The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-06-20
ADDRESS.
ID. Il. NICHOLSON, ESQ, At
TRINITY COLLEGE.
He Delivers the Alumni Address at
the Commencement, Wednes-
day Evening, June 18th.

Our townsmln, ID. p. Nichol-
son, Esq. delivered the annual
address before the Alumni AS
sociation last Week. Ills sub
ject was "Our Alma Mater; A
Retrospect and Prospect"
The following outline will
serve to indicate the chara cter
aud scope Of his speech. Begin
ming, Mr.. Nicholson said:
Time, i'll his silent but steady
tread, has reached another mile
stone. The seasons have run
another cycle. Another schol-
astic year has written its histo-
ry upon the ever receding scroll
of the past. We have met to-
gether again 10 hold brief COM
munion in these familiar haunts,
to catch what Of inspiration We
may from the exercises of this
anniversary occasion and to add
to them what we can of interest
and profit. Upon my election a
year ago to occupy this hour
my heart throbbed with pride
that my brethren should deem
me fit recipient of so high an
honor: But when the sober sec
Ond thought came and reflection
held calmer sway. that feeling
gave place to one of misgiving
lest the sequel might prove the
choice not Il happy one; and SO
much did that thought Oppress
my spirits that it became sell
GUS question i'll my mind what
the brethren were thinking
about when they elected me Or
ator. There may be some things
that | am, but certainly there is
one thing that | am not. ~ am
no orator as Brutus is" and just
now | feel towards myself much
like the editor did towards Josh
Billings, to whom the latter
sent an original poem for publi-
cation, and who returned it with
this note: "Dear Josh: You may
be a fool, but you are no poet
But it is the part of the true
philosopher to accept with equa-
nimity the inevitable, and / ac
quiesce in the superior judg-
ment Of the powers that be
with the consoling thought that
after all the brethren must have
had an eye to "the eternal fit
ness Of things" inasmuch as in
choosing an orator it was emf
nently proper to select one who
could fill the place. And, as Ar
temus Ward said of his wax fig
ure5, here | am large as life and
twice as natural: The speaker
tips the beam at $50 pounds
In accepting the trust so kind
ly bestowed it was not amons
all my thoughts to WOO the mu
ses to regale your intellectual
apPetites, nor to strew in you
mental pathway the flowers O
fancy, nor yet to traverse some
field Of uneXplOred scientific re
search or scholarly inve5tiga
ton. L chose rather the part O
the prudent literary mariner
who deemed it wisest to keel
near the shore lest his frai
: barquo be syamped in a sea o
: difficulties. Then if there ar
, those present who came to enjo,
a feast Of reason and flow o
soul" in hearing a fi3e speech
7 Astounding in high soundiDi
: phrases and classic lore, let then
prepare to be disappointed, an,
let me beg them to judge IN.
: performance, when it is ended
= by another standard Of merit
/ For if it shall be my good fol
5 tune to direct your thoughts t
the proper consideration OF
}, subject which ought to be prom
t inent In the mind and dear t
: the heart Of every member ]
: this Association, if [ shall b
able to stimulate your colleg
: pride, to awaken Your laten
+ ambition to see this institution
whose name we profess TO chez
d ish and whose honor is in ou
n keeping, take her place in tn
d front rank of the great sister
@ hood of American colleges, an
/. to arouse your sluggish energie
S to action-such action az wi
e surmount all obsta ,les, overrid
all difficulties and and accer
n no result but success-I sha1
IS deem my pleasant task we
/, done and will be quite confer
d to roll the responsibility of SUI
II plying the eloquence> for tn:
], commencement occasion upo
= other and more competer
d shoulders.
r. y IF my subject had not bee
a announcceed in the outset yo
% might have already OWNED i
T. 1 greet you, then, breIni ien al
friends, in the name of our ALI
l. Mater, whose cause / come
Ie plead, and | beg that you wi
Ii hear me for that cause. WHO
d this nourishihg mother VIII;
E. of her origin? What of III
4 life? What Of her mission
What of her destiny? These a