Year: 1866

DCuOUl uUttS6 Ill LniS O1Jy,


BY REV. c. r. KEMBLE,


Pastor ol UhversaIis. Society.


Respected Friends:


How shall best comply with the cir
cumstances around me, and fulfill the
expectations of this audience, i'm con-
senting to speak before them this even
ing? is the first suggestion of my mind.


Shall I endeavor to amuse you by in
dulging in comic thought and mirth-
provoking expressions? or lead you
through the fairy land of Pleasure, and
tell you that Life is but the realization
of romantic dreams? Am to dive into
the sea of Politics and endeavor to bring
up the pearl of truth from its troubled
waters? or am to launch into u pane.
gyric upon an abstruse philosophical
theme, and devote the short time ailot.
ted me to the magnifying of mysteries
and the development of principles aside
! from the occasion which has called us
together? Your sense of the just and
the honorable forbid this, and / mus,
coIne at once to the part assigned me
and speak forth the words of "trutl
and soberncss."


What nobler occupation can engag,
the attention of man than the care o


his undying nature? What thought
more sublime than the composition o


the human mind?


What is the Human Mind? A mini
tature God !! immortal as its great origi


nal; susceptible of cultivation and i'm.
provement and passing on in its shin.
ing course throughout the countless
cycles of eternity. And yet we find
that the cultivation of the mind is not
directly, that alone of Infinite impress.
sion. Human aids and human instru.
mentalities are found necessary in the
great plan which has been mirrored out
on Times dial-plate; and while this life
is real and earnest there Is, in this case
as well as others, working together
between infinite and finite causes. In
the great vineyard of morul effort, as
well as in the earthly, it requires no ua,
dirided labor to bring at length an abun.
dant and fruitful harvest. AS the sol
of the earthly vineyard is prepared by
strong and manly hands, and the most
ample and labored preparations entered
into for the success of the enterprise, Sc
has our Creator ordained that the soil OF
the heart be prepared by human means,
that at length man may rejoice in the
success of his labors, aud gather in the
glorious sheaves to gladden. and refresh
his soul.


We are led to these reflections in look
ing over the ground of our subject at
this time. From the earliest ages of an
tiquity there has always existed, among
all nations, whether ctltiCatcd or other
wise, a sentiment that the mind of the
child should be cultivated, and habits of
correct and proper training be enforced.
TO this end you will see that much care
and pains have been taken to scatter
the seeds of acknowledge, and develop the
intellectual faculties of the soul. Hence
we read i'm ancient history of those
schools founded by public benilicence
and taught 10y the most eminent and
learned sagcs of the times. The ancient
nations Of the world would have con-
sidered themselves deficient in their
duty to their children if they had not
provided ways and devised means for
their instruction and education. But
while this was the case, you will re-
member that all were not thus privj-
legged. 1t was only to the wealthy and
opuient that the halls of education were
thrown open, and to whom the crystal
fountain of Wisdom, sparkling with its
million gems, was made accessible
And we contemplate with no little pride
the fact this evening, that in our own
beloved land such means of instruction
are SO common anu co'"p,e,c.


While colleges have been founded and
academies endowed, around whose con-
secrated walls there fingers sweet mem
ories OF the past, tonight we look with
unmingled emotions of joy to those in
stitutions of learning which, among all
classes, are termed lamiliarly as "Com-
mon Schools" Let me ia calling your
attention to such institutions notice the
fact that in them is found no crciusirc-
ness. Here the children of all classes
OF creeds and religions meet upon u
common level, and forget for awhile
the social differences which may exist
between them. Here the child of hum
bic poverty stands side by side with the
son Of the millionaire, and remembers
with tender solicitude the endeavors of
the faithful teacher to impart counsel
and instruction. The tattered garb of
the widows daughter, whose father fell
in defending the dear old flag of his
country, stands out in marked contrast
with the rustling silks OF the child of
aflluence, while with eager eye and
strong purpose she resolutely scans the
lessons OF the day. Here the pages of
Science are open for pcrusal by the poor
as well rs the rich and who dare say
that they shall not enjoy the priceless
boon. Around the altar of a common
education they may gather, and Gull the
daintiest flowers upon the meadows OF
human learning, while Times record
ing angel writes up the page of human
destiny, and points with unerring fin
ger up those craggy peaks where
" Fame's proud temple shines affair.""


But let me ask you, what should be
the main object of our common school
system? should such object be merely
the acquisition Of science, and the rou.
tine Of the recitation room? or, should
there be underlying all this, the obliga.
tions we owe to society, and the future
welfare Of the people? What splendid
answer was that returned by Assesilaus
King of Sparta, when being asked wha,
he thought most proper for boys to learn
THAT which they may practice when
they become men," How noble, how
manly, how god-like this answer, and