The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-03

lily as upon those who are trained for cltl-
zenship in the great schools founded and
| maintained by the State?
Government by public discussion cam
| succeed only upon the two conditions,
that the people, who are to decide, listen
to the discussion of public questions with
| minds open to the truth, prefer sound
| reasoning to false reasoning, and finaly
| act under the obligation Of virtue and pa
triotism; and that those, who attempt
| to lead the people, shall give them the
real results Of honest, intelligent and
careful study of public issues
If university education does not give
| the mental and moral training to reach
| right conclusions and to propa gate and de-
| fcnd them it ceases TO be Il bulwarl of the
| State and becomes danger in proportion
as intellectual development gives increas-
ed power and cunning to its p0ssessor.
The educated man who sh,rEs the obi
| CATION Of citizenship, or who regards poll
| ties as n field to the Stunned, or a duty
he may perform in n needless and selfish
spirit. or as an arena for the mere graft
fcation Of selfish ambition, shrks the OBJ
legation Of patriotism, and merits a con-
domination greater than that which be-
longs to his less favored cOuntrymen. Let
him, if he will, be the sturdiest of parti-
sans. but let him never forget that, in II
democratic country, party is Il voluntary
association for securing honest methods
in administration and sound policies in
government, not a mere organization for
winning victories attaining power and APP
portioning spoils.
This may at times demand from the
,:x
the sincere patriot, courage, constancy
and devotion little short of civil heroism,
but these are the titles by which q peo-
pie earn and preserve their liberty.
We have long passed that erl in our
history when our freedom is endangered
from without; we have passed into an
era when many dangers to our freedom
may arise from within.
Fifteen years ago, when | was some
what suddenly chosen to Il seat in Con
gress. / gave the months, that preceded
my active service, to the historic and
economic studies that seemed necessary to
fit a member elect for entrance upon his
duties Ny first impression. as | re-
viewed recent debates in Congress and
the political issues that somewhat feebly
agitated the people of the country, was
that | was entering public life ut Il very
uninteresting and uneventfu time, and
| looked back with regret to the years
when it seemed there were battles to fight
and objects to achieve worthy the energies
OF men, and when. in the words of Cob
den there was something at stake worth
growing older and greyer for But |
was not long in learning the lesson, con-
tirmed in every subsequent year that in
a great country like this. advancing with
a pace and vigor unparalleled in human
history, and moving in the van Of civil
ization, there could not he humdrum,
uncyentful era, a time TO rest in ease and
and careless security.
If therefore young gentlemen. / say to
you this morning that politics is Il duty
which no educated man can shrik in such
a country as ours a duty which You es
pecially owe to your State and to your
country. l can add for your encourage
ment that politics is also an arena where
great battles are to be fought; great OBJ
jects to be achieved. worth growing older
and greyer for; great h0nOrs to be won.
and. what can never be forgotten great
virtue and courage to be displayed
4 political career. entered upon with
less inspiring motives or pursued with
less patriotic virtue, may secure You place
but not abiding honor; may give you a
name on the catalogue of this university
among those who attained office. but not
a name to be mentioned on this platform
III years to come as an inspiration and
example to the youth of North Carolina.
The men whose memories we revere, and
TO whom we build monuments and erect
statues were not the mere place-holders
the successful wire-pulleTs. the fomenters
and beneticiaries of popular errors and
decisions, but the strong and useful pa
triots. who led their fellow citizens along
the rugged and upward paths of political
safety
1t is Gods fixed law. for the elevation
and moral betterment OF mankind. that
nothing worth having, and nothing worth
being, can he reached by individuals or
by nations except at the cost of heroic
effort and as the reward of heroic virtue.
Whether amy of your na:nes are to be
written with imperishabia lustrc among
those whom this university shall honor
in days to come as her worthy contribu-
ton to the service of the State, will de-
pend upon the spirit with which you dedi-
cate yourselves to that service. You will
never lack great battles to tight, great
objects to accomplish, great errors and
abuses to vanquiSh, great dangers to a.
vert; and YOU cannot forget unless you
wilfully reject the worthy for the UNI
worthy, and take selfish ambition for your
guiding star, your own elevation instead
of your country's lasting good, the vital
condition of our free institutions that lib
erty is not a boon bestowed on the weak,
the ignorant, the unDatriOric and the I'M
deserving, but the highest and noblesr re-
ward of moral and intellectual! develop
menr