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Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
Graduating students of the College and the Graduate Institute; family and friends; faculty
and guests: it is my honor to speak to you this morning.
As some of you know, I am partial to concise works—among them, the fragmentary remains
of Sappho’s poetry, Anselm’s minimalist proof for the existence of God, and of course the
slightly lengthier six hundred pages of Herodotus’ Histories. This morning, I would like to
mull over just one sentence from a Platonic dialogue, in which Socrates tells the young
Theaetetus a story. I say “young” because from the outset of the dialogue that bears his
name, we know this conversation takes place when he was just starting out in life. Perhaps
Socrates had a weather eye on his young friend’s future when he told him this story.
It is said that while gazing up at the stars, Thales—one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece—
fell into a well; a witty Thracian serving woman, upon observing this, remarked, “How is it,
Thales, that being so wise in the affairs of heaven, you should fail to see what was before
your very feet?”
So who is Thales? Herodotus tells us that he was one of the first to predict the time of a
solar eclipse, so it is no surprise we should find him star-gazing. In the tradition, he is
considered the first philosopher, and Aristotle specifies that he was the first seeker after the
wisdom of nature. So in a way, he is the progenitor of our tribe, someone who, like
Socrates, delved into the things under the earth and peered at those in the sky. Thales
posited that, “All is water,” which might be a way of saying that beings change their form as
water does, but their underlying material remains what it is. He had many accomplishments
to his name, not least of which was an ingenious way to cross a river. Right now you might
be in agreement with the Thracian serving woman that Thales was rather foolish to fall into
his own first principle, so I will tell you this other story to establish his credentials as a
genuine thinker.1 And I tell it because you too might be concerned with how to get from
Here to There.
1
I owe this particular formulation of Thales’ fall to Joe Sachs.
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�Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
The army of the Lydian king needed to cross the River Halys and Thales was given the task.
Instead of moving the army over the river by conventional means—boat or bridge, Thales
changed the ground it stood on. He realized that the river was already moving, and instead of
transporting the army over the river, he diverted the river around the army, leaving it on an
island between two new channels. Because the whole was divided, both channels could be
crossed. That is a clever solution, and perhaps one which only someone who had spent
some time thinking about the nature of water would devise.
Now to return to our image from the Theaetetus. Thales is a natural philosopher investigating
the mysterious motions of the stars, and cannot be blamed for tracing the paths of the gods
even as he walks those more terrestrial ones. The Thracian serving woman on the other
hand is down to earth. She has a practical occupation, useful to herself and others. Her
witty question reveals theory to be both useless and dangerous. Stay grounded, she laughs.
You too have noticed, perhaps, that too much time in the hot air balloon above the Socratic
Thinkery can make you light-headed.
But the more I think about Thales falling into the well, the less it seems to warn against the
conflict between theory and practice, and the more it seems to describe an utterly typical
event in a thoughtful life. One minute you have your head in the clouds, inventing likely
hypotheses and following premises to their as-yet undiscovered conclusions, and the next,
the ground has disappeared. What you perceived or understood or believed is no longer
there for you as the immoveable ground it was moments before. What is it about a
thoughtful life that with some regularity the ground you stand on will vanish and leave you
spinning in mid-air?
Let me give you an example of what I mean. You are demonstrating at the chalkboard a
geometrical proposition from that infinitely patient book, Euclid’s Elements. You complete
the diagram by drawing the long final line between points A and B. But as you carry out the
proof, you realize something is wrong. Your ratios are jumbled, the triangles you remember
are not the triangles on the board, and none of the assistance you receive from friendly
classmates makes any sense. Your foot has come down on nothing.
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�Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
You will no doubt recognize this condition—fluttering in your stomach, disorientation and
embarrassment, confusion. This is the straightforward way to fall into a well—to make a
mistake. Perhaps that line wasn’t supposed to go to B, but rather to C. Or maybe one of
your given conditions was wrong. Or you didn’t understand compound ratio as well as you
thought you did. Standing there at the board, exposed and off-balance, you can now
recognize your kinship with that first thinker, Thales, patron saint of bewilderment.
Because most of you are young and intellectually limber, losing your footing can still be
agreeable. Like one of Darwin’s tumbler pigeons, you can perform a Backwards-TripleLutz-Somersault more gracefully than those of us who have been land animals for a longer
time. The Graduate Institute students are by and large older and more experienced, and
deserve special praise for choosing to have the ground pulled out from under them with
some regularity—ground that often was hard won. It is a daunting thing to fall into a well
when you are supposed to know better.
Lest we ever think too highly of our acrobatics, there is the Thracian serving woman with
her ready wit, waiting to point out how ridiculous we thinkers can be at any age. She is
integral to this philosophical image because she reminds us of the perils of losing one’s
intellectual footing in public. What are those perils? There are three.
The first is embarrassment. When you lose your footing, your cheeks burn and you tiptoe
away from what you’ve done. Your self-mocking laughter separates you from yourself. “I
couldn’t have done that,” you think. If the mistake is serious enough and you deny it too
angrily, you separate your present from your past; though as Freud would say, that denial
also means you cannot get over what you’ve done. And just as shame can alienate you from
yourself, it can also exclude from the conversation others who have made mistakes. But if
you have experience at making a mistake in public, you will learn to own what you’ve done,
and alienate neither your own past self nor other thinkers.
The second peril is that you will be distracted from what you were trying to do. When you
fall down a well, the world disappears. It is very difficult to maintain continuity with your
past endeavors. You must reach back in memory and find the thread that led you to the
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�Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
present, however circuitously. But if you have practice at weaving these strands together,
you live a more intricate, coherent life, one in which the activity of your mind persists in
spite of both failure and success, and time holds, an unbroken braid.
The third peril is that you break faith with your fellows. As we all know, there are more
unsettling ways for the ground to disappear than losing the thread of a Euclidean
proposition. You may find yourself doubting what the right thing to do is, or if there is a
right or wrong at all. You may find you’ve harmed a friend and couldn’t say why. Being
confused about your place in the world can render you useless for its present needs. I will
name this peril incivility, with the understanding that I do not mean mere impoliteness but
the failure to fulfill the responsibility you have to your community because you did not have
firm ground to stand on. But in this failing, you can learn to see what your community is
and requires. You can learn to ask for forgiveness from it, and not allow your own failings
to excuse you from your responsibility.
Herodotus tells us that Thales was also a statesman of sorts. He recommended to a number
of neighboring cities that they choose a single meeting place to hear disputes and decide
matters in common, as if each polis were a district of a larger political whole. I wonder if
Thales had this commitment to a common political life because he occasionally fell into a
well and found himself fractured by embarrassment, distraction, and incivility. Thales’
meeting place is the solid ground on which to work at being undivided. It should remind
you of our own classroom: one table, many voices.
There are other ways the ground disappears that have nothing to do with making a mistake.
How often have you talked your way somewhere in seminar and like Elizabeth Bennet found
that you had “wandered about until you were beyond your own knowledge?” You reach for
a familiar world and find it upended and whirling. Time varies with velocity, matter is energy
by another name, God is love: after a particularly good conversation you might well, as
Pentheus did, see two suns in the sky. Aristotle tells us wonder is the source of wisdom, and
perhaps it is by having the ground fall away from beneath us that we are prepared to behold
the world with new eyes.
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�Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
Since you are heading out into the world, I feel bound to tell you something particularly true
of it in this present age: most people are terrible at falling down wells. This is not surprising.
They have little to no practice at making mistakes in public and they believe that the purpose
of education is to learn how to become a certified non-mistake-maker, that is, an expert. At
most, they acknowledge that failure is important, but only as a ditch one leaps out of,
something to laugh at from a more comfortable vantage point. Many commencement
speakers are probably telling graduates right now to accept failure as a necessary evil on their
predestined path to success. I think Thales and the Thracian woman would have a few
choice words for them.
I hope it is clear by now that I am not giving you advice. I am praising you for what you
have been doing here all along. You have not learned how to land on your feet every time
you fall down a well. That would be sophistry—the skill to say something plausible no
matter the circumstances. But you have learned to welcome a fall when it comes. Falls come
in varying heights—from incorrectly drawing a geometrical diagram to realizing that your
whole account for your place in the world didn’t make adequate sense. In the period of your
course in these halls you have practiced disorientation: having your ground—perceptual,
intellectual, moral—fall out from beneath you. You have learned to be more committed to
the conversation than your own embarrassment, distraction, or incivility. You have learned
to remain at the table.
The sun is not yet at its zenith, but this is well past the midpoint of my address and I would
like to tell you a story about my own encounter with a well. Many years ago my family
visited the house where my grandmother was born, in Greene County, Virginia. It had long
since been in other hands, but she wanted to see it again, and she wanted me to see it for the
first time. My grandmother, parents, and I drove down one summer day, warmer than this
one, and turned from the highway onto country roads, until we came to the old home place.
The property was overgrown, and I was the only one who ventured into the abandoned
house. Young trees grew through the floor of the living room and stood like motionless
hosts. Only leaves breathed the quiet air of the house. When I returned to the car, I found
my grandmother upset by the dilapidation of the present and this rough return to the past.
But even in consternation she asked me, “Did you find the well?”
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�Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
The well was an underlying figure in the landscape of her childhood. She was a rare and
powerful storyteller; her memories of that childhood live on in those who heard her stories.
I have a vivid image of her drawing water to cool that morning’s milk as if I had been there
to hold the pail. When I take a drink after a long row here on the Severn I sometimes
remember how she quenched her thirst at the well after a long walk home from school. And
I did find this same well. She told me to watch out for it before I left the road and went into
the woods. The well was deep, and its wooden cover was surely rotted away. But I
discovered it in time, near the back porch stairs—a dark opening in the earth.
This memory gives me cause to rethink my telling of the Thales story. I have praised what
you undertook here at the College. But like Socrates in the Phaedrus, perhaps I have not yet
done justice to the end of that enterprise. I have considered one aspect of the thoughtful
life—when the ground disappears, but I have yet to address another—falling into a well.
Allow me to begin my encomium again, giving due praise not to the fall, but Depth.
You fall, yes, but into what? Thales fell into his own first principle—water, which he took to
be the underlying material beneath everything else. In other words, he fell into the source of
the world. The word for source in Greek is arche, a word that has many resonances with us
here at the College. An arche is a beginning, a cause, a source for the way things are, a spring
that pours forth much. The sources of the world are deep. You cannot always climb down
but must trust the fall. I am reminded of what the German poet Hölderlin wrote, “Wo aber
Gefahr ist, wächst / Das Rettende auch.” “Where danger is, there salvation also grows.” It is no
accident that we find water in the deep places of the world. There is a secret bond between
the high and the deep. When we set our gaze on the ageless dance of the stars we also find
ourselves falling to the very heart of the world. But I want to describe more specifically
what we fall into when the ground gives way.
When I was in high school, trying to persuade my parents to let me attend the College, we
were invited to an event for prospective students at an alumna’s house. My mother was not
at all sure that this strange school would be worth the risk. I think my father was happy
enough that I was interested in crew to sign off on the whole dubious project. Wouldn’t it
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�Robert C. Abbott Jr.
Commencement Address
May 12, 2019
St. John’s College, Annapolis
be better to go somewhere with more options, somewhere more conservative, more
affordable, somewhere with a study abroad program? We met a tutor at the event, Nancy
Buchenauer, and my mother asked her a challenging question: what is the worldview of St.
John’s College? Ms. Buchenauer paused, but did not shy away from an answer. “We believe
there are certain questions that must be asked.” My parents were convinced.
The more I ask opening questions at the beginning of seminar, the more time I live with the
great books that pose those certain questions with unyielding intensity, the more I believe
that a question is not a statement disguised by uncertainty, nor is it an indication of, or an
attempt to induce, confusion. A question is a well-spring sunk into the heart of the world.
A question demands that you must answer it now, in the present, and for yourself; no one
can do it for you. Who am I? What is nature? What ought I do here? What is fleeting,
undying, beautiful? These wells do not run dry however much we draw from them. They
are springs of living water, nourishing tree, city, and soul.
Our time is at its end and you are about to return to a source. I know the College sometimes
seems self-sufficient, but the great world to which you go is one of our sources, and we, its
tributary. Plato has given you many ways to picture life in the world. The darkest is in the
Republic. There it it is like living in a cave, chained by injustice, bound to see only images of
the truth. But in the Theaetetus, he gave you another way of picturing that place underlying all
others. Going back to the world is like falling into a well. Disorienting at first, but in it you
may discover the source of what is. I believe the well of Thales was a place for reunion and
betrothal, like a well in the book of Genesis; or like the pool of Bethesda, where an angel
troubled the waters and the lame came to walk again. Thales falling into the well is an image
of what happens to human beings after they have strained to see the undying beauty above
them, but lost their footing and found themselves in fathomless depth. Perhaps instead of
being forced down to earth as in the cave, they fall there, as Alyosha does, in praise and
wonder.
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Commencement
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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, THE GRADUATE INSTITUTE AT ST. JOHN’S
COLLEGE, AUGUST 2011
By Lise van Boxel
Congratulations on your successful completion of the Master’s Program in
Liberal Arts!
Now that you have your M.A., it is a good time to reflect upon what you have
learned and the reasons why you began the journey that led you to your degree.
What knowledge have you acquired at St. John's College? Have you gained any
practical skills here? Your employers or potential clients, your friends and your
family will certainly ask such questions. What will you say to them? What do you
say to yourself?
Before turning to a consideration of possible answers to such questions,
consider briefly some of the pre‐suppositions that often underlie them. Frequently,
the real meaning of, “What did you learn?” is, “In what way has this education
contributed to your value as a worker or to your ability to earn a living?”
These questions are not ridiculous. Unless you are lucky enough to be
independently wealthy or you have a patron, you have to think about how to
support yourself. On the other hand, it is wrong‐headed to think of education
simply or primarily in these terms, as if employability and income were the highest,
most important considerations for a human being.
Friedrich Nietzsche offers a vivid description of this impoverished
understanding of education—an understanding that characterizes the modern era.
In sum, he argues that an education that looks solely or primarily to the marketplace
deforms the souls of its students because it is ignorant of, or denies, the proper
fullness and activity of the human soul:
[T]he present age is . . . supposed to be an age, not of whole, mature and
harmonious personalities, but of labor of the greatest possible common
utility. That means, however, that men have to be adjusted to the purposes
of the age so as to be ready for employment as soon as possible: they must
labor in the factories of the general good before they are mature, indeed so
that they shall not become mature—for this would be a luxury which would
deprive the ‘labor market’ of a great deal of its workforce. Some birds are
blinded so that they may sing more beautifully; I do not think the men of
today sing more beautifully than their grandfathers, but I know they have
been blinded. (Nietzsche, On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life, §
7)
Nietzsche grants that the emphasis on science, and more specifically on
science directed by the marketplace, will indeed produce economic success, at least
in the short‐term. However, he adds that this kind of science is a desiccated version
of the comprehensive understanding that is the proper goal of science or higher
learning more generally—the goal that the modern world has largely abandoned:
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�I regret to use the words of the slave‐owner and the employer of labor
to describe things that in themselves ought to be thought of as free of utility
and raised above the necessities of life; but the words “factory”, “labor
market”, “supply”, “making profitable”, and whatever auxiliary verbs egoism
now employs, come unbidden to the lips when one wishes to describe the
most recent generation of men of learning. Sterling mediocrity grows even
more mediocre, science ever more profitable in the economic sense. . . . Those
who unwearyingly repeat the modern call to battle and sacrifice—“Division
of labor! Fall in!”—must for once be told in round and plain terms: if you
want to push science forward as quickly as possible you will succeed in
destroying it as quickly as possible; just as a hen perishes if it is compelled to
lay eggs too quickly. (Ibid)
If Nietzsche’s account of the trend in modern education aptly describes the
kind of education you did not receive and to which I think St. John’s is opposed, how
might you describe what you did learn here?
While denouncing an overly narrow view of education, Nietzsche alludes to
the effect of a complete education: it would create “whole, mature and harmonious
personalities” (Ibid). Neither you nor I can honestly claim that you acquired a
complete and harmonious soul as a result of several years of education at St. John’s.
This is not to say that I abandon the idea that the truly authoritative education aims
at, and can produce, a harmonious soul. Rather, I think this education is the ongoing
activity of a lifetime. I do think that the liberal education you received here can
contribute greatly to the attainment of this goal. However, I will put aside these
ideas for the moment, and I will turn instead to a more modest articulation of what a
liberal education is and what skills may be acquired as a result of it.
To do so, I will replace Nietzsche’s high‐flying, though accurate, description
of a complete education with Aristotle’s sensible, though still ambitious, account of a
liberal education. In distinguishing a specialist from someone who, like you, has
been generally educated, he says:
With regard to every [kind of] contemplation and inquiry, both lowlier
and more esteemed, there appear to be two ways of being skilled, one of
which it is well to call the science of the thing, and the other . . . a kind of
educatedness. For it is characteristic of an educated man to be able to hit the
mark and judge appropriately what the speaker sets forth finely and what he
does not. For something like this is in fact what we suppose the generally
educated man to be, and . . . to be educated is to be capable of doing this very
thing—except that we believe this one, the generally educated man, is able to
judge about virtually all things, though being one man, whereas the other one
[the scientist or specialist] is able to judge [only] about some limited nature.
(Aristotle, On the Parts of Animals, 639a2 – 15)
I do not recommend launching yourself into this quotation when asked what
practical skills you acquired at St. John’s College, though if you decide to do so, take
2
�a deep breath, and deliver it with panache. You can, however, capture the essence of
what Aristotle says in your own words.
In my own words, I say that, as a result of your liberal education, you are
better able to judge when an argument or account is adequate and when it is not.
When it is inadequate, you are more capable of seeing how it is deficient and what
would need to be addressed to alleviate this shortcoming. Such judgment can be
brought to bear on any argument, regardless of the field. If the argument includes
technical language, all you need is the time to look up the definitions of these words
before you are able to proceed as you would with any other account. At bottom,
such an argument is no different from any other.
To Aristotle’s description, I would add that, as a result of your education, you
are now better able to admit when you do not know something, and to do so without
embarrassment. Do not underestimate the value of this intellectual honesty. It will
help you to continue to learn. In addition, it will be greatly appreciated by other
people, most of whom are anxious about their own ignorance, but are afraid to
admit that they do not know. It can be a tremendous relief to encounter someone
who can say without shame that he does not know, but that he wants to learn.
This training in judgment—in clear thinking—is an essential part of a liberal
education. And it can indeed help you to advance your career. I advise you,
therefore, to consider how you can describe this skill to others so that you can
represent it with the full strength that it deserves and in a manner that is readily
apparent to others. If you do this, you will be well equipped to respond to those
who want to know how what you learned can be applied to the workplace.
This account of your education, however, is neither complete nor does it
capture the most important part of it. Aristotle would agree that, in order truly to
judge well, one must have a satisfactory understanding of the ultimate end at which
one aims. It is not enough to have an idea of the proximate goal that one seeks to
fulfill. One must have adequate knowledge of whether and how this proximate goal
accords with the highest and most comprehensive goal at which human beings can
and should aim. Without a sufficient account of this authoritative, supreme good—
The Good—no judgment is adequate, strictly speaking, and one cannot truly be said
to know. Thus, any education can and must be considered in terms of whether and
how it can contribute to The Good. Regarding questions about whether your
education here was practical, therefore, the real issue is not whether this education
will contribute to your employment opportunities, but whether it contributes to
your knowledge of the good. And the real question about you job is not whether
your education has made you suitable for it, but what impact it has on your ability to
lead a good life.
No, I will not let go of the highest account of education to which Nietzsche
alludes and that I dare say all great thinkers share. Moreover, I expect that you
empathize with me in my refusal to forgo these highest goals.
While some of you came to St. John's partly in order to advance your career, I
doubt that any of you came here primarily for this reason. You came because you
had questions—questions that perhaps you could not quite articulate, even to
yourself, but that you could not put aside. As you made your way through the works
of the program, I suspect many of you began to recognize your questions reflected
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�back to you in the Great Books: “What is justice?” “What is love or friendship?”
“What kind of beings are we, and what is our place in this world?”
Many and perhaps all of these questions arise from a common origin: the
yearning to have a good life, combined with the realization that you do not know
clearly enough what this is. I suspect, in other words, that the fundamental reason
why you came here was because you thought this education might help you to
understand The Good.
Since our human life is limited, and since the clock is already ticking on the
time that we have, this question of the good is urgent. No one wants to realize at the
end of his life that he misused or wasted his time. And since none of us know how
much time we have, it is foolish for any of us to postpone the question of the good
indefinitely.
Such talk of mortality and The Good sounds very serious. Well, what did you
expect? Has anything valuable that you have read or discussed here been
unserious? Thankfully, seriousness does not have to be grave. You need only recall
the company you have kept as you have pursued your questions, and you will feel,
not weighted down, but elevated by the astounding souls who have walked
alongside you.
Here is Plato, on the same journey as you, speaking with a voice as nuanced
and relevant as it was some 2,400 years ago. With a touch of mischief, he doubles
himself, adopting the voice of Socrates, who recollects taking this same path, just a
day earlier: “I went down to the Piraeus yesterday with Glaucon, son of Ariston”
(Plato, The Republic, 327a).
Another man introduces himself with the words: “Thucydides, an Athenian,
wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians,
beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great
war” (Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 1.1). He hands you his book, which
contains his thoughts about your shared questions, saying as he does so: “I have
written my work, not as an essay which is to win the applause of the moment, but as
a possession for all time” (Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 1.22).
Homer turns his blind eyes upon you and points to Achilles and Odysseus,
each of whom tackles the questions of the good life and what it means to be a good
human being. Shakespeare speaks to you with a profundity that is surely expressed
in some of the most beautiful language ever heard. Nietzsche reaffirms life with cry
from his electric soul: “We still feel it, the whole need of the spirit and the whole
tension of its bow” (Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, “Preface”).
These souls are among the best students and teachers ever to have lived.
Their greatness consists largely in the fact that they investigated the most serious
eternal questions with unmatched comprehensiveness and depth. What have you
learned from them about The Good?
If you have learned anything, it is that, when speaking to one who does not
already know the answer, you cannot respond meaningfully to this question in a
single sentence or two. You might say, for example, that they taught you that the
good life is the philosophic life or the life devoted to the Divine, but then you would
have to explain what philosophy or the Divine is and what it would mean to dedicate
your life to such things.
4
�While there are answers to these questions, each answer leads to a new
question—and this is not the occasion for a long conversation. It is the occasion,
however, to remind you that all of these great students and teachers spent their
lives engaged with such questions. Inquiry is thereby shown to be central to, if not
the essence of, a good human life. Furthermore—and this is worth emphasizing,
since you are have now exited the Master’s Program—these students were able to
learn from virtually everything and everyone, if not directly, then indirectly. Life
after your M.A. may not be as leisurely as it was when you were a student, but you
can and will find opportunities to learn, if only you come to embrace life itself as a
learning opportunity.
I hope and expect that something of this way of life has become a part of you
and that, if you look around now at the faces of your fellow students, you will see in
their eyes something of the souls of those great human beings who are your models.
Continue to be thoughtful. Be open‐minded. Retain the flexibility of soul that
is necessary for continued learning. In sum, keep the goal of a good life always
before you. Use The Good as your North Star to guide every significant action and
decision you make. Doing this will not guarantee that you always make the right
decision, but it will mean that will have done the best that you could do, and that,
whatever contingencies you may face, you will have led the best life that is possible
for you.
Let me conclude with one of Plato’s favorite salutations: “Have success in
action, and do what is good.”
5
�
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
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Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
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Boxel, Lise van
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Commencement Address, Graduate Institute, Summer 2011
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2011-08
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Typescript of the commencement address for the Graduate Institute given by Lise van Boxel at the end of the Spring 2011 semester in Annapolis, MD.
