The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-06-10

ossting ~ Ths Aism .i q. s,.s Ct... N.
ssets~s-Ds Gsess Css nsneA On Cred
assss-Asssst address By 8ss. ". L
wiisos-fAs Aia.si H.saue,-x. ply Of
Lis.ssssnt- -0ovsr.or R>ysoids 10 The
Toast "North C.reiiaa and H.r u.,.sr..
itv."
University Of North Carolina,
| Chapel Hill, N. c., June ,.
This was the loud com mepcem
day at this university, and it was
made delightful bv perfect weather,
large attends nee and interest, and
by q we'll arranged programme. The
opening event of the day was the
meeting OF the Alumni Association
over which Thomas s. Kenau pre-
sided. Just before noon the acade-
mic procession formed AID warched
to Memorial hall. 1t vas com posed
of the seniors, President Alderman
and the faculty. and trustees. The
noble hall was filed with an audience
which worthily represented the State.
Four of the seniors delivered ora
tions-A. 7. Allen on 1.-The Ria
ton of Government to Freedom"
D. B. Smith on "America in Civil
zation;' Donald McIver on "Cop fiict
Between Knowing and Feeling" S.
B Shepherd on THE Growth of
Law" Theses were presented by
the other thirty eight members of
the graduating iclass of forty two
that by Arthur William Belden, of
Wilmington, being on "The Rela-
ton of the Industries to the Ad-
vancement of Chemical Science"
The chief event of the day WAS the
address by Hon. William l.. Wilson,
president of Washington and Lee
University, who was introduced by
President Alderman.
his theme was q quotation from
John c. Calhoun, "Liberty Is re-
ward to be earned; a reward reserved
for the intelligent, the patriotic, the
virtuous and the deserving" and the
speaker said: "This is the generali-
zstion of true statesmanship and
this is the fixed law of Providence.
This university owed its foundation
to the belief so earnestly entertained
and so often acted upon by the faith
ers of the Republic that there work
was foredoomed to failure unless the
free government they established
could be buttressed for all time by
the school house, the college and the
university. Hence the men who
founded the commonwealths found
ed schools. OF all the cheering state
ments in President Alderman's ad-
dress, none, in my judgment, throws
so certain and bright an augury
over the future which this univer siry
faces as his enumeration of the
young men who, by their own
efforts, and in part by occupations
by which, if not dignified by high
purpose, might almost be called
menial, are working their way,
through difficulty and obstacle, to
university education and to the
power, influence and responsibility
which university education brings
in a democratic country. From such
youths We have learned to expect
much. They have enriched every field
of human endeavor. This university
may fit the young men of North Car.
olina to become intelligent planters,
successful merchants, scholars and
teachers, clergymen, physicians and
lawyers, but it must likewise fit all
of them for the high and strenuous
Office of citizenship. The idea. that
is to-day the most dangerous of al
our delusions is that free institutions
are an easy thing to establish, ar
| thin fn ka
"Of the two original contributions
which the people made to the con
stitution, the electoral system for
choosing president and vice-presi
dent, and the supreme court, tht
former was speedily nullified by the
development of party systems they
did not anticipate. and the other ha.
become bulwark of freedom anG
a balance wheel of government
There is to-day and there can be nc
stable freedom save historic freedom
Even universal suffrage means little
Tho living spirit of freedom is in tn,
. political training, individual eniight
enment and morality of the people
And because liberty is the mobiles
reward for the development Of on
moral and intellectual faculties ther'
is an indefensible obligation on ever,
great school of learning to fit sue
cessive generation to earn this re
, ward and to receive, preserve ant
!. transmit it by safer title deeds t.
. those who come after them. Th
l question of system of federal taxa
ton and of disbursement which shal
:, operate evenly on individuals an,
sections is beset with greater diff
I culties than in the day of Clay.
=. The question of stable and en-
3 lightened system of banking an
currency equally adapted to eyer
= class and section is harder to dea
with in 1897 than it was in tho tim
= of Jackson and Benton. The divid
\ ing line between federal and Stat
= sovereignty has been swinging bac
- and forth since the close of the civ
= war. The still more important ques
= ton of the proper sphere of govern
, mental activity and of individu,
freedom with its subordinate que!
y ton whether we are to seek pro.
J perity from laws of congress or ind
u vidual effort, is raised, as it neve
L L was raised before in our political di
3 cussions, in our party platforms an
J In numberless schemes of Legislation
- Then there are new issues-the d.
- velopment and consolidation Of raj
D. ways, the growth Of trusts and otl
4 er-would-be monopolies, the relatio
~ of races-which invite and may r
>, quire the moderating hand of l.w
10 adjust their relations to q system q
70 free government. How shall '
a' deal with such . succession of o
q and new questions by universal 50
10 fragei Whether Jefferson and Ma
ei lson would hold q commanding II
10 life long influence in Virginia t
le day, or the Adamses in Massach
ys setts, or Calhoun in South Carolin
Ln or Nathan,el Macon in Nor