The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-05
THE OBJECT OF EDUCATION.
Address of Secretary of State Bayard Be-
fore a Crowd of Missouri Students.
He Admits That Alexander Hamilton Was q
Patriot, and on One Occasion Gave
Very Good Advice.

Mo-, to the Globe Democrat, says: Secretary OF
State Bayard and United States Senator Vest
arrived here this morning accompanied by a
carload Of lesser Democratic lights from St
Louis, to attend and participate in the COM
meneement and other exercises Of the State Uni
versity crowd of citizens and visitors met
the gentlemen at the station, and tie procession,
headed by Governor Marmaduke and
others on horseback, started at once
for the university, amidst the waving of flags
and the firing of cannons. The commencement
exercises of the university proceeded until noon,
when the original marble tablet, on which is in
acribed the memorable epitaph of Thomas JEFF
ferson, and which was presented to the univer-
sty by the heirs of Mr.. Jefferson, was unveiled,
and Senator Vest delivered long and elaborate
Grafton on Thomas jefferson, in which he fully
reviewed the life of that distinguished states
man in most eloquent terms When MIR. Vest
closed calls were made for Mr. Bayard, and the
Secretary came forward, and after prolonged ap-
plause said:
Ladies' and Gentlemen: There is but one word
proper for me now; it is grateful acknowledge
ment that have been permitted to attend these
exercises, here in the centre of Missouri, and
among the people of Missouri, and permitted to
witness the progress of the greatest work in
Missouri--the raising of the minds and hearts
of her people This is edifcation in its true
sense 1t is the building up of the strength of
our Nation and /, humble worker, coming
from post somewhat of fatigue and anxiety
am thankful that my steps have been allowed to
wander here. come upon most interest
ing occasion, for it is not merely the
transplantation of this mute memorial of Thomas
Jefferson's life and death, but also the trans
planting of the meaning of his life, of the lessons
of his life and of his services; and THAT more
proper than that the tablet inscribed by his
own pen-with his own essential modesty and
yet his own true sense of greatness-that that
tablet, concentrating the name of the states
man and patriot who added the Louisiana Pur-
chase to the territory of the United States,
should find its place in the greatest State
carved from that Louisiana purchase.
'As my eloquent and valued friend. your hon
ored senator, in those tones of eloquence which
have attracted senates and have so bound the
story of Jefferson's life, he mingled with it,
properly and historically, the name Of another,
notof Mr.. Jefersons school of politics, but still
patyiot, longing in his own way for the ad-
vancement and safety Of this country, though
his theories of government were not those of Mr..
Jefferson, nor those which, happily, have become
the ruling force of this country yet it seems to
me there is no task SO delightful, no task more
honorable, than that of blending the powers the
names the principles of two great men into the
So desire, with much humility and with some
hesitation, to point out if | may, the true
relations of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander
Hamilton. have, perhaps some hereditary
right to speak of this There is correspondence
to-day in my possession to show that to the
influence of no man in the United States was the
election, in 1901, of Thomas jefferson to the
presidency of the United States more due than
to the personal counsels and influence of Alex
S SoSsr that Hamilton Mas The election M tell 1sSS
as Senator Vest has portrayed to
you, left the vote of the electoral
college tie; neither Jefferson nor Burr had that
majority in the joint meeting of the two houses
OF Congress which was necessary to be declared
in order to proclaim the election of President.
Then the machinery of our government was
called in. and it became the duty of the House
of Representatives to elect President of the
and equally as unit. There were fifteen
States. In that vote some were balanced
by an equality of their representatives,
and they were obliged to select, from the
two highest candidates voted for, the President
who should be by them elected. These two
highest candidates were Thomas Jefferson and
Aaron Burr, the one now the synonym of
patriotism, the other of treachery, but not at
that day. Mr. Burr stood closer in his alliance be-
cause less devoted to principle. He stood closer
TO the federal party than did Mr.. Jefferson, who
was considered its arch opponent. Ballot after
ballot was taken, but no election resulted
Either the votes of States were silenced by
their having equal numbers on either side, or
the vote was withheld, or there was tie All
that time the fate of the country hung almost
upon a thread. There was no feeling of con-
centration A few poor and broken States lay
along the range of the Atlantic, and your great
I West was thing almost unknown. Means OF
communication scarcely existed; opportunities of
7 intercourse there were none. Railways were
3 unknown, and telegraphy undreamed of. In
those days it was almost a rope of sand that
hold together he confederation of the American
Republic There seemed to be probability
that our Union would fall to pieces for want of
Commemorative power There was no feeling of
consolidation, but everything fed from the
center to the circumference and nothing but
dissolution seemed at hand Then came the
letters that have held in my hand and read,
! from Thomas Jefferson to the Representative
from the State of Delaware whom l have the
honor to call my grandfather He held the vote
of that State, and it counted as much in the bal
lot as that of the State of New York or the
State of Virginia. Each State had it's single
vote under the Constitutions; and this one man,
and he member of the Federal party and an
: opponent, politically, of Thomas Jefferson, held
!, that vote in his hand. He took counsel with
Alexander Hamilton. What counsel did he re-
xceive and how did he obey? 1t was the counsel
that the country is greater than the party. 1t
was the counsel that the Union was worth pre-
serving. The Federalist from Delaware, in
Btructed by Alexander Hamilton, cast his vote
for Thomas Jefferson; therefore, when we look
Ito the past for lessons and true history let us not
fail to respect the dignity of the men of that day
They did differ in council, they did differ in the
DRY. but they did not differ in the one great end
for which all governments were intended-the
advancement and the welfare of the human spe-
cies Therefore, while we may and ought to
draw fearlessly the truth from every lesson in
4he past and look at its teachings unfiinchingly
let us also remember with thankfulness and pride
that in this American Nation there fingers some
thing stronger than party. that overrides per
sonal ambitions, something that, when dread
crisis approaches, teaches the American man
to put beneath his feet unworthy and small
countrys demands. Applause The spirit
that existed in 1900, showed itself in 1876 There
was a time when more than one half of this peo-
pie felt that they had been wronged in the re-
suits of the election, but between them and the
objects of their wrath rose the form of their
mother country, and if hand was raised TO
strike. the form of their country forbade It and