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�sADDRESS
TO THE ALUMNI OF
ST. tTOHN'S COLLEGE,
ANNAPOLIS,
MARYLAND,
-ON-
COMMENCEMENT
DAY,
:f"'CT'NE 3 0 t h , l.SSO,
-BY-
JAMES M. GARNETT, M.A., LL.D.,
Principal of ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE.
Published by request of the Soci ety of the Alumni.
ANNAPOLIS:
L. F . COLTON &
co.,
1880.
PRINTERS.
�ADDRESS.
Before bidding good-bye to the youngest Alumni, I desire, in view of the present circumstances of the College,
to say a few words to the older Alumni, and to put the
situation plainly before them, for now more than ever is
their a~sistance needed in assuring the future of their
Alma Mater.
If time permitted, it would be interesting to review the
history of collegiate education in the State, and to note
the efforts made to procure, and still more to retain, State
support for it, although it is a history of repeated failures
and but partial success.· I shall, however, allude but
briefly to the attempts made to establish a college in
Maryland before this time-honored institution was chartered,* and shall narrate its history in as few words as
possible.
The first legislative action of which we have record
with regard to education was that taken by the General
Assembly convened in the city of St. Mary's in 1671,
when an Act was passed by the Upper House £or ".found-:
ing and erecting a school or college for the. education of
youth in learning and virtue." This was returned by the
Lower House with certain amendments providing for differences in religious views existing among th.e people,
which amendments were not acceptable to the Upper
*Th e historical facts r elating to education in Maryland previous to the charter
of St. John's Colleg<o (1784) were taken originally from a manuscript document
on file in the U. S. Bureau of Education, and were included in an address on
"The Past and Present of Edu cation in Maryland," delivered by the pre~ent
writer before the Maryland State Teachers' Assoeiation, at Hagerstown, Aug.
27, 1873, and in "A. Brief Historical Sketch" prefixed to the Catalogue of Graduates and Alumni of St. J;ohn's College, published in 1874. The facts relating to
the history of the College have been frequently published, ana especia.lly in two
appeals to the people of Maryland by the Visitors and Governors of the College,
one publishe<l ii::t August, 1868, and the other in November, 1870, and in the
Reports of the Principal of the College to the General Assembly of 1868 and to
that of 1878.
I
�4
House, and thus ended the first well-meant effort for the
establighment of a school or college in the Province of
Maryland.
Passing over the message of Gov. Nicholson of 1694,
and th!3 Act of 1696, we come to the establishment under
that Act of the King Williarn School, noted. as the Alma
Mater of many distinguished men, and especially of the
celebrated lawyer and statesman, William Pinkney. This
~chool was opened in 1701 and eighty-five years later was
mcorporated with St. John's Oollege. The next importan.t record relating to collegiate education is ~ paper,
sa1d to be still in the Ex~cutive Department, entitled "Proposals for founding a. College at Annapolis,"
and dated 1732, whieh was read in the Upper House and
recommended to the consideration of the Lower House of
A,ssemhly. The author of the paper laments "the great
want of some well-ni?gulated seminary for the propagation
of polite and useful learning , in this large and. growing
-colony," and urges the project "that gentlemen may be
under no necessity of sending their sons at great expense
to Europe for education," and that native teachers may
'be educated, "it not being worth the while of men of
genius te come from England to teach for the precarious
stipends provided.''
The plan was a very liberal and comprehensive one, at
a , time too when Harvard College in Massachusetts, and
\Villiam and Mary College in Virginia, were the only collegiate institutions in this country ; but the General Assembly seems to have neglected to perfect the requisite
legislation, and so this second attempt to establish a college in Maryland failed.
We do mt find the project of establishing a colleae
revived untill763, when a Report to the General Asse;ibly says:
5
"Your committee are of opinion that the house in the
City of .Annapolis which was intended for the Governor
<>f this Province, be completely finished and used for the
·college proposed to be established." This house is the
building in which we are now assembled, begun in 1746
and intended for Gov. Bladen, but from remaining long
'unfinished known to local history as "Bladen's Folly."
The expenses 'of the college were to be defrayed out of
the Public Treasury, and among other estimated resources
were a tax on licenses and a tax on bachelors-from 5 to
20 shillings apiece. The Report was adopted and an Act
passed in the Lower House, but it failed in the Upper
House, and we are told that, after a lengthy and acrimonious discussion, with several messages from one House to
the other without producing harmony of sentiment, the
AsRembly was finally prorogued, and so this third effort
met with the fate of its predecessors.
But the intention of establishing a college at Annapolis was not abandoned, for we have a letter, dated Oct. 4,
1773, from William Eddis, Surveyor of Customs at Annapolis, to a friend in England, stating that "the Legislature bas determined to found a college for the education
of youth in ev,ery liberal an~ useful br:;tnch of scienc~,
which will precmde the necess1ty of crossmg the Atlantic
for the completion of a classical and polite education,"
and that it had been determined to finish the building on
the banks of the Severn formerly designed for the Gover·
nor's mansion, and to apply it to the purposes of collegiate educatioJl. ·
The Revolutionary War interfered with the immediate
fulfillment of this wis~ plan, but in 1782 ·washington
College, at Chestertown, was chartered, the Pr~amble to
the Act stating "that previous attempts had failed because
.of the difficulty of fixing a sibation on either shore of
€qual convenience to youth of both shores, and it was
�I
6
therefore desirable that the inhabitants of each shore
should consult their own convenience in founding a college
for th~mselv~s:" This Act was soon followed by that of
1784, contammg the charter of St. John's College, and
t~e two colleges were declared one university under the
title o~ "The l!niv.e rsity of Maryland,'' but this provision
was never earned mto effect and was afterwards repealed.
After repe~ted a~.tempts and failures,, we see two colleges
at l~st established m the State and provision made by the
Legislature for. their s~pport. Would that this provision
~ad bee~ ?ontmued With the same liberality with which
1t ';as ~ngrnally granted! The history of collegiate education .m Maryland might then have been very different,
and this appeal to the Alumni of St. John's College would
have been unnecessary.
The ~barter of this College is a most comprehensive one.
It provides that the College "shall be founded and maintained forever upon a most liberal plan, for the benefit of
yout? of every religious denomination, who shall be freely
admitted to equal privileges and advantages of education
an~ to all. the .literary honors of the College, according to
th~Ir. ment, ';;thout requiring or enforcing a~y civil or
rehgwus .test.
Oould any legal provision be wider, or
appeal With surer confidence to all classes of citizens ?
More.over, the subscriptions already obtained were made
the L~sis for e~tendi~g legislative support, and authority
_was giVen for mcreasmg them by appointing, in the charter, the Rev. Mr. John Carroll, the R'jv, William Smith
and P~trick .Allison, clergymen respectively of the Roman
Ca~~o~IC, Episcop~l ~nd Presbyterian churches, ,;agents for
sohc1tmg and receivmg subscriptiG>ns and contributions for
~he said intended College and Seminary of universallearnmg of any per~o~ or persons, bodies politic and corporate,
who may be w11lmg to promote so go?d a design;" and it
was further enacted that "to provide a permanent fund for
7
the further encouragement and establishment of the said
College, the sum of 1750£ current money be annually
and forever hereafter given and granted by the public for
the use of the said College.'' .
The sum of $32,000 was obtained by subscription fro!:fi
about two hundred imd fifty citizens of the State, among
whom we find the names of Carroll, Chase, Stone, Martin,
Dgle, Howard, Harrison, Paca, Clagett, Plater, ;Bowie,
Barnes, Key, Henry, Weems, Gantt, Magruder, Chapman
and others.
The first meeting of the Board of Visitors and Governors was held Feb. 28th, 1786, and on the following day
Annapolis was selected as the place for the location of the
College, Annapolis and Upper Marlboro' being the only
places voted for, and thus this building and four acres of
land attached were obtained as a donation from' the State
under the terms of the charter. On the 11th of November, 1789, the College was opened with imposing ceremonies of dedication and all due solemnity, and we are told
that "all the public bodies were in attendance and formed
a long procession from the State House to the College
H all." The first commencement took place in 1793 and
from that time until 1806 we have lists of graduates for
almost every year. Among the students during this period
are found those who were afterwards members of the U, S.
Senate and Hous.e of Representatives, Governors of th'e
State, members of the Executive Council, Judges of the
Court of Appeals, Circuit and other State Courts, and not
·only s0ns of Maryland, but of her sister States also.
How then was this career of prosperity interrupted ? ·
By the violation ·of plighted faith on the part of the State.
By an Act passed J auuary 1, 1806, by a majority of eight,
the State's donation was withdrawn, and a resolution immediately introduced to restore :1 portion of tile annuity
fail ed by one vote. Whatever were the causes which led
�8
to this action of the Legislature, Francis S. Key, in hi&
oration before the Alumni, Feb. 22, 1827, referring to it
says : "l undertake, however, to deny that there has been
any fair expression of the sense of the people of Maryland
upon the subject. At the unfortunate _reriod to which I
refer, when the brightest ornament Df the State was cast.
away from her protection, it was not the voice of the
people but the strife of party by which it fell."-"As the '
people at large seldom saw it o~ heard of it, and a grea;t
proportion of them, from their situation, felt no immediateinterest in its continuance, it was thought that the saving:
of the funds could be called economy, and that the many
who were to be flattered would be pleased with the destruction of what appeared to be only for the benefit of th€7
few."-"Each party caught at the advantage to be gained
by the apparent popularity of the measme, and the reaL
interests and honor of the Btate were sacrificed by each."
Might we not say that history repeats itself after the lapse
of three-quarters of a century?
,
In consequence of this action of the Legislature the
College was temporarily suspended, and there is a blarak
in its list of graduates until 1810, when the oldest living:
alumnus of the College received his degree, the vene.rable
Dr. John Ridout, who still lives to exert his influence in
·behalf of the College as a member of the Board of Visitors and Governors. In 1811 oae thousand dollars of the
annuity were restored, but the College €Ontinued to languish until 1821, when a lottery granted by Act of Legislature added $20,000 to its funds. In the next year the·
names of graduates reappear, one of whom was the Hon.
Alex. Randall, Chairman of the Executive Committee,
w_ ose unceasing devotion to the interests of tbe College is
h
continually illustrated by his earnest efforts to. promote its.
welfare.
9.
In the year 1832, in response to an urgent memorial of
the Board of Visitors and Governors, reciting briefly the
history of the College, and calling the attention of the
General Assembly to the decision of the Supreme Court
of the United States in the case of Dartmouth College, in
which the Acts of the New Hampshire Legislature w~re
declared to· be "repugnant to the Constitution of the U nitedt
States and so not valid,"-the Legislature restored two·
thousand dollars more of the annuity but coupled it with
the condition that this should be received "in full satisfaction of all legal and equitable. claims the College might
have or be supposed to have against the State." ~he
arrearages of the College annuity amoun.ted at tha.t time·
to over $100,000, and in order to obtam any assistance·
at all from the Sta.te the College was required to relinquish
this amount and accept the meagre sum of three thousand
dollars per annum in full of all legal and equita?le dai~s.
Here was might vs. right. There is no question t~at If,.
at any time between 1819, when t~e Dartmouth College
decision was rendered, and 1832, smt had been brought,.
the full amount. of the arrearages might have been recovered but in defence of the Board of Visitors and Gover'
nors it may be said that "they believed their rights were·
entirely in the power of the State and without any means.
of being enforced " so "the deed of release was executed
and E:ntered upon ' the records of the Court of Appeals. " ·
The resolution restoring two thousand dollars of t}1e
annuity provided that the Governor of the State, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Delegates, ana
Judges of the Court of Appeals, should be ex officio members of the Board of Visitors and Governors, and a c0m- ··
mittee was appointed to visit the College, which reported;
at the December Session, 1833, as follows:
"The prosperity of St. J ohn's College is deemed a subject of great importance, so that the youth from every
�10
portion of the two great divisions of the State may convene with the well-grounded assurance of being able to
acquire a liberal education and at the same time consummate the patriotic anticipations of the charter." "It is
believed in no way can this [object] be so well realized as
by sustaining on a liberal scale a seminary of learning at
the seat of legislation." The committee recommend raising money by subscription, which was undertaken, and
through the exertions of the late Rev. Dr. Hector Humphreys, Principal of the College, the sum of $11,000 was
·collected, which was applied in the erection of Humphreys
Hall. The corner-stone of this building was laid on the
18th of June, 1835, by the presiding Judge of the Court
of Appeals, and an address was delivered by Chancellor
Johnson. On this subscription list we find the names of
Bowie, Thomas, Magruder, Mackubin, Brewer, Randall,
Alexander, Chase, Dorsey, Goldsborough, Murray, Key,
Carroll, Merrick and others. It was the whole State
which joined in contributing to the support of St. J ohn'q
College and increasing the facilities for educating the sons
·of Maryland within her own borders. From this time on
the College continued to graduate students until the beginnecessarily closed.
ning of the late war when its doors were •
But the Board of Visitors and Governors could not rest
satisfied with the arbitrary settlement made with the State
-in 1832, by which advantage was taken of their unfortunate condition to legalize apparently the supposed illegal
Act of 1805, and consid.eringtoo that, under the terms of
the charter itself, their predecessors had transcended their
powers* and had no right to give the release required,•:The sixteenth section of the charter, which was relied on to sustain this view,
reads as follows:
"But in case at any time hereafter, through oversight or otherwise throu gh
misapprehensions and mistalcen constructions of the powers, liberties and franchises, in this charter or act of incorporation granted or intended to be gt·anted,
a n y ordinance should be made by the said Corporation of Visitors and Governors
or any matters. don e a nd transacted by the CorporatiOn contrary to the tenor
thereof, it is e;,:tcted that, although all such ordinances, acts and 'doings shall, in
�12
of justice, the General Assembly appropriated to the support of the College the sum of $12,000 annYally for five·
years from June 1, 1868-a sum which. with the former
$3,000, did not equal the interest on· the amount claimed
as. d~e to the College-and in consequence of this appropnatwn the appeal was abandoned.
·
This, :hen, is the history of the appropriation of $12,000: which was reluctantly renewed for six years by the
Legislature of 1872, and still more reluctantly for two
years by that of 1878, and which the recent Legislature
re:used to con~inue _any longer. This was the appropriation upon whiCh, With the $3,000 already mentioned, the·
College was dependent for support, and in return for which,.
when first received, the Visitors and Governors established
o.ne hundred and fifty scholarships for tuition, a:ssigning
s1~ t~ each Senatorial District in the State. This appropnahon, moreover, was not connected with the subsequent.
appropriation of $10,000 by the Legislature of 1 872:~
reduced to $5,200 by that of 1878, for furnishing board\
to two stude:pts (now one student), from each SenatoriaL
District on condition that they teach two years within the·
State, except in se far as the latter appropriation applied'
to students who held scholarships for tuition under the
former appropriation.
Whatever may have influenced the action of the lateLegislature, it iB not now pertinent to inquire. Doubtless
a false idea of economy influenced some, and perhaps personal motives influenced others, but if we look around andi
inquire what other States are doing for their institutions
of learning, we shall find that liberal appropriations are
made from the State Treasury for their support. Some
even go so far as to impose a special tax on the assessed
value of property ·n the State for their leading college or
university. It is not considered economy to restrict these
institutions, and force those who desire a collegiate educa-
13
tion to take their money out of the State which theywould willingly spend within it, but it is found profitable·
even to attract students from other States.
But, there is no use crying over the past, and the question is, what are you going to do about it? The Collegeis shut up now to rely upon its present small appropriation.
and the exertions of its Board of Visitors, its Faculty andi
its Alumni, but with harmony of action between these three
bodies, much may be accomplished. 'l'he recent action of
the Faculty of the University of Missouri may furnish an
example worthy of imitation, who, at the request of the·
Board of Curators, "promised hearty co-operation in the
effort to build up and make known the State University,"
distributed awong themselves the several Congressional
Districts of the State, and agreed to visit them and present
the claims of the University. The future Faculty of this
College may well apportion the Congressional Districts
and visit them to present the wants and claims of the·
College-to speak publicly in its behalf, if the opportunity
presents; if not, to make known privately its condition:
and necessities, and try to enlist the interest and support
of the people of the State-to induce them to imitate·
their ancestors by liberal subscriptions, or at least to send
their sons to be educated here.
It is well to rewember that, with the numerous and.
well equipped colleges of adjoining States, with the·
wealthy instit ution in the City of Baltimore, strong in.
the nur~ber .and ability of its instructors, and in the
appliances for . instruction, and giving · both collegiate
and university education-many students may not re~
main here long enough to obtain degrees. I t is manifest that the system of board and tuition scholarshipshas for some years furnishect the majority of the graduates,.
and, if not repealed, will continue to furnish a few each
year, but while the State is perfectly able to maintain it.
�14
),',
15
:·as a system of prizes for the best scholars from the schools
·1n each Senatorial District, strong objections have been
:.made to it, and another Legislature may repeal it too.
It is an unfortunate thing for a literary institution to be
· dependent upon the caprices of any legislative body.
But it is well to remember also that thorough preparation
'for higher instruction is very much needed in the State.
.Even for our great University, instruction extending at
least through the Sophomore year of an• ordinary college
:is required, and there is no reason why the preparatory and
:}ower collegiate classes of this College should not be filled to
o verflowing. An institution furnishing such preparation
is a great desideratum. There is room for it, and a wide
field of usefulness is open before it. The higher instruction corresponding to the course of the Junior and Senior
_
years should be retained'· for those who preferred to remain
:here and obtain their degrees-for local circumstances,
.Jamily ties, and ~he schol$-rship system (as long as it lasts,)
·will furnish some-but the course should be modified to
. suit the number and labors of the Faculty employed. Moreover, the retention of this course will furnish a stimulus
. ,to the lower classes, and will pr2serve the scholastic tradition, always strong in an old institution of learning.
. Sentiment and rrwerence for the past is not to be disTegarded, for it has a powerful effect upon the future.
But to bri.ng the College before the people, the present
l 1elp of the Alumni _s needed. Each Alumnus can be a ceni
..tre of influence in his neighborhood or in his county. He ~-can visit the men of means and get subscriptions. I
.notice that one object of_ the Society of the Alumni of
Georgetown College, specified in its Constitution, is ''to
seek to obtain donations and endowments, and to secure
for the College the most favorable legislation," and why
. should not that be an object of the Society of Alumni of
.t his College? The older A.l)lmni can give their money and
their sons. It is a notable fact that nearly all the tuition.
money the College receives comes from Annapolis, and
the bulk of that from Alumni of the College. Theyounger Alumni, of whom a goodly number has been
turned out in the last thirteen years, and who owe all the
education they. have to this College, can give their time
and their energies in its behalf, can make known its ad.~
vantages and induce others to support it. Cast your eyes
around this hall and witness the seventy-five names in,..
scribed on these shields of its graduates during the past
ten years. These names are the silent representatives of
numbers of others who completed here their collegiate
education and left without reaching graduation.
The young Alumni of the College are scattered through
every county in the State, and if they will go to
work in their counties and work persistently, I believe
that at least a thousand dollars could be easily 1~aised
in each county and much more in the City of Baltimore~
I cannot believe that the appropriation would have
failed if all the Alumni, both old and young, had used
the influence they possessed wi~h the Delegates from
their counties. The Alumni as a body have never felt
called upon before to go to work . in earnest and lend
their aid in building up the College. It is true, meeting~
have been held on Commencement Day, speeches made~
and committees appointed to seU:d out circulars which met
no response, but this is not work.
A Board of Visitors and a Faculty cannot do every ~
thing. If the former discharge faithfully the duties of
supervision and watch scrupulously ovel' the finances, and
the latter fulfill efficiently the duties of administration and
instruction with which they are charged, they are accom.plishing the objects for which they are appointed. ':l_1he
reputation of a College must, after all, rest upon the fidelity and efficiency with which these duties are discharged ~
�I __
16
•upon the exce~lence of its nnt~rnal administration and the
thoroughness of ite1 instructivn. If the Faculty fulfill these
·duties satisfactorily, it is as much as can ordinarily he
·e xpected of them, hut in an emergency, such as has now
arisen here, .they must labor more diligent] y outside of the
<College, and in this they must be helped ·by the Alumni
who have affection for their Alma Mater and will work ener:getically to increase her means and facilities for instruction.
The suggestions made, if approved, can be acted upon,
:and your own wisdom can arrange the necessary details
·for carrying them into effect. But the point to be kept
·in view is to bring the College more prominently before
the people as a place of education for the whole State, to
·interest them in it, and evincing your own interest in a
practical manner will inevitably awaken the interest of
others. If people see that the Alumni and friends of the
·College, ncvw in its time of need, make no effort in its behalf, they will naturally fetl no interest in it and will
•send their sons to more favored institutions. But if a
strong and combined effort by Visitors, Faculty and
Alumni is made to obtain money and students for the
·College, it must tell, and the failure of the appropriation
may not be such a severe blow after all, and will not be,
·if it awakens this renewed interest on the part of friends
- nd Alumni, and results in putting the College on a firmer
a
basis. The men tu,r ned out hy a college are the best
testimony to its value and to the quality of its work-not
·all, for unfortunately aH do mot take advantage of the
opportunities presented to the·m -but if those who do and
who hold the imprim11.,iur of •
the ·eollege for work faithfully done, take their stand along side of other men in
active life, in the ·church, on the be• ch, at the bar, in the
n
.sick-room, school-.roo:m, ·counting-room or work-shop, .a nd
hold their own amo:mg the first, the world will ask no better tes~imony dio .tJ:~<e 'tr.aini!{g th~y .hav.e received.
.
/
17
Therefore, my young friends, t(} you I would address . a
~few parting words. Yoa ihlave lahore~ through. your three,
..r
five years course and have JUSt receiVed the relOur, or
'
hl
'f 't
ward of your labors. But that diploma. is wort ess 1 :
·does not represent this ·diligent labor, this power of .a~~hthis training of the mind to intellectual acqUisition
t.
.ca IOn,
.
'Z • • •
d t
which must go with you through hfe. Tms It IS, an ~o
< meagre attainments in any branch of knowledge whiCh
the
you may have made • that must gauge the value of your
· d
t
ains w1ilst here. If you can use your mm s so as o
get from them their best work, if you can turn them at
to any mental effort and show some
result of
h effort your stay ihere has not been m vam. And
sue '
'
l d t d
while prizing highly the pG>wer to gain know e ge, .o evelop thought, and to benefit mankind by the .exercise of
:thought, forget not that more important ~xerCise of your
moral na t ure, Which you heard so forCibly presented 1a
·
iew evenings since, and -rhich must go on unconscious y
·whether yon will or no-the development o~ characte:.
Of this more certain'l y than of me.ntal. acq~uem,~nts IS
our motto strictly true-"nulla d~es sme _hnea.
unconsciously made often develop mto consciOus
.acts of good or evil. Guard well then the avenues of th.e
heart and leave no way open for the entrance of e~Il
.
.
Strength of character will be your best aid
~ ImpreSSIOnS.
·• .
·to success in life. Self-reliaRce is rrecessary, but there .Is
.
'd difference between -self-reliance and self-conceit.
.a Wl e
f . d h. h
The former is consistent with true hnmili~y o mi.n· , w lC
. ks strength for even the ordinary duties of hfe from a
.see
.
k · · lf
d
Power hiaher than serf. T;Jue latte;r is wea Ill Itse al)
is alway: an index of weaknes~ of char~cter. Let r~al
•strength of character ibe your aullil., and m whatev~r Clr..cumstances you are placed, r eed your Alma M~ter s adh
monition, "quit yourselves like men, be strong, . and rest
.
ever attend you. In her
.as sure.d that her iblessing wiilQ •
,name I bid you :a heariifelt Godspeed.
