The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1897-01-07
THE DEBATING CLUB.

THE DEBATING CLUB. I
Suggestions That the Young Men
Should Consider.
Communicated
The Vance Club will have literary
meeting next Tuesday evening at 1880
O'Clock, consisting Of essays, orations and
declarations.
AS lLis is the beginning Of the New
Year every member should induce his
friends to join. Every young man in
Durham, who wishes to improve his
talents and develop all the faculties Of
the mind, is most cordially invited to
be present next Tuesday, in the court
house.
4 Debating societies are not new things.
j They are as old as humanity itself It
would indeed seem presumptuous to
say exactly where the first debate actu-
ally occurred if we didn't have the oldest
| history to throw light OH the subject. It
occurred, according to Bible colonization,
about six thousand years ago in beau
tiful garden in. which grew magnificent
trees, from which hung delicious fruit.
rhe query one day was-"R Resolved,
That ye who Ginhabit the garden should
: eat Of the fruit that is in the midst Of
: the garden" Our old adversary. the
i serpent, took the affirmative; our great
y grandmother Eve took the negative. Il
I seems that the affirmative side won.
I And on that decision hung the destiny
q Of Adar' ard posterity. So from that
day, rough the decades and
y censr -. have disputed over and
y examinl question after questions
!. That club Of this kind is improving
e to young men, is best known by those
J. who take part in the work Of the society.
r Nevertheless quite large number stay
7 away, and many are the reasons perhaps
y that they give why they have not been
attending: Yet the majority OF reasons
are--no reasons. 1t is a duty. yea, 9
y sacred duty we owe to our creator, tc
our parents and to ourselves to make
use Of every means and every opportu
:. nifty to better our condition, moral and
= intellectual.
Though man has indeed fallen low
though the divine image is blurred be
cause Of many mistakes, he still ha
:, sparks Of celestial FIRE. burning in hi
l. bosom. He was told to leave the gardei
I. and in the sweat OF his face to eat bread
j And he has come down through tn
|, centuries toiling and sweating. Disap
!. pointments have come to him, diseas
4. has attacked him, death has stared hin
:. in the face and yet Notwithstanding al
!. these forces th.t seemingly have tried 7
!. crush him. man stands up today til
= miro rim the universe In which Co
sees himself.
= So having this divine nature in hir
! man cau--eyery boy can-do his duty
. EMERSON says:
"songh Is granduer to our dust,
NJ 30 near Is God to man,
en- When Duty whispers 10 thou must.
Ial The Youth replies, 7 cah!'"
ed II Is said on one occasion Napoleo
led his army into Egypt. And as the
we're resting near those gigantic pyrs
mlds he said to his men "Fcrty Ger
-er turies look down upon you." What di
80 hat meant It meant that those ia
ell monuments were four thousand year
lis Id, and had witnessed many defeai
I'D md in few days would witness the
q lefeat or triumph How this must hay
G. stirred their manhood Would thu
nd something might stir the young men
Ig- noble thoughts an action.
ad Prepare yourselves young Durhamits
for useful career. It may be a littl
int sacrifice; but what of that1 Your friend
d, may laugh at your efforts to improy
y. yourselves; but what Of thatf It wi
et- not be many years before they will Sc
to their mistake and wished they had dor
ng is you.
w, Naked on parents knee little child
Weeping thou saidst when all around thee smils
~. 30 live, that sinking 20 thy long sleep
hon then mays't smile when all around Ia
weep"
Now il is 10 be hoped that the vans
club will begin the year Of 1897 wit
'ie he nd most enthusiastic crow
er- yliat tented.
's' Sou ago many Of our either
y. we're enthusiastic oyer the idea Of q pul
re ic library, and well they might b
10 Fhyl Because II was for the benefit !
ne he town boys and men. Now the Vsni
r. hub Is for the benefit Of town boys, an
10 se hope the citizens win do all In the
ne ,ower to encourage and aid so prai
'e worthy an institution.