The New York herald., 1922-06-19
Harvard's President As
serts American Spirit Is
in Making.
WILL BE FOR LONG TINE
Says Other Nations Are Look
ing to This to Lead Them
Out of Wilderness.

SPECIAL Dispatch to THE NV YoRK IIEnALp.
CAMBRIDGE. Mass, June 1S.-Four
hundred members of the senior class
heard President Lowell in Appleton
Chapel this afternoon charge them to
think clearly and justly, not go with
the crowd, but. selecting a moral
declared. mankind is always led by
one who thinks clearly. conscien-
tiously and with generosity.
"A man who Is honest solely be-
cause it is the best business policy
is honest only from a broad percep-
ton of his own material interest, not
from any moral principle" said DR..
Lowell. IF placed in position where
a dishonest act would yield profit
and could never be discovered. or do
him any worldly harm, he would have
no reason, drawn from the best policy
principle. to shun the dishonest act.
That Is if he had no sense OF an in
herent moral motive for being honest.
But the word wise has another mean
ing-a spiritual as distinguished from
worldly significance. Almost all men.
and all men of character. believe that
there is an intrinsic reason for moral
conduct apart from its material value
to the man himself; that self-sacrifice
for a worthy object Is neither an ira
tional folly nor a mere survival OF a
primitive herd instinct, but the nobiest
act OF the most highly developed crea-
ture on the earth. The memory OF the
young men who died In the war Is TOO
fresh in our minds to let us think Tor
moment that their heroic deaths were
due to a cold conviction Of personal ad-
vantage or enlightened self-interes:.
Had Profound Sense of Duty.
"They did not want to die, but they
went forth knowing the danger, even
courting It, from a profound sense OF
duty. No one shall persuade us that
they did so from a traditional but IRA
tional altruism. and that >self-devotion Is
less worthy of admiration than we feel
II to be. II any one could so persuade
us he would rob life of that which makes
Il best worth living. No one shall pre-
vent us from glorying In those young
men or drawing from their example a
firmer conviction that all life has to
offer is small compared with doing what
is right.
"Assuming. then. that there is an i'm
perative moral duty to do right. and
that to be wise means 90 act in accord
with that obligation. why Is 1t that those
who measure themselves by themselves
and compare themselves among them
selves are not wise? Perhaps Il Is bet
ter to ask first why men are so prone
TO measure their conduct in this way.
II Is. in fact, a very easy standard or
life. To do as others do is simple. 1t
saves the trouble of thinking and de-
Gliding. 1t is good excuse also Tor
some relaxation of n rigorous principle.
particularly when one is In a tight place.
But how far Is 1t wise from the point
of view Of its effect upon the public IN
terest? Most of us have seen Its results
at one time or another, in business. IN
public affairs. in every day life, in war
and even in sport.
Classification OF Cranks.
How about its consequences fer the
man himself? We know very well that
some people who act on their principles
without regard to the opinion Of others
do not do either the community or them
selves much good. We call them IA
natics or cranks. and are more inclined
to censure than admire them. Such men
are not necessarily superior in moral
standards to others: but are simply
lacking in good judgment. The diff
Guilty with them Is not that their zeal
is excessive but that their aim is de-
fectivc. Their very eccentricity at
tracts attention. making people feel, and.
what Is worse. making the fanatics them
Ho, f.ra ~ hafr
principles more than other men who
are really quite as conscientious but
more sensible
LET every man be firmly persuaded
In his own mind, and happy Is he
that condemncth not himself in that
thing which he alioweth: for IL he
swerve from what he believes 10 be
right because others do the same. he
lowers his own moral tone and weakens
his own moral fiber. II self-sacrifice
be admirable and not foolish, IL there
be such a thing as moral obligation, 1t
is because there is moral order In the
universe; and II there be such moral
order II must be for every mans ulti-
mate welfare to conform thereto.
Whether he call his belief In a moral
order. and the duties It involves, a
philosophy. n theology or faith. he
throws away all that is best worth hav-
ing II he fails to act upon IL; and IL he
permits himself to be beguiled into de-
parture from II by thinking he cannot
be much to blame for doing what many
others do. he certainly is not wise.
I'VE hear much talk OF the American
spirit, as IL II were a thing fixed and
done. but II is still In the making and
will be for many years 10 come. Shall
I. be chaos OF Earring self-interests.
to which each race and each class con-
tributes its harsher notes. or shall II be
n harmony OF what Is best In each? The
question will not soon have its final
answer and that answer will depend
less upon the generation which is pass
ing away than on that which Is now
coming on The stage. Even men now
young may not see all that will come In
the fullness Of time. Our forefathcrs
planted the seed. our fathers cultivated
II. and we must carry on the work, even
though
II may not be lot 10 WELD
The sickle IN the ripenlng field
Nor ours TO hear on autumn ewes
The reaper's song among the sheaves.
The problems before us are not those
OF our own land alone but OF the world
n. NNaH Il .saZ