;ill
-~ressions
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Dublin Core
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Title
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
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Annapolis, MD
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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17 pages
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Commencement Address, 1880
Description
An account of the resource
Address to the Alumni of St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland, on Commencement Day, June 30th, 1880, by James M. Garnett, M.A., LL.D., Principal of St. John's College. Published by request of the Society of the Alumni.
Creator
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Garnett, James M. (James Mercer), 1840-1916
Publisher
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L. F. Colton & Co., Printers
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Date
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1880-06-30
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
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text
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pdf
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English
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CommencementAddress1880
Commencement
Principals
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/e523d61b002a9ce19df2e13f4ba4e1bb.pdf
021f292c1b0e80443a807d3a793cb5a0
PDF Text
Text
J
!
d
/
D)lLIVERED BEFORE THE
ALUllll'H
OF
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE
At the Annual Commencement
February, IS36,
011
the 22d
RY THE
,v
§
jf~
.
HON. ROBERT H. ~OLDSBOROUGH,
lN THE PRESENCE OF THE VISITORS _AND GOVERNORS OF THE COLLEGE_.
THE GOVERNOR, AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF.THE STA.TE-
THE TWO HOUSES OF THE _GENERAL ASSEMBLYAND A LARGE CONCOURSE OF CITIZENS,
--.
'
JN THE COLLEGE HALL, ANNAPOLIS.
ANNAPOLIS:
.Printed at the request of the Visitors and Governors of the Colkge~
JONAS GREEN, fn!N'l'EI\,
-,s
�February 23d, 1836,
ta meeting of the Alumni of St. John's College, held this day,
following resolution was unanimously' adopted:
,-Resolved, Tbat 'William Pinkney, Johri II. Culbreth, John G.
otid, Jr., Thomas II.'Hagner, and George Grundy, be a Commit.
to present to the Hon. Robert H. Goldsborough the thanks o::
-the Alumni of St. Jo[m's College, for the eloquent, interesting, an&
instructive Address, deliverc,d oefore them at the recent Commence.
nicnt of the College; and to request of him a copy for publication,
we'
ANNAPOLIS, February 24, 1836.
\Ve have the honour to transmit to you the enclosed
Resolution, passed at a meeting of the Alumni, held in this City ov
the 23d instant. In discharging this duty, permit us to express tlw
jiratificat10n it will afford us to receive for publication a copy of tlu,
interesting and appropriate Address delivered by you on the 22d o~
February lust, in favour of the Institution, to which we are so mucb
l,ndebted, and on which we look with g~atitude and affectionate in.
-' 1Vith.scritiments of sincere regard,
Your Obedient Servants,
WILLIAl\1 PINKNEY.
JOHN H. CULBRETH,
JOHN G. PROUD, JR.
c THOS. II. HAGNER,
GEORGE GRUNDY,
l
J
Committee.
\vM. PrnaNEY, J. II. CuLBRETn, J. G. PJtouD, JR., Tuo.uAs H.
'" HAGNER, and GEORGE GRUNDY, Esquires.
«'.h:NTLEMEN: I have had the honour this morning to receive yout·
.polite and courteous communication of the 24th, enveloping a re ..
'solution of the Alumni of St. John's .College, expressing, in moet
,gratifying terms, their approbation of my recent exerti<)ns in obe:dience to their commands-and requesting a copy of my Address
'for ·publication.
I ·yield to the request from a disposition to gratify my Brothers,
he Alumni," in any thing in my power-and as early as I can
_ veniently arrange it for publication, it shall be presented to you.
·1 beg you to present me with feelings of cordial respect and goo''
to "The Alumni," and accept, Gentlemen, my gratitude
ur personal kindness and attention •
.:~':".\.Vith sentiments of fraternal regard, believe me,
,;. ·
'Very faithfully, yours,
~ ,
. .
ROB. H. GOLDSBOROVGlf'..
)V,asm-'GTON, February 2G, 1836.
rm:
�A.DD RES§.
J.l'Iy Brothers, tiie .Alumni, and my most respected Audience:
As long as gratitude shall be regarded as a virtue-as
long as the offices of filial affection shall be esteemed
among men-so long it will be beautiful to behold the
Alumni of this venerated Institution, agsembling within
her portals, to pay the just tribute of their devotion at
J1er Al tars.
.
It is a pious pilgrimage, my Brothers, which illust~ates
. your feelings in the great cause of Science, and will stand
. in all time to come as evidence to prove, thq.t, in your opi. i.nion, Education is one of the grand Pedestals on which
the columns must rest that are to sustain the essential
principles, and r~gulate the practice, of our well constructed, popular Representative Government. The other
. P.edestal (too important to be omitted) is that pure and
substantial morality which flo\vs from Revealed Religion.·
On these two rocks we found our hope and faith-and as
the columns of knowledge and of virtue rise, we fancy that
we already see.the magnificent arch of promise spri11ging
..... from either capital, as the cheering prognosncs of our
· country's future .weal.
·
It is now almost forty years since the class to which I
was attached, w::s sent !orth from <his Institution into the
world, cloth'ed in all its honours-and surelj, since that
time, she has p.assed through a great varid.v of fortune.~
About the year '89, in the p<1st century, her Professors
first began to assemble around her-and in '94, next after,
her first honours were conferred upon her· first Alumni.
But no sooner had she begun to send forth her foster sons,
than a loul and fatal plot was faid for lier destruction. It
was the working of bad ambition upon the untaught credulity of an unsuspecting people. The object was an
ephcrnenl popularity, never worth a groat-the me,.ns
1vcrc to perish the hopes of t!.e newly founded Temple of
�6
Science, whose beams would have cast around too much
light for the machinations of her ruthless destroyers.Thus we witnessed, for years, a contest between the vota.
ries of Science, who' desired to diffuse Learnipg and
Knowledge among mankind-and the political electioneerers of the day, whose ends were self, and whose in.
struments were whatever would bend, and could be made
conducive to their purpose.
.
It was in this state of things that, now. and then, one
or two of her eldest offspring came m to.her assistancehut her family was then too young, its members were too
fe,~ to give her much aid-and Jhey,. who did go, had to
:resist all the allurements and influences that were exerted,
to induce them to commit the atrocious act of matricide.
·Yes, the humble man before you1 when first entrusted with
the high responsi?ility of a popular Delegate in 1804-5,
was called to decide upon the question of the life or death
of his venerated Alma Mate1-and he too '"as ·invited to
receive.the gleaming faulchion from their hand,;, and to
plunge it into that bosom on which he had been nurtured
with so much tenderness and care, and from whence he
. h~d imbibed the elements of every thing that had caused
him to be looked upon in life. But he could not do it-could
.. not, did I say? He dare not do it""'."""he dare not prove false
to his "soul's and mind's integrity"-he could not stand in
the face of Heaven and of man, and perpetrate a~ act,
• t~at would have marke_d him as an ingrate, and pointed
him out as .one who desired to dry up and deny to ?thers
that fountain of pleasant waters, at which he nad himself
been refreshed. No, I desire to thank God that he could
not-but that he stood out with others, undismayed and
successful in her defence. That was her last rescu:-at
. the renewed onset in the following· year, the Temple fell
-he did' not witness that fall.
·
The dreariness of a Gotluc night ensued-but the Vi.
sitors and qovernors of St. John's, alwa~·s faithful and
Unt1~ing in their duty, never lost sight of h~r resuscitation;
and m the progress of years, as better opinions and more
enlightened councils prevailed, St, John's &rose agrrin, re.
Vlved and restored by a sense of justice, stimulated by re ..
;-;.'.-
.
_
. ·mol:se and a sense of duty-and here we are this day to
rejoice in the result, and to witness this gra~d exhibiuon
that has beeu brought abput by the faithful perseverance
of her Visitors, the enlightened liberality of our L·,twgivers, and the assiduity and skill of her accomplished
. Professors.
:
. : '.
.
.
My Brothers, the scenes of this day throw back our re.
collections to times and incidents, too intimately blended
.with cur happiness, to be obliterated from our m.emory.
They were the scenes and incidents of youth, whe~ unpres.
sions are deep and durable-a truth never to be forgotten
bv Parents Guardians, and Preceptors •. Every occur,r~nce of to day is associated with recollections ot our own
·time-nor can the eye light upon any thing around that
. does not revive some pleasing irnpres~ion. In every chamber-in every apartment-:-near every pillar in this ancient
.. Hall we see, or thrnk we see, the companions of our early
life, or the forms" of those venerable men under whose
care we grew up. These reminiscences are' delightfol,
and you must indulge me fo_r a moment. Remembe~· our
favourite, our admired President _.:11cDowell-a man illu.s.
trious for his virtues! Whilst our hearts throb, can he evt:r
cease t~ hold a chief seat there? . Cail to mind his chas.
tened purity of life-his profound :tnd varied learningh1s refined moduty-his simple, unostentatious, but digni.
fied nmnnera--his paternal care---his love of ju8tice
- throucrhout his whole officiai life thctt 'W't8 d1stinguish0d
by diligl·nce, w'sd,,m and firmness-he lived here for _\'l':tl"S
admired, confided in, and beloved by a!/; nor was there
found one
obduratP as not to do him honour.
There was our worthy Profossor Hig.~inbr;tham too, as
generous as he was c,lassical-who, like Minerva spring •
in" from her fath<·r's brain all armed, c:1me from the urnte~ul bosom of Old Trinity, equipt in µ11 the armour o:
classic lore. If he had faults, he had e!lduring and vv ·r.
shadowing virtues also-but in the depac·t men ts of Ethics
and th<' Classics he hc<d no defects. I :do not dis<;:ern in
. all this assemblucre the counfrrnnce 'fa single illt'mbrl"
I
'
.
of the old Profrss"r's favounte class, t.hat lw called his
tent!! kgi1)ll, uud rn which he used to prlue himself. The
so
I:'}
•
0
i
•.
�8
brilliant Legatus* ~vho led the corps has long since been
no more. He was a native of this city,arrd in all the virtues of the heart, and in all the embellishments of miw.J;
he had no superior.
· There ·was also our Professor lHagrath, the Bushy of
his day, whose very frawn, was law, but who.Sf' djligenec
and disr1pline could make a scholar of any thing.
·Nor let me forget our Priestly, for I mµst not run this
reminiscence too fi,r, "ho was. recalled from the then
·western wilderness to this Institution, at the immediate
instance of our endear<'d and venerable Visitor, the ac.
complished scholart of West River. '.ro Priestlv we owed
much for his taste in Greek Liter:iture, and for his skill in
· the graces of fine reading and public speaking. J remcm- ber with delight his clubs and his societies, and we never
can forget his ardour and enthusiasm. . .
.
But where are all thct:<e Ikn:efactors now? They·lrnve
sunk in tl!e years behind us, whilst we are moving down
the stream. of time, like them to sink also ~ere many years
are told.
. In contemplating thc;se· of our own time, if it is a me.
lancholy, it may be a salutary warning, to sec how fe'.V
-tlre left. \Ve, of that day, are not at a time of life to turn
from these awful admonitions to. obliterate them' in a .. H.m
of )easures." I. hcpe we are clothed with more hu~iilitv
11nd r;;signation, and that we are ruther preparing to fall
in the cninmess ?f philosophy, and in the fortitude inspired
bv tho nure Chrisforn hope.
·
·
. ·.Such is the tendency of reflection., my .Brothers ' uoon
..
"'
'
1
meeting you after our long separation. But I must forbear
- I ~ee around me other8 who merit and command my at.
tention--;-for th0se I must leave }'ou to enter, before them,
upon a more exwnded field of remark, more immediately
appli::;,b!e to the great interests of public .Education
thr1)ughuut the ·.State. Standing as 1 do in the most respectful relationship to
the R<~]JrL'::;entdin.:s of the Scvc~·~ignty of i\bn !:.u:.<l, I
I
D1. John Sha-~, of Annc:.po1is.'"
t )Ir. Jo-:1n T~;..8itl~s.
:.t-
•
.
rejoice to meet them here on such a_n _o~casion, _and I coh•
· gratulate you Gent~emen on th~ e~h1b1tion of this mo:m~g,
which cheers us with the convict10n, that we have, m the
. very heart of our State, a Seminary of Learning that has
. to.day imparted, and will hereafter annuall;: _contribute
augmenting power, and· strength, and duralnhty, to the
Republic. No more auspicious scene could engage the
· Executive and Legislative attention-nor can there be one
more. worthy to attract the admiration of a refined audi·
· ence. The strongest evidence of the improved condition
of society is seen in an extended patronage to Learningnot more by the munificence of. endowments, than by
giv,ing encouragements to its exhibitions a?d efforts by
. punctual and courteous attendance. ·Such stimulants operate on all-they animate the exertions of Professorsthey. kindle a noble ambition in the youthful mind, and
··give a taste and character to.the times, that dispose all to
an elevated and liberalized course. ·
In a Government founded upon, and moved by popuiar
opinion, that opinion to be safe must be enlighte~ed-nor
is there any other foundation on which a Representative
Democracy can securely rest, than upon sound Learning
and sound Morals.
An opinion is prevalent, that native talents, with but ..
· little culture, often render men capable of efficient services, and an inference is thence deduced against the necessity of education. That instances ?f this sort have occurred, cannot be denied, but they- are few and very rare,
and cannot serve as any rule for our dependence. They
. are rather exceptions. to rule, and ought to be classed
·among those singular and remarkable events, which arise
without rule, and can lead to no decision. Great men,
without education, are not more frequent than great ·~e
chanics without an apprenticeship-both would have been
·much greater had they been better taught.
·
It is educ<ttion that forms the mind and gives it the
sound direction-it trains, it feeds, it strength'ens the fa.
culties-and whilst it forbids the growth of those weeds,
prejwlicrs, false opinions, and bad ?a?its, that never .f~il to.
•title and distort a better growth, it implants the spmt oi
·o
�ii
:1 c
e:iquiry-and the habit of study. 'l;Iwse, together w{th the-_
elements of science, constitute the ground work of the
. grnduate, and are, altogether, the foundation on which he
is to build up his future usefolness and greatness.
..
From every observation that I have _been able to inake,
and f~om all the sourcesofintelligenceto which I have had
access, I am perfectly satisfied, that the "[nost prevailing
and deep rooted popular sentiment in Maryland is directed
to the promotion of general education. As the General
_Assenibly of the State have, for· some years past, wisely
directed their attention to this important subject, l can in
no better manner discharge my portion of the tribute of the
. general admiration for their design, than by a few practi.
cal remarks in relation to it.
. · ·- · .
. ''
..
This sentiment in behalf,-.. of b:
aencr~l educatio~ ' I.~~
-.
aware, is for the most part particularly direc.ted t_o Primary
Institutions fo~ the instruction of youth universally-but
. that sentiment is but tho germ of a ~tronger grov\th that
is to produce still richer and more 'vholesome fruit. No
occasion could be more fit than the present, to combat an
error that. has grown up, in rf'gard to the relationships
that the different grades of institutions for education bear
to each other-it belongs to the day and to the times arid
may not be unworthy of the attention of that most re~pec.
table bodv of men that I have the honour to address. · ·
This ~rror consi"ts in the opinion, that Acaderni~s a~d
Colleges are exclusively beneficial to the wc:.i.Hhy-ihat
they, who in ordinary life look no further than to a com·
mon English education· to enable their children,_ when
grow•n up, to transact their usualbusiness concerns, have
_no interest in such institutions-and therefore •. that it
· ought to be left to the wealthy alone to support them.
In all this, I think, I see much and fatal error.
· In all public institutions of whatev,ei· kind or na:ure they
··may be, by far the greater portion of their expense must
. be borne by the "·ealthy in all communities. This is ne-cessarily the case, and may be in some degree a set off
against any supposed inequalitv of advantarre. But the
point I desir:e to establish is thi~, that there
nothing s<J
is
. tikel.!J lo give rise to, o; so well calculated' lo promote the e~ist.
ence of Primary Schools, as Colleges and Academies.
.
• The student~ that go out from these latter institutions
into the· world, settle in various parts of a State, and
whilst th~y arc themselves striking examples of the ad.
vantage;i of a high grade of education, they become, in
effect, rnis~ionaries to propagr.te a· sentiment in behalf of·
the nrious systems that are adapted to the different condit10ns of men. Besides, the Primary Schools are of no
avail unless they are filled by teachers who are competent
as· to lertrning, and fit as to character-an incompetent
teacher being little else than an encourager of idleness,
and if he be not a man of good morals, he ·becomes the
corrupter ot the morals of vouth .
\}'hat, let me ask, is our' own ~xperience in reg:u<l. to
the schools ulready established amongst u~, few as they
are m number? Do we not often find mur;h difficulty in
, procuring teachers? And arc not many of our schools badly supplied? And of those teuchers who are co.rnpetent,
arc they not almost all natives of other States, who hr.vc.
been educated in their Colleges and Academics? Or fo.
_reigf!ers, who have come to us from distant climes where
they were educated? This. shows, at once, that it is to
Coll,.;;;es and Academies, at, home and abroc:d, thnt vou
. 1nust look for .competent teachers for our Primai:y Scho,o!F;
and the questwn presents itseit: whether it is better ta rear
. those h~rtchers up for ourseh·cs, in our own instituticr:s,
w.Q.ere their character and· competency can bn bettc 1•
known-or to trust to procuring them, where we mav, and
~ncur the risk that we must be liable to from strange~s and
u:npostors? Colleges and Academies are the only r;ursencs for such tcnchers as n·e wtrnt, and must have, for o;1r
Primnry Schools, to render ~hem fit for the purposes tot
which they w~r~ designed-and the mutual relationships
between the d1frcrent grades ot Semim.ries of learr:ing i~
_ found, by the experience of well taught Primary Schoob
fitting boys for AcademicJ, :;pd Academies fitting them. for
Collew;-and this relationship being reversed, by Colleges
prcpanng young me,n for teachers in Acadernit s. and hot'i
Acadcffi--.:s and CollegPs uniting m preparing a· grcC<tc¥
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.lumber ~f' te~chers to fin the. greater demand of tl~e ~Pri •.
mary Schools. Such is the natural and inevitable progress- of the :,.ystem, and ~he o~dei: it becomes the .more
the mutual and sustaining action of the system will be
~eveloped.
·
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· 'What an increased number of our· youths m every
branch of life, with a good system of Primary Schoolr;
directed by cornpetent teachers, would'glow with ardent
desire, and become fitted to move on a~other step! And
· as kMwledge begets the desire for mo_re knowl~dge, many
of that number would still pant on to take a higher step.
Thus by such
organization of Primacy Schools, talent
becomes unfolded, and an opportunity js giv.en to rescue
from obscurity the. sons of many a man in the land, '!ho
would otherwise be· doomed to live ·unseen and _die un.
known, and enable them to enter into competition on the ·
great theatre of life, for all th~ prizes of fa~e~of_fortune,
· and of station. This is not rriere theory, it ~s history~
and every man who will take the time anct trouble to fook
into .the subject, in other parts of our country, or abroad,
where Umveniities, and Colleges1 and Academies are amply provided, will see, that the first step t3:ke.n by a ~arge
portion ot the numer~~s Graduates upon Ieav~!lg tlreu re,
spective institutions, rs, to become tea.chers m the s).1b~l
._ tern or Primary Sch0ols, where they have an opportumty
of revising and improving their course of learning, and of
gaining a little outfit in life from their salaries. The pro- gres1:1 of these. keeps up the regular d~mand for successors,
· wlulst the higher institutions, by their graduates, furmsh
the supply. If this is not the experience in our own·
State, it is because the system has not been adopted long
enough to produce the effect~for there is no other sqm·ce
from which teachers can be procured that are fit to take
· ~are of the Primary Schools.
·
, The course of instruction proper to be adopted in these
schools will also show the necessity for such _teachers~ ,
An ordinary English education, as generally und~rstood,
consists in reac!ing, writing, and cyphering. This to be
sure is a !!Cant system, but it is good as far ns it goes; and
p: Illa! be all, wit~ our _f resent deficiency of rnstructors!
an
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. that can 'be effected at this time-but it !~very insufliCiell.F
in itself for the iinporfant purposes of priinary educatiOn,
·and if'destined to ,be limited to this alone, it would scarcelf
·he worthy ~f the patron. ge of the General Assembly of
the State. Fur I can conceive of no adequate course of
instruction in Primary Schools, that omits Geography, the
, clements of Astronomy, and the lower ·branches of the
, J'vfathematic1:1-and these are easily taught, nor will it add
much, ifat all, fif the necessary expense of adequate teachers, nor w1ll 1t cqnsume a particle more of the time ofthe
scholar than ought to be given up by every· Parent. We
may say of Astronomy, \vithout the slightest .profanity of
thought, that, like ·the Gospel, it is a Beaven descended
guide in our pathways upon Earth. Whilst th<-> 'lower
liranches of the ·Mathematics, so intimately/M:IVolved as
, they are in all hi.unan pursuits, become indidpensably useful in all the trades and vocations. in lif,,,'and at the same
'time train the mii4a to thmk and to ...fuson. .
.
It will iiot-it cann~l . be rati,.;(a]Iy urged in opposition
, -to this, that the children uf,..hle ·poor c~nnot avail ther:n11elves of these advantage~/. Tha~ man_ must be.pou~ in
ne;irt indeed, who, wJi,.,l a school is provided for bun wnhjn his reach by t~f"inunificence of t~e S_tate and the c_on.
tribut10ns of th, more wealthy around him, does not make
use of it ·for 'the support and advantage· of his child.Should ..u6h an instance be found; it. would . be no argumepJ- 'against the system. but a melancholy example of
· -j"bdurate folly and unfeeling indifference. ·
,
· ;/ ·There are others of the slime active and laborious das.
'ses of men, wh() are dilige~t and, industrious to hoard up
-u ea Ith to distribute airiong · their' children-Yes, "man
·peaps up riches but cannot tell who will enjoy them."
.A general system ·or sound education }vould so'On ·direct
. that wealth into a wiser and more parental course, by enl'iehmg their minds with knowleage and ~heir hearts witk
moral sentiment-Better to enter into life without '.riches
·than w1th 0 ut· education-1\. gre.ater C!).lamity cannot betal
a youth, tlian to start him intp life, abour:ding in worlrily
possessions but poor in counsel-his riches are :rure to' be.
~me a poison to his health~ and ~he SJ'Oiler of his good
.
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Jlame and happiness-and, in his own irregularities, 'rw;.
lives but as the source' of contagion to others.
That father acts wisest and most affectionatdy, who studies to fill
his son's heart with good principles, and to store his mind
with rhe elements of sound learning; even if he has not a
doilar to give him-his hopes for riches will still be best-:his chances for worldly fame and Heavenly treasure will·
be surest.
Let me then be understood to sav-That whilst Prima,.
~y Schools are i~di pensably neces~ary to the welfare of
the great body of the people, the higher. Semim•ries are as
essential t~ support them, by supplyrng them with the pro.
;pee kino of teachern. For, I repeat it, without such teaeh.
-ers }re11r Primary Schools become useless-nay, worthies~
~for ah 'lChools are useful only in proportion to the sou!ldness of thei~ B) stem and the fitness. of their teachers--,-.
and how tan y<>,_have fit teachns unless they are fitly
taught-and how b>n they bt> t<;ught, . withqut the higher
.Seminanes suited for '"'eir instruclion?
' . ·
Can we picture to ourse-"'es more lamentable, ce1tainly
not a more preposterous scentc, than the future hopes of a
little community collected. togt."'1er at a little Country
,sehool, and placed under the superint"ldance of a misernble
pedagogue, wholly incapable ofteachin?, because ignoI«rnt
of what ,ought to be taught-wastmg his o»., and his little
disciples precious time in sluggish ·indolence ''l,d actual
idlrness, perhaps often indulging in degrading immer..,Jities
-frustrating the public design, and the parent's fond il..ti.
cipations, and blasting the prospects of a rising genPratioa7 This scene is tuken from hfe, and what aggravates
it the more, is that it is too frequently to be found in eve.
part of our ow:n GOUntry.
