Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-16
TWELVE PAGES.
SATURDAY. JUNE 1G, 1900.
THE ADDRESS OF MIR. CURRY.

That was rather notable address of
Or' j. H. M Curry to the students Of
the University of Virginia-able, schol-
ariy and timely; but. withal. what will
strike many as rather advanced"
For Instance, DIR. Curry said:
How to prevent the tyranny of the
majority, plutocratic despotism, i'm
proper interference of collective opin-
ION with individual liberty, the triumph
OF powerful contingent of selfish in
terests. how TO make Il fitting adjust
ment between individual indeDendence
ana government control. is II question
OF exceeding deliiacy and difficulty. 1t
may not be Improbable to correct some
popular errors which have been in
creased In mischief by being incorpo-
rated In State papers and party shib-
boleths. and construed as of universal
Application, when they We're originally
enunciated In critical eXigences and
not as universal truths.
All men are created equal Is n gen.
eralZation not truc-historcally DO
litically. individually, cthnologically. in
heaven or on earth. Governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent
OF Inc governed, If put in practice.
would upturn every government on
earth. No such consent was ever ask
ed or had. Only n selected portion was
ever privileged to represent society"
If the declaration of the equality Of
men and the enunciation of the princi-
pie that governments derive their lust
powers from the consent of the gov
erned be mere derna gogy, then in truth
the sooner they are allowed to pass in
to oblivion the better. II on the other
hand they be aXioms of such sort that
the attempt to live up to them. even
though the attempt fail. has resulted in
q government under which man enjoys
n larger measure of liberty and Of
equality before the law than obtains
elsewhere. then it were better to af-
firm and to re- affirm these declarations
rather than to repudiate them
we confess 10 very little sympathy
and considerable impatience with the
attempts to explain away the Declara-
lion of Independence. and to hold IL fall
lacious. because as n nation we have
not lived up to it. The Bible says love
thy neighbor as thyself." but thus far
the men who have fulfilled the iniunc-
ton have managed TO shun notoriety
Is 1t therefore wise to say that the in
junction were better eliminated? can
any great principle of morals. OF re-
llgion or of government be named that
has been found practical in universal
application or that when subjected to
the test of human passion, prejudice
and selfshness has not broken down
quite as lamentably as the declarations
Of mans equality. and that government
derives its just powers from the con-
sent of the governed? 1t Is the pur-
pose of punitive statutes TO punish the
guilty and protect the innocent Shall
we wipe them off the books because the
innocent man is sometimes hanged
while the murderer dies of o,d age?
If we are to dispense with the equal
ity of man and the consent of the gov
erncd as tencts of our political creed.
what shall take their place? Shall We
have government by n few OF the most
enlightened, and If so why not by the
one most enlightened? He is a dull stu
dent of contemporary events. who can
not see that if these principles were
originally enunciatcd in critical ext
Gencies" it is now sought to modify and
cation or reputation would square
more easily with other critical ext
gencies" and would spare condemna-
ito. by dispensing with that which con
deInns.
Brutal as has been the oppression of
tile weak by the strong in some in
stances in this country. hagrant as has
been the disregard OF the popular will
At times and by ca'ovs officials. the