The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-06-07
COMMENCEMENT.
Thirteen Diplomas Awarded to
High School Graduates.
THE STAGE T4STILY DECORATED.
DR.. Marion Shutter of Minneapo-
lis, Delivered a Thoughtful and
eloquent Address.

eloquent Address.
The annual commencement ex-
ercises at the Grand opera house
attracted, as usual, an audience
which packed the hall. The even.
ing was bright and hot, but them
terest never tagged for moment.
The Symphony Orchestra was at
its best, and the several selections
added not a little to the enjoy
ment of the occasion. After the
invocation by Rev. c. b. Brecount.
DR.. M. D. Shutter of Minneapolis
was introduced by Prof. Stanton.
He is delightful speaker, his flex-
IDLE voice and fine delivery adding
a peculiar charm to the address.
Let every reader of the HERALD
peruse the full text which follows -
and it will be seen that commend
atory comment is superfluous:
AMERICAN HISTORY AND THE
CULTIVATION OF PATRIOTISM.
BY MARION D. SHUTTER, D. D.
The patriot singer OF the Hebrews
declares that the wonderful works OF
God in the history of his nation shall
be remembered and transmitted. "We
have heard with our ears, o God, our
fathers have told US, what deeds thou
didst in their days, in the times of
old" The wonders of the past, the
hand of God leading them upward and
onward the deliverance from bond
age, the conquest of Canaan, the
glories of David and SOlomOn,-all
these splendors of the other days were
in the mind and upon the harp-strings
of the ancient bard. "We will not
hide them from their children, show
ing the generation to come the praises
of TIE Lord, his strength, his wonder
full works which he hath DONE" The
past was not to be forgotten. An
object of pride and generation, it was
to be signalized in song and story for
children's children. They were to be
stirred and guided by the memory of
what the G cd of their fathers had done.
The light of other days was to fall
upon their pathway. New duties
would, indeed, arise; but the past
would help. The organic life of the
nation was continuous. The newest
duty would still be related to the old
est achievement. Leckey says: Call
civic virtues, all the heroism and self
sacrifice of patriotism, spring ulti-
mately from the habit men acquire of
regarding their nation as great Or
ganic whole, identifying themselves
with it's fortunes in the past as in the
present, and looking forward anxiously
to it's future destinies."
The study of our past is quite as
important for us as was the study of
Israel's past TO the Jew. Our own
history is as wonderful as is the his
tory of Abraham's descendants. 1t is
as full of signal deliverances, as ample
in providential leading. Washington
and the men of his time were just as
divinely raised up as were Moses and
Joshua. The light of the Eternal
gilds not alone the hills of Palestine;
it fingers around Lexington and Con-
cord and rests, like a crown of light,
upon Bunker Hill. History is one,
and Americana less than Judea--is
sacred ground. The study of this his
tory as a means of cultivating patriot
ism, ismy theme.
What is patriotism? 1 have not
been able to find better definition
than the one given in the dictionary:
''Love of ones country; the passion
which moves person to serve his
country, either in defending it from in
vasion, or in protecting its, rights and
maintaining it's institutions. This,
of course, does not mean a blind and
unintelligent passion: not prejudiced
devotion that refuses to see faults;
but purifying love that seeks to re-
move them, when found. BY as much
as we love anyone or anything
parents, children, friends, native land,
by so much are we sensitive to their
defects and jealous OF their honor.
Our country may have its faults, our
institutions their weaknesses, and
evils may be abroad in our land; but
it is our country after all-these are
our institutions; and we love them so
we'll that we will do our utmost to free
them from blot or blemish, to uphold
the laws, to take an interest in public
affairs, to make ourselves good citi-
zens. And one thing is beyond all !
controversy, whatever may be said
in just criticism of this country, what
ever defects may be pointed out the
brightest and best spot that this earth
revolving upon its axis presents daily |
to the all-beholding sun, is America!
How does the study of our history con-
tribute to our love of country? How
does it inculcate and develop the spir- !,