And can it be otherwise, if
scho<,ls are. multiplied in proportion to the popul«r demand
for them" without hav:ing Serninaries to supply them with
proper ttl,achers7
It admits of no doubt, in my mind, thut the gradation of
~chools is a mutually dependent, auxiliary, and concatenated "ystem, which is ,es~entially necessary to the whol· bo.
dy oft he People of th ·State, and to rh'" preservrtiun of ch< ir
- ].epublican Institutions-and ihat a good systeni.ol Pri.,.
a
n
:mary Schools, ac·cording' to the munificent desi"'ns anti
judicious intention of the General Assembly, can"'no more
be sus ained without the aid of Colleges and Academies
· to turnish them with teachers, than that Mills can be made
to operate rn the different parts of the country, to supply
the wants of the people, without workshops and compett;nt m·chanics to construct the machrne1y and to apportion and apply the adequate propelling power. The whole
cSystem must be kept up as containing within itself its 01vn
. ~onservati ve principles, and we· Il},.\lSt persevere with pa:
.hence and fortitude until the plan gets fully rnto operation,
when it will preserve itself oy its own powers.
It.will
then become a self moving J\lachinc, which, by the beauti.
·folly b:1.lanced combination of its elasticities and gravities
will be rendered happily unaffected Dy all external pres.
sure.
·
·
When. that event sl~all be brought about-(and it is aa
much within ordinary human reach as any other prosppc.
tive event)-we shall see the Temples of Liberty and of
Learning founded upon rocks where they will neither tot •
..ter nor fall-and we shall enjoy· the consoling reflectio11,
that we shall havP. adopted the true means to render our·
"successors more enlightened and more capable of discharcr.
ing all those duties of a free Peopl~, when they shall d~
volve on them, that are now discharged by ourselves. An
era will there be evolved when the true Sovereign Power
will maintain its rightful ascendency by the possession of
its nghtfol strength and vigor-and it ;will be enabled by its
· own mtelligence to withstand the seduct10ns of corrup- ·
ti on, by d1scrimmating bet\reen the artifices of professions
and the genuineness of real patriotism.
The designs of
political affiliation will be frowned down by the improve<_[ sagacity of the Sovereign Power, and merit, and worth,
and probity, will command and receive that confidence that
will a ward to them the meed of high places throughout the
}apd,
. · But if in the inscrutable events of the future, the Sis.
ter F<tte shall ciip the thread of life 'ere this h ppier destiny to our counfry shall arrive-you will, at least, have
had the del1ghtml anticipatior. in view, and you will have
�,., •.,.,.mw'&W¥W"'' 0 "¥'"'
,•,'%%'•'~,~·mr'>'ze-·"-arr·~··p
z,
"""'"'~·-·'·•·~~·v·•~,
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eDJoyed the heartfelt satisfaction, that, as yom Fathei.;8
achievod the lndt:pendence of your Country, and. built ymi
up a Government that the admiration and experience of
the world have pronounced, •·the best hope of mankind," _
you, on your part, have gratefully and faithtully laid the
foundation of that system, which if zealously cherished and
sedulot1:;ly promoted, is capable, under Providence, of giving.
jt durability in all time to come.
;i;
. Before I, enter upon my allotted duty to the Graduates
-Of the day, I must-ask to be mdulged with a short' expos.
tulatory address to the Younger Students of the Institu.
tion.
Y~m arc now, my young Fnends, however unconscious
you may be of it, at the most interesting and critical periOd
of your lives. Buoyant in spirits and reckless of the foture,
your desires are bounded by an humble discharge of your. collegiate duties, and the enjoyment of your athletic exer.
-cises and sports. This is a very proper disposition of your
time, provided you take care that a full portion of it be
given to your studies. · But it is not enough that you
.merely acquit yourselves well at your recitations, ycu
must !ltudy each subject deeply, and impress tf1e who!\; mat.
~er 011 Y9\lf mind fo1· aHei· use-and as your memories no,w
way be made as reten!lve ot what you learn, as the pil.
lars of marble are of the letters cut into rhem, you must
devote yourselves to the charms of the classics, and to u
thorough element< ry knowledge of the varibus sciences
taught at this Institution; as tht ornaments and ground,work of your future proficiency
.
As the impressions made here will last you through life,
and be among the most vivid in old uge, it becomes ycu
to imbibe none but what are good, and to separnte your:selves from every thmg that·is unbecoming and immoral.
\Vhere youth is adorned ;;;ith decorum, old age will be
crowned with honour-and the delight of looking buck
upon "a well sp.ent lite"*. is next to look_ing forward with
hope to future bliss. R<,•mr'mbcr, and often rdl ct upon
the counsel of tl10s(;; friends to whom you r~e most dear;i>
._,>...
..,..,.., '....,-.,_,,,_ _m-.---·~---,,,.--·~---~
W h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _j _ _
~
~
~~~
t1
whose every wish for you is most anxious, ancl who clesire
nothincr but your welfare. If you do not profit by yom'
time spent h~re, it will be an ungrateful return for their
affectionnte km<lne.ss-and uto be ungrateful"* is to be ca~
pable of every crime.
. To your Professors you should be mindful to shew an
unhes(tatincr and willing respect, as nothing marks the
- ~haracter of a student more strongly than the sentiment
-0f re~pcct he cherishes for those who have the c_ar~ of his
instruction. To entertain fear towards a tutor is ignoble,
and creates a suspicion of defect of character in the stu.
dent. N<Jr is there any need of it. An ingenuous youth
is above all the servility of fear. Faithtul in all his du.
ties-correct in all his deportment-punctual-obedient
td all the laws, he stands superior to reproach and even
beyond 8uspicion. He endears himself to hi::l Professorsand if he happens to err, it is either forgotten or lost sight
of m the midst of his numerous merits--or if chided, it
·will be done w1th that p~,rental tenderness, that makes him
more and more confide in .the Professor as his friend •
Do not regard the hours spent in, College as restraints
upon y.rnr time and pleasures, but as an arrangement and
11_:~tem which wise and good men have found mo"t conducive to make wise and good men of youths. The ,ob.
j'cct is to make you devoted to learning, and to fire your
young minds with the noble ambition to e::rc~I. The College course i8, m some degree, life in .'l'.Ulllature; where
you constitute a little community, am! all the finer pas.
sions and sentiments and competitions are brought mto
act10n. R"nk, 'Honour, and Far.1e are all before you, and
are the noble prizes to be cop!en?ed fo;. These are worthy of your diligence ·and exertion, and none can be ob.
tained without study and labour.
You have everv iP"entive that Youth ought to have, to
rouse you to the ;,.,,st energetic exert10n; and I unite with
.your friends in encouraging you to action, and in wishing
that you ma,> avail yourselves of the many and great ad-~
vantages ;iround you.
"Vita bene act&.'t. ,, "4Ui me ingratum, omnia dixit.''
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Young. Gentlemen; GraduatesThe gralitymg duiy IS assigned to me Jo hid you wel.
come upon your arrival at the great portal
Iit~,, an<l althouglr -persomilly a stranger to most of you, yet regard.
ing you as our younger brothers, descended in the same
maternal lrne; I no congratulate you most sincerely upon
the manner in. which you have. passed through your colJe.
giate course; which hits been meritedly crowned with the
honours of this day. This is your first public reward in
liie-and a noble reward it- 1s: Conferred by a body of
men who ho:d the pr<)udest distinct10ns iri society:__pro.
sented by the hand of your learned President, \vhose enviable lifo has been successfully spent in Holy Offices, in
Science, and in the instruction of Youth; and witnessed
by the constituted authorities of the State and a brill:ant
assemblage of lettered and refined citiz.;ns-you are to.
consider, that the recept10n of such . honours, under such
circumstances, implies a pledge on yom . pnrt, that your
future lives shall correspond with the gJories of this day.
Nor must you forget this day so memorable in the Ame.
rican calendar: The coincidence is imspicious, that the
· day un which you ar0 honourably ushered into lite, shoi1ld
be the A'lniversary of the Nativity
the great Founder
of the Re1•1blic-a man on whom all eulogy has exhaust~
ed i'tself with.mt ~caching its object-whose fame is as
durable as the trranite rocks of our country_:_as lofty as
· the summit of he, mountains, and us extended as the
earth and the seas.
Emancipated from Ccillegiate -rul~ and released from
your att_endance ".here, I re~on1mend it to you, Young Gen.
tlemen, not to throw yourschws into the vortex of fashion.
abfe p!easun·s that rn·ay intoxic<-te and beguile you from
your course, but return to the adent embraces of your
impatient friends, who are mpre anxi->us than ever to re.
c•·ive you, cgvered as you arc wifh ht.11ours, to add the
tribute of their tl"nderest caresses and smik;i to your· other
·rewards. Nor l iter too long in these cncha.tlng scenes
of filial and parental d:il!iance, b_ut entei »t LlJCe upon
your allotted courst:, whilst the h«bit of study a'ld the
force of discipline are unimpaired. There cannot he a
of
of
greater error th:rn to invite a young Graduate to relax
and t~ refrpsn h_imself with an indulgenct: in the pleast1NS
of h1gt1 i1fo, J.fter what are called his long and labonvu~
du,1es at CoUege. It is rn truth aorhing eise, than. to in. v.1te him to di vest h!:mmlf of good lrnb1ts for th" chance
of "cqmriug bCJ.d ones. To such alluring requests turn a
de.,f ear: your good lnb1ts have belm the meami of gain.
ing for you the hunm1r6 of to day, and if pres ·rved .and
p"ra vered in, they will gian you m:rny more. Lose not
an .hour, Young Gc>ntlumer,-let the goal you have arnved
at to day, be die starting point. ot_ to.ruorrow on tire course
· of lifo, d.ud W,;Sfo not tire; precious moments of preparation in inglorious ease. To a 1mnd familiarized wit!i clasSI? Iiteniture rinl1 scl!mLific research, hvw insipid .must be
. the houri! of indolen<"e or the indulg<·nce in frivolous plea.
sures!. Th_c dtffarPnce b.-tween mteHecrual joys and pas- '
sionato i-ndu!genc1es is marked, in th<! extreme; and he who
places his h,tppiness upon t:ie first, bec.omes elevated above
tho strifos, the mortifications, and most ot the vicii'sit1.;des
in tras world-he achieves tht· triumph of Phihsophy over
the gros~'er p cssions, and entrenches himself in a fortress
that n'sists the caprices of fortune and ot mt·n.
Wh t!< ver may be your litture expectatipns in life, it is
all importrnt, and I earnestly recommend it t0 you to en.
gage in some Professwn. It will employ your earlier
years most usefully, and will give you rank and conse.
qu,,nce in thu world. rr·you are already wealthy, how
. cnn you employ time better th'rn in· gaimng distrnctwn in
this w,1y? It not, it is all important to y.ou as the mPans
ofg ·ining fame and nch1:s. Adopt a profession-as occupatwn for your arlier years, wh,.ther you need it or not
in a pecunnry point ot view, and by thr1Jwing yoursdvcs
upon your own rPsources and self.rrliance, you wril gain .
indepenl.enc(' ·A !I professions ar·e honourable, if honour.
ably pur~u<•d, but any trade or profass10., is prefornb.'e to
droi'prng. iogl<.nuus1y into th<: political C(IUfse, ht-fore you
are prepared for it, and th<'re playmg s~. cophants to pow. ~
er, or cuurteou~ men di can ts for the dolings of patronage.
In a popular Government. the induc<'ments held ou· to
talented and well educated Young Men, prematurely to
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onter into political life, are almost irresistililc-Yet srtc1i
a course is by no means to be desired for them-Many ha:e
fallen.victims to this false step-'-more have suffc1ed by It.
To sustain political life with eclat, as much preparalion
and la.bour is necessary, as in any of the learned profes.
s.ions-and the course of study for it is as profound, as extenced, and more varied, than for any other pursuit; It is
to a riper period in life that political employment shGUid
be deferred-Jn the meantime, prepare yourselves to SUS•
tain the hiuh character of an American Statesman, by de.
votinrr you;selves to History, Ancient and Modern-to th<)
elem:~ts of Law in all its various branches-to the profound productions of profound men.
Cultivate and pursue all Sciences whose ground work you have laid hereand study well the History and Nature of the Constitution
-and Government ol your own Country-weigh well the
vi<ews of the able men of all partiei;, and reg«rding men as
fru.il and changeable, addict y"uunielves to principles that
arP unchangeable and imperishable.
If in your future and more advanced life, you shall be
ca1l~d into the political field, and must there divide atuong
the clifferent opinions of the day-tak(: care tu (1iYide. on
the ground of principle alone, and to it giv~ in yr:ur ~ohe.
sion.
Upon such ground you can· exult with your Coun·
trv in success, and stand undism;;yed in defeat.
"rt is to be lamented that already, in our country, the
pursuit of political office a~d emolument has become profrssional-but, as a profess10n, lt must always be of an ab.
jcct chrtrncter. The ~acnfict·s of honour and of pri~,ci~
ple, too often ma~e to it, are .degr~dmg--~nd the tenure_~'
olnce and of statwn, so acquired, is as frail as it is prosutmed. Public st<~tion is certarnly an objt ct\\ 01th} of the
hcurnurable ambition of any man-but it must be gain"~ by
merit, not sued for '~ith sclfvility-office should be fi;lrd
with a vie\V exclusively to the public intt-restand we!tare,
not to g;nn proselytes or to reward frivouriks. ·
As publ_ic oiscu.-<sion<i are
Te 1~· qu'.'nt and more ne.
CPss .. rv under popukr m,;titut10ns, it will become you to
a.:olv ;.(lursl'lv<s particularly to Ornt'J;.Y· to pedi·ct yourtR~' ~s; as for a" pmisible, in that >:>ublimti an. 'l'o do tins,
m:
, "sou nilisf give yourselves up intensely to the pursuif--Sru.::.
«tly the ancient modelo that are examples of all excellence
':and miprove your Classical learning and
taste-The~
,. with. ample. stores of varied scrnnce, you will be prepar«d
.to wield this all-conquering power. But taKe care to oisti.nguish well between true Oratory and its cuunte1foit, the
. flippant fluency and flimsy declamation which pass for it. _guar~ against that diluted substitute, introduced by tile
· Sophists in the decline of Grecian grandeur, and which is
.so prevalent in our own times. We hear of natural Ora.
:· .t~rs-there are such-we find them both in sav«ge anu in
etvihzo>d lifo-f?ut the admiration they extort is rather ;i.
, tribute of foeling to a prodigy. How would Logan com.
·pare with Tully-or even our Patrick Henry with the Orn; tor ~f Athens? It would be as well to compare the soft mur.
:ri:urmg.of the gentle rivulet with the wild roarings of the
.mountam cataract-The one glides forth frum a sino-le
:. fountain, whil:st the latter i:s the unite>d and iiripntuous gt~s\l
fro~ a thousand fountains.
The sentiment should be deep.
:~_unpressed and widely extended, that real Oratory can
,exist no where but rn umon with gener J literature audits
~ttendant refinements.
It charms with the music of its
tones and the graces and exprGSsiveness of its action. The
.stores of learning feed it-taste modulates and embe].
:}ishes i_t___:and the study of mankind marks out the points
,-~f assail~nce,, and directs its power-it i.i indeed that happy combmatwn of letters anG of taste-of action and of
passion-(lf logic and illustration', that forces the mind to
,,;bow down with the subrmssion ot conviction, and makes
Cg.ptive all the feelings.
· It is to the c<tliiinn~ent of this noblest of arts that I now
_inv~te your umw:diate and ardem attention, as being in it.
,,!lelf the greatest and mo"t usdul accomplishment, tlicci 0.-..n
...he pos&ess'·d in a popul~r /.\'>V•crnmcnt.
;,:·But there: is a tUrth<:r "ubjec!, Y uung Gentlemen, of a
·g..rilver ca~t, tlrnt l have nc,t ye;. prC's•·ntcd to your vie\>-,
,the on1:~~ston uf "" hicb, on such :.n cicc _,sion, n1i~h1 bv ~·Ju ...
dered unparGon"blc by tho e <•Wtl:l<i us.
So far we hav.e look,·d -tt thos,· sct·m·s in Ji,,' <'llone,.
~jlere the prt;vaihng ll10\to i:> "cov<::t0u;; of fiv1;,,,,;,; bu~
c
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-·= f
:·fame."'ll:._It is important .however that you should eie~atc
yuur thoughts from the contemplation of the world th<1t we
arc· in, to the consi-ieration of that to which we are destined
to gu-We all te.el that there is within us a "spark of e]e.
mental fire," that is unquenchable, whose rnysterits are un.
folded by the Book of Knowledge anri of Life. To thltt
Book I commend vou-let it be your con:;tant companion
-"turn it with a; evemng and with a ri10rning lrnnd''t--,
In it you will find that which will temper all excl--~s1•s in
prosperity, and soothe you with its cons0Litiom1 "when the
sighs are many and tlw heart faint,"-It contain~ too the
";,- 1tmd direction," of faith that dispels all the gloums of
the Sepulchre, and op, ns upon- us the radiance of an Eter..
nal Day. Dwell on th-is Sacred Volume with all the in~
terest of devotion, and make yourselves intimate with_ the
doctrines of "Eternal Trtith. "--They lead to all ha ppin.:ss
in life, and whilst they diffuse a lustre over the characte\'
'that nothing can tarmsh-they implant a delightfol hope!
a sustaining fortitude, a biissfol peace, that the world can.
not_reach. Piety in man is that_. which gives him all his
·resemblancce to the Great Prototype, t-he glorious "Herald
of Glad Tidings," upon e&rth-It is the gift from Divinity
that diffuses his charities and benevolence far· and wide,
and bmds him to the "Throne eternal in the Heavens"~
ln Youth it is an ornament-in Age a comfort-in both a
treasure-and in that awful and eternal Dav, when all Naiurc shall become a wreck, am! human grandeur is no more~
it will be the only title to the ."Promised AH," thrqugh
"\Vh1ch alone we can be led into the real!ns of "nerer fad.
is
ing joy."
I bid you an affectionate farewell,-Young Gentlemen-~
I met you with gladness in the morning--1 part with yon
at noon with all the foelings of an eldu· for his younger
Brothers. "Remember the pkdges you have given to.duy,
and in whatever ::;1tuation you may be hereafter ph:ced,
nm·er-qever forget your Duty to your -God, or to your
C.mmry.
)WARD OF_ VISITORS AND GOVERNO.ijS
OF-
ST._ ~OIIN'S COLLEGE.
. '~is Excellency THO\iAS W. VEAZY
ffi- .
. _
, ex.o c10 Pres1cfe"nl·
lion. JOHN BUCHANAN.
,. ,
" JOHN STEPHEN.
" STEVENSON ARCHER.
"" THOMAS B DORSEY.
" EZEKIEL F. CHAl\IBERS.
·r. ASA SPENCE.
.
'' THEODOR!CK BLAND.
" JOHN G. CHAPJ1AN.
" - BENjA1\HN L. GANTT.
-i_, JOSEPH KENT.
_
" ROBERT w. BOWIE.
ALEX_ANDER C. MAGRUDER, E;·.
SA,WUEL RIDOUT. Esq.
W
JA:\1.ES BOYLE. Esq.
NICHOLAS BREWER . E sq.
HENRY MAYNADIER Esq
WILLIAM H. MARRIOTT - E. sq,THOMAS II. CARROLL. Esq.
_
THOMAS S. ALEXANDER E '
Jo·dN N. WATlffN8 Eeq, , -sg .
.
._
THOMAS FRANKLIN ' E,sq,
•
RA,\1,L<\ Y \VA TER;:;, Esq. .
D~. JJENN[;,; CLAUDE.
NlCiJOLA8 BRE\VER, J It E
,
•sq.
JEl{ENfL-\H HUGHE;:;, E q.
ALE;CANVERRANDALL. Esq.
JCJ'>Et'1i IL NICHOLSON E ..
JOH.'i JOHN;:;o_N- Esq. . , sq.,
DAVID HOFFMAN, Esq.
* "Prretcr laudem
nullius avaris"
~t "Nocturna versccte manu, versate diuma."
TREASURER,
UEORGB iVlACKUBIN , E s~ _
.
Sk:CHETAHY,
QEOiWE W.ELL'" E·- .
w,
~,.9-~.
"
�·C;i.TALOGU.E.
CLASS GRADUATED,
FACULTY.
GEORGE GRUNDY,
Rev. HECTOR HU11PHREYS, D. D.
A. B.
A. B.
R. HAYWARD; A. B.
D. JonNsoN, A. B.
GEORGE JOHNSON, A. B.
'VILLIAM
NT AND prOFESSOR OF MORAL' SCIENC)"..
~__:rnEBIDE.1.
JosuuA
GEORGE EDWARD MusE,
JULIUS T. DUCATEL, M. D.
• l'ROFESBOR OF, CHE:ifISTRY, MI,NERALOGY,.AND GEOLOG,_¥.
.
'
'
EDWARD.SPARKS, M. D.
0.
A. B.
A. B .
JOHN H. REEDER, A. B.
HENRY \VILLIAM THOMAS, A. B.
FRANKLIN WEEMS, A. B.
WILLIAM
22<l, 183G.
RESIDENCE •
NAMES.
.TuoMAS GRANGER,
~
FEs1uanir
REEDER,
Nicnor..As B1t1qE \VoRTiiDiGTON,.
A. B.
-·Queen-Anne's County.
·Baltimore City.
Cambridge.
Frederick.
Annapolis.
Cambridge.
Baltimore City ..·
Do.
St. Mary's County.
Elkridge.
Anne-Arundel County•
.__ l;'ROFES~.OR. OF AN,CIENT LANGUAGES·
SENIOR CLASS.
THO:YIAS E: SUDLER, A. M.
J:fOFESSOR O>'. :ifATHE:ifATJCS AND CIVIL ENGINEER!Ni
. RESIDENCE.
John lVI. Brome',
Frederick S. Brown,
John W. Martin,
.Joseph Trapnell,
Trueman Tyler,
·.WILLIAM B. LEARY, A. M,
l'ROFESSOR. OF GRAMMAR..
St. "~fary's County.
Charles County.
Cambridg;.
Frederick.
Prince.George's County.
OHARLES T. FLUSSER, Esq.1'JtoFESSOR
OF
MODER.N
I,ANGUAGES:
JUNIOR CLASS.
HENRY ELWELL, A. M.
NAMES.
. '1J>.OFESSO!!. OF !>NGL!Sl{ LITERATURJ?.
William Tell Claude,
Marius Duvall,
;JJenry H.Goldsborough,
3
"
RES!DEXCE,
· Annapolis;
Do.
·Easton.
�....
i
- Thomas Iglehart,
Charles N. Mackubin,
"William H. Thompson,
Edward W orthin gt on,
Anne.Arundel County,,
Annapolis.
Do.
Baltimore County.
27
...
PARTIAL STUDENTS.
....
NA.'d'.ES.
RESIDENCE.
SOPHOMORE CLASS.
NAMES.
RES~DENCE,
John M. Brewer,
Philip Culbreth,
Caleb Dorsey,
William H. G. Dorsey,
John Thomas B. Dorsey,
Thomas C. Gantt,
Benjamin Gray,
Reverdy Ghiselin,
Jeremiah L. Hughes,
Richard Hughlett,
'George Reeder,
'William C. Tuck, .
Brice J. "\Vortlungton,
B. Thomas B. Worthington.
Annapolis.
Do.
Elkridge ..
. Do.
Do.
Calvert County.
Somerset County.
Prince.George's County,·
Annapolis.
Easton.
Baltimore City.
Annapolis.
_Anne.Arundel County,
·Do.
FRESHMAN CL4ss,
NAMES,
Robert Bowie,
John G. Gamble,
William Giddings,
'Pinkney Hammond,
Benjamin, Harwood,
George S. Humphreys,
Townly Loockerman,
Edward Maynard,
Francis H. Stockett,
James E. Welch,
llESI,DENCE,
Prince.George's County.
