The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-30
SEEK H TRUTH.
Hon. Thos. E. Watson, the Brilliant
Orator, Makes a Grand Speech at
the Commencement at Milledge-
vile. Ga. on the 10th Inst.

LADIES AND ENIEEm EN- ."4lIOOS VI
you who have read "She," will re-
member the landing of the travellers
on the coast of Africa-the finding of
| the ancient stone wharf, embedded in
the mud upon the edge of the great
| swamp, the ascent of the river; the
toilsome journey up the forgotten
canal, and across the morass to the
people whose queen was "She-who-
must be-obeyed."
You will remember the description
of the ruins of the City of Kor, but you
will recall especially the pen picture of
the deserted and c%rumbling Temple of
Truth. Within it's inner court stood a
statue of the goddess whose worship
pers had once filled that waste with
hurrying footsteps; whose voices had
once filled that silence with sounds of
devotion. Upon a pedestal rested a
magnificent marble globe, and upon
this globe there stood a matchless
sculptor's dream of female lOveliness.
It's hands were extended in supplica-
ton, for a veil was over her face.
There it stood divine amid the dessola-
ton, silvered in the moonlight which
| softened while it lit every outline; and
thus had it stood for ages-Truth be-
seeching the world to lift her veil.
In this symbol, sole remnant of the
| g!ories of the ruined temple, there is a
profound meaning. The desolate city
may lie about her, and the very pre-
cincts oncepeopledby her v~otaries may
give place to brambles, but truth itself
is imperishable-survive all wreck and
| change, and if her prayer be sighted
and the veil never lifted-the people
perish while she survives.
During the hour allotted me to-day,
[ know of nothing better for me to do
than to talk to these young men on the
thought suggested by the yelled statue
of truth.
If I were asked to sum up in one
sentence the highest purpose which
men can have in this life, l would say
it was ito seek truth and bow to it
when found"
Not only is this purpose a noble one,
but it is one which is absolutely neces-
sary to the permanent success Of the
individal or the mass; the citizens of
the government. Creeds have lived
or died, laws have been dominant or
trampled on just in proportion to the
elements of truth which they contained.
Apparent exceptions prevail, but they
do so only in appearance and the sue
cess of falsehood is, in the nature of
things, bound to be partial and tenn
porary. The constant tendency of the
universe and all it contains is to get
back to the truth.
The minister of God expounds the
truth and seeks converts thereto.
Each sect expounds it differently, yet
all flourish. They do so simply be-
cause the divine essence is in them all,
and in that sense they are all snblime-
ly true.
The philosopher seeks the truth, and
in proportion that he finds it he bene-
fits his kind. Theories may come and
go, hypothesis may chase speculation,
and demonstration mny step on the
toes Of surmise, but the constant effort
is to find the truth. The church may
stretch Calico on the rack and gently
persuade him that his conclusions are
boC+1 oDJ oTrOnoO,1o. tho ,,niv,o7rc;+;oo
of Spain may solemnly denounce New
tons law of gravitatiOn as tending to
infidelity, but the truth marches on
with serene power and extends her
sceptre over the bowed head of the
world. Boundless is the gratitude we
owe to philosophers. They brought
reason to bear upon nature, expounded
her meaning and explained away her
mysteries. They robbed the eclipse of
the terror which once sent nations to
their knees; severed famine and pesti-
lence and earthquake from any con-
nection with the wrath of God; estab-
lished the uniformity and permanency
of natures laws, and hurled ~supersti-
ton from it's throne in the minds and
hearts of men.
The physician does likewise-desires
the truth and labors to find it. The
time has been when DR.. Sangrado's
method was the rule rather than the
exception-hot water and blood-letting.
This was some two hundred years ago,
about the time the medical fraternity
ofMadrid strongly advised the authori-
ties not to allow the streets to be kept
clean. They said the filth was healthy
that it softened the sharp atmosphere
and added to its salubrity. 1 am
credihlv informed that those dnctn,c