Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-09
GEN. wTON AT HARVARD.
Synopsis of Bis Speech at the Law Asso
cIstiOn keunioD.

Gen. Alex. Il. LawtOn was one OF the
speakers last Friday at the dinner aud re
union of the Harvard Law School Assocla-
ton, the occasion being the beginning of the
celebration of the TWO hundred and hftieth
anniversary of Harvard University. Gen.
Law ton said:
MIR. President-It seems that my part IN the
snort Calendar has arrived. Laughter /
promise that so far as | have control 1t snail
ne within the limit prescribed. You VIII
doubtless find in il that other element me
presiding officer has al uded tO-very little in
II. Renewed laughter Gent, men, when
l was Kiudly invited TO JOIN his Harvard Law
school Association there was sent 10 me
slip from Newspaper containing report OF
Tie meeting at which this assOcla Ion "as
lmaugurateu. was struck with a sentence IN
the speech Of the presidlng ohcer. the gem le-
man who now sits at my rlghl George O.Shdt-
tuck, which was as follows: Fortunately
t"ere seems TO be no dang now OF the pnysl-
cal obstruction of this great CO.. ntry. but pos
slbly chemical wearing away of il by the
want of that connection and as -oclatlon and
knowledge of each other, which lead 10
mutual confidence and affection" That was
good IeasOn Tor calling us together, That
sen lment struck me. Gentlemen, you VIII
pardon me II, b ing in this university IN the
later days of ST ry and Greenleaf, remain
loyal to their memories. Applause 1t is
personal considerations which nO~ affect me.
l feel them all over my body and spirit. IL
was a prlvi eye 20 sIi under the teachings
of Story and Greeneaf. which no mau
with an int lect and soul can ever forget. l
speak not of the higher z fits OF Joeeph story,
DuI OF the genial aud happy temper ana that
eihod I'll begun ing you into a love for the
law that those who ever heard him teside IN
moot court can never forget He would
say: Gent emep, this is the high court OF
errors ana appeAs from ali the other courts
IN the world; tell me not of some recent case
In an obscure corner of the world oycrturn-
ing some -ettled principle OF the law; give me
the great principles of The law as a science,
cite your authorities, ana l viii near your ar
guments." shall forget that | sat under
TIE eaching Of thar man? [ well remember
when the distinguished Chief Justice of Eng
land was in this country, in abiding 10
Greenleaf, declined TO consider his fame as
belonging to America England CLAIMED
him as well. and he said he vas regarded as
an authority in every English-speakinG ma
tlon. Applause
Pardon me II say that the advantages
which brOng 10 this place are very much af-
iected by the -ocla surroundings, by the cul-
tivated tmoslhere in which we live. by the
attention " he is given TO Harvard College
and the pride that Is taken in 1t by the most
enlightened community in America. That is
what has made it SO attractive. And now we
CINE together here from SO many portions OF
this country; we come together, as " as SAID
at this preliminary me ting, and we can
know each other feter than we did 70
years ago before the great rife. Applause
1t is not all temper on the one side, nor all
money loving on the other, as some on each
side may have supposed .riginally. But the
world has seen tina. sentiment existed To the
highest degree where it wcs supposed by
many hat only calculation could exist. The
word has seen that endurance and suffering
and poverty could be used where it was sup
pused thai only ebullItions of temp were
the gift Of the people. Applause | go NOT,
gentlem' D, into the domain or politics nor
INTO sectional strife. ! al ude to them to show
how much is to be done by actual associatiUn,
by contact, even though that con act be on
the held Of battle. Loud applause.
Now. ere sit, let me say this, We have
learned, all OF us have learned, to appreciate
he ifferences made by our origin, climate.
training and various other surroundings and
belong ngs; we have learned that, in coun-
try with 81 st ties and numerous terri, ories it
cannot be that We viii be all alike in al our
feeIn S. views. habits and daily life, 1t is
not possible. But we have learned. / thank
God, we have learned 10 rec gniZe and appre-
ciate-- not merely to tolerate, but to appreci-
a'e-those di fferences in order thai, in the
great matters Of more and vaeier Impor ance,
may be uni ed. aud move oDg With solid
pnalanxes. Applause.
One word more, gentlemen OF the profess
sion. From our profes ion, more than any
other, was derived the first feeling OF security
aftrr our great civil trouble. When that
Southern country was divided into military
districts the lines of State auth rity were TO
be absolutely destroyed. Our safety and SAL
walton lay in a decision solemnly gwen 10y the
fun bench OF the Supreme Court at Washing
ton. which SAID that this was an ind soluble
union of Indsetructible States. Great ap-
pause.l NothiLg could have been done 10
pubic meeting, In church. in Congress, no.
where else could such an effect have been
produced as was convey ed by that solemn
decision. Gen. Law on concluded by eN press
ing the hope that the association so auspl-
CT u>ly iuaug rate would bring the grAdu
ates OF The sc hool together often. He said he
would return to his home with the pleasant
est recOlections of mis- visit to Harvard.