Weelaunee, Flori,,da. Annapolis.
Anne-Arundel County.
. Annapolis.
Do.
Do.
Anne.Arundel County.
Annapolis. ·
.
John W. Duvall, ·
William R. Goodman,
Thomas R. Kent,
William Reany, .
Samuel Ridout,
Norman B. Scott,
Henry Webster, ·
William "\Vebster,
Edward Williams,
Annapolis.
Do.
~nne.Arundel County.
Balt11nore City.
Anne-Arundel County.
Frederick County.
Baltimore 'County.
Do.
Annapolis.
STUDENTS IN THE GRAM.ll-IAR SCHOOL.
NAMES,
RESIDENCE.
George Barrett,
John Basil,
Richard Bowie,
Robert Bowie, 2d.
Lewellin Boy!e,
'William .Brohawn,
~icholas Brewer, 3d.
Jeremiah T. Chase,
John Clayton,
Henry Duvall,
James S. Franklin,
Richard R. Gaither,
· Alexander H. Gambrill,
. George E. Gambrill,
'William Goodwin,
James Gray;
Benjamin H. Hall,
" ~John ,T. H:dl,
Dennis D. Hart,
Charles Holland,
Joseph Hutton,
John T. E. Hyde,
Washington City.
Annapolis.
Prince.George's County.
Do.·
Do.
Dorchester County.
Annapolit;.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
. Do.
Do.
Do.
Somerset County.
Anne.Arundel CauJitlj.
Annapolis.
~·Do.
Do.
Do.
.Do.
�Wwtf
·~·..·.·
'.'
~,-_,
29
Annapoli3
George W. Hyde,
Alfred J orn•s,
.,.
Matthias Linthicum,
"\Valtor ··J\'IcNeir,
·George.i\IcNeir,
James McNefr,
George Miller,
·Edward C. Mills,
Thomas 'l\foPurlin,
•Jlenry'l\larray,
Samue.l 'Ridout,
Hor.itio'S. ·Ridout,
Theodore Revell,
Alfred G. Ridgely,
Richard H. Schwrar,
John A. Smith,
. iohn. S. Stockett,
John T; Taylor,
.. Montgomery Th';:'llas,
James Thomas,
~.. -Joh11 'Thomas,
Dennis C ..Thompson,
Levin 'Winder;_
·JJ.amcs· l\L"Windcr,
CharJes F .. ·worthington,
Do.
"Do.
•' FRESH1llAN YEAR.
Do.
Do.:
FIRST TERM,
J?o.
Folsom•s Livy. '
·;;.Do.
Anne-'Arwulel Counl!J'·
Annapolis.
Do.
Grreca .>Ljora. (Xenophon, Herodotus, and Thucidydes.)
Arithmetic revised, and Algebra begun.
·
. ·
Greek and Roman Antiquities,.History, and Mythology.
SECOND TERl\I.
Do.
A-;ne-A1·undel County'.
·Annapolis.
bo.
Do.
Baltimore.
,Anne-Arundel County..
, .'.Annapalts.
-A~ne-Arnntlel County .
Do.
·-IJo ..
Annapo11~·
'Horace, (Odes and Epodes,)
Grreca Majora,. (Lysias, Demosthenes, Isocrates, and Xenophon's
Memorabilia.)
Algebra fimshed.
Writing of Latin Verse.s.
THIRD TERM.
.
\
Horace, (Satires and Epistles.)
Grreca Majora, (Plato, Aristotle, Lortgi~us, &c.)
Plane Geometry begun. (Legendre.)
Translations, Themes, and Selected Declamations dui-ing the year.
Easton.
Do.
~1nne-Arundd Cv11nty.
.c
SOPH01lWRE YEAR .
;xitST TERM.
.
'
·COURSE OF STUDIES.-
Juvenal. (Leverett'a.)
Homer's Iliarl. (Robinson's.)
Plane Geometry finished.
SECOND TERl\I.
·PREPAR1tTORY YEARS.
~.nglish Gr~mmar; Ancient and l\Iodern_Ge~gr2pliy; A1:itlm:ie~c;
Book-Keeping; Outlmcs of History; Latm Grammar; Corder'.us;
JEsop's Fables; Ilistoriao Su.cr::n; Viri Romre; Cresar's Commentanes;
Sallust; Ovid; Virgil; Cicero's Oro.tions; Muir's Introdnction, or the
Latin Tutor; Gre~k Grammar; Greek _Delectus; Jacob's Greek
Reader, and Latin Prosody.
Exercises in RJading, Writing and Spelling,
bo kept up
throughout this course.
to
Cicero de Oratore, or Quintilian.
Gne'ca Ilfajora. (Odyssey, Hesiod, and Apollonius Rhodius.)
· Solid Geometry.
Porter's Analysis of Rhetorical Delivery.
. THIRD TERM,.
/<
,........--
Grreca l\fajora, (Tragedians.)
.
Loguithms, and Plane and Spherical TrigooJmetry.
: Gambrnr's Moral Evidence, anci Paley's -~fora! Phi'Iosophy.
.Exercise~ in Original Composition ~11d Elocution aurm~ the year.
-
3*
'
/
�'
(
~
-· .
"'~-f.
:
'::;_'~
/,
~
30
31
JUNIOR YE,AR.
FntST TERM.
•"
· ••.
.,;~r
'L
Grreca i\Iajora. (Bucolic and Lyric Poets.)
Apphcatfons of Trigonometry to the Mensuration of Heighh :mtl
.Dist<tnces, and Navigation.
I1ci(.:Abercrombio's Intellectual Powers. .
. · >;_~},_
Do.
Philosophy ~f the Moral Feelings.
· SECOND TERM.
Tacitus. (History.)
Surveymg· and Conic Sections.
Logic and Rhetoric. (Whateley's.)
chemistry, with Lectures. (Turner's.)
' :
-
. TIIJRD TERM·.
-
\.;>-·
.-~~-~-,,,~-
-
·-
-
Tacitus. (Manners of the Germans; and Life of Agricola.)
N:.tural Plulosophy, with Lectures. (Olmsted's.)
''-"' :
Elements of Criticism. (Karnes'.)
:~
Debates, Compositions, and Selected Declamations, during the year.
,--SENIOR. YEAR.
..
..
Butler's Analogy.
Civil Engin~uring-(constructlon of IVfachines, Bridges, Roads,
Can"ls, &c.) and Dr.J.1ving.
,v
_
•
Mi113r:i.lo,;y und (laology.
·· · ·
D,,<J!a>nt.Ions of Originill Compositions, Extemporaneous Debate'!',
. and Ex.,rcises~i~ Criticism during the ye.tr .
The l.\fo,lern Langaages are pursued tlnoughout the course as an
addition.ii R<3citation, and are required to be so arranged, as not toiuterfore materi,Jly with the regu!..r Studi~s.
·
Full courses of Lectures are deliverad to the classes on Chemis.
try-, Mrnuralogy ;md Geohigy; on N ..tural i'hilosoplly· and. Astrono~
my, .md on Pays1ology.
,;The State Cabmet or' Minerals, collected by the Geologist of ]\fa.
ry!d.nd, is d2posited in the Coll~ge, in the same Hall witll the Col.
lege Ccbiuet, o.nd nuy be used in illustrating the Lecturps on Minor<.tiogy ,md G,;ology.
·"
The Officer~ of Instruction will endeavour to make the course of
study as th~r_ough .is possiiib; and ii, no ca•e will a Scholar be al·- lowed to pass to .ui adv,anced .standing, till
shall have sustained
all the _previous exanlin~tions to the S'<tisfact10n of the Filculty,
· Students not candidates for a Degree, may be admitted to pursue
suciI studies emhr;,.ccd ·in tha course. as m<1.y suit ihcir p~rticti1.1r
views, .J.nd ,.,u; l'"-Y the iiamo Ta.tes of tuition as the classes to whi<;h
they m.:.y be att,;ched.
. ·~
·
ne'
FIRST TERM,
Natural Philosophy finished, \vith Lectures. (Olmsted's.).
Horace, De Arte Poetica, with Lectures on Taste-Revision of
Greek and Lc,tin, with Lectures 0!1 Greek and _Roman Literature.
Paley's N;it_ural Theology, or
. Roget's :Animal and Vegetable Physiology.
EXPEi."i§_ES, &c.
- The Bills for .~uition are pityable ql).arterly, in advance, as
vii.
"~W?,
rot,
IN THE GRAJlfl'IIAR SCHOOL.
SECOND TERM.
Astron~my,_ ~ith Lectures.
Political Eci>h<imy, with Lectures. (Say's.)
Evidences of Chrktianity. (Chalmers')
·
.
s.,lections from the S~tu.i.guint and""the Greek Testament.
-~,
.
~l~D
TERM.
·Laws of N~tions-Constitutio11....::L>:riJ a11d Political ~istory.of tT=e
United States. (Ke11t.)
··
English Department, •
Classical· Depn,rtment,
I
$24 per annum.
32 de. ·do.
•
IN COLLEGE.
Freshman ·and Sophomore Classe~,
$40 per annum.
Junior and Senior Classes, .
50 '10.
do .
N'l extra charges are nude for the privilege of the Library, fo~
.: ~ctureli, for Room ~ent, or Fuel for the Public Roe~; all wh.ich
..
�t'
', ., I
~--·
..
.
.
'\
,
,
82
.. '
·expenses are borne by the Trustees, and are considered as included
in the. above bills.
Boarding may l/e had in private families, or in Commons, at $120
per annum. The Commons are kept by Professor ELWELL, in a.
building provided expressly for this. purpose; andfrom his high cha.
racter and long expei·ience in managing establishments of this sort,
Parents and Guardians niay 'be well assured that every attention
will be paid to the pupils who __ may be confided to his .care. They
Will not be allowed to· leave the College 'premises without permission first' obtained of the Professor; and they will be required to re.
main in their rooms in the College, ·at study, after tile appointed·
hours in the evening.
.·
.-·--- _
·-Parents and Guardians are requested "t'o place all monies intended .
for the use of the ·students, in the hands of one of ·the· Professors,. . _
who wi_ll exercise a parental. discretion in their disbursement; and .
the following La~ of the State, passed December ~ession 1834, is
published for the information of all persons concerned.
Section L Be it enacted by the General Assembly of l1laryland,
That no person or ·persons shall give credit to any Student of St.
John's College~ being a minor, without the consent, in writing, of
.his Parent or Guardian. or of sucli Officer or Officers of the Col.
·lege, as may be authodsed by the government thereof, to act in such
cases, except for was~ing or medical aid.
_. Sec. 2. And be it _enacted, That. if auy person or persons shall
_give credit to any nnnor as .ateresaid, contl"ary to the provisions of
this act, he or they shall forfeit .and pay to the Treasurer of tho
'Vestern Shore of this State, a sum not less ~han twenty, nor more
than three hundred dollars, according to the- nature of the offence,
and at the.discretion of the Court of Anne.Arundef county; which_
may he_rccovered in any proper action before said Court.
Sec. 3. And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Attor.
ney.General 'of this State, or his Deputy, on the com,plaint· of any
of the Officers afor-esaid, to prosecute for all violations of this act.
V A:CATIONS~
The regular _Vacations are as foliows: 1st. From the last "Wednesday in July to the first Mondoy in September. 2d. From the 23d
of December to the ht of January; and'3d .. From Good Frid•J to
the Monday week following.
_-\~:,:,_
88
ti'
~
-·-:.(~:-:'
..:.
·.
T
SUBSCRIPTIONS MADE TO THE FUNDS.
•. ( • r_;·
"rn 1821, at~ meeting of the Alumni,~"and ·Friends of th~ ~ol
lone in· the Senate Chamber, at Annapolis, a plan o~ subscr1pt10n
w~s 'drawn up, a condition being inserted that .th~ whole shou~d _be
void, =less the .sum of ten thousand dolfors should· be obtamed.
·Seyeral names were subscribed upon the spot; but"no·agent w~s ~P
pointed; the requisite sum was not .:ibtalned, :and the su~scr'.pt10n
paper has been Io.St. The only r~cord of
th~t remams, 1s the
paymenb:if the following sum, which was discharg_ed: by the douo~,
·though.not required to do so by the terms:
:· ~ .•.· · · . '-:Isaac l\foKim,
. · - :·
'.c · Y~$200 ,
,
' ·_.The fotlowing resolutions exhibit a plan for the s~me obJe~t, im,
·, alertaken·in 1834,_ and now in the course'-0f prosecution. .
Resolved, by the Visitors. and ·Governors of"St. "Jolm's'Oolleg_e,
·· . · That the~Principal be authorised and requested tO' coU~ct !llbscnptions, payable to the_ Visitors and Governors, to: be·.a_pph~d by them .
in tho erection of suit,,ble buildings for the aceommodat10n_ of St~
dents, and for i.mproving anc) exten,ding the Library ·a~d Pluloso~hi.
_ c~I App;iratus of the College, arid that tho Ti:easur~r.' be au~hor:sed.
.to pay to the Principal, the expenses he may mcut"m· e:i_rrymg mto
11ffect 'his resolution. ·
· ·' · -· ,
-- :
~Resolved, by the Visitors and Governors 9f:st. !oh n's· Ool:ege,
· · That His Excellency JAMES THOMAS, and the Hon. BENJAMIN S..
··FORREST, and the Hon. THoniAs iVRIGHT, 3d. ~embers of this Boar.d,
~- 'be a committ~e to co.operate with the Principal, in making all amt.
able preparations to carry into effect the res_olution of the Board, to
.collect subscriptions for the benefit of ,this institution..
.
·
St. Jal.n's College, Feb. 15th, 183,i.
· · . · ·.
!t ·
·copy OF THE SUBSCRIPTION.
the subscribers, hereby agree to, pay to the Visitors and Go.
-verno;s of St. John'~ College, at Annapolis, "J\Iaryland, or order,
the sums of money opposite our names, resppctiv~ly, in t\\·o equal
instalment;, to be applied in carrying into effect the foregoin~ resolutions: provided, however, that this subscription shalL be v01d, u_nless at least ten thousand dollars slfall be subscribed, as aforesaid;
and on the completion of said subscription, the "first instalme11t
h.bove·mentioned, shall become due, and the other instalme_i:t twelve
months thereafter.
.
'
:,.-c; ,
Sept. 9, 1831:
" '6
_,
�!)
35
34
"-·'~-,
James Thomas,
William Hughlett,
Robert W. Bowie,
~'William H . .Marriott,
. Alexander C. l\:Cugruder,
Henry Ma,Ynadier,
H. H. Harwood,
George Mackubin,
Dennis .Claude,
Ramsay Waters,
John Johnson,
Nicholas Brnwer, Jr.
Alexander Randal!,
·Thomas S. Alexander,
George 'Wells,
Brice J. \Vorthington,
Richard Harwood, of Thos.
Richard I. Jones,
Thomas Oliver,
J. I. Cohen, Jr.
\Valter Farnandis,
Hector Humphreys,
Robert \V. Kont;
Daniel Clarire,
Gabriel Duva]J,
. Fielder Cross,
William D. Bowi9,
John H. Sothoron,
\Villiam Reeder,
Robert Ghiselin,
Samuel.Maynard,
Thomas Franklin,
R. M. Chase,
Thomas Culbreth,
Hyde Ray,
James Iglehart,
Sw~nn & Iglehart,
George F. Worthington,
George G. Brnwer,
John B. Morrfs,
Andrew McLaughlin,
Thomas B. Dorsey,
$500
fo\-~"
300
1'50
.250 •
200
200
200
200
T
. 200
!JOO
200
200
200
200
200
200
~'200
.. ·200
200
. 200
<
150
100
100
ioo
100
'100
IGO
.100
. 10.0
100
100
100
~00
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
181)
::-::
<
·William G. Tilghman,
Charles Goldsborough,
John C. Henry,
Joseph E. Muse,
Henry Page,
G C. Washington,
Benjamin S. Forrest,
·r. Novitt Steele,
Alien Thomas,
Charles \V. Dorsey,
R. G. Stockett,
" R. W. Dorsey, •
Larkin Dorsey,
John C, Weems,
Chas. S. W. Dorsey,
Daniel Murray,
· John If:. Alexander,
Gwinn Harris,
'N. F. Williams,
· Tho111as .Sappington,
Thomas Snowden,
George Brown,
F. S. Key,
· Virgil .M~xcy,
Joseph Todhunter,
· Thos. H. Carroll,
' Jonathan E1l1cott & Sons,
Francis Thomas,
John S. Sellman,
Charles Carroll,
Franklin Anderson,
D.ivid Hoffman,
John P. Paca:,
Robert H. Goldsborough,
E. S. Wmder,
Andrew Skinner,
Jas. B. Steele,
·Brice J. Goldsborough,
Thomas Hayward,
William W. Eccleston,
Chua. J. Kilgour,.
J; H. \Vilkinsoo,
' Thomae E. Sudler,
$100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
?'
lOO
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
IOQ
100
100
100
100
loo
100
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
56
..
�36
-J. Hughes,
R. J. Cowmrm,
John Rand;tl],
George McNeir,
Basil Shephard,
R. J. Crabb,
Thomas Duckett,
John H. >Varing,
·wmiam Ghiselin,
J;' G. Clrnpman,
:Deonan! Iglehart,
·wm. D. Merrick,
Charles H. Steele,
'\Vp.1. T. Goldsborough;II. '\V. Evans,
-Nithan R. Smith,
-Daniel Randall,
Jiimes '\V1lson,
David Barnum, ·
James Carroll,
'\Vm. Denny,
R. Potts,
John Tyler, <
Henry K. Randall,
Thomas J, Dorsett,
John Igl~hart,
"
~
Ann Iglehart,
Richard M~rriott,
Julius T. Ducatel,
George Gordon Belt,
Samuel Jones, Jr,
Jacob Albert,
Benj:1min C. Howard,
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
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paper
Page numeration
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36 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Commencement Address, 1836
Description
An account of the resource
Address delivered before the alumni of St. John's College. At the annual commencement on the 22nd February, 1836, by the Hon. Robert H. Goldsborough, in the presence of the Visitors and Governors of the College--the Governor, and the Executive Council of the State--the two Houses of the General Assembly--and a large concourse of citizens, in the College Hall, Annapolis. Printed at the request of the Visitors and Governors of the College.
Creator
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Goldsborough, Robert Henry
Publisher
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Jonas Green, Printer
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
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1836-02-23
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
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text
Format
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pdf
Language
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English
Identifier
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Commencement Address-Commencement Address-Hon. Robert H. Goldborough-1836
Commencement
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/263ce199c8b4bf6b4cd73f6bd5dfd45e.mp3
5363a7d6b01d00b53febf56410b54f4e
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
Sound
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wav
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00:20:29
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Commencement Address, Spring 2018
Description
An account of the resource
Audio recording of the commencement address given on May 13, 2018 by Matthew Holtzman at the end of the Spring 2018 semester in Annapolis, MD. Introduction by Panayiotis Kanelos.
Creator
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Holtzman, Matthew
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Date
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2018-05-13
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St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online.
Type
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sound
Format
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mp3
Contributor
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Kanelos, Panayiotis
Language
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English
Identifier
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2018Graduation
Relation
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<a href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3870" title="Commencement Program">Commencement Program</a>
Subject
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Commencement (St. John's College, Annapolis, MD)
Alumni
Commencement
Presidents
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/7f03becacff43fd9d4faf89b444dbf7f.pdf
54ccb2958682c7cb92090b1f66012e46
PDF Text
Text
What Are You Going To Do
With It?
Commencement Address, August 2, 2013
Creig Hoyt, SFGI10
Dean Sterling, Director Carl, esteemed faculty, staff, fellow
graduates of the Institute and friends. I am deeply honored to give
this commencement address. As a recent graduate of the Eastern
Classics program I remain in awe of the uncompromising
commitment of St John’s College to engage in a long-term
community discourse in order to glean meaning and clarity from
the writings of the world’s great thinkers. I also am mindful that
some of the tutors who sit here today on the podium have given
this address at previous graduation ceremonies. That I do not
possess their depth of knowledge of the great writings you have
studied is obvious. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to
base my presentation on an analysis of one or some of the
thinkers you have read here.
Moreover, you can hardly expect to receive wise career
counseling from one who stumbled from a flirtation with music to
philosophy in undergraduate school, who became enamored by
neuroscience in medical school primarily because of the beauty of
the brain’s organizational structure, but who fled from a career as
a neurologist because it involved caring for patients I could not
cure and finally stumbled into a rewarding career as an
ophthalmologist specializing in infant visual problems: rewarding
not because the problems primarily involved the visual brain but
because I discovered I loved caring for children despite an
intense dislike of pediatrics in medical school. I hope that by
offering you some personal reflections on the ongoing impact that
�my St John’s education has had on my life and work I will provide
you some useful reflections.
Today we salute these new graduates of the Graduate
Institute. We know the rigor involved in the academic programs
they have completed. We recognize and admire their fortitude and
considerable academic accomplishments. Today is a day of
celebration not only for them but for all of us who deeply care
about the uncompromising scholarly traditions and demands of
this extraordinary college. So let me speak for all us when I say to
the new graduates, “Yours is a noteworthy accomplishment at a
unique institute of higher learning. You have much to be proud of.
Bravo”.
Ok, now let’s get serious. “What are you going to do with it?”
Those were the exact words of my ninety-four year old mother
four years ago when I informed her that I hoped to be a student in
the Graduate Institute. These were not the words of
encouragement a son craves. Adding insult to injury, this was the
first time in my educational wanderings that I was not seeking any
parental financial assistance. So what did she have to lose in
offering her moral support? You would have thought a woman
who lived with a single abiding passion during her 70’s and 80’sto win as many tango competitions as possible- would have
embraced the novelty of her aging son’s desire to become a fulltime student in an area about which he knew absolutely nothing.
What was I going to do with it? I was not even certain I could
qualify for the program let alone complete it. I no longer recall
what attempts at justification I mumbled to her, but the notion that
my adventure was to be judged by what I might “do with it”
irritated me. It reminded me of European colleagues who find it
insulting that the first question Americans ask on meeting them is
“what do you do?” In the remainder of my talk I will reflect on the
�primacy of the notion that one’s education is to be judged by what
one can “do” with it.
Regrettably, the sentiments expressed by my mother have been
heard by all of you in many different guises, all of them cloaked
and protected by the seemingly impervious provenance of real life
experience and practical counsel: “What kind of job can you get
with that degree?”, “Wouldn’t computer science be more
sensible?”, “Can you justify the cost for something so
impractical?” “No one studies humanities anymore!”
No one doubts that it is prudent and wise to carefully consider and
reconsider each step in one’s educational journey. Accumulating
unreasonable amounts of school-related debt can restrict future
life choices. Some professional degrees no longer guarantee an
interesting and well-compensated career: this has become a
serious concern for many of our law schools. Other career
choices apparently require a carefully structured path consisting
primarily of educational prerequisites that permits little time for
exploring what might be simply interesting or enlightening. Note
that I said, “apparently require”. In the case of medical schools
there are some educational prerequisites that absolutely must be
completed, but I can assure you that we who are involved in
medical education are always looking for applicants who are not
only capable of completing the scientific studies in our medical
curriculum, but who also bring to medicine unique educational
and work experiences.
Even though I intensely dislike her question can I now provide my
mother a satisfactory answer? Can I explain in what ways my St
John’s experience has changed not only how I think but what I
do? Undoubtedly, a startling result of my graduate study at St
John’s is that instead of remaining permanently retired I have
resumed my position on the faculty of UCSF Medical School
albeit on a part-time basis and without any administrative duties.
