt, municipal debt, ihdivid-
ual debt Bankruptcy has done it's
fell work from ocean to ocean, from the
lakes to the gulf. And all in the 10Th cen
tu,ry, century that calls itself par ex;-
Christianity! This is not the place nor occa-
sion, nor am the man. nor does the man now
live in this country who can cast up this fear
fll bala1n e. and declare that whether
the good that has !,a been accomplished by all
this sacrifice will justify all that it has cost.
do not stand here to find fault with anybody
nor to apologize for anybody, but | do say
that years hence, and only years hence, can
history with her unbiased pen, fairly tell the
sponsibility. will further say that the ulti-
mate verdict will be that all these years
might have been gained, and all these terrific
losses might have been saved il there had
been among the leaders Of American politics
really great craftsmanship. II there had
been more moderation, more foresight, more
temperance, more of that spirit which ena-
bles great questions to be settled without the
interference OF passion, the suffering of the
last thirty years might have been saved
am one who believes that one of the very
chief vices OF American character is that of
intemperance OF speech. / know not why it
is, but there seems to be something in the
American character that Graves extravaganza.
excitement. something tending to fight.
Now you have always observed that in pr-
yate or in public it Is the hot word that leads
to the hard blow, and Ii there are hot words
published or spoken, either by the press, pull
pt or i2 % oy and ty spirit VII be
1t can be checked by public men in cool
temper, and that is the very thing we have
lacked SO much in these last years. The first
distinct Latin proposition which ever mas
brief madness. This is true of an Individual
but when the spirit of anger is aroused in a
community the maxim does not hold true, for
there is no brevity in it. 1t grows by what it
feeds on till it becomes at last chronic in
sanity. and almost to that pitch have we
arisen in this country. Certainly, If we waste
our energies in elimination and recrimina-
ton, we are doing much to prejudice section
against section, and delay a better feeling.
An old preacher whom | heard while was
in college. laid down the doctrine that it is
Gods method to scare people into heaven. If
you look around you will find that the average
American is a very hard man to scare be-
lieve it holds true in politics as in religion
that the law Of love is stronger than the influ-
ence of hate 1 believe that almost every man
means to do as nearly right as he can find
out, and don't confine that to one particular
section or State. I believe this disposition
prevails everywhere where there is a tolera-
Bile grade Of enlightenment, and will lead us
to the right and peace. This is what we
want. We want the various sections of this
country to become one in sympathy. Danish
forever the spirit of vituperation. Let all
quarrels be private, Ii there must be quarrels
Give credit to the people everywhere for the
spirit OF devotion to the whole country With
this spirit of temperance in speech, 1 believe
there may be realized for this country that
gorgeous vision vouchsafed to Milton In the
reign of truth justice and mercy.
Judge Spofford's address, of which these
paragraphs are only the most pertinent part
was in strain OF high and thoughtful pa.
triotism, clothed In language of rare scholarly
culture, and delivered with an equally rare
oratorical grace, all uniting to Justify the
promise Of his college career and the reports
spirit touched the hearts of his hearers, and
he was enthusiastically applauded, both dur
ing aud at the close of his address.