The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-10
Magnificent Address to Law
and Medical Students.
.J0YNtRAW AROSDIPl0
President NJ serves farewell kddrt ss--- Man
Who Wen Most Of The Priz Was Also The
Best A hett Beautiful Music
Rendered.

graduated yesterday from the Depart
mcnts of Law. Medicine and Pharmacy of
Shaw University.
They heard magnificent address from
Rev. DR.. Charles II. Watson of Boston,
Mass 1t rang true with the utterance
of the clear thoughts of fearless soul
and glowed ana sparkled with the pol
ished diction and striking antitheses of
a powerful mind stored with the best
thoughts of ages all marshaled in or
dered array. 1t was without doubt one
of the most powerful addresses ever de-
liyered in Raleigh.
His theme was the tendency of men of
this time to succeed at whatever cost,
The Modern Menace to Moral Charac
ter" Some of his sentences were cpl
grammatic, heavy with meaning, and de-
serve to so down with the sayings of
the sagcs Of any nation.
A noteworthy fact about the commence
ment was that the man who won about
all the prizes he could win for scholar
ship, was also awarded the prize for ex-
oellence in athletics.
Promptly at half past ten o'clock the
exercises began.
Previous to that the procession of stu
dents formed in the grounds and entered
the chapel two by two, until it was com
pletely filled. Meantime the orchestra
played
The platform was beautifully decorated
with palms and plants of various kinds
Seated in front on the platform were the
members of the faculties of the depart
rOpntc IF law medicine nh rO1op-,
the orator of the day, Rev. Dr. Charles
II. Watson, of Boston, Mass; State Su-
rerintendent of Public Instruction J. Y.
Joyner President Charles F. Meserve Of
Shaw University, and others.
There were present also Prof E. ?.
Moses, Superintendent of the City Graded
Schools; Principal John E. Ray of the
Institute for the Blind; Hon. N. B.
Broughton, and Editor J. w. Bailey, of
the Biblical Recorder; Hon. W. H. Worth,
ex-State Treasurer and Mrs. Worth.
At the back of the platform were the
graduates, in, the academic cap and gown.
President John R. Hawkins, of KittrelI
College. offered the invocation.
Then the chorus of students sang. 'Je-
rusalem, o Turn Thee" with splendid
power and effect.
President Meserve next introduced tho
orator of the day, Rev DR.. Charles H.
Watson. of Boston, Mass, who was
greeted with applause.
Dr.. Watson very gracefully prefaced his
address with fitting compliment to the
work of the chorus that had just pre-
ceded him.
He then stated his subject, "The Mod
ern Menace to Moral Character" and
the application of his subject to profess
sional life seemed to point to the posi-
bilities, of the moral purpose when a
certain peril to it had been understood
and overcome.
He called the peril to moral character
the Get There Spirit" saying that
some of the phrases of our common slang
are SO pat, so energetic. so massively
packed and inspirited with modern mean
ing that they permanently usurp the
place of legitimate English, and relegate
terms of tame propriety to the oblivion
of the obsolete. Men are in a hurry, and
this phrase hits off the fever that hur-
ries them. A mans moral power is de-
termined by the quality, not the quantity
of his ambition. The subject not only
emphasizes a peril, but thrusts forth a
great encouragement.
has not only safe place. but unlimited
| possibilities. The genuine man is not
necessarily successful: he is moral.
First, such genuineness takes care of
growth and power by regulating their
pace. and mastering their highest use
Even while subject to pressure from
within and without that endangers his
character, every man knows that there
is higher force in him that is for
| control. Men COLI it by different names,
manliness, principle, character etc, as
| though they would describe some holy
personality in them that was given for
self preservation and acknowledgment.
and that set up Judgment seat in a
mans own breast. 1t is the practical &C
| knowledgement of this inner divine voice
that shapes and directs his industry and
makes safe every stop of his advance.
| Manlincss must mean brotherhood: and
| principle" is but social righteousness
preferred and practiced. Swiftness OF
race is exciting and flatterng, but to
choose rather to get up than to get on
is to walk sure footcdly among moral
perils.
Secondly: A feverish greed for success
impairs this self-regulating power by de-
stroying its essence.
Moral growth by genuine means has its
rewards at every step: the joy of
strength, the luxury of moral health. and
| The delights OF anticipation. But let i'm
patient greed blind man to every ROAD
to success but the shortest. and it will
steal from him the only power that can
make him and keep him true. He may
think the matter is not deep enough 20
be serious. but the sweep of character up
or down is profoundly unconscious
Samson twist not that his strength had
departed from him" Moses wist not
that his face did shine Inward truth
is unconscious Of its outward glory; out
ward falseness is ignorant of its inward
shame A man cannot be true with a
false heart, neither can he be false with