Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-01
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close. The address, in substance, was as follows: After aIluding to the occasion as being an epoch in the graduates life from which anticipation became reality, he remarked that failure to take the highest path arose often from the want of a proper estimate of the character-the purpose of the profession. The lawyers life is devoted to the common law. What is the common law? What has it done and what should it do for mankind? He referred to it's history since Magma Charta, when the rights of man were for the first time recog- nized as the basis of government and of law. Law before that had been law because it was ordained, not because it was right Magma Charta was established by the heroes of Eng land. And every step in the advancement of civil liberty had been achieved by the heroes among men. The demagogues have never accomplished anything. They are the camp followers who win no victories, but only plumber the wounded and steal the sup plies. The common law comprehend in separably our principles of civil government, as well as those of the administration of jus tice. It has been a growth, not creation, and it's history has been that sof civilization, of civil and religious liberty, of all human progress It's most conspicuous landmarks since Magma Charta have been the reforma- tion-the Declaration of Independence the American Constitution, which only re- enacts the common law. The reformation was not so much 8 change of creeds as an ad- yancement of the great principles of the common lava declaration of freedom to worship God. Under it's protection millions of Catholics to-day maintain those tenets of their ancient faith which the Reformed church rejected. The common law is found ed upon the fundamental principles of Christianity, and it's growth has been insep- arably connected with it. The child of Christianity, it has grown to be it's protec- tor. It is the great missionary moving west ward, with the irresistible march of the Anglo-Saxon race, and carrying Christianity with it. It is the law of equal justice everybody's law-t't the law of the land" Its lineage of great names is more splendid than that of any other profession. It is the con secration of society-the protection of all rights-the redress of all wrongs It is this history, this ancestry, this great vocation, which is the inheritance of the lawyer, and especially the American lawyer, in whose keeping the Constitution is placed. The true sense of the high duty thus imposed is the key that opens those higher stories in the profession that are never full. He referred to the temptation to turn aside from the true ideal for the value of what might be deemed popular sentiment, and quoted Lord Mans fields declaration to the popularity that follows, not that which is run after. He controverted the remarks that legal studies tend to narrow the mind when they are pur- sued on the broad and liberal basis that be- longs to them. Advocacy, especially, must be invoked by the most generous culture. There are two kinds of eloquenee-that of words and that of thought The world is tired of the former; the latter will endure forever. Plain language and high thought is what is demanded-not cheap thought and high language. The life of the lawyer should be in the truest sense a perpetual advance ment
 On the conclusion of Mir. Phelps address, which was received with applause, Postmas- ter General Key, of the committee of award for the best oration at graduation, made an nouncement of the committees decision. In doing so he said When the committee re- tired to deliberate it was found that the con- mittee all differed in opinion as to who should be awarded the prize. After consultation and discussion majority of the committee agreed in the opinion that MT. Tuttle's oration was little the best and so award him the prize. The announcement was received with every manifestation of satisfaction.
 President Porter then announced the pre- mium awards and degrees for 1880 as fol lows:
 PRIZES
 the best oration at graduation-Ezra A. Tut tie, Oswego, N. Y.
 Committee of Award-Hon. D. M. Key, Chattanooga, Tenn; Hon. R. M Averill, Danbury; Rev. Jonathan Edwards, Grant vile, Mass.
 Jewell prize ($5O), for the best examina- tion at graduation-Ezra A. Futile, Oswego, N. Y