The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-24
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS.
JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES LECTURE
AT TEE z. N. Q. A.


Which Confront Young Men in Meet
ing the Issues of the Modern Age.
Danger in Extremes and Safety In
Conservatism-Mr Graves Audience
Delighted With His Address.
The address OF Hon. John Temple
Graves at the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation hall last night was one Of the most
polished and scholarly addresses that has
been listened to in Savannah for some time.
II is to be regretted that an account OF at
fractions at the theater and elsewhere the
eloquent gentleman did not have the audi
ence which he deserved. The address was
heartily appreciated by those who heard it,
however. The fluent eloquence aud mag
ni1cent periods OF the speaker continually
drew the applause Of his audience. Among
those present were several classmates at
college and old friends OF Mr.. Graves.
The address was an appropriate one. Its
subject was the responsibility Of youth in
meeting the questions and issues of the age
in entering upon the arena OF life: Mr..
Graves was introduced by 5. B. Adams,
ESQ.,, who referred to him in the highest
terms of praise as q distinguished and elo-
quent gentleman.
Mr.. Graves in beginning his address
Acknowledged the kind words Of Mr.. Adame.
He said it always gave him pleasure to visit
Savannah. not only because OF past pleasant
associations, but because in common with
all Georgians he shared the pride in its past
history and its present commanding posi-
ton with its commercial and material i'm
portance and its promise of future great
| ness.
Mr.. Graves opening was beautiful and
appropriate. He said: 1.-THE youth who
steps from college walls into the open Of
this teeming century is grit with fortune
and responsibility. Behind him whispers a
rich and heroic past. A marvellous aud
| binding future leads before. Issues rapid
and tremendous crowd each other for at
teaslon, and 10 this fearless summer OF in-
tellectual liberty a thousand great ques-
| items approach the dauntless answer that
shall lock them to the republics life.
Happy the youth whose years of train
ing have been probably spent Happy he
who carries from their minds gymnasium
a vigorous equipment for that great battle
whose bugles even now are sounding the ap-
peal to arms.
I'm the world which waits to welcome
every honest force you will find two classes
to surround you-the majority who do not
think and the minority who hold the crown
and scepter because they do. The minority
have long since enslaved the majority
in the luxury OF dependence.
/ NC I0ouAb VI buOukub An buo Ou6
tends TO make thought unnecessary
TO the other. The minority labor with their
brains The majority either do no work at
| all or labor with their hands and have their
thinking done for them by leaders, or
machines. In these conditions there are a
thousand short cuts to knowledge, aud at
every step some sturdy thinEer waits with
Bonded back to carry you along.
I'VE have our logarithms ground out Of a
| hOX Calonlatfana manufactured -
simply turning crank. Chemistry is
learned by inhaliug laughing gas. and from
| the cradle to the grave the masses use the
mental go-cart until they lose the use of
their Intellectual legs
"But the dependence OF the many has been
the rich wine of inspiration to the genius
and daring Of the few. The history Of the
world is the history of the few. The
minority are the history makers.
THE saving remnant molds the history
Of its race. And the thought of the few
inspired by opportunity, quickened by am
bition and enthused by power, gradually
losing the anchor Of responsibility. has
grown SO free and soaring tAat its hour
OF danger has come with its acme of
achievements and its very glory hides its
peril and its fame"
| Mr.. Graves then rehearsed the "tri-
umphal march of thought" in its physical,
intellectual and scientific accomplishments
In speaking of the dangers that might result
| from the extremes of intellectual thought
he said: "At one end OF possibility stands an
intellectual Representatives, and god
less. heaven defying aud man
| despising, a highwaYman of opinion,
bandit in creeds, mailman Of liberty, a
rudderless and harmless thinker anchored
to nothing in this world and grappled to no
| promise of the world to come May God
deliver US from this man, for anarchy comes
| down on US like night and massacre seals
| Romes eternal grave.
AT the other end shivers a cringing cow
| ard fettered by custom, bound hand and
foot to prejudice, and cropping in the thick
! darkness OF traditional superstition. Eyes
has he, but he secs not; ears has he, but he
does not hear; and grit with the dignity OF
the human form, he follows like whipped
slave in the wake of every dogma which
power emphasizes or demagogues proclaim.
May the infinite wisdom save US from him.
The model lies in the golden mean. Safety
rests, as usual in conservatism
Mr.. Graves conclusion was in reference
to the religious phase of the subject. He
said: The most ominous shadow that
hangs over the horizon Of FREQ thought is
the sweep of skepticism against the creeds
that have held the world in balance for a
thousand years. The earth is rank With
infidelity. Doubt hangs on lip of youth
| Hl0 dk6s On Uldu anu Iudlu ana mdLrOn,
and boy philosophers, rotten before they are
ripe, strut in the mannsh pride of license,
and hurl their fippant skepticisms against
the rork of ages while society applauds
the sacrilege. There is no rank or station
that these imperious doubts have spared,
and besides the expressed mockeries of per-
sonal infidelity panoplied in sin NAV be set
the steps that seem like heresy Ill the pulpit,
breaking from orthodoxy and hereditary
faith. Science indeed has made a show OF
| logic with its creeds, and science in its
deeper digging has unearthed the answer
to its somber doubts, while the noblest
minds that follow it are coming out Of the
darkness into the beautiful light.
| where reason and revelation stand
with clasped hands above a glorious
faith. But a thousand fiippaut fools.
emulous OF scientific doing, yet scantlng its
power and its depths, rush with airy pert
ness where savants dare 30 tread, and blink
ing their weak eyes at the blazing splendor
OF the truth. rush back to enjoy the dark
ness and Oerate omnipotence for its power,
and upbraid the glories of his providence.
For 1900 years men have been saying
| the church was waning and would die. IL
| lives on. The heatben massacred its de-
tenders and pillaged its temples, but 1t lived
on, Herod prosecuted its innocents and
| PLATE crucified its Lord, but history has
pilloried Herod and the infamy of PLATE is
linked TO the glory of the cross. Nero and
Caligula drenohed its fiickering life in blood.
but 1t lived on. Tom Paine and Voltaire
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