�Why? In no small part because St John’s re-energized my
intellectual curiosity after a long period of time when my career
had become dominated by all-consuming administrative duties
that left no time for the pursuit of my research and creative
activities. I realized I wanted to spend a few more years in the
University concentrating on teaching and completing several
unfinished research and writing projects. It also became clear to
me that I missed caring for children and their parents. I agree with
the Dalai Lama who in his commencement address at Tulane
University this year said, “A pathway toward a meaningful life lies
in caring for other people”. I have returned to what I know how to
do- caring for vision problems in children.
Perhaps surprising to some of you, my St John’s experience
stimulated new research interests that I believe I can study with
the assistance of my UCSF colleagues. Those many seminars on
Buddhism radically disturbed my previously unchallenged notions
concerning certain aspects of what we mean by “perception” and
“cognition”. In particular, I think the techniques of neuroscience
may provide an interesting framework with which to explore the
limitations and unreliability of sensory perceptions.
I am currently studying unusual visual percepts that occur in many
adult patients who experience visual loss. I appreciate that no
Johnnie wants to hear an oversimplified bottom line statement
without first hearing all the details that lead to that conclusion, but
our time today is short. Therefore, let me simply summarize some
preliminary impressions and conclusions. It seems that the
inherently high run rate of the brain does not allow it to turn off or
suppress higher centers when peripheral sensory input is denied
it. In the case of some visually impaired patients the brain will
create a recognizable formed visual image even when the patient
cannot process visual input in the eyes due to pathological
changes such as macular degeneration. This can be profoundly
�unnerving for the patient who is already coping with a serious
visual impairment. From the point of view of the student of
Buddhist thought the only reassuring aspect of this phenomenon
is that the patients are fully aware that the created image is false
although they are often afraid to talk about it for fear that the
listener will conclude they are demented or mentally ill.
Yet, more important than this example of a specific research
question that was initiated and nurtured by my St John’s
experience I would like to consider the learning skills that I and all
students acquire on this campus. Numerous newspaper articles
and news broadcasts have recently addressed the question of
whether American colleges and universities are adequately
preparing students for future employment in a rapidly changing
marketplace.
In a recently published special report of The Chronicle of Higher
Education and American Public Media’s Marketplace half of the
employers in the study reported that they had trouble finding
qualified recent graduates. Most of you will not be surprised by
this jeremiad; you have undoubtedly heard or read similar
complaints. What is noteworthy about this study is that
responding employers were not speaking of deficiencies in
specific educational training or technical skills. Their complaints
were more fundamental: they insisted that the primary obstacles
were that the graduates were deficient in essential core skills. I
quote from the New York Times, dated June 29, 2013: “When it
comes to the skills most needed by employers, job candidates are
lacking most in written and oral communication skills, adaptability
and managing multiple priorities, and making decisions and
problem solving.” In this same article a vice-president of a human
resource organization was even more explicit when he said,
“young employees are very good at finding information, but not as
good at putting that information into context.”
�If we believe these criticisms accurately describe the major
obstacles facing recent college graduates seeking employment,
how are St John’s graduates likely to fare in their attempts?
Perhaps, the most straightforward way to assess this is to ask,
“What does St John’s do best?” My evaluation will be from a
student’s point view and I am aware that some of you may feel I
am oversimplifying the issues. Nevertheless, I think St John’s
prepares students to do exactly what these critics claim today’s
young employees cannot do well. In my experience, the
keystones of the St John’s educational process are learning how
to:
1. read carefully and critically some of the most challenging
literature, and
2. express and defend one’s ideas clearly in a seminar, but also
3. evaluate and integrate the conversations of other students and
tutors into one’s understanding of the problems under
discussion.
I thought I was a reasonably skilled reader until I enrolled here. I
was adept in my professional reading and could quickly find and
prioritize the central issues in a reading a scientific paper. I
successfully edited an international ophthalmology journal that
required me to read and review a few thousand manuscripts a
year. I even imagined myself to be reasonably “well read” outside
my medical field of expertise. Naively, I was not particularly
perturbed by the breadth and length of the reading list sent to me
by the Graduate Institute prior to my enrollment. I was in for a
rude awakening. It became apparent in early seminars how many
details, subtleties and inferences I routinely missed in my
readings. Learning how to be a more nuanced reader was a slow
process and that process continues.
Yet, it is the uniqueness and central importance of the St John’s
seminar that I especially want to highlight and examine. I have
�attended many seminars as a student in undergraduate school
and medical school and as a faculty member of a medical school.
When I came to St John’s I was confident that I understood the
dynamics of a successful seminar and how to function effectively
in it. I was wrong, at least in regards to what was expected here. I
had never been in a situation where my education depended
primarily on the quality of thinking and conversation of my
classmates. My classmates weren’t my competition but rather
they were my teachers. I was amazed by the ability of some of my
classmates to penetrate and analyze texts that appeared to me to
be nothing less than incomprehensible. In particular, I am
recalling certain Vedic texts, Yoga sutras and Nagajura’s notions
of truth, but there were plenty of other readings that I found more
perplexing than enlightening. I remain indebted to my classmates
for so much of what I learned here. I still seek the advice of
several of them about their recommendations for further reading.
Of course, one quickly learns that different skills are brought by
various classmates to the seminars. A small cadre of my
classmates seemed to be able to hold forth on any topic and at
least sound informed and thoughtful. Others enjoyed slowly
mulling over the arguments of other classmates and only adding
an occasional insight or critique and then quickly retreating once
again to the role of thoughtful observer. However, some of this
latter group proved to be essential in keeping conversations
moving forward and exploring avenues of thought untested by the
rest of us. That at times some classmates substituted a bit of
blarney masquerading as insight should surprise no one. Indeed,
one of the endearing features of a St John’s seminar is its
tolerance of what might be called Brownian thinking and even the
occasional complete collapse of group focus resulting in an
unintentional homage to Jabberwocky. A St John’s graduate’s
ability to negotiate through the verbiage of a two hour seminar
�and condense the essential elements of it into a few coherent
sentences is a skill that any potential employer should prize.
Having returned to the clinical practice of medicine I now realize
how invaluable the listening skills that I learned at St John’s are in
my work. Yes, they are helpful in the give and take with student
physicians and in navigating the still far too frequent committee
meetings. More importantly they are critical in the most essential
aspect in caring for a patient: obtaining a history of the patient’s
illness. It may seem counterintuitive to you, but the medical
history obtained from a patient is usually far more important in
establishing the correct diagnosis than the physical examination
or laboratory testing. I remember a wise senior professor of
medicine reassuring me when I was nervous 3rd year medical
student that history taking would be the most difficult skill I
needed to learn in order to be a good physician. Why is this true?
A patient comes to a doctor’s office with a specific complaint: in
most fields of medicine it is pain or physical discomfort but in
ophthalmology it is usually visual loss. The problem is to identify
the cause of the pain or visual loss. The art of history taking is to
question a patient in such a way that they provide the clues to
lead you to the correct diagnosis. This involves ignoring a lot of
the conversation that the patient deems essential but that you
judge to be extraneous or even misleading and diverting. On the
other hand, it is sometimes vital to focus on a seemingly trivial bit
of information that ultimately points you directly to the diagnosis.
Shortly after I returned to clinical practice I was asked to see a
young teenage girl who had suddenly become blind in one eye as
the result of bleeding within the eye. Her referring
ophthalmologists were unable to identify a cause for the bleeding.
Her blood count and clotting studies were normal. She was not a
diabetic. She denied experiencing a blow to the eye. She and her
parents were extremely nervous because of the understandable
�fear that she might become blind in both eyes. I proposed that we
start from the beginning and have her describe how this problem
had come about. She grew frustrated with my suggestion since
she had told her story several times to numerous doctors. She
finally agreed and in a disgusted tone of voice said, “It is simple. It
was the end of my vacation and I woke up one morning and could
not see out of my right eye.” I thought for a moment and then
asked her where she had gone on her vacation. When she said
she had traveled to East Africa a new list of possible diagnoses
entered the picture. After surgical removal of the blood in her eye
we were able to identify a bot fly larva in the retina that
subsequently was destroyed with a laser. I confess I am not
certain why I asked her where she had gone on her vacation
except it seemed to be the most important aspect of her
statement. Moreover, she and her family were extremely nervous
so I had to say something. I often finding myself pondering how
much a St John’s education prior to my medical training would
have improved my skills as a physician.
In concluding these remarks I would like to tell you a story that I
believe highlights the breadth of options that your St John’s
education provides you. When I was chair of our department of
ophthalmology I was anxious to expand our research activities. I
knew that a very innovative retinal surgeon was unhappy in the
university where he was employed. He was working on an
exciting prototype of a retinal prosthesis that could be implanted
directly in the retina of blind patients. I thought he would be an
outstanding addition to our department. I called him and asked
him if he might be interested in joining our faculty. After several
conversations it became apparent that both he and his wife were
excited about the possibility of relocating to the Bay Area. Yet, I
could not make a formal offer to this internationally famous retinal
surgeon until he gave a research lecture not only to the clinicians
�but also the basic scientists in our department. I knew this
potentially might be a deal breaker.
In the past 30 years the top medical schools in the country have
become major biomedical research centers and not simply
professional schools were future physicians are trained. In many
departments basic scientists now outnumber the clinicians. In our
medical school the standing of basic scientists has been further
enhanced by the fact that five Nobel Prizes in Medicine and
Physiology have been awarded to UCSF basic scientists since
1989. We would need to convince our basic scientists, a tough
audience, that this retinal surgeon was qualified to join the UCSF
faculty.
To highlight our problem let me say that as a clinician I see basic
scientists as having much in common with Sanskrit grammar.
They love the passive voice especially in journal articles- “A new
gene has been discovered” or “The sample was divided into equal
aliquots”. New discoveries are often named with mind-numbing
compound nouns- proto-oncogene, macrosquare- wave jerks, or
proximity-luminance covariation. I must admit that most basic
scientists would respond by asserting that clinicians lack the
precision and concern for detail so characteristic of Sanskrit texts.
The tension between these two faculty groups is never more
apparent than in research seminars. I discussed this issue with
my new faculty candidate but he assured me he could deal with it.
You can imagine how stunned I was when he began his research
seminar with this story: “A surgeon is walking beside a river when
he suddenly sees a man struggling as he is swept down river. The
surgeon jumps into the river, swims to the man and grabs him
under the chin and pulls him to shore. A few minutes later the
surgeon while continuing his journey up river hears the calls of
two men who are drowning in the turbulent river. The surgeon,
being a man of action, jumps into the river, swims to the two men
�and holds one with his right arm and the other with the left and
drags them to safety. A few minutes later the surgeon resumes
his walk upstream but almost immediately sees three men being
swept downstream in the river. He jumps in the river but realizes
he is unable to pull all three of them to the shore. He looks up and
sees a basic scientist walking upstream on the other side of the
river. The surgeon calls out to the basic scientist and pleads with
him to jump in the river and help with the rescue effort. The basic
scientist replies, ‘No, I am going to walk upstream and see who is
throwing these guys in the river.’”
What are you going to do with it- your St John’s education? No
doubt some of you firmly believe you have your future planned out
in detail; others of you in a candid moment might admit you
haven’t a clue. For myself, I like to think that at St John’s I learned
to swim more effectively while also being encouraged to walk up
river more often. I envy the many opportunities that await all of
you. Congratulations again. There are great adventures and
challenges ahead. What will you do with them? Ah, that will be an
interesting story.
Dr. Hoyt received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst college,
and his MD from Cornell University Medical College; he served as
Intern in Medicine at Stanford University and as a Resident on
Neurology and then in Opthalmology at University of Californa in
San Francisco. He has served as a flight surgeon in the US Navy,
as a lecturer at the University of Sydney, and from 1978 to the
present he has practiced medicine, taught, and performed
research at at the University of California, San Francisco, where
he is currently Emeritus Professor and Chair of the Department of
Opthalmology. He has authored over 170 peer reviewed scientific
articles, among other publications. In 2010 he received his Master
of Arts in Eastern Classics from St. John’s College. A classmate
reported that he was an anchor of the group, widely respected by
�his fellow students. He is now a member of the Presidents’
Council of St. John’s College.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
commencementprograms
Text
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Hoyt, Creig
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Commencement Address, Graduate Institute, Summer 2013
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2013-08-02
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Annapolis_GI_Summer_2013_Commencement
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Annapolis, MD
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St. John's College
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Typescript of the commencement address for the Graduate Institute given by Creig Hoyt at the end of the Spring 2013 semester in Annapolis, MD.
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Commencement
Graduate Institute
Tutors
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;
A DD
TO T H l.:
ALUl\1NI
AND
GRADU r-
OF
A?\l> TO T H C FR I EN D S OF
EDUCATTO
IN l\'.[ARYLAND.
DV
DECTOR IIUl\IPHREYS, D. D.
l"RES I Dll:NT .AND P ROF.Esso n OF ll10 Il.A l. SCI EN C!t,
DELIVE R E D AFTE R THE
AXNlJAL C O lll lUENCE IUENT
IN
FEBRU.llRY, 1S35.
AXNAPOLIS :
Printe d nt t h e r equ est ot Cho Vhltora n n tl G ovc1
·nor11 oC
t h o CollclifO,
J E REl\HAII H UG HES, Pnu~n:n.
�,~
A D D R E S S, &c.
It is easy, for a few moments of misapplied force,
to overthrow the labours of centuries. No monument
of genius or p1·oductirm of industry, is so permanent
or glo1·ious, thnt a very little effort, in an evil hour,
will not sap its foundations and lay it in the dust. Tacitus says, "ut corpora L
ente augescunt, cito ea:stinguuntur sic inge1iia studiaque, facilius op/1rcsseris
quam revocm•eris." In the violent deaths of the most
illustrious men of the empire, he was painfully con-
trasting th e power to destroy, with the capacity to
produce. They were stricken, like stars from their
spheres of light; nnd no creative power of genius
could ever present the same combination again. No
similar series of devoted years, can replace tlie individual, h ero, or statesman, 01· philanthropist, who is
lost. The time~ and occasions whi~h called him fo1·th,
went with the exalted being, whom they produced;
and they never can return. Instances of this fatality
occur in every age, in one form 01· in another, to make
man mourn over the wrecks of hjs best hopes. Over
tl1e grave of such a man as Hamilton, for example, in
the promise that other sons may arise, our country
fin<ls no solace for the blow that struck from her cmh,race, one of tJ1e noblest forms of humanity.
"Soles -0cci<lere ac red ire possu nt,
Nobis, cum Eemel occidit lux brC>vis,
N ox est .perp()tua una dormiendu."
But it is not my purpose to speak of any in<lividual
however illustrious, who may have fallen by an untimely fate. The event, with which we are concerned, aimed at no single victim, but struck the principle and system of their whole life and being. :Fifty
years have now elapsed since an assembly of illustrious
>nen <lelibe1:ated .and acted upon this spot .with a vjew,
.
�4
11 tht} 1hen1'<.h rutatr, " to lrflin up rmr/ /H'1'/J('/t1alf
a 111mrnrm f/f able ar/(j lwnral mrn, for di1cltflr !(inf{
t/1, t•r1riwr nffiru of lift, /i(Jfh ri1 rmr/ rrlil(iou1,
·il
1r1th utr/11/111 o an4 rr/mfatiim "-nn obj eel ~ hic: h
ha al~a n 110 11 "promotrr/ rmr/ rnrwrc11.(rt/ '11/ the
rriv·tf lll~'/ l1rtl rrg1datrrl Statrrt.'' · 'J'lu·y kucw that
t/11 pov. • I' ,rul )l!'rlllllll l !I CI' ur • Hf' pt1hlic, ilrp<'nd1
·d
mote:"" the mol'!ll and intellectual, than the physical
rne!'Kk•; 1111<l tlwy 11ow that the pO'lition of their
Stat.1. wu favourllhlc for the higheat rank in the M:alc
of political <l'u ti11ction. They were, nlw, aware of
1
tl1c influence w he exerted upon the world. nt large,
liy tl1e ex pcrimcnt of our rcpuhlicnn i Mtil11tio11~.
They l1 1Jomr• glinipw rif tl1 c fc11 rf1 rapidity with
n1l
il
which the tide or population would fill 11 land ot free·
1lom. A111l ordinary prudenc", 1111ggi·stccl the need
o( prll'p<:ctivc nrr11ngcn1
e11l1 for ~lte l!lCIHll l r~1ornl Cl!l·
lure of n p<:o pl1·, wlro shou ld ~pr111g rnlo licmg while
everything wn§ to lw pr<:parcd for their reception.
Tl11:y lost n11 time, in provuling the mOM direct rncnns
l
for it1 M'C'>rn pli~hm c nt. Upwa rd ~ of half ,1 century
lta.11 paa.-.ecl away; we stnnd upon the ground whic h
they tlwn occupied. It isoul'll to nsk, lo whntextent
th<:ir expcct.atiou~ have hcen realized; and it is obvi·
OU8 to reply, th11t every anticipation or advancement
in wcaltfl nud population, hns hc more than fulfilled.
:cn
The growth of the Union hall exceeded alike the
alnrmn or tyrant~, nncl the hope11 of pntrioL'!; hut the
means of cducntiou lrnve NO'I' hecn multiplied in the
113M r1 roportio11, / T/1c ir1crc·nl!ing dcmnud contemC
111ntcd /iy tltcil' provident ;1111'/">11c11, /ms 110/ been rm p·
plied; tlu.: inH
litutiou wl11ch they plllritc<l, !ins 11ot
gtown with tlH· growth of tile Jlcpul1Jic-it hns 110 /
11trengtlu:11ed with ill! ,.lrcngtl1. What thnt growlh
would lravc beer: jf the axe Imel not IJecn laid to ils
rtJ(Jt, we cnrwot <l clcrmirrr. Om: Lhi11g is cc:rlnin:
it can 111;vcr lie rcN
tor·cd- tltc vigor nud perm1111
cucc
of the rnouarcl1 of the fo rest arc d11c to tl1c scri ci. of
ycara iu which he g1 to tlu.: istntion lie wns to oc·cw
cupy on tile cvcrl1t11li11~ hills. Tl111L <libti11clio11 might
.)
have been au.aiocd by ST. loH 1''~ can no more Le
~ueitioncd, than th-tt it 11• lx<:u aUamul hy otiltr
111stit11tioof1 j>lft nt• d 111 tlw l>JU.l ~11· pic 1ou~ pti ind,
hut nol tm1cl1f'd i,, tlu Ul fll{• ~·m rc.l l pov. <1. 1t> d• r.•
tiny 11•(1f 11m11ly folfillt•l iu >l' pt i1111 ti" pn ioJ, tlt.r·
i ng 1A h id1 a.<.uect •iou vf 1 11>t; M l.vlar" \\<.11l fc vm ita
haJlb, \lohu 1111\ C n1Jl L<.<.11"'H"Jl:i.'~d.111 our ('111
111try,
for re1p<.:<'lal1ilit) and u~fulhl u. ·1 111. name· ~fl h<l!I'
who h;n•c 1foti11gui,hc.d thii J>Uto<l CJI its hi,tilr~. n1 cil
not be rcpu1tcd. Thry lta\c n<•l all h1.;rn g.ithc1ul
to their fotheri. Thl\' ltan 111ni H<l to \\1l1111, in
the fate of their almn u;attr, ant>.( ni plificati1J11 of thl
relative facilit\ , with v. lucli uio.:11 huihl nm! 1k11lrO)
the loWCnl of thei r 0\\ II llrcni;th. 'J ht College might
ha\'C hcCllmr, ere Lhi•. nil that it fo1111d•·1. 1h.f.ignc.d,
or th4t thc.ir •uCCl"'iO"' <
·oolil ha\ c 1
.k-i.in:d Th(;
causl'1 of tho fJihJrc nc1 <l 11ol now be -crutiui:z.ell. Jt
i11 or liulc eon~1p1ecr('C; from IAh:lt 11u ~lrttr the UC·
6lro~·1.;r c11mc; \\Ill thcr h1 w:u from \\ ithout, or
\vhethcr he 'praug up fro111 the 'cry hu11..,chohl. Jn
e1tbcr C\ cut, \\ C t-hl)u)d be remimlc<l or the fatal
power '' ith whic It man is i1\Ukil; and it '' r 11 ltl he
1
eq1111Jly our dut), to II> j11i' i1;c to the <lead, v. liile v. e
discharge our obli;ption· L thr )i,·i11g.
il
It woul<l lie gratifyi11g tn <li•co\C I' a dill'• rent rx·
plnnation or so111
eacL. 11oy. k dgc:d facts in H ga rt.l to Ed·
ucalion in Maryland , \\ hich arc not \'CIY nattering lo
the pri<lc of the :Slate. But it i~ not lo IJ1; r.up po:;cd
that n <lepcndc11ce 11 pon the institutions uf other State~,
would have liccn sull'crcd, if a ;_;rnc rd ~eminar~ of tbc
highest rnn k had been m:iturcd \\ ithin her own uountls.
'1 he records of St. Joh11 \ 'how that no rnch <.J i,position existed hc:fnrc ~he fell 1,1.tlcr the hla~t of a<l\"Cr ·
sily. Jn that period ~h e <.d ucalc(l con~idcral>le
numbers from adjoining ::itatcs. But the conscquc1iccs of the fatal crrur,ha\ e 11nfo'.di:d and extended
themselves down tu the present times. lcur a Ferics
of years after that period, no ae('Ount can be rendered of this seminary, other than that which applies to
the schools \\ilh which ~he wnssurrounde<l. They became prodlJcli rc nurscrils for the Colleges of other
�.
6
States; the power of conferring degrees was not indeed
uken away; but it was made of no effect, by the immediate reduc tion of the standard of its scholarship, whi ch
followed the confiscation of its funds The worthlessn ess of this power, unaccompanied by adequate means
for its supp01·t, is almost annually exemplified in the
College c harters, which arc g ranted to nil suc h as nsk
them, provided they p etition for nothing but th e
pnrc hment on whic h the nets are: written. And this
process may go on till every acre of our territory
shall he covered over with them; and it will only be
made so mucb the more certain, that the testimonials
of literary distinction will be sought elsewhere.
Nor have the Colleges of other States been slow to
avail themse\ves or the advantages thus afforded-they
wisely extended their courses of education by collecting all that wns necessary, at whatever cost. When
legislative aid failed, private munificence supplied the
d efi ciency. Every year increased the dis parity bet ween the domesti c and the foreign Institutions; and
that, pnrtly, at our own cost. N ot content with the
privilege of educating the youth of a d estitute state,
i t was made th e ground of a claim for the more direct
aid of money, 11s well as or men. Thousands have
t hus gone out of Maryland, to fill up; as it WQ the
re,
measure of he r bounty. Distan ce has been no barrie11
to h er diffusive liberali ty towards others. It has gone
Leyond th e Alleghnnies, to .iid in making her dependance more permanent and e xtensive. Jn short, it
J1as radiated from her, to g ild the temples of scie nce
in all lands but he r own; and that, when the cry,
"come over a11d help us," hns been mo re loudly :-aised in behalf of her own territory, than for those where
h er bounty has been la vishecJ. Most of th e old
States made ample provision in eal'ly times, and ceased not, to 11dd whntevcr became necessary, by the
advance of tJi e ?OpuJation, anu the extension O scif
ence. In all of th e ne w States the most abundant
J>rovision has been secur ed from th e a mils of the public lands. In the mean tim e, th e cause in Maryland
Jrns been kept alive by hope. Future generations Ill'()
7
t.o r ealize something, ~hen the claims against the
General Oove mmcnt shall ultimately be settled. Thus
has M aryland allowed others to do, in her behalf,
what she could have done muc h better for hn~elf .
