Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-23

brunswick, Me- June 22.- Specially
Thursday, the closing day of the
106th Commencement at Bowdoin. was
The most important day of the entire
week. II wac the nlors' browning
day for then they received the al
plonas. for which they have have la
bored faithfully at Rowdoin. four long
years Large numbers Of the Alumni
Wye In Brunswick 10 attend the exer-
cisSs4 of the day. ana also to attend
their respective class reunions.
The Commencement exercises we're
held at 1850 in the morning. at THE
Church on the Hill" Long before thar
time the crowd had commenced To
gather so tfnt by the time of the e.
ereises the church was well filled. As
SION as the procession. made up Of
the members of the trustees. the mem
bers Of the board Of overseers, the
members OF the faculty, and the mem
bers of the class of 1911, had marched
into the church the following order Of
exercises was observed:
Music.
= ,
'55. OF Censtantinople. Turkey.
Mueie.
Earl Baldwin Smith
The first speaker, Earl Baldwin
Smith % Brunswick, took for his sub
iect, "One Such Citizen" He spoke
in part as follows;
.Piero de Medici has betrayed US to
the French" rang the startling words
down the streets of Florence, on that
morning in the early part of NOvem-
Der. 1894. Terrified citizens looked
wildly about and read in each others
staring eyes the same question,
Where shall we turn for guidance >"
With their government sill in the
hands al the despi able Piero. with
their offers empty. and their militant
eeervatad by years of licentious rule,
under Medici. and With Charles OF
France marching on Florence, who
could save them?
None knew and yet as men of all
ages in public calamity have in
stinctively sought the words of some
commanding personality, SO all Flor
ence surged towards the Dunno
where they waited until a simple Do
mincan friar should advise them.
That morning when Savanorola. the
prior Of san Marco mounted his pull
pit, he looked down into the glttering
eyes and stern faces. one enkindling
word from his lips would have lighted
such a confagration Of passion as
would have consumed all Florence in
its intensity. But with pacifyinS
calm and convincing earnestness he
made his intense audience realize that
before the intrenchments of vested
wrong could melt away and their lost
sherry be restored, they would have
10 regenerate, not their government,
but themselves. His closing words
were, Give me at least the consola-
ton Of seeing YOU do good deeds. ="
From -that.-day. through the month
Of November, when Florence cast off
the tyranny of Medici, when Charles
of France was awed from arrogant
pride into friendly concessions by the
prior of San Marco even through the
founding of new republic on such
demofratic principles as received the
unaSmous communication of Machi-
vellaS Giamotti, and all the historians
of he time-it was that friar, un-
uttered in worldly wisdom. who by
the power. of his words guided the
Steps Of the state over the threatening
cliasn of revolution. So potent with
voice that Florence. the city Of
Turbulent factions, unbrdled lusts. and
bloody riots, when smoudering with
passion, accomplished Il complete
overthrow of government without a
single excess being committed-"an
example, writes vfllaf without pre-
cedent in the might of human utter
anee and the human will"
Truly it was an example without
precedent; but when Nalari attributes
Savenarola's mastering influence sole
~ to such emotional faculties. he ig
nores the foundational spirit that en-