The Portland daily press., 1882-12-25

mility and self-sacrifce, large-hearted, noble
minded; they were not the creatures, but the
creators OF Bowdoin's early renown. Their
character, their teachings, their example, were
| an inspiration to the young men who gathered
around them. No doubt their habit of resist
ing an other calls, and standing fast at their
| appointed posts, gave them an added strength,
Doth OF character and of influence.
think it not SO strange thing that SO many
men OF shining mark graduated at this college
uuring Its first half century. 1t was not by
chance. Rare spirits were quickened by such
intercourse to know themselves, and they
| grew amidst such nutriment to their own true
measurement to be like their masters, but to
be masters of themselves.
90 not wonder that the graduates of those
early days cling to the college as it was. Those
fountains of influence seem to nourish the very
| roots of their being still.
| Influence is not government" said Wash
lngton, when some one advised the effort to
| win the strong men of the country to
supply by good will the lack of a
vigorous executive in carrying forward the
resolutions OF loosely organized Congress.
| ne uttered lesson dearly learned in war. In
nuence is not government; but influence is
| education
Daily and close contact with men of large
thought and generous impulse, loyal to truth
| and faithful to trusts, patient humble. con-
slant and sincere, must shed sunshine and all
sweet nourishments into the youthful spirit.
| Inc great and good example cannot fail to in
form and inspire the generous germs of noble
| endeavor.
colleges over great ones, that in them the
| young men are brought more into contact with
men OF mature mind and experience of life.
Ii at the same time they have kept the
youthiul heart alive in ttem, we can readily
| see how great an educating influence thew can
| exert over the forming mind.
Such have been, especially in the earlier
| years, the advantages of Bowdoin. Such have
been the characteristics OF the traditional and
| distinctive Bowdoin Faculties Such certainIu
| were the men of whom our yenerated friend
| was early thought worthy to be made the com
| peer. | make no hesitation in saving il was
as it still is, an honor to be called into that
Faculty
mother State of Massachusetts have NOT
| thought it beneath their dignity to serve on
| the boards of trust and oversight and to give
earnest and thorough attention to all the inter-
ests OF the college. To have passed favorably
| their scrutiny cannot be held as less than cleo
ton to office of high trust and honor. To be 3,
member of that Faculty certainly affords the
means and stimulus to the best personal
growth, and to useful and fruitful life. All
this our friend has found it and has made it.
LIZ is now twenty-seven years since scarcely
more than boy, was brought into that great
companionship, as member of that grand old
faculty Woods, cleveland, Packard, Smyth
Upham! do those names need to be set in any
other light than that they themselves have
shed?
At about the same time came in two others,
older in college standing, if not in years, than
l; worthy guides to lead the neophyte to that
august presence men who have since then, if
they had not indeed already then, vindicated the
judgment that had called them to this honored
station, -Egbert Smyth and Carroll Everett
Were they not also of the fore-ordaned?
see them now, in that little study of Prof
Cieaveland's, which our friend, Mr.. Chandler,
with hllal reverence, has kept in its quaint old
fashion. There sat the old faculty, each in
his accustomed place. Cleaveland by his long
desk, with his back to the room, recorder and
regulator, ciass-lists and pencil in hand wait
ing the hour, and minute, and second when
business ought to begin; Upham, on his right
and rear, late conner, and loving shady
corner his eyes often screened, unseen, but
seeing ALL at the round table in the center,
Woods, and Smyth, and Packard, the three
angles OF triangle, not unlikely to resolve
themselves into two right angles at short no
tce; not thinking of self, but of duty, taking
the front simply and naturally, without fear;
champions, defenders of the faith, both by ma
ture and by grace. Further off, near the door,
we, the younger, silent, unspurred squires,
awed lockers on.
men; each of them had written a book; each
OF them had his own clear, if not sharp char
acterlstlcs, mis- wel-Settled and well-round-
ed individuality, and the strength of strong
convictions.
see / have been drawn to words that SAVIOR
somewhat of military suggestion. That cast
OF phrase was inevitable, irresistible. Any
thing else would have missed something of
truth. They were born soldiers, those men,
and would have been corps commanders in the
neld: others have portrayed these characters
IN other lines; pardon me for viewing them as
they struck my youthful imagination, not
changed by mature experience.