J ealous as she is, of every other right, this part of her
sovereignty has lost its value. Though no office of
imperial power is of a higher style, than that which
wreathes the laurels of science around the brows of
the d eserving, she con cede~ it to oth e~. And yet
she retains the form s and the names. How does this
contrast with h er usual sensiuility? Every inc h of
her domain she would guard with a monarc h's power;
the ten·thousandth fraction of her p opulation ~he
would "gra pple, as " ith hooks of steel;" but, content
with knowing that th ey arc h ers, she allows them to
owe what nllc.giance th ey list, in th e more elevated
empire of letters.
It is well worth all our attention to mark by wfiat
means this allegiance has been p erpetuated. The
mnjority of Teachers in Maryland, both private and
public,are graduates of Colleges in other States. They
exercise an imperceptible, and p erhaps inrnluntary
influence in favour of their own institutions. This jg
.a natural anu unavoidable result-and thus a College
is rich, in the attachme nts of her alumni. · In every
clime, their hearts turn to her walls wi th aspirations
for her prosperity; and as opportunities olfer, they de•
light in offices for her good. It is proper it should
b e so. B u t would it not, a t the same time, be p ro-
per tliat Maryland!hould avail herseif of the benefits
of these salutary ties? If the d emand for teache rs
were supplied fro..1m our own ranks, this powerful
moral influence would operate for her good. And
what is of the utmost ~onsequence to t he cause of
education, the p eople at large would be conciliated,
as their private inter P.sts would b e p romoted. If t he
elasses of our own population were made to furnish the
men of this honorable and responsible employment, it
would alone, g-0 far to concentrate the now dispersed
energies of the State. And ifnothin5 shall be d one
for an object so desirable, where is the present sys-
�tem to encl? I it one of tho e cnscs Lhnt will provide
for it elf? That experiment hns been tried, an<l
the re ult hn been whnt it C\' CI' must be, where men
nrc bound to rely upo11 their own resoure:cs; the opulent nn<l powerful reap the ndvantnge. There is but
one mode by which success may be rendered certain.
It i to n.dopt the very mensures, by whic h others
hn,·e profited; to collect from private sources \vhat is
needful to gi\·e effect to the public appropriations.The cn\lowment ma\le by the Government is not suOlcient to support a College; and the deficiency ~rnst be
mndr up by those who feel interest enough, to mduce
their co-opcmtio11. It is impossible to retrace a
~ inglc step tlrnt 1111 been Jo t, l>y any oth~r means than
the opening of nn institution of the _lughcst order.
l\'fcn of ·wealth will neith er pl1tcc t heir _ons nt a College, for education, nor will they cmpluy its gr~ duntc
ns teachers, unless it sustains nn cle.vnted • tandnrd of
scholarship. Our citizens Jo,·c thc1r State muc~1; hut
they lo,·c their sons more; nnd th:y cnnnot_ be expected to take nn education at home, if a su perior one can
be outained nbroa<l.
\Vhen I spcnk of nn allcgian~e pai~ to others, therefore 1 mean nothing but what 1s obnous to every refJcc{iug mfrJ<J. Ancl every assemhlnge of the sons .of
Mnrylnncl, graduates of collc!:?es in other tntes, will
bear me witness on nll occns1ons \\hen_they meet ~t
commencement fc~tirnls to rc,·frc thc_hter~ry n _so~1ntfons of thcil' early days, that exultnt1on, rn tins I ccct for thcirn.1th •c t.1 tc, is not one o~ t/Jc elements
of tli ; en tertainment. Indeed no exercise
the su·er of tlie tnte can b~ mor e suitable 01•
o"
'
Premc pti tfii· which bids he1· ons to Le grateJiul
.
g IOrJOUS Jail
'
• ·
•
l\if
1
• r r the O
fJportuni tics •ofd<l1 trnct1on.
nry0
to 1~e1, 11
f
1 • brnnc1 o_ 1
Janel has not effectuall y excrc1 c . t us
1
1er
"t1 · N or doc she manifest nny present de've
. I.
prer () g..
.
termination to do so, but it is prcci.'-~1y 1or t us re~son
tliu t I place my reliance .upon private _enterpr~zc.
l\faryland did orrcc exercise the power, m the c1 ea·
tion of the oi<l U11ivc1-sity; but the dca_d letters o~,thc
statute Look Jong stood as the "nommes umbra' of
o
r
9
the wisdom of a departed generation. The new Uni·
versity has been as little successful, for the purposes
in view. Indeed the lntter is a pure us urp1tion of
the nnme Qf the former. But the literary sceptre is
still n mere "brutumfulmen," in the royal hand. It
is idle to contend about n name. It is enough that
the system framed l>y our forefath ers is preserved.
The charter of St. John's, has l'ectivcd new Yitality
and vigour from the legiti mate source of power.
Not a sy llabic or letter of the wisdom it contained in
'84 has bel~n lost. The voice of authority· has only
spoken to l>i<l its provisions, again, to take effect; and
she has appointed her own ministers, to see that her
will shall be obeyed. In short, the legislation of the
last tvvo ytars hns conferred upon St. John' s, more of
the character of n Stale Institution, than wns possessed by the old University. The way then is properly opened for theconcentmtion of private munificence.
The College has been re -adopted by the State, on
terms which engnge her high est oflicers to watch over
its interests and extend its influence.
The importance of this measure is evident, from
the superior character of those Colleges in other
States, which nre placed under the inspection and
patronage of their res pective Governments. It so
happens that the f01n· principal Seminaries of the Union are thus organized, Harvard College, e. g. is the
Stnte College of l\1assnchusetts. Its number of alumni is nearly six thousand. Yale stands in the same
relation to Connecticut. The Governor, Lieutenant
Governor nn<.l six of the State Senators,n:re of the Board
of T1 ustecs: an<l nnmml reports are made of its condition to the Legi. lnture. She numbers about five
thousand alumni; a body of men who hnve recently
nllded S 110,000 to her funds. Union College, and
Nassau Hall are in the sa me relation to New York
and 1'i ew Jersey. In point of numbers, these two
Colleges stand next to Yale and Harvard. That the
eminence of those institutions is due to their State
character, alone, \s a position which I do not as ume.
2
�10
Yet lhere nre oLviou~ J'ensons for !>c lieving that
J1as bcl'n owing to th is fen tu re; since oth<'r C mue1i
in the sn me States, wW1 faculties of equo.J nbili~11 eges,
Jenr11ing , do not nttrnct the sa me numbers of stu~e~~u
8
•
I t is n;, t u ra l to su ppose lhut n State College .
.
t a n· on. T h JS not
so Jrn!Jlc as others, to become sec
. . "
ey
r egard ed mo r e as common g 1oun d 1or nil uenom·arc
tions. L oca l Ins titu tjons, w h i..: f1 a1·e u nd er the ~:n
ticular patronage of n sect, cannot be expected to <1~
:ive much sul?port from ot her s~urC'~s. And yet, it
1s a pe~fect r ig ht of any denomrnat1on of christinns
to endow, and place u n_df'r th e ~xc!usive care of pro~
fessors of t h eir own fo1t~, I ns t1tul1o ns for their own
benefit. It is perhaps wise to do so; for such semi.
ncu·ies a rc r.ow sHpporte~ ? Y most denomina tions as
th eir nurserie~ for t l1e mrni try. Still, suc h ins titutions are not nc111 pte<l to th e gene ral wants of the com.
1nunity, un le~s t h e principle be adopted to make them
ns numerous :is t h e 11nm cs of c11ristians; which would
be to nbandon all th e ndvantages of concentrntecl cf.
fort. T he succ~ssfu l operation of sec ta rian institutions in a State.s o far th.en, from s uperceding, l\.'ou ld
mther 1
·eq11ire the establ1shu1ent of at least one S tate
College, not go,•erned by pl"ivate interests. I t is reasonal•le to ex pect, t hnt such a CoJlcge, onl y, can attract general patronage. In t his respect, the organization of St. Joh n's leaves nothi ng to be desired. It
was fou nded by men of th e v:irious c hristia11 crec<ls,
who ~a\'C it n c harter, decidedly chri tian, but Catho.
lie. No individual can sit in her Board of "l rustees
who <lots not ex press his uoqualified belief in the
christi1rn r eligion. A nd the pvinciple is carried to
its proper extent in the government of th e College.
It is e<]ua ll y removed from both extremes. An<l che
presence i n the Hoard of Trustee.i;, of so la rge a por.
tion of pul> licancl poJiticnJmen togcrl1erwith its r esponsibil ity to the Legisla ture, secures the college from
th e influence of sectirianism.
I reiterate, t/Jen, tlJllt the system of our forefotl1ers
is p1
·eserved. A nd a better system could not be d evised
for a college, of tlJe most extensive scnle. It is on!J
11
required then, lo give this system the neccssar.IJ en ·
/argemcnt . If we were to l>egin, de novo, to frnme
the bes t system wh ich the wit of mnu can furnish , w e
should end p r ecisely u p on t his sch eme. It has n e ver
needed nny t h ing but fun ds, additional funds, to g i ve
it s uccessfu l nc tion. Not only h ns n good found ation
been laid, !Jut it hos bee n r ig h tly laid. The failure h ns
r esu lted fro m withh olding the s u p plies 1·cc1uirc d for
t he su p erstruc turc.
7Y1-at these n ecessary su/1/1lies can be ohlainccl f ront
the liberality of our citizens , is t h e n e xt p o int w h i c h
comes und er our considcrntion. And on t h is branch
of t h e su bjec t, I a m h nppy to quote the ~trong lno
gungc of n most 1
·esp ectablc com mittee nppointe<l lnst
year, to vi~it t h e college, on the p art o f t h e L eg isla·
turc. In adver ti ng to this moue of obtaining fun<l io~
the committee r emark, ''I t is an ex/Jcdient resorted
4
to hy many .ftow·ishi11g Seminaries of leaming in
distant States, to which our own ci tiz ens !tave liberal(lf contributcd,whilst t!te unpret ending characte1· of
this Institution ltas sllrun!t from resorting to so fa·
milia,. a11d f(;g itimale a mnt!e of obtaining assistance
-a.and seem~· to !tave laboured u.ru/er the belief, that
the rej;eal or 1·evocation of legislative endowments, at
tlte same time annulled the 1·ig!tt to collect inr/ividuat
subscriptio11s; Th.e autltority anq /Jo/icy of suclt a
measure, m·e urged 011 t!te consideration of th e Visi·
tors anr/ Governors, mu/ earnestly commcndccl to th e
p ublic."*' Un<ler this im pulse, we have oo mmenced
onr appenl. \Ve have belicvc<l that the existing s tate
of education in M aryland cannot be allowed to re mai n
unc h a nged . The peo ple w ill be jus t and true to their
vital inter ests, ns they hnvc been generous nntl libc1
·ul
to those of oth ers. T he nnturnl r esults of leaving powerful and active neighbo urs. to mnk e the most of their
opportunities have been su ffi ciently developed. 'T he
College, therefore, con fide ntly ap peals to the p atrons
of learning, and hopes for so me portion of the bounty
to whic h none can present a l'tr onger claim.
• Report by tho Bon. John B . .Mori is.
�12
Our expccloti o11s thus for lanvc nol !Jccn c.Ji
•
S hould uniform success nttend our ~PP 0 1 11.t.
every pnrt of our Stntc, tl1c end in view
borts, in
nncl /lnnlly nccomplishcd- nruJ l1nvc wo not r·e c fully
grounds to look fo 1· such co opcrntion? It 1 nMr~nblc
·.,.
/•
"" Ulll\'C I'
sn JI y c one~ dccl ~ l IHit sometmn[: must be done. A ·
ou r r e ply 111, either prop ose somcthino- h ltc r
nd
.
. fl
.I
.
J .
n
, or c n11t
rn 1our rn .ucncc w1l t ours.
t is th onghl rcnsonnbJo
thnt the cllort shou ld he mode ltcre, because, so much
hns a lready been done lo our hnnds. Anti it c-11 11 rn1
•
. I
. d
.
sc
no dou bt, 111 ~ 1c !'1in. of n rcfJ ccling, well informed
mnn, ~hnc the rnst1t11t1on has laboured so long, without
ell'cctrng more. It shou ld rntlt cr exc ite nclm irntion
thnt she has clone so muc l1 . The causes t hnt have op.
erntcd .to prc':ent greater success, are not unfrequc ntly mnmfested m human nllnirs; nn d they work wHh uncontroulitble powc,., even w li e re we see m to be the
mas ters of our fate. There is n conditi on of the mind
~n~ er sudden cnlnmity, in whi ch it is os l1opelessly
indisposed to net, as .the ph ysicn l energies nre, under
th.e stroke of p~ rnly~lfl; The d cprci;sio11 of th e public
mrnd, and the 111uc t1v1ty of tl1e puhlic will, in rcgul'd
to cducntion, wns th<: consequence of the overthrow
of the old University. In th e long repose which fol Jowcd,thcrc wns n perfec t consciousness of the in c ubus
wl1ich pressed on the bosom of th e Stnte . And occasional efforts were mncJ c. to throw it off. Inade qua te
efforts however, nlwnys mc r ense, rather th1n nll cvinte
the burden. They i11vn1·iably ncld to t he fears of the
wenk and th e fui11tness of t he timid . Hu t there is
~o th ing. impr~ct i cab lc in the present sc he me.
It i:1
t
mdectl 1mposs1ble no•u to r estore what hns been irre.
trievnl>ly lost. The strong feeling nncl su pport of those
who should have been alumni of St. John's, have been
transferred elsewhere, The blank of the barren years
never can be fill ed. Jt is a moral waste of those nssoeiations th nt cling nrouncl the wnlls of time honoured nod well cherished institutions, which no vain i·e15.r~ts, or pious ~tlices cnn repair. But the impossi·
b1 of r ecovering ~h ese, shou ld stimulate us the more
laly
to ]>rcvent further loss. .E,•c1·y yea r udds imm ensura·
c<I.
wilt
,
f.
13
bly to t he sncrHlce. And it is in our power: prop e r •
ry t111pporte<l l>y the publ io fav our, to bring these snori Occs to n perpclunl c ntl . Su rely th e n every p or·
t ion of M ur yla11cJ w ill le nd its oid in a cJes ig n, wh ic h
so nenrly conect'lls nil, n11d whe re t here is so mu~ h
r cnson to ho po for su cccsq, I t ii; h nlf of the ente rprise
to hnvc made n just ucgi1111ing. B ul we hnvc d one
more. Th ~ clements o f n r csp cc tuhl e College, for n
limi ted number of pupils, nrc now assembled. Th e
most pressing 11cc <l i s t hnl of tli e p r ope r bui ldi ngs to
rceei vo tho n111 c la lurgor 11111n1Jcrs w ho in t h e cvc 11t of
their being o pe ned wou ld resort to he r Hnlls.
It is nssurncd t hnt no College c nn fl ou rish here, or
elsewhere, un less the pupils r esitlc wit h t he o ffi cers
and Pro fessors, w hose duty nn<l i11 tc rcst it is, to M\' C
the m from evil, ns w e ll Ds to open t h e fo un tnins o f
knowleugc. I n m con fid e nt there fo r e, when this matter is understood, tha t the p eo ple of M a r y lnnd will
afford us this indis pensab le r equisite for ou r prosperity
nn d th ci: r own sa fety . I nm unwilling to s uppose Lhnt
such nn nppcnl cari s uffe r n cold r·c pulse. It is impossibl e for me to clouut, thut L wor k o f soli c itation
hc
which I hnve so fur prosecuted, with plensu r e nnd s u ccess, wi ll find n cordinl welGome fro m evu·y inte lligent mind, and every generous hen r t.
The p roposed method of obtaining funds, is no t
only the most certain, but th e mos t cqititablc, o r nl
)east, the most e:r:/.Jcdient. Not thnt inju stic e would
be committed, iii ns has been d one ·in :iorno oth e r
States, the whole n ecessary nmount were to b e n ppro·
printed from th e public T1·ensury . It wou ld ue ns
rensonn.l>le to affirm nn inequa li ty in the d egrees of
rrotect1on cxte11clcc1 l>y l11c U o vcrnmcnt to th e various
classes in socie ty . The influ ence o f educat ion i s
diffusive ns the lig ht. I t may be mo r e c o ncc ntr;tcd
in some places t han in others, but no one is more
dee ply iutcrested, t han nnoth e r, in its univel'sa l ci l'c u Jation. Still, the r e is n belief, that s c: minnri es o f
learni ng do uot operate equally, in fav our o f nil c lass es. And it w? uld ~e. well t o 1·emove eve n t his a pparent gl'oon d o{ hostility lo t he ca use o f Educa tion-
�14
nn<l nothing would do this mare effi t
.
ec ually th- .
tn ·b u.t ums m ade by the wealthy Porti<m ""l4fl eoJ1.
0
munity, ror t he pu r pose of placing a Con~ 1~ ':OT11·
th.e r each of others, as well as their own
ge "''thin
tn butors, t hemselves, would be no IOSc. S~~h con~
J~ opulent, would participate in ad~ ~hale the
which t hey ar e no w excluded . lo Olh tages from
·
er
i ns t 1t u b. on wou Id be opened for t heir ace0 Word ~~ •n
h· h ·
mmodauon
w ic IS ."?w too remote, or too expeosi~c. for tbc1:
means. I hus both would be benefitted. Tb
.
d.
d
e preju1c~ an errors, tnoreo..•er, which prevail on this
subj ect, wou ld h: dispelled. T he people would not
he slow to perceive t he equity of this kind of codov.-m en.ts, ~owe\'er unwil!iog they may now be, to admit
the JU
st1ce of th e p ublic bounty. AJI interests would
then, be comrined. T here would be DO deficiency
o f means to carry out tbe provident designs of ou r ancestors. T hei r noble system would be completed ,
a nd its blessings would extend to thousand! and tens
of thousands of the generations yet to come.
I t is proper I should embrace this occ~$ioo, to do
justice to th e valuable schools, of a high order, which
are s uppor ted by p ublic a ppropriations. T he policy
that establ ished these, was undoubtedly good; yet it
was butpartfri.ll!J good, so long as it stopped short of
endowing, at feast one general institution, of the high est rank, to p er form for them all, the office that has
been so long enjoyed by the Colleges of other States,
and to r ender them among other benefits in return,
an a.Jeq uate supply of teache~, ~en ~rom the m~ri
torious sons of the State. " 1tlnn their appropnate
sphere, these ~chools arc in~truments. of incalculable
good. They gwe a substnnt u1\ education to v~ nomb ers of in valuable men . Yet the fact is unt/upulet/1
sti ll, that theg nre the nururiQ, from tch.irh /he,
Colleges in ot~er States are _li~tra~Ly ~upplie4. ~or
is i t of any avail, to say that d tSttnct.Jon IS ofcen obtained by such as seek no higher opportunities than th ey
can afford. H ow many distinguished indivi<luaJs have
sprung from th e emerg~~cies in which they were
placed; and from the exc1tl;ig causes which in every
0
�16
17
ed to repel h er claims, or thwart her purposes. It is
then, in one r;hort h our of triumph, thnt a favo urite
son r ep ays n thousand fol<l, the costliest nurture that
nerved his nrm for the conflict. And can a State rationally expect the highest <levotion of her sons, if
sh e mnkes not i;uch provision, ns will kindle their
1
1ridc for the land of their birth! If she sends them
to oth er nurses, in the yenrs of their tenderest susceptibility, what cnn s h e expect, oth er than a weakening of theit· native, characteristic enthusiasm.
No people on enrth are more strongly incited to
the hig hest cultivntion of the intelled. As n whole
p eople, tlie union of these States has relations to sustain townr<ls otht:r portions of the world; which t ask
the powers of the mind to the utmost of its exe1
·tion.
And wh:it shall we say of thc.m ns in<li\•idual sovereignti<>s bound, indeed, by n solemn c.:onfederncy, but governed by peculiar interaits; powerful ai: the kingdoms
of the old world. and like them, liable to be summoned to trials of their strength? ] )owe not p ercei \'e that
all of these p owerful Hepublics have everything to
promise themselves, fro'll the encouragement they
may ex te nd to education; and everythini; to fear from
n relative neglect? And are we not aware thnl Mary·
land hns rensons, eminently urgent, to draw from art
and science whatever aids she may for the protection or
her t erritory, or the increase of her power? The emulation which she ought to feel, to open wide, fo r the
:>ccess of her citizens, nil those resources of w ealth,
which her p owerful ri\•als are striving to unlock, cannot, for a moment, Joi;e sight of the advantages w hich
a nation derives from the diffusion of knowledge. It
is her fortune, and it may be h er fate, to embrace in
her territory an extensive "~'l· The largest avenue
to the very h eart of the Union is in h er keeping?
She cannot he insensible to the benefits, or to the
dangers of this charge. Whether this last golden
prize of freedom, OUR UNION is to be preserved, or
to be shivered into the fragments which our e nemies
would delight to see i;cnttered among the wrecks of
past ages, Maryland must n ot ignobly rest: Nor hn~
she thus slumbered, over h er forl unc or her fate!The magnificent public works, now in pro5 rcss, which
nrc alike promotive of the nrts of peace, nnd pre pnra •
"I
.
\
..
~.·
atory for the exigencies of wnr, evince a Cl..lmm'!ndnble degree of that wakeful foresight, to whic h nations, as well as individuals, owe their honour and their
power. She has but to go on in these grand high
ways, which nature has marked as with lines of ligh~
to nnd from her commercial Emporium, as a common
centre; she has but to complete what she has so ju·
diciously begun, and her high d estiny will be fulfilled.
And will she sleep over t he all impor tant machinery of education, to which, Labove all other means,
she must look to bear her onward to t his goal of h er
h.ighest hopes?
On this point, is there nothing
to be desired? Ifshe relics on such practical and scientific skill, as some few of her sons may bring from dis ·
tant States, or from foreign kingdoms, will sh e accomplish all that her destiny evidently invites! Is
she not aware, that education is the life and soul of all
these improvemehts, in the moral and physical conditions of men! Science must d evise th e plans; and sci·
ence must carry them into execution. L ook a t t he
kingdoms, whic h have made themselves powerful by
a proper use of their natural advantages, and the lesson is everywh ere the same. Science is the source
of nll h uman p ower, over the secr et agencies of nature. She ascends into the skies; and sh e penetrates
into the earth. Siu~ makes her p aths throug h the
trackle.~s ocean, as well asover th e rugged con tiner.t.
Whatever can add to the comfort and safety, or expand the intelligence and happiness of men, comes
<lirectly or indirectly, from th at slee pless s pirit, i n
which she is ever cngage<l, "ashing questions of na ture." And, from the clays of D~co11, to the prescn t,
it wou\<l seem that mere magnitutle of dangers, 0 1· of
diOicultics, has only added to her activity. T ake any
single instance of English enterpl'ise, that you may
choose, and the lesson will be uniformly the same,
namely, that a State which aims t\t th e pt·e-eminencc
i n commct·ce, in ngriculLlll·e, 01· in arts, must, first of
3
�I
~IL J'IO'• r her encou~~m.C'nt into the lap of. ~cicnce.
~t C'lf th:i.t d:i..~1cnl country, there 1 n spot,
s
011 the
hich h:id pro,-ffi the- s r:we ol thousnnds of ~nterpri
Ur-3\\ n tC'I her ~hl1rcs by the magic of hct'
ll~ but sn:\tt.'hro aw by unseen dnnge~. more aw:1y
ful th~n the e~·ll:i. and Chnrybdis orthe.' nncit-nt., be·
c~u.~ no • ' in~ li~t was hf'ld out. to \\'":\I'll the un·
C"On.~ious mari~er"of his inevitnblc futc. Evc.-ry effort
to muntain the ntce~'\rY beacon, on this µt'ril\lus
spot. hau . ignally flile<l. • Ptttious li\'es hnd been
~ctificcd in vain, for this humane purpo c.-. The
whole ~ience of Englnnd. n century l\g'Oi wns.brought
into ttqu~ition: aml. it ' ""as. nt last. nccom pli~hcu .
