Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-21
STEPS TO PEACE
Continued from Pare One,

This brings us back squarely 10 u.
foundation Of western -civilza,o,
which asks not whether it will nav NJ,
whether it is right. Throughout q.
existence this college has suppor.I
this principle as the 'ciyilizng ana
evangelizing' influence of the wr,s
Her public men have carried and mus
continue to carry it into public M,
There Is no other foundation for ~
maintenance and support of a peae.,
full relationship between individual,
or among nations.
There has been tendency of la.
years for institutions of learning N
drop away from this position and sc,
up other standards of life. There has
been tendency to teach methods Of
acquisition rather than methods o,
righteousness. There is danger tia,
the emphasis may be put In the wrong
place; that the essential may be dis.
regarded in the pursuit of the acri.
dental. From this base come the prac.
tice of relying to- much on govern.
mont action, or believing that in SONS
way ii could take over and bear The
burdens of existence which rest upoD
the individual. 1t would be possibIA
to make a privileged class of few
but that is un-American and f1reir
to every instinct of our people. Ii
impossible to make a privileged class
OF everybody.
! ''One of the results of attempting to
adopt this principle has been 10 bring
governments into contempt 1t has
been assumed that they could perform
the impossible. In both cases when
they have refused TO attempt it Or
when they have attempted it ana
failed, they have been alike open to
a few fundamental things which gov.
ernments have been established to So.
cure. They have never been better
defined than in the Declaration of In,
dependeice, which alike proclaims
rights and imposes obligations. The
main defect of those from whose
teachings our institutions are in dan.
ger lies in the fact that they hold 10
the belief that rights can be preserved
/ when obligations are disrega rded. Il
theory of man relationship that estab-
lished Amherst College and determined
upon a method of securing their pur.
pose. They were seeking for a remedy
that would relieve the disorder Of the
times. They sought it by providing
an institution which was to SEND forth
men bearing testimony to the truth
we can see in retrospect how truly
American this purpose was, how l.
runs back to the spirit of the May.
flower, how it harmonizes with thu
great civilizing influence of the ages
These are the influences which oper
lines of transportation by land ant
water. which establish commerce
build libraries. provide bank facilities
declare righteous laws and set up tri-
bunals for the administration of jus,
tice. These results have been accom-.
plished, never by the naked assertion
Of rights, but ever by the courageous
conservation of obligations
ut is in this teaching of Amherst
College that now lies the main hope Of
the world. The individual obligations
are heavy. but they can be met; Ma.
tional obligations are heavy, but they
too. can be met. The power exists for
the re<establishment Of the world, but
1t will not be called into action BY
mere appeal to the desire for gain.
The public men Of today must make
their appeal as Colonel Graves and
Squire Dickinson and their associates
made theirs, and as they look to this
hall they will be fortified by the vision
of what a hundred years has wrought
and by the knowledge that the solemn
purpose which they here recognized
and declared still goes on: 'Civilizns
and evangelizing the world"
Mr.. Lansing, who spoke briefly, as
presiding officer at a conference on
Amherst in the Law and Education
was given an ovation when he arose
He said the beginning of a new cen
fury for Amherst College marked the
beginning of new epoch in the
worlds history in which he was con-
hdent the college would do its part.
The problems to be faced" he said
ARE not new but old New nostrurns
viii not suffice. The hour demands
the study and application of the fun
damental principles upon which pure
thinking and just laws are based
Talcott Williams of New York pre-
scented the college with the pulplt.
chair and table used by Henry Waro
Heecher in Plymouth Church. Brook
lyn. from 1853 to 1868. w. ]. Holland
On behalf of the deccndcnts of Presl'
dent Humphrey of Amherst, present
ed a collection of documents when
included a pledge signed by Henry
Ward Beecher to abstain from liquor
and the degree aware by Amherst 70
William Cullen Bryant, the poet.