The Portland daily press., 1879-07-21
by TELEGRAPH.
COLBY UNIVERSITY
Opening Exercises of Commence
ment Week.
Address in Memory Of the Late Gardner
Colby.

VAUDEVILLE, July 20.-Commencement at
Colby University began to-day. President
Robins preached as the annual baccalaureate
sermon, memorial discourse for the late
Gardner Colby Esq, of Boston, whose name
the institution bears and whose benefactions
saved it in one of the darkest hours of its
history The following is an abstract of the
discourse:
After dwelling by way of instruction, upon
the universal instinct of the human heart for
memorializing the illustrious dead, the
speaker gave short sketch of the leading
facts in Mr.. Colby's life, abiding to the rich
heritage he had enjoyed in the example of in
dustry, integrity and piety of noble mother,
and to his early struggle with poverty, as well
as to the eminent success which crowned his
career.
Then choosing for his text the words of the
Saviour in Luke, %: 27-'FI am among you as
he that serveth,' the speaker proceeded to
show that life of service is the only true life
of man. This position was proved by the ex-
ample of Christ Himself, of whose earthly
career from the carpenters bench at Nazareth
to the cross of Calvary, these words could be
| dl 6pllOulG, stS lllO dTCuCly Pal
| He reveals to every human being Gods ideal
of true manhood in life of useful service. 1t
| was claimed that MIR. Colby's life of signal
| usefulness was inspired by his living faith in
| Christ. A sentiment often on his lips, mo
man is a man who does not make himself so
much man as to be needed by his fellow-men"
| revealed his secret motive. In keeping with
| such sentiment were his benefactions
| bestowed not for the sake of gaining name or
| building for himself a monument, but from a
| sense of obligation to serve his fellow-men as a
! service to God. The whole tenor of his life
| confirmed this. He began life with a settled
purpose of service, beginning to give as soon
| as he began to accumulate, thus 'enisting the
mighty energy of habit on the side of virtue,
| nor did he wait for the leisure which wealth
| could command before he gave time and
| thought to the futherance of public ends For
more than a generation private interests not
| his own and public interests many and
various in their claims had the benefit of his
| sagacious counsels his untiring labors, his
contagious enthusiasm, his generous bene-
| factions. The speaker then proceeded to
| notice some of the subordinate lessons included
| in the general lesson that life of service is
| the only true life of man.
This conception of life gives us the solution
of the problem of communism. 1t was shown
| that communism is no novel and temporary
social disturbance but question of certain,
| from the very instincts of man to arise at any
moment until settled Upon principles OF
righteousness A striking distinction was
then drawn between the true and false com
| muniSm; the true communism exaltS and
| developes individuality; the false depres ses
| and limits it. The true communicates the
individual to make the most of himself and
| instruct him as trustee of God to administer
his original gifts and his acquisition for his
| own good and the benefit OF his fellOw-men.
The false communism by its claim for society
| to control personal action and the acquisitions
| of its members takes away all incentive to the
| best personal development and thus renders
the best well-being of society impossible. The
| true communism levels upward, the false
levels downward. Mr.. Colby's example of
| wealth gained and administered for the
| general welfare makes such theory practical.
| A correct Interpretation of the poverty of
! true life of man. 1t was observed that Christ
is imitable not in his acts, but his life, not in
| form but in principle. Studying the example
of our Lord guided by this rule we find that
| he renounces the accumulation of wealth be-
! cause it was not essential to the fulfllment of
| His special mission, but that He endorsed the
| accumulation of it since He received from
others who possessed it, the use of it so far as
it was required to enable Him to do his work.
| 1t follows then if any mans work requires the
| possession as well as the use of property there
| is nothing in Christ'S example to forbid it.
That the accumulation of property is essential
| to the work at the world, is one of the plainest
| principles of political economy. Labor without
| capital is almost powerless; civilization is i'm
| possible without its commerce, art literature,
| Science and religion rest upon it as an indis-
| pensable basis. The man who by industry,
! forethought and self-denial accumulates wealth
is public benefactor To be poor in the sense of
having nothing is an easy thing; to be volunta-
rily poor in the midst OF riches is dificult-a
| divine thing.
| The conception of life insures constancy of
service. One of Mr.. Colbys most remarkable
characteristics was the percistency of his
| devotion to any cause which he had espoused
| other men would give time and money on oc-
| casions, but were careful not to take up public
institutions as personal burdens, but he took
! them into his heart, and cherished them as
man cherishesh his children.
| Such conception of life lnsures breadth of
sympathy in service. The scope and amount of
| Mi. Colby'S bequeSt were cited as an illuStra-
ton of this fact Abiding to Mr. Colby
| liberal patronage of educational interests.
| President Robbins took occasion to urge the
endowment by men OF wealth, of well con-
Quoted, solidly rooted educational institutions,
! citing the opinion of Sir Henry Maine that
there is no surer, no easier, no cheaper road to
| immortality such as can be obtained in the
| world than that which lies through iberality
| expanding itself in educational eudowments.
| This discourse was followed by an address to
the graduating class in which impressive
reference was made to the decease early in the
year OF one of the most promising of their
members and the general lesson of the dis
| course urged upon their attention.
The annual sermon before the Boardman
Missionary Society and Young Mems Christian
| Association was delivered at the Baptist
Church this evening by Rev. j. F. Elder OF
New York of the class of 1860. The church
was filled to OVERLOOKING. An unusual large
number of strangers was present Postmaster
| General Key is expected to be present one
| day this week on invitation of Senator Ham
| lin