The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-06-19
COMMENCEMENT is OVER
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who was successful in subduing the
country. Louis Kossuth was the
very soul of the rebellion in Hungary
and no man ever had more complete
control over his countrymen. With
irresistible eloquence he passed over
the country like a refreshing rain,
everywhere quickening patriotism,
reviving hope arousing activity in
spring courage electrifying the whole
nation. Whence this marvellous elo-
uuence, this great power? It's divine
enthusiasm that gives the sun it's
%coronal and all nature it's beauty. 1t
is human enthusiasm that bridges
old oceans chasms with thought
bearing wires, that reveals to the
artists eye all loveliness and imbues
his brush with magic truth, that
inspires thinkers with s%uperhuman
sagacity and statesmen with super
human wisdom-it is spontaneous,
unconstrainable enthusiasm that
lifts mere mortality into the realm
of Immortality. Kossuth had that
peculiar enthusiasm which, borrow
ing strength from a master ambition,
is yet void of the sting of fanatlcism.
The speaker recited Kossuth's at
tempts to awake the fires of patriot
ism by publishing a newspaper, and
how this "a destroyed and finally
all other modes of publicity. Lastly
he was seized and thrown into a dun
geon and finally convicted of the
crime of fearless defense Of human
rights against usurping authority.
He was sentenced to four years in
prison. AS the governor Of Hungary
Kossuth resigned and the plans OF
the government were disclosed to the
Russian forces by Gen. Gorgy, the
new governor, which effectually nlace
Hungary's liberty under the ban.
What befell Hungary is today being
repeated in Finland, in China, in
northern Asia, along the Baltic, in
fact, wherever Russia can find a
pretext for sending a regiment or a
man-of-war. When Kossuth sur
rendered his %eloquence lost it's man
date. Whether we survive or perish
depends not on the sea but the cap
tain of the ship, for the same ocean
that smites unto the grave, cradles
unto the harbor. Individually and
as a nation we will rot in the dun
geon beneath the castle Of pride, or
feast in the palace of the fairy queen
according to the. wielder of authority.
Clarion Dewitt Hardy selected
Jean Val Jean'' as the title of his
grafton, and in handling personal
characters in this style Mr.. Hardy is
an adept. His presentation Of the
life of Jean Val Jean was a mastery
one, surrounding the character with
a fine word painting. He first point
ed out an incident>in the~life of Jean
Val Jean when he, a convict on board
the battleship Orion, saved the life
OF a seaman who had fallen from the
masts and after ~rescuing the man
how Val Jean himself reeled and fel
into the sea. 1t was supposed he
was drowned, but he lived and the
story of his life is the most pathetic
recorded in fiction. The speaker re-
cited something of the early trials of
Val Jean. of how he worked hard to
care for a sister and her children and
finally resorted to stealing a loaf Of
bread for the starving ones, for
which the iron hand Of the law held
him a prisoner for nineteen years.
At the aye Of forty-six years he again
faced the world a free man. The
speaker told of Val jeans efforts to
lead a righteous life and OF his sue
cession to the seat as the mayor Of a
large city. From a life of utter
worthlessness Va Jean becomes a help
to society. Thoughts of revenge for
his wrongs are forgotten, action now
springs from sympathy. I see him
standing at the bedside Of Fautine.
When cruel poverty drives her into
the streets, when shame hovers about
her name, when civil justice would
place her behind prison bars, he par
dons her otfenses and points the way
TO virtue. Jean Val Jean is the en-
oodlment of heroism. No physical
force ever CLOSED bis path that made
MIN tremble. He had the moral
courage to conquer himself and in
this heroism he becomes Christlike.
val jeans great conscience is made
TO stand forth in beauty when he
learns Of a convict who has been ar
rested for him, and at the supreme
moment he diyulges personality and
returns to the galleys to serve out
his sentence, but in the closing hours
OF death his forgiveness makes his