Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-05-29
THE BRYAN DAILY EAGLE

gain the road which alone leads to
peace, liberty and safety.
Those doctrines were expressed in
he inaugural address Of the third
president of the United States. ard
no man since that time has been able
to improve on single tent therein
EXPRESSED. But you say: Yes, these
doctrines are true; this government %
the best ever ordained by man, and
am proud of my country and its flag.
But where Is my place in the great
| compact"
"That is just what | want to talk to
Won about will agree with you that
the character of your training at THIS
school is not of the kind to fit and
prepare you for statecraft. Your edu'
cation and training will lead you into
the great and inviting field so full OF
promise to those who are willing TO
! work and to wait. In this field alone
vour usefulness to humanity can only
be measured by your ability and will
ingness to meet the responsibilities
and opportunities that will confront
Won and | will be sadly disappointed
and surprised if you do not prove
equal to the opportunities that come
TO vou. | would deeply regret to see
any of you exchange the course con
templated in your training here Tor
the hazardous pursuits of the polltf
| clan or any business for which you
have no training. But correct infor-
nation throughout all classes OF the
| community, with reference to the gov
eminent and all public questions, is
| essential to the peace and prosperity
| of organized society.
Let me say here that the people
are the legitimate source of all power
and authority, and that the necessity
of preserving the purity of that foun'
tain that the stream that flows there
from may forever be pure should I'M
press every citizen with a profound
sense of his moral and civil duty. Each
one of you will constitute a unit IN
our social fabric. There is no possible
way in popular government like this
by which you can separate the lndl-
vidual from society; and there would
be no society without government, and
no government without society. Each
individual is an integral part of so
ciety. and the only way he can escape
the responsibilities that are enjoined
upo nthe citizen is to reduce his eX-
Iistence to nonentity. The wisest con-
stitution and the best government can
not survive if neglected by majority,
or a large minority, of our most intel
|lgent citizens. Public virtue and
sound views of right must constantly
being fused into the stream that there
lmay be no stagnation among those
who seek the ballots of the people.
The reason why have sought to EN-
lphasize virtue in the citizen is be-
Icause we can not have virtue in the
Government unless it is inherent in
the citizen. Greco and Rome furnish
us striking examples of nations which
descended rapidly into decay on ac-
count of the needless inattention Of
the people upon the approach of dan
gers which at first augured little
trouble.
Greece furnishes us a field of study
more varied, rich, beautiful and sub
lime than that of any other nation in
the world. She founded and over
turned the greatest empires ever built
in antiquity and her conquests and
triumphs, in peace and in war, have
supplied themes for the pen of sages
of all centuries. She eXcelled all other
nations in ancient times, in architec-
ture, statuary, painting, poetry, ora
tory and philosophy. Who could have
thought in the days of Pericles that
Athens would ever perish? But alas!
| the evil dame came, and on one can
tell the extent of destruction that was
wrought in her proud cities. The time
came when her people trampled under
their feet the teachings of their wisest
Iphilosophers, insulted justice, and
lgave way TO eXtravagances and cor.
lruption. and there was not left in her
citizenship enough virtue to arrest the
nation as it plunged into the vortey
of ruin.
AT one time in her history every
senator in Rome was fit for king and
every soldier fit for a general The
wealth of all nations poured into that
great metropolis individuals acquired
fortunes which transcribed royal mag
nificence.
But while she drew the sciences,
arts, eloquence and culture from
Greece, she drew luxury, effeminancy
and corruption from Asia and Africa.
The foundation of her happiness and
prosperity was weakened, and decay
FASTENED the inevitable hour of ruin