The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-08-11
A SCHOLARLY ADDRESS
BY Prof. Joseph Carhart, Presi-
dent Of the st. Cloud
Normal School.
Delivered Before the Summer
Training School in Prince
ton, July %, 1892.
ssThe Perpetuity of the Ameri-
can Republic" was the
Professors Theme.

TIOlcSSOI IHclucs
America has celebrated her first CEN
tennial. A few years ago about one
fifth of the entire population of the
United States visited the International
Exposition at Philadelphia. Over
100000 of Interested Americans gazed
with wonder upon the many evidences
of the ingenuity of the human mind,
the skill Of the human hand and the
wealth of the various nations by which
they were there surrounded. They
compared with pride the exhibit made
by their nation with that of others.
They grew prouder when they re-
Elected that the exposition represented
the growth of a single century in Amer
lea while to other nations twas the ex-
ponent of the development of many
centuries. Next year on still larger
scale, the Worlds Fair at Chicago will
repeat the exhibit OF '76, and it is
quite likely that our comparative
greatness will be more marked at
Chicago than at Philadelphia. The
years from '76 to '92 have been years
of marvellous progress in this country.
Nothing has occurred to. divert our
people from peaceful pursuits, and the
products OF the inventive genius of the
Yankee to be displayed at Chicago
will astonish the world.
During the next two years much will
be done to celebrate the four hun
dredth anniversary of the greatest
event of secular history-the discovery
of America. The national bureau of
education at Washington, acting
through the various State departments
of education, has arranged that all the
schools throughout the Union shall, on
the 18th of October next, celebrate the
great event whose four hundredth ami
versary falls upon that date. It is
altogether fitting that the school, upon
which the stability of our government
chiefly rests, should take a leading
part in the celebration of the primary
event which made our national exist
ence possible. The school teacher is
the servant of the State and Of the ma
tion. In my humble judgement he is
the most important factor in promot-
ing the common veal, and I take
pleasure, on this occasion, in consider
ing with my fellow-teachers, and with
others who kindly favor us with their
presence, the probable destiny of our
country.
+ 10 how many a reflective mind at
the centennial exposition at Philadel-
phia came the thought what will be
the status of the American people at
the close of the next century? Will
our children's children, citizens of the
greatest nation of the earth, sur
rounded by all that can exalt or en-
bellish civilized life, bring their offer
ings and celebrate with JOY the second,
as we do now the first, centennial, or
will America ere that be numbered
among the things that were2 In this
question there is food for serious
thought.
The Law of growth is almost
invariably the law of decay. Almost
without exception is the rule that,
whatever lives, grows, fourishes, must
also decline, die and decay. Every in
dividual living thing must yield at last
to this stern decree of nature. Many
have supposed that the same far-reach-
ing law applies to nations as to individ-
uals-that as the goal of life is fixed, so
also is the duration of empire. And
there is much in history to confirm this
view.
Standing upon the shore of the
present, and looking back over the sea
of the past, we behold nations like bill
lows successfully rising and falling.
Now Assyria looms up over the waste
soon to be swept down by Chaldea;
Chaldea, after a brief reign, gives way
to the sway of Persia; Persia falls, I'M
der the spears of Greece; Greece is
overthrow by the sword OF Rome; and,
after sitting upon her seven hills, and
ruling the world from her throne OF
beauty for over seven centuries, Rome,
herself, fell amid worldwide convul-
sions. Thus does history tell us the
story of the nations, each riding for a
time upon the crest of the wave soon
to be engulfed in the sea Of time. And
many, believing that old adage,
History repeats ITSELF say that as
other realms have hourished only tc