Decorah-posten., 1891-08-05
YroieSior Yreoas Sale.

Snnseres 8anfet / Minueapplis. Se'
er Den / Jim Selbeo:
shall not detain you by any Ions
speech. In fact ] have had but little
time to prepare a speech for the occasion
being called upon as a substitute 10
some better man. II IS perhaps not I'm
proper that on an occasion like this yol
should hear a few words from a repre-
sentative of the University, whose
assembly hall has been the scene o
your triumphs among us. And besides
that ] really feel a strong desire to THANK
you from the bottom OF my heart Tor the
enjoyment you have given us by your
beautiful song, for memories OF father.
land and home which you have called
to life within US, for your splendid ap,
pearance on our streets and your
excellent behavior from tlrst to last. II
will be a memory long to be cherished
by all Scandinavian citizens OF Mlnnea'
polls. From the first moment When your
white caps appeared upon the stage oi
the University Coliseum | was captivated
lit was like attending a student-reunion
in the old country and seeing the white
capped Upsala BOYS come forth to en-
| 1iihllb Ia AoASltNlS WIN NiiSi MAJ NSiOdS
song. And when your grand chorus
arose and the strains of that magnificent
UpSala song burst forth: "Std stark, du
l~jusets riddarvaktr' why, then my heart
went out to you in JOY and pride-it
seemed to me that, though you were not
University men as those for whom that
wonderful song was wrltten-stlll stand
ing there in your vigorous manhood,
your strong throats sending forth the
inspired melody, your hearts no doubt
deeply touched with the sentiment OF
the song you were indeed and ought to
be zen l~jusets riddarvakt", a band of
valorous knights lifting high the banner
of light and love and truth.
You have no doubt, my friends, had a
good time here in Minneapolis. | hope
you have. Ii is the privilege of your
sturdy youth to have a good time, all of
course within reasonable and proper
bounds. do not grudge you the good
time you have had, and | am sure that
YOU have given full value for whatever
the citizens of Minneapolis have been
able to do for yoh-full value in your
beautiful song, in the memories, the
hopes and aspirations which to most of
US cluster round those wonderful melodies
of our northern home. But as am
sure hat you haye done us good, hat
YOU have contributed not only towards
strengthening our pride in our nationality
and contributed towards raising our
standing in the eyes of intelligent fellow
citizens of other nationalities, but that
you have also by the power of song
reused in us noble thoughts and aspira-
tons, so | also hope and trust that you
yourselves have felt something of the
nobility Of your mission, and that you
will go away from here to your work in
more or less distant communities of our
broad land with a larger feeling of
universal Scandinavian brotherhood,
with your sympathies quickened, with
your aspirations for good strengthened,
with your ideals endeared to your hearts,
resolved to do your duty Loyalty and
manfully TO your new country and to
your ancestral race.
1t is an ~old-country notion, now in a
fair way to be exploded, that it is only
the young men of University education
and training, who are the guard of light
and truth, the bearers of the ideal, as
we used to call It, the pride and the hope
of the nation. No mather if you never
had any more connection with a Uni
versity than singing in the grand
assembly hall of the University of Min
nesota, we here recognize you as the
pride and the hope of our race. Your
training in languages and sciences may
not have been as liberal as you might
wish-if you have learned to do your
duty, to work and strive manfully not
only for yourselves but for country, for
humanity, for everything noble and good
If you have learned the lessons and
passed the degrees given in the rough
school of life we hail you as bachelors
and masters of the liberal arts just as
much as if you carried your pockets full
of bigworded Latin sheep skins. You
young men are the pride and the hope
OF our race in this country, to you we
look for the accomplishment of what the
has been unable to reach. To you we
look with confidence and hope. Yor
have come to this country, as we all have
to better our fortunes. to build up home.
for yourselves and another generation
You wish to make money, to attain sue
cess. So far all right and good.
acknowledge, as every sensible mar
does, that the idea of self necessaril,
CINCio ihbO CNCil lhilS iiN w w ait
is one of the great motive forces of tn,
universe, but at the same time | wisl
you to bear in mind, that if no othe
thought than self lives in your hearts, you
will but poorly realize the hopes which
center in you. Every one for himsel
and the devil take the hindmost" is
policy which logically lived op to mus
turn this beautiful world into a howlin,
wilderness.
There are greater things then self ant
selhshness in the world, and especial
ind the glorious time of youth you ough
to feel and appreciate that more than a
any other age. A selfish young man i
an object hated and despised by god
and men.
NV friends, il was not the idea of SCI
which animated Gustavus Adolphu
when at the head Of his little swedis
army, every one of them a hero, he sc
foot on Germany's soil and led hi
, chosen band from battlefield to battle
, field, from victory to victory until at la:
"han svepte kring sig Sveriges fana
| and fell on the bloody field of Litter
: one of the noblest and grandest me
that the worlds history knows of. NJ
I it was not self-it was the most absolui
devotion to duty. to principle, TO trutl
to the maintenance OF the liberty {
{ conscience against the oppres son
b priestcraft. the highest devotion TO ii
grandest and noblest conception II
{ world knows of, the gospel Of Christ.
Ii was not the idea of self whic
animated the citizens of Fredrikshals
that little Norwegian border town, whe