Year: 1872

AT MULBERRY, TENNESSEE


Yonng Gentlen,en-Ibis with m
small degree Of pleasure that


meet with you on this occasion.


and you will allow me to- tender
you my thanks for the honor con


terred upon me by your kind solic


citations for me to address you
Knowing the natural ability anC
diversified talents, Of my predeces


sors who have addressed you OF


former occasions, you must pardon
me for saying that it is with mucl


reluctance and diffidence that
enter upon the field before me


To teach the iguorant is task
but to teach the wise 10 much
greater one hence it is that l.


crowned with the ineNperience of
youth, feel a due de1icacy in max.
ing this attempt. But there is in.
deed a real pleasure as well as i'm,
provement TO be derived by an III.
terchange of thoughts by those
whose minds are fired up with a
zeal to acquire knowledge, and in
whose hearts is formed the spring
time OF young ambition in all lis
desires. Then considering the ma.
ture of the material OF which
the Mulberry Lycepm is composed,
the exalted hopes and high aspi-
ratiops Of each Of its members,
and knowing that eachCne is max
ing diligent preparations to soon
enter upon the highway Of life, it
is at this point the question would
naturally arise TO each mind, Ny
Destiny, what shall il. be?


BY those who have passed the
meridian of life, and whose SUMS
fast sinking beyond its horizon
without a single reflection of glory
upon them, aud to whom tie past
is bat a sad reminiscence, the sug-
geStion of the above question may
be considered but the offspring Of


Il iEind Glled with romance and
distracted by a Wild and young
ambition. To those who live in
th4 monotonous present and see
no farther than objects in their i'm
mediate presence, and who have
no concern as 10 future develop
ments, and whose souls are dead
to all feelings Of aspiration, to them
also it may be without meaning
and may appear but the empty
declaration OF an enthusiastic ped.
antry. To those whose minds
travel in q narrow channel and
are destitute of the finer feelings
OF man, and who would discard
with contempt certain principles
as being born in fancy and reared
in ambition, because they may be
liable to a double construction, to
them this topic may be folly /;
or it may ,appeac SO to those who
from stagnancy of nature, igno-
rance aud love of the present,
cannot ioresee the exciting scenes
of the future. Though such a
theme may be suggested Of the a.
bove thought, yet | assure you |
mean no idle play in its discussion
or application, and while to others
it may be romance, yet | will
endeavor TO show you that it has
an immense practicality also. 1t
is not my purpose here to rehearse
the triumphs of nations, nor to
eXtol the virtues OF great men !;
neither to recall the echoes of the
warriors trumpet, which loretells
the rise end fall of empires, and
makes them glory in success or
repiue in misfortune, nor to emu
Inerate ilIustrious events in the
flight of time; neither to trans.
front you into the primeval ages
to watch the first motion of the
wheel of science, nor to be your
guide in lis pursuit as it rolls in
rapid course and with ponderous
weight through centuries, shaking
the terra frma" with its thunder,
crushing in its path the adders Of
Ignorance and vice, and making
bright and glorious the course of


time by its magic power; neither
TO lead you through the gardens
of literature to. Gull the overhang:
ing flowers with which to strew
your path, nor TO weave garlands
,Ot roses for your youthful, but
manly brows. This is not my de-
sign. Letsthoses who have active
and vivid imaginations, or those
who reyel in castle.building and
fancy specuIations, pursue this
branch Of the question but let US
whozbave real life, choose the
means to reach praetic0I ends, and
hence takes for discussion a pEacti-