The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-13

Delivered Yesterday by President But
Ter, OF The Butler University.
TIE Beginning Of tie Commencement Exer-
els s-Rev. Carstersen 1T IT laIl'S-
Flower Day LAercirS-S,ng Service.

audience 10 hear the bacc alaureate address.
This was delivered by President Butler,
his topic being individuality" In con-
Guiding his address. he said:
Socialism Is new name, but in Its es-
sence 1t has guided humanity from the be-
ginning. Socialism is liberty. Socialism is
the autonomy Of the individual. Socialism
is indi vid ualism-Dot that OF barbarism,
dependent on brute force. hut the carefully
organized liberty OF enlightenment, based
on the effectual supremacy of lust laws.
curing to all that equality which is uniyers-
ally recognized as the next, the final, step
In human development. To man in the So
cial state liberty comes only with conces-
sion, and while IL Is based on law, securing
TO all equal privileges. liberty, true liberty,
the liberty OF enlightenment. must secure
TO man not merely equality in condition
but equality in opportunity as we'll. Col
lectivIsm 10 swift step backward. 1t
would make men equals indeed, but 10y
taking away opportunity alike from all.
1t would turn aside the course of clyiliZa-
ton to n condition in which men would be
individuals simply as regards numbers, a
dead nnchanging level. The social econ
omy 0f our own times affords freer scope
tor the exhibition OF natural varieties of
dispos ton and ability than the institu-
tions of former ages permitted.
Yet how shall we reconcile this statement
with the assertion of j. 5. Mill, where, III
his essay OH liberty, he says: The most re-
markaDI6 OF tnObc consciousness OF auVanc-
ing civilization which the state of the world
Ia now forcing upon the attention of think
ing minds Is this. that power passes moro
and more from individuals TO masses, that
the Importance OF the masses becomes con-
stanrly greater
IL believe the truth may be stated
better thus from those individuals TO
whom III former times circumstance, anu
convention, and blind subserviency yielded
d sort OF leadership, as 10 slave among
slaves. power passes more and more to the
individuals composing the masses; and
with the development OF true individuality
the Importance OF the masses becomes con-
stantly greater; that of conventional
leaders less. The development OF indlvid-
uality lifts the level OF the mass and diver
slfies It and gives 1t CHI aracter. and force, ana
added power. L do not bell eve
that individual energy has ever changed
the course of history. Behind the man has
ever pressed the solid phalanX OF the mass.
Intellect often the blind leader of the
blind. may have pointed the way, but the
impetus of mighty movements has come
from the interests and wants. the passions.
impulses and hopes of the great body of
mankind. The law makes men free. In
the spiritual world it Is only as mans inner
life brought into harmonious relation
with the spirit peIvadlDg the universe that
it attaiDs liberty, thati 1t hnds peace and
power and largest opportunity. And so in
history recognize universal world spirit
breathing not any mans selfish interest,
but humanity's great want, and hope. and
longing and 80 far AS regards mans social
relations and opportunities for the exercise
OF his natural functions. he only Is, In
some scnse, free whose spirit is in accord
with the spirit of humanity, knows It's
wants, sympathiZes with It's lOngings, is
fired with Its passions But il cannot be
true freedom to be- in league with darkness
and oppression and cruel wrong. Then.
only, shall the individual man be tree
when his soul shall serve In fullest
sympathy u public opinion enlightened.
endued with igbest SENSE of justice, guided
by broadcast, fullest truths, infused with
all-prevading love. And is not this the
consummati0ni Does not the deyelopment
of individually Out-weight all the more
apparent results of our civilization, all
monuments of letters, all works of art all
appli ances of science. These are but the
debris of the ages. individually Is greater
than all, for IL C0mprehcnds all. Thus OIL
purely human lines l have attempted
To follow out the historical develop
ments of my subject, but l have
done SO with another thought ever present
In my mind. j believe that for the present
social order man is accountable. Civlli2a-
tlon has been shown TO be progressive and
ascensiye. To human genius, therefore, |
would give due honor. And yet | recog-
nIZe, too, the hand of God III history. His
purpose runs through all the ages and
through ages yet unborn: Mans nature
must be ascenslve, else could he never rise
good Is sown of God. We began with the
AthenIan philosopher. but whence the
ethics of Socrates! Socrates was not of
the Greek type. Zenon claimed Phpnician
Synope as the place OF his nativity, and the
philosophers of the Porch generally had
gathered at Athens from cities along the
coast OF Asia, or on the islands of the
-Egean SEA. Stoicism was not native 10
Greece; II never originated IN the Egean
mind. The historian MOmmsOn says that it
raw frpfn N rplIUIan
sunk in al lndO-G ermanic soil. 1t Is of
God. All truth is of divine origin, and
mans wOrthiness, the proof OF his lofty
nature. lies In his receptivity thereof. God
nor does He, by any miraculous process
OF divine pursuance, lift man up to that
TRUTH but man. by the human powers with
which God endowed him before untold
ages must himself rise. According. TO the
common preachment God In that further
revelation of himself, which He made in
the person OF our Lord, the Christ. per-
formed new act of creation on man, ell
dOwed HIM with capacities and powers
foreign to his former nature. To my mind
the purpose of the Infinite is from ever
lasting to everlasting, and il is uninter-
rnpted. Man - the same; he has the same
nature; he follows out the same order of
development. Christianity has not with
one grand sweep turned the course of civil
ization into the flow OF Gods eternal pur-
pose. Equality. fraternity, liberty, love,
these are ideas older than Christianity.
The struggle Ut humanity had heen thither-
ward, slow steps, blind error, devious
wanderings. Christianity does not coerce.
1t is light to lead. Gods purpose shines
across The ages in the straight. sharp rays
of the hashlight. Man seeks it. The end
OF his being Is to walk In il. But as
in the physical universe the track
of the suns bright light across the
void Of ether is invisible save as. striking
against distant worlds 1T breaks into star
glitter, so In the spiritual night only In
intestinal points. cloud Obscured. CLEANED
htiully here and there till God set forth
the Wilderness of the immaculate one, that
his light, in broad etfulgence, might be
reflected into the dark places. Aud it Is
lighted with the same light-Gods light
from all eternity. And it can only guide
our way TO His; His cannot bend 10 ours.
My faith Is that IL Is humanity's task by
human means To come to God. What is the
solution of socialism,! CollectI vism! In
Bellamys world man becomes n slave; not
witbstanding the belief that society alone
Is ruler, individual man has 10 free Will,
no free discussion. no free movement: with
liberty ana Independence he has lost MANY
beautiful pleasures; envy has not vanish ed
with property, political and religious dis
senslons have not ceased: the feeling of
happiness cannot pervade the soul which
Is not tilIed with the consciousness that it
guides its own destiny; peace cannot dwell
In breast whose strongest impulses are
fettered. Christianity Is the solution of
socialism. The cOnrse of development
rs L have attempted TO follow 10 is first
stoicism asserting worthIness; second hu-
manism cODtending for freedom; third, so
cialism claiming equality. and the end Is
individuality infused with the largest
sympathy for humanity and guided 10 the
solution of tho present days social prob
lems by Gods light, as revealed To US in