Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-19
COL. A. W. BRADBURY LECTURES.
End Of the Century His Subject, which
With Concert Delights Audience.


number Of people attended.
The programme, as follows, was yer,
finely rendered:
selections, Higgins Orchestra
Messrs. Thomas Fox. J. B. She chan,
Song, THE Church Across the Way,'
Miss Myrtle Bryant.
song THE Death Sentence
Mr.. Charles Belodeau.
Song, "Take Me jamie
Lecture by Col. A. w. Bradbury. Of Porta
land, subject: End of the century"
Selections, Orcho.t -
Song Selected, Mr.. William p ne Eov
Song, "ony Broken Heart" -
Finale, Descriptive SONG, withTableaIx-a ov :.
t rue o. OF the Window When Poverty En-
'eis 'he Door' Miss Hannah Fox.
From Col. A. W. Bradbury's able and
carefully prepared address the following
abstract was taken:
The lecture opened with mention of the
common belief that the close of a century
IS marked by some signal movement in
politics, literature science, or art. the
legitimate outcome of the experience of
years; and the speaker demonstrated by
historical comparisons of the ends of these
purely artificial divisions of time that the
belief, like most of those based upon long
observation, is well-founded Starting
with the close of the eighteenth century,
the epoch Of the French Revolution and
the birth of modern democracy, he went
back, century by century, to the beginning
of the Christian era. Thus the seventeenth
century gave birth, in its death agony, to
splendid and permanent literature in
Europe, and witnessed, in almost it's clos.
ing year, the foundation of the British
dominion in India; the sixteenth was the
age of the Elizabethan dramatists, of
Cervantes in Spain, Montague in France,
Tasso in Italy, Camoens in Portugal; the
fifteenth saw the discovery of the new
world by Columbus, the decentralization
of the cape by Da Cana, the disappear
ance of the Byzantine empire and the in
vention of printing. And 50 on through
all the final decades Of the eighteen cen
turtles of the Christian era.
Though the historical survey was neces
sarily rapid and concise, sufficient was
said or indicated, to show that the gener-
al belief which attaches so much interest
and consequence to the close of a century
is not without solid foundation. One CT
two epochs were dwelt upon with par
ticularity; especially the age which saw
the capture of Constantinople by the
Turks, the dispersion of the Greek scbol-
ars, carrying precious manuscripts with
them, over Europe, and the consequent
revival of classical learning in the West.
The lecturer found everywhere in history
indisputable evidence of the progress of
mankind in knowledge and goodness, the
result of the Divine purpose. 1--WE stand
here and now," he said, "in this latest
age, in this ample measure and fruition
and fulfillment of nineteen centuries;
fighting once more the old battle for truth,
but, thank God we stand with stouter
hearts, with higher hopes, with more per-
feet assurance of complete and enduring
success than any of the thousands of gen
erations Of men who have preceded us. "
There is apparently a pause in high liter
airy production but that may be in part
because the soil is temporarily exhausted
an must lie fallow for n time; and in
large part to the determination of produc-
tive force to other channels. AS executive
ability in the civilized world has been
largely diverted from war and politics,
formerly the chief occupations of able and
enterprising men-men OF actlOn-to IN
dustrial pursuits in which rewards, and
not infrequently fortunes, await the en-
terprising and the persistent, men of some
literary facility, and the same time worldly
lend their talents to the captains of indus
try, praising them and their works as poets
and historians once praised the captains
of war; and find profit, modest perhaps
but assured, therein. Above all. they
find market in the press, where some
literary facility and considerable bodily
vigor when conjoined, are always in de-
mand.
After rapidly reviewing the present
condition of letters, with brief reference
to the names that are upon all readers
lips, the lecturer touched upon our civil
war, as the most stupendous, and perhaps
the most important in the nintcenth cen
tury. In the battle of Waterloo, he said,
decided the dcstinies of Europe, the sur
render at Appomattox decided the ques-
ton of the stability and cohesive power OF
she greatest republic the world has ever
seen. While our great war was too early
in the century to bring it strictly within
the limits of this discourse, yet it can
scarcely be passed by, if we are to speak OF
the century at all. Indeed it is SO near
to us that we feel it's influence and see it's
effects in all our daily walks 1t is too
near for us to Judge and speak dispassion-
ately of it, if we would All our soldiers
are heroes to us and it is not my purpose
to select the bright particular stars from
out that galaxy. But, in this presence.
may name one soldier of whom you will
gladly hear mo speak-glorious Phil
Sheridan. All If you could all have seen
that fiery Field marshal. when he plunged
upon the battle field of Cedar Creek with
something upon his lips like what George
Washington used at Monmouth, though,
thank God, arising from different cause
as he stormed along the line
Impiger, iracundus, inexorabills, acer'
he would not be denied, he would not be
beaten. he would have victory. No coun-
ell of war, no consulting of maps Che knew
the valley as well as he knew the parade
ground at West Point, with cool sagacity
of plan but headlong fury OF execution,
his cry was forward forward forward
and Jubal Early went whirling up the
valley in cyclone of battle-Custer rid
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