The Hartford herald., 1880-05-05
SPeeimsen sG Hartford Literssare.
Thirty Years Ago.
ny n. ID. TAYLOR.

Editor Herald:
During the winter of ls4s-So, accord
Ing to my recollections, party OF most
ly young gentlemen, associated them
selves for mutual improvement.
They honored me as their President
or Chairman
Our business routine was reading,
choice selections, original e>says and
mutual friendly criticisms, and inter-
change of opinions The members, Sd
far M can now recollect, were John
Kinney, John W. Tilford, Hannibal ID.
Barrett, John c. Morton, VIM. II. Nc
Henry and myself.
Previous to our last meeting, I pre-
pared valedictory address. The thing
had entirely passed out of my mind,
until few days ago, in rummaging over
waste papers, I found the old manu-
script; and as some who have read 1t,
request its publication, send it to you
for that purpose. You will see that it
was written In Ante-Bellum days, when
our political and moral condition wore
u more roseate hue and it has proved
too prophetic of the results Of moral
and political degradation.
My expression Of devotion to the Un-
ion then, may seem almost bombastic
to readers of the present day. can
only now say that from my earliest
recollections, loved my country, my
whole country. with all the fervor that
any one of my temperament could. i
clung to it as long AZ there was a
shadow of hope for peace. i shed tears
the first time I saw the Confederate
flag float on the breeze. But i could
not affiliate with party whose then
concealed object, hat now boasted sue
cess and triumph, was the destruction
of the institutions and happiness and
prosperity Of the whole South; and my
scorn and contempt is now ~ intense
for those who are continually striving
to fan the flames of sectional strife as 1t
was 80 years ago, for that horde of IA
natics who pronounced our eonstitu-
ton and Union league with death and
contract with the devn.
Friends and Brothers Of the Literary
hlstitute
have endeavored to extend To you
q brothers. hand and O brothers well
come. joined your order with no
hopes or aspirations of self-aggrandize-
ment. looked not for profit CT litera-
~ fame. only desired that the associ-
alton should make lis better and wiser
than we were. In none of my essays
have I attempted display-in every
thing have written, have only at
tempted to point moral or n tale with
some useful hints or differences that
might afford useful reflections to the
mind. / return to you my sincere
thanks for the courtesy with which
my feeble efforts have been received,
and as many Of you are younger than
myself, will take the liberty of devot-
ing this valedictory essay to giving you
some advice for your future conduct In
life. 1t may be thought presumptuous
In ME to do so, not having, myself, es-
tablished much reputation for success,
in my own career but he who has run
his own vessel upon the rocks and the
breakers, may at least point them oUt
to others. All l shall say Is that IL this
advice IL good, you should receive il
from whatever source 1t comes.
Mans duty In life may he considered
as four-fold: To his Creator, to himself,
to his fellow-man and to his country.
lst. His duty to his Creator. On this
subject will not dwell. am no theo-
logian, nor mingle i'm the dogmas of
particular sects or denominations.
Each individual should be accountable
alone to his God, for his religious faith
and belief. But the sublime and stu
pendous power and wisdom that are
spread over our boundless space, the
beauty order and bountiful provision
of nature, that everywhere meets our
eye, must ever win the heart to adora-
tion Of u Supreme Being. The pro-
foundity, the moral fitness and the beau
tiful brevity of the two revealed moral
rules, "Do unto all men as you would
they should do unto you," and "Love
thy neighbor rs thyself" should ever
challenge our reasons to obey and adj
mire them, for in those two simple SEN
tences, are contained the base and es-
sence of all moral and social codes.
Man, in his youth, owes to himself,
his whole time and energies, for the
purpose Of self-impro vement and self
advancement I'm life. By self-advance-
ment, do not mean that pushing and
Ihrusting himself forward to high sta
tions and places which he Ia incapable
of filling with honor to himself, or prof
il to others; nor that sordid longing
after wealth, which usually blights,
withers and destroys all the purer feel
ings of the soul. But 1t Is his duty to
improve his mind with useful and prac-
tical knowledge from every source from
which it may be derived. In acquiring
knowledge, he should not be welded to
any theory or belief, but always open to
conviction, ever ready to investigate