Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-27
BEGINNING OF
COMMENCEMENT.
Not to Destroy but to Fulfill the
Subject of President Buck.
ham Is Sermon.
Y. N. c. A. ANNIVERSARY
Address by the Rev. G.. 8, NurkJnnd. n
D., on "rhc Conscious Fnctor"--
e. s. Harris, j. II. Campbell and
Il. II. CIowsc winners ,t
Kingsley Prize Speaking.


Il. H. CIowsc winners Mt
Kingsley Prize Speaking.
| The 103rd commencement exerots.s
OF the University of Vermont and Stnte
Agricultural College which begun SAT
urday evening with the Kingsley nrize
speaking were continued Sunday af
ternoon at the College street e,burc,
when President Buckham delivered the
baccalaurcato sermon before tbo mem.
bers of the graduating class and their
friends.
At three o'clock tho gradual ting class
ied by Howard r. Haylett, marshal of
! the medical department, and Martin II.
RICE marshal Of the acadcmlcal de.
partment, and preceded by President
! Buckham and the Rev. George Y.
| BLISS, entered the auditorium and
marched to seats reserved for them in
the front Of the house
The regular church choir. comnosed
OF y. u. Blake, tenor, Miss Fannie
Crandall, soprano, Mrs. +. w. Whit
comb, alto, and w. ]. Gotta, bass. with
charles Hatch as organist sang Bucks
TIE Deum in b minor. The Rev. DR..
Bliss read a selection from the Scrip
lures and offered prayer. after which
Mrs. George Il. Howes OF Williams
town. Mass. sang Mendelsshon's The
Lord Is Mindful Of His Own"
President Buckham then preached
the baccalaureatc sermon. which fol-
lows in substance:
THE BACtALAUREATE SERMON.
came not to destroy but to fulnl.
Matt. ", Il.
on the northeast coast of Scotland
stood in tho sixteenth century one OF
those stately Gothic cathedrals which
were the contributions of Christian faith
to the Christianity Of their age. II was
of vast dimensions, fifty embodying tho
national spirit Of worship when Scotland
was n great nation. It had nave and
aisles. transept and choir, groined arches
and folated capitals; It had rood-scraen.
and tabernacies, and inches filed with
figures of patriarchs, apostles, and
martyrs, such as the piety of those ages
had approved But there came a time.
and a spirit, and a man, hostile to what
all these things we're supposed to stand
for. and on a certain day, amid a vast
concourse Of the people. a Illumination
went forth from the cathedral pulpi,
which reused the passions Of the crowd
to such n fury for destruction that in a
few hours one of the most imposing
cathedrals of western Chrstendom, with
all It's structural and decorative and de-
votional parts and appointments. was n
mass OF ruins. For centuries since mon
Of all Creods have regretted and wished
un1one the mischief of that mad hour.
But in vain. The age OF cathedral build
ing had forever gone. There remain to
this day the ruin, the regret, and the
lasting resentment.
This was not an Isolated transaction. It
was only one outbreak of a general
movement. And the general movement
OF that time was not ANYTHING unique in
human experience. mage breaking has
been a recurrent event all through his
tory. Abuses present themselves IN az
fairs social, economic, political. These
abuses call out reforms and reformcrs,
some remedial some destructive. There
is that in human nature which instinctiv-
ly inclines II TO the latter--to the dostr,lc-
tive method Of reform. Passion is much
more easily aroused on this side Tho
fruits Of effort Seem to be nearer. the
rewards OF success to be greater In
patience is motive which always lies
near the surface Of feeling, and Is open
to easy appeal. To superficial obscrva-
ton the abuse, thewrong seems to 90 down
with the overturn Of what may be mere
ly incidental. Destructive changes Will
always be in favor with a certain large
social group, and in certain grade OF
social development Indeed 1t Is pos
sbility and n menace at all times. The
only thing lacking at any time to make
il power and a terror, is effective lead
ershp--a leadership which Is in gym
pathy with the spirit of destruction rather
than with that Of remedy There are
never lacking the abuses out OF which
this spirit can get materials for a blaze.
The time when things are at their worst
is always this time, II things are allow
ed to 60 on as they now are-th,s is the
universal language, tho esperanto of agi-
ia tion-lrretricvable ruin Is immediately
before us. This is no time for caution.
for conservatsm-for reaction-it is time
TO strike, burn overturn. destroy. And
AS Cassius said when he saw the tumult
arising: MISCHIEF thov art afoot: take
thou what course thou wilt"
Let us give the destructive reformers
the praise which Is their due. They have |
their place and It is a place Of usefulness
but OF a subordinate and humble kind |
1t has not the exalted merit which they |
think 1t has. It does not need, or dis |
play, talents of a high order. 1t re- |
CURED more ability to carve one leaf OF |
one foliated capital in that ST. Andrews |
than to topple down whole |
aisle of polished columns, or to arouse |
the rage which did the down topping. II |
does not require so much courage as il |
seems to attack abuses 1t Is |
a bid for popularity which rarely fails |
Of more or less success. The dema gogue |
knows this and counts upon II. News
newspapers-thrive upon
II. Have you some scandal to air-would |
you assal some reputation-attack some
man In high place-assault some institu-
ton in good standing-you may have a
large place In "our crowded columns"
But still the Pathfinder. the accuser, tho
procurator general for society. are use
full. Too much praise of good men and
good institutions, too much admiration OF
things as they are would induce indolent
content, and would result In stagnation
and reaction, II only these image break