Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-03-01


10 witness the celebration BY the
Washington and Stonewall Society,
Of that place. Of the 15lst annivsrsa-
ry Of the birth Of George Washington.
Our restricted space viii not permit
us to give an extended notice Of the
debate and also publication TO orr
report Of the remarks Of the Hon.
J. Randolph Tucker. We have. there
fore, to content ourselves with Civ
ing only the program Of the cslsbra-
ton. which was as follows:
Opening address. Capt. r. W. Sill
vester; Defamation. w. J. Jones. Of
Washington; Debats-'sShould not
our present system Of Presidential te-
nure Of Office for not more than two
terms be changed ?''-Debaters, RObt.
Crane. of Charles. and ]. F. Shemwell,
of Calvert. in the Affirmative, and r.
Ford Combs and G. D. Lancaster. of
st. Maryis, in the negative; Essay
on Washington, William Chapman.
of Charles.
The young gentlemen. one and al,
acquitted themselves in . manner
highly creditable. and our own coun-
ty may well be proud Of her young
debaters. Where all did so well, it
would be invidious to particularize.
so we shall content ourselves with
with saying. that the Washington and
Stonewall Society has good reason
for exultation at the success which
attended its celebration. The great
feature Of the day was the speech of
Mr.. Tucker before the Society. The
honor of introducing this gentleman
had been delegated by the President
of the Society to his fellow Congress-
man, Gen. A. G. Chapman, of Charles,
who. in q brief. tasteful and compli-
mentary speech, performed that duty.
Our genial Representative met with
an applause second only TO that which
greeted the eloquent Virginian. We
give below our report Of the remarks of
Mr.. Tucker, promising, however, that
orr friends must bear in mind that
this is our first attempt at verbatim
reporting and on that account, when
criticising our report, they should deal
leniently with US. Our srace not
permitting the insertion of the speech
IN its entireness, We have left out
few passages, where the omission
would not mar the sense. Mr.. Tuck
er said:
Young Gentlemen of the Wdshsng-
ton and StOnelcaH Society, Ladies and
Gentlemen Il am almost silent I'M
der the high compliment that has
been paid me. / had hoped, under
the promise of my friend, Mr.. Chap
man, that the compliment would have
been omitted. but it might not be.
During the intervals of public bust
ness, / have cudgelled my weary brain
for subject upon which to speak to
-ou and can think of nothing more
fitting than to give you some views
upon the development of manhood
true American manhood. When
look into the eye of young man /
read grand future depending for
its grandeur Of virtue or grandeur Of
vice upon the education received in
youth. If we look upon any man,
we look upon a being sent into this
world gifted with power to fulfil
mission. No two have the same mis-
sion. Every young man here pres
emit has different mission, for God
has as many mclds to cast men in as
there are leaves on the trees and each
one has his own mission 20 fulfill
Life is a most earnest thing. Every
individual is isolated from his fellow
and individual responsibility is too
strong to be overcome. Each and
every one has his own peculiar talents
with which to labor under the great
Taskmaster's eye. How must YOU
perform your task Thou shalt not
in the divine command is as power
full as thou shalt, and the divine re-
sponsibility resting upon everyone is,
what hast thou done with thy talent?
Is ambition a virtue or vice? I
say it is virtue. Ambition is the
aspiration Of conscious power to
achieve the best one can, and what
are men who live without ambition ?
Like the brutes that perish. / do
not mean the Office seekers ambition
the Office seeker is always seeking
an Office that will suit him and not
an Office he will suit-but ambition
to achieve good ends, to be useful
men. If we lived in an age when
men waited to be asked by the peo-
pie to get into Office, how much better
it would be? Washington declined
Office, but now if anyone we're to de-
cline an Office, there would be rev.
oiution in America. / have called
your attention to different lines of
thought, young gentlemen, to throw
some light on the yexed question of
education. Education is the calling
forth and cultivation Of the undevei-
oped resources Of youth. the leading
forth of the faculties out of the dark.
A human brain, young gentlemen, is
the most powerful thing on earth.
One thought from the fertile brain Of
genius has spread conhagration
over the world. The thoughts enun-
ciated in tie Declaration Of Indepen-
dence spread like wildfre from one
end of the earth 10 the other The