LII for the sake OF illustrating by the famil-
lar example, may compare them with strong
characters in our history, I should say the
President was the Mcclellan of my field of
visions, cultured, chiyalrous, master of STRAIT
egg, skillful in organization; of wonderful fas-
clnation, so that the sight or name of him
would rouse enthusiasm; not liking the tao
tics of the straight delivered blow that hurts
and the ruthless, onward charge that follows
sharp; working with brain rather than brute
force; by mastery disposition, delicate and
swift flank movements; rather relying on the
moral effect of movement that overawes the
mind, than on the ordeal of battle to the bloody
and bitter end.
Smyth, the Phil Sheridan, seeing one thing
at time, the point straight ahead, and maxi
ing for 1t with a physical force that seems to
transcend even the moral, and with a defiance
of the rules of war and a reeklessness of the
laws of probabilities, which astonish the enc
my into surrender before they can come to
their senses
Fackard-he can scarcely pardon me-the
Stonewall jackson, (not of history, let me
comfort him by the saving clause, but only of
my airy vision); what he would have been had
he taken the field in great cause. First,
praying earnestly to know the right, and when
he saw it, or believed he did, in. once in, and
once for all; no after questionings, no misgiv-
ings, no half-disarming concessions of ill-timed
candor, no futile Acknowledgements of possible
failings in his friends, or virtue in his foes;
faithful, watchful, tireless, and, in the decis.
i've moment, sharp as two-edged sword of
flame.
Upham; to whom can compare him? Com
mandant of the corps of observations general
officer OF outposts; skirting the enemy's rear,
destroying the enemy Sin DETAIL" doing un-
heard of things on the skirmish line, and ap-
pearing suddenly, to the establishment of friend
and foe alike, in times and places least expect
j. ed.
Cleaveland, the Grant of the campaign; ST.
lent, intent, logged; minding his own business
and making other people mind theirs; keeping
out of fight until it is time to go in; tenacious
of his purpose without being over-concerned
about the cost; lavish of his means, but sure of
his ends. / make this only as fancy picture;
potential history. Yet in truth it is something
more than fancy. There were stirring ques-
tions up in those days,-questions of interior
discipline, questions, too, of the general poll
cy Of the college, and even of its fundamental
character in religious or UNCONVENTIONAL point
of viewa Where wise measures of government
were vital to the well-being of the college, and
especially Wnero principles nelu sacred were at
stake, with men 30 earnest and SO able, there
we're sure to be field days of no common order.
But the flag of chivalry was in the front:
Gentlemen of the English Guard, we have
the honor to offer you the first fire." said the
French marshal, hat in hand, and with pro-
found salutation. Nothing less here; one may
be sure that. The question is opened. Then
begins that marvellous sword-play: That Sa-
lad1n-scimetar, soft seeming as thing of air,
that drew so keenly through the finest woven
web of argument, that only the two ends of it
floating apart and away, told that it had been
cut asunder. Then the massive two-handed
blade of CGur de Lion,-the honest uplifted
arms reckless however much they might expose
to side assault, but where the front blow fell,
no mace of steel could hold together, nor NOR
tai man need another stroke. Yet if it was a
school of arms, it was a school of honor. No
treacheries, no undertakings, no -bitings.
Differ as those men might in premise and arga-
ment, in the conclusion they stood together
Seen perhaps in Faculty meeting by an ont
slider, through Professor Cleavelands gimlet.
hole and prism in the window shutter, those
seven men might exhibit all the colors of the
spectrum but out under the open-sky they
were the clear and solid beam.
l think the life of a professor in Bowdoin is
very pleasant one. 1t is honorable: it is USE
full and what does not by any means always
follow from these consiGAerations,-iti is happy
life, or should be so. Removed from turmoil,