In the midst oi the \\ ild wn. te :ind \\ nr or the wnters,
fsr rrom the rtD.Ch of \nod, ll ti:: ~, O r the fatnl
\'C
pilph~ tlle ~tar of the tempestuous ocean; and it.
light is fed by a human h:ind. " here it would seem
none would p~ume to ,·cnture hut the Fi:i.t of Omnipotence! \'CJ.!"$ :ind years h:1,·e \'O\led :tWn~: sin~e it
was first l..indlffi U\ the torl'h or !'ClCnee: but l( . hme
on, in the tl:trkest -ni~ht of the oce~n whi rl winds. :ind
the heut of the C'\h~ustffi !'3.ilor leaps for joy, as he
catches its flic-kerin g my. an<l blesses bi God th:it
m:in is s\lle<l " ith nc\ t to Cl'('llti,·c F.wer!
I hll\ t' purposd) tnken n ~~, winch seems to have
pl'CSCnted a problem, n century '\.ince, to show. that
life, as well ns property. de1lCnds upon the orthnary
skill of the engineer. 'fhl' mt'l"t' i1mount of properly,
thus s:n eJ bv :i sin~le elfort. " ould more th:u1 sunice
to endow th~ ~·hool, llr A cntirr couutrr. But whn t
n
is this. com1\.1rt·d \\ ith thl' liH~ of men? \\'c might
mention in. tnnecs nf n chnnctrr more purely cie11tific, in " hich the Ji, cs of thou.ands nud tms or thous:tnd~ hl \'C been srl3.~, in tht' COOl(ll !:S or 3. few ye:u-s,
by the encoungemcnl5 hdu out U) thi s:sme intdli~nl eountrv.
' llut take ·the most recent. mere hu.iness enterpri c,
and the conclusion is the S3rne. Take. e. g. the
T unnel, that is now constructing under the Thames.
~n~ mC"n.
19
nun your eye over the mnp of thnt greatest comnier·
cinl emporium of the world, and yuu sec nt n glance
the cau c which require<l the ncloption of:l method so
extraor<linnry. Up to the middle of the 18th: eentu~
ry only the Lon<lon Bridge wns open for the p~ge
or the multitudes, which must daily cross that ital
ri\•cr of the resources of Englnnd. But the first succe ful step wns immr.<linlcly followed by others or
equnl mngnitude; and six of those costly structures
nre now open in the proper limits of London. Ano·
pinion or their imporlnnce mny be fo1·mctl from the
returns of the two principal. Upwnr<ls of 5000 vehicles of ''nrious descriptions, and about 70,000 foot
passenger:-, besides horses, nre sni<l to cross the Lon·
don Bridge in a single dny. At the Blnc.k Frinrs
llridge, there cross daily :1bout 4000 vehicles, n11d
upwards of60,000 foot p:issengcrs. l\lillions and millions of pounds sterling were ex pencletl lo apen tltcsc
avenues, so indispensal>lc to the action of the great
he:irt of the British Empire. But this brings us to tire
problem of the further contcmphlted facility required
by the l>usiness of this untiring people. The harbour of the city, ends at the London Bridge. All the
other Bridges nre al>ore thi!' point; and l>elow it the
surfoce of the Thnmes is eo,·ere<l l>y the commerce of
the world. Yct, here the necessity is the most pressing, fur n !Jron<l nnd open avenue, between the twd
shores. T o know tha.t it wns all impo"ttant to the
busine~ of the people, wns to ~ecidc. that it must be
done. lt is not needful to dc:tn1l how 1 must he <lone;
t
or to n:imt: the able .Engineers who were succcssi,·cly
hnfllctl, and gave it up in dcspnir. It is cnongh thnt
it is virtunll y achieved, :rnd tllltt science has won the
victory over the obstacles of nnture. l nslnncrs like
these ought not to oe lost opon the intclligcnrc of nny
enter.prising ~late; since, in pl'oportion ns f.tciliti~s
arc given to the healthful growth of the commercmt
metropolis or a country, which is, as it were, the very
heart of its being, they ndd vigour and activity to the
remotest members or the whole body, in which, its
lile blood circulates. How impolitic then, for a pow·
�-·
20
t
to forego the nd\•:rnt.ngcs which :\rise frorn
crful 5l~v:'tion of the highci;t l>nmches of knowledge?
the cu
l. I h
l
n oultivntion, wilhoul" nc ,, er own pcop ~ cannot
be brought, n<l.cquntcly _ understnn~. nod um venally
to
to npprcefote the . cunncut propriety of. pursuing
those ,•nsl rnternnl nuprovcmcnts, upon winch the full
<lcvclopmc nt of her resources depends: a. cu\tiVtltion
moreover, without which. it is impossible for nny one
people, t>crfectly to avnil themselves of the scientific
discoveries nnd im~rovements of every other people
under heaven. W c must cultivate science lnrgcly nt
home, to cnnble ourselves to import, nod trnnsplanc,
nnd make vroductivc, the science of other climes.
It requires veltran~ even to follow up, nnd r<'ndcr
avnilable, the very victories which fame h:lS proclnhn·
cd to tlle scientific world. And in this a.11pect of the
&
ubjcct, it is cheering to remember, that Maryland
/1a1 taken mensurcs to bring into her bosom, the discoveries and avails of that science, which, (gratia
T err re Matris) ought to have been earliest, but isactu·
nlly reaching perfection latest ot all, I mean Geology.
It is not needful now, to detail the advantages of this
underbking I mn3 be allowed to remark, however,
in passing, that no similar expenditure promises renown or benefit to Maryland, proportioned to that of
the gcologicnl nod topographic;il survey, in which,
this State hns given the lead to some of her sister
Statef'I, that had nntit'ipated her in the gencrnl cause
of cducntion, but whic h will not, I am confldent, be
slow to imilntc this judicious exercise of her !lower.
Y ct obvious ns these facts and principles nrc, there
nrc men who wnge n relentless wn.r nguinst the only
.N.ation.al Institution, from which the Union hns de·
r ived signal ndvnntngc! lf tbnt fails, the Stntcs must
rely entirt!ly on thems elves. And upon whom should
a sovereign State depend, but upon her own sons,
reared by her own cnre, and devoted to her own scr·
vice?* A strong voice comes down from our fore-
--::J.li. A loxamkr E sq. En~iuccr oflho Stille Survey, u a gro.Juato
ol Sl. J olm'•·
·
21
pect
It tells us .that res be
oriward· . ~ out' wtc rests,
nod urge~ us if r egard or ir the dcsolntio~s
mcroor1 .
CS'
,1 05 to rc11 3
to leave thcu·
for thClr \ should 1tllPclt tells us that tbnt pntriot.-
fl\tllcf'St.
not cnoug ~cncrntionsi foreboding orncn le of tiuertY1
of fortn~~nisbcd~ is _t ':nd that thb~· tc ~~to <lusd
g
t
work u
nefl\tlng,
·s \iruto in
our ncnrCS
isn\ is destlc tor science,'· ns like these,
within 0
as well as '~ considcrauo~te of V1n<H~'"' cstic edMoved ~e vowerfU~ :cd largely forw1~:n we turn
ncighboorpa.st, has prov1 is decisive. d look townrd
few rcn~and }1er succ~ ern bordey a~
nearer than
ucnuon, f oto our sou '
-' insutuuon
·dcrable
ves r
d aenorai
y conSl
r.
our eJ
we iin n0 o
rt from an
State ,nth<: cnstcrtl~\lat dra.WS sup~twten t/ICSC /WOpk t(cnl to
l.'l'ln~etonf, ur citizen~·
~undantl!J C(J11l1 s 'fhe
oruon o o.
1erritor!/1
I ig/1est c as • 1 s
~titut•oris lies aa Colttgc of the ~·ou1cl of thems<;. vctl
the
!l'ese
and
~U~~ch an Instituu;tJo/m's, cannot ~e
the~t"
~! t/lefohu~b~~~~ o{han.by tfiis stat~~c. present p" l'l..
e
·ragly a • i ? d t ~ the wonts
. . 0 01 ust now
s
nrr1e ou.,,
. d Prov1s10
plans bc,e;i l~nvc been s~pphde . and of the rising gel~
od wou
increasing cm
lost
Exnmp
be rondc for the is no time to be E ~ouragcmen~
rations. Theree us to ndvancc.S ~is t11c invnr1cveryw\1ere urg we rocecd.
uc . o we hear or
·11 accumulate as
? Bo~· often d 5UCh Institu·
Wl
rd f terpr1SC•
to
nble rcwn o cots of entire fort~nes
may be, for
oble bequcs
~c their means
then \\ h however amp
·u cxttnsion to meet
tlOftS1 W lC '. CS require a raJll
•
0· vidual• is p OS-'
resent um •
'llK
•
th e p .
r the future! 1nany an in 1 dispos1uon lO'
.
lar
the o~~~~~lth, who has no PA~~u what disposi~o~
1
scssc
.
ftcr his deal'·
. d n.s tltat w\uc1.,
make of it, a l1 occur to ~ nob\~ nun ' it had ceas~::~td~~~~ur: uicrul, ~n l>erbctu~!~n~~~e these the
cd to be so in possc~aon:
~ the Union have been
most flourishing 1;~;nar1:~1 ~biogs fall into the hand~
erpetuatcd. ~n t lUS,
erfora.n the part n\lotte
~i those who st.rive nobl1 t.? ;he emphatic assurance\\\tm b-y l'rov1dencc.
t is
su~~~th~leavc
bVi~d~isdom
{~~c;;~~'
"Bad
�22
thnl fo him 'Oho hath, more shall be 1ri1•e11 , and he shall
nave abtmdancc. And I nm constrnined to say thnt
were n rich c-stnte _in ~arylnnd to be tl~uc; dispostd of,
at the present period, 1t would be quite as liable to
fall to some wealthy institution a broad , ns to minister
to the wants o( n need y one at home. All these ad·
vantages will continue to be dis persed. until some
system of more concentrnted a ctiJn ~ shall be elfcctually adopted. N eithe r the r ich nor the poor, are content with the existin~ state of e<lucation. The inte·
r ests of both, will be promoted by s.nch nn enlargcment
of St. John's, ns sh all make her walls ncce. ble to the
~i
one, and acceptable to the othc.r .
And, is there not some more hcllrt·stirring view of
the subject, in reserve, wh'icla will rouse my hearers,
to ac tion! \Ve h :ive examined t he case of tho e who
leave the A cade mies and resort to foreign College ~,
to complete their cducation. L et me as'k then, in one
word, wh at is the gwernl situation of those, who remain inactive at h ome, after their c our· e in the Aca_.
del!Jics, is terminated? Ge ner ally speaking, it is ap·
preh ended that mere neglect of talent, is not the
worst of the evil. If e mployment be not afforded,
they are liable to sink into dissipation and vice. 'J he
d angers of a youth of talents, are multiplied. His
path is b eset by tempte rs, who mak e him tlieir leader'
in iniquity. He is not compelled to resort to busin ess; he is not inc lined to sh ut himself u p alone, to'
p ursue the pleasures of lear ning. lluin is almost the
anevitable consequence. R ow many n youth, thus
situated, coul<l be saved, if, i nstead of being left at
large, at this period, he we re subjectecl for nn acldi·
tional fo ur yea rs, to the r estraints of Colle~e discipli ne,
an<l engaged in the invigorating exe rcises and plfrsuits of science? The min<l would acquire more
strength and capacity; the habits would become fixed.
The youth would be better pre pared to act on his own
t esponsibility. He would not enter life too soon. The
prevailing inclin1tion for quitting study, nt too early
an age, would no longer be entertained. Indeed, this
"/ery evil, has directly resulted from the want of~
23
general institution of the highest rank, to r eceive
this clns.11 of young men, and to occupy them usefully,
between the ages of 16 and 20 , in consequence of
which, they have eith er ueen left to themselves, or
hn"c, prematurely , swarmed into the so called "learned profess-ions." Ancl , what earthly purpose can be
secured by committing an unfledged sciolist under
the sound of a professional name, to the patronage o f
the public! The most natural r esult will be, to leave
him, ordinarily, an easy victim to mortification, inac tivity and ruin. It is to no p-Urpose to quote e'ltam1
1lcs of professional distinction; in men who have
rniscd themselves without the advantages of a regular
education. Such professional ch ar acters are always
known to lament the limited extent of their opportunitic5; nr.<l, howe ver distinguish ed th ey may h ave become, they arc conscious that a h:tter education would
have enhanced their own satisfaction and su ccess.
In short, they nre proverbial illustrations of the lines
of the Homan Censor:
"Summos \lOSSCl viros el magnn oxempla d11luros,
Vervecum in p:ilrin, cr.issoquc sub 11crc ntlSCi."
It has become fashionable for the young to enter the
professions, while they ought to be entering College;
and it is not surprising that the common sense of the
people, shock ed at the r esults, regards all e ducation
ns futile and p erhaps pernicious.
I will not trespass furth er on t he attention of the
audience. It has been my wish to unfold some of the
more important bearings of the subj e~ t, by a plain
matter or fnct statement, for those vitally intcrest~<l.
I appeal to the judgment of every individual, w h eth er
the statement does not contain the t ruth; I ask, is
tlicre not ample ancl urgent cause for t he aid of every
friend o{ the best interests of the State? The central
position of St. John's, favours the proposed concentration of elfort. That its founders placed the College here, evinces their sense, moreover , of the value
nn<l necessity of the supervision of the Government.
T he amount of iibc1·nli~y solicited from any individu11\, does not exceed what is ordinarily extended by
�24
tJie opulent, almost every year, to mere local charities
Yet, the present is n State object, nnd the good to b ·
drrivctl i~ universnl and in~alculable. I t will be the
snving of immense sums of money to our citizen!. I~
will co~fcr upon thousands; to w~om it must otherwise
be d~nied, th£• ~encfit of a pubhc educntion. It will
rcolrum from m1scmployment and corruption untold
numbers of those whose hands will hold th~ future
destinies of the Republic. It will preserve the clc.
~ated st?nding or. the liberal professions, by prevent.
mg the rntroduction of n multitude of hnlf-cducat((\
men. It will conduce, every way, to the honournnd
Wt!lfare of the Stnte~ by an augmentation of her mo1·11
power and p olitical influence. It will opernte on the
whole mnss o_f the p~ople, by the more nm~le and
more appropriate provlSlon of teachers for their chil·
dren. I t will creat e nn independence of feeling nnd
of action, that cnn spring from nothing short of the
supply of our intellectual wants, from our domestic
r esources The people \\·ill become more enlightened
~n~ united, more enterprising and prosperous; nnd,
1t is not too much to add, the happier and the more
free. I appeal, therefore, to your Judgments, to
your interests, to your patriotism and to every good
and generous ft eling, that may move you to take de·
lig ht in promoting the welfnre of the present and future generations, for such portion of patronage and
support, as may seem required by this ancient and
deserving seminary of the Stnte.
YOUNG GENTLEMEN', GRADUATES OF ST. J OHN'S:
the remarks which I have made, afford an occasion
for a parting word to you. It is your fortune to go
out from our College, at a period of no common inter·
est. All the noble incentives and enthusiastic sen·
timents that enter in to the origin ofa great in3titution,
and disting uish its early history, from all succeeding
p eriods, must now operate on you. We arc engaged
in an cnterprize which is worthy of the best exertions
of every friend of education, and every lover of his
country. Whcu once accomplished, it will be re·
25
rncmbcred nnd celebrated in nftcr times, ns a new era
in the history of the College, propitious to tho
glory of the Hepublic. You nrc more deeply conscious than those who may come after you, of the
difficulties to be surmounted, the necessities to be
supplied, the prejudices to be overcome, the cliscourngements to be endured, nn<l the opposition, of
whatever kin<l, to lie encountered, to con duct tliis
enterprize to a successful te:-mination. You participate in nil the motives nml feelings that urge the friends
of your Alma Mater, to pt•ess on with the good work.
You cnnnot £nil to cherish these feelings and obey
these impulses, when you leave these walls and e nter
those busy scenes, that will 11emintl yott at every stepJ
of the nurture you have receivc<l nt her hands . To
incentives like these, the ea rly Graduates of S t. John's
owed much of th eir distinction. It was their fortune
to feel the original impulse, communicated by the
moral energies that brought the institutior. into being.
\'ou cannot stand, on the sl\me elevation that inspired them, with lofty purposes. But the only difference
between you is, that you occupy a position a little lower
down in the valley of time. You have every motive
that could stimulate them, to stam p on the primitive
days of its history, the undying traits of thei1· own
cl1aracter. It will be your part, and that of the p upils now in tl~e keepi ng of your Alma Mater, to make
this second epoch conspicuous, for the virtues and
talents with woich it niny be emblazoned. Let this
thought arouse every power of your souls, to sleepless1
tireless action. It matte.rs not, in what capacity you
l'nay be called to net, for the benefit of men. In
every honourable! employment, your success will
'Promote her interests. no less than your own. She
hns watched over you with parental solicitude, in the
critical years of her gunrdianship; nnd she will now
follow you with fervent aspirations, for your usefulness, nnd <lislinction. In every great nnd good action
-you may perform, she will feel herself elevated; and
she will exult in the npprobation of your fellow-men.
4
�27
26
Jt is not possible fo r th e paren ts whose pl'ayers have
gone up to Go<l fo r you, \\'hi{c you were absent from
their firesides, to feel for you, a Ji ,·efic r t hri ll o f i n·
terest. You,. clerntion will !Jccorn e h er c hie f j oyrour dcg r:J<.lJ tion (if <lisappoin t ni c nl must come,) wi lj
!Jc her keenest sor row!
'Weigh well, then, t he resp onsibility of y our relations. Whcu some fifty years s hall ha~·e r olled ~may,
it m:iy 11nppen that one of your number, more fated
thnn the rest, s hall look arou nd h im to read the r ecord
of your deeds, in the re mcmb1 ncc of a n impartial
·a
pe~plc. Ruma n foresig ht ca nnot p ene tra te t he ve il
which conceals t he c hanges that must pass o\·e r these
shores before such a Slll' vcy shall oe made. The present s.tates ·~ay be oulitcratc<l, and other kingdoms
com e rnto bcrng, before the last of yeur n urn b cr shaJI
Le foicl in the d ~rst. . B ut, co1uc w hat c hnnges may,
the seats of lc~rrung, i t may be hopc<l, will sta nd u nchanged, but rn the more freque nt aad full affections
of th eir sons, with whic h t hey \\ i 11 have been hallowed! The cause of L ette rs, is the ca use of H umanity
:ind of GocJ.' . I ts consecrated templ es, togethc1 with
·
t hose of r ehg io11, a rc saved, \\ hi:n t he political fabric
of a country is shaken into ruin !
" Tould that we
might feel some pro phetic p romise. that th e in<l id<lual of y~u, \\ho shall thus ,·j~it, fol' the Ja~t time, these
acadcnuc shades, linll frn<l you r names wrillen 011 those
pnges of lier r·e.rords, wher~) ou r Alu1a M ater del ights
to rcn<l the lustory of tlic cmi11cnt indi vidual:. \\ ho
Iia \·c gone before.: J ou i 11 Ll1i.: r.1cc of J1011ou r.
Tllis is not th e time to ul'ge t/1e higher sanctions of
God antl of Eternity . If the occa~1o n allo\Yed, I
w~uld show tlut you a1 ur·gcd, not only by c vc ry·c
t11111g that cnn c1.gt1£:,·e you n/Icctions as sr;ns, as c itizens
and ns p/1ilan tl1ropists, out as probationers for a sta te
of unending ha ppi!1cs.~, to sustain a 1'eminarr.• destined
to ad \'ii nee the :;;pm t11nl as \rel J as the tem poml j 11 ce-
rests ofn~cn. T he faith we p rofess nnd the hopes that
we cl1cr1sl1, come frJm tlrnt same cliYine rnlumc that
inrites and inrokes the lights of Jcnrui ng and pt1lloso·
ph y, no less than the spirit of meekness and submis·
sion, to she<l upon its pages adlli tiona\ proofs that the
w~1y of lwli11css must be sought by the oracles of i ts
wisdom. Here we discover what is needful! to re·
!11ove the fears of supersti tion, to quiet the alarms of
ig norance, and to d isarm the terrors of den th. Whatever is r~qufred to purify the heart, to gui<lc the unclerstanding, to govcl'll the moral feelings, in i;hort to
prepare the s piri t fo l' t he society or angels, is unfolded
rn the sound mol'ality and <\ llk kcning fai th of this re vealed word: and from i t, we <\ c1 ,•e \.he on\y well
•i
g rounded assurance, thnt this world is <l<'stinecl to become the unclistur bccl resid ence of happiness and.
v eace! These arc th e sentiments and principles that
IJlac ed you in our care; nn<l '' i th these yon should rejoin the expecting fricu<ls, whose flcnr ts arc t\\1''11\ing
with the liveliest emo t ions to receive you. Think
then of the parents who m·c cntitlc<l to the wnrmt st
g ratitude of your whole lives fOr the opportunities you
have received. Thi nk of you r country, whose honnour is hand e<l dl)\vn from succession to succession of
her sons. Think of the world and of the poli tic al and
moral r egeneration it must \nulergo before the angels
of p eace, of huma~1ity, an<l of religion, shall enjoy an
unrnterrupted flig ht ove r cart h"s utmost bounds.
Think not that you are too insigni ficant to be take11
into the account on this grand ~cal e of benevolence.
A single seed planted in scnson by a patri.ot or a.
christian hand, may overs pread t he earth. In one
word, think of th e goo<l and g reat men who have gone
before you from these vcncrnblc walls. Catc h t he
voice that comes <lown to you in the strong tones or
.
'
'
l h e . WlSll ~m nod J1h1lanthropy, Sllnl"'YlOI\ them inueed
ll'
to your imaginations, nm\ question lhr.m of the l abours
th.at th e!J have finished in piet y and 11cace~ and they
will chee r you o n by the c harms of virtue and t h e
promises ot Hcligio11. Spiri ts of Smith nnd ]Jan.son, of Claggett, antl Cc
ttroll, if i n P arall il'c you
can yet behold the c hiltl of your early prayers and
p atriot hopes, now st rcng lhr ning into mnnhood may
�28
the thought fire the bosoms of these youth with the
fervour of your tried virtues, in the cnuse ofintelli~nce and freedom: and prepare them too for shrines
m. the hearts of their countrymen, and for stations
with . the spirits of just men made perfect, in the
oARl) OF
V I S IT ORS
n
AND GOVERNOR S
or.
JOHN'S COLLEGE.
sT.
manSions of the blessed!
N oT&. The Rev. Dr. S~nm, mention1>d in the closing
paragraph, was made ~he first President of St. J ohn's, for
the purpose of installing its first officers, on which occasiOll,
he preached an lnaugur.11 se rmon. He nfierwnrds \Vent
through the State, with the first subscription to its. funds.
Dr. CL.AGGET, was one of the first Bishops of the Eptscopnl
C hurch; and Chancellor HANSON, and the v~oenibla CAnll.OLL, wf're among the earliest and most efficient members
of the Boanl of T rustee .
·
l\f .AS, ox-officio PrcsiJont.
Al\1.ES THO
1rs Exccllcnr.y J N BUCllAN.AN;. N
•
Ilon. J Olh
l\l D MAR I I .
" WILLIA
. ARCHER.
" STEVENSONDORSlBY.
.. · ·rHoMAS 8 ·
STEPHEN.
.. JOHN
F CHAMBERS
" EZEKIEL . BL•ND
ORIC
"
.
THEOD
·IAPl\lAN.
" JOHN G. Cl 13LAK ISTON E .
"
., WILLIAM J. T
'EPH KENnoWIE
.
,. JO~ .
" ROBERT W.
MAGRUDER, E sq ,
ALEXAND~~O~T, Esq.
SAMUEL R
RWOOD,ofThos. E sq.
RICHARD HA
JAMES BOYLE, E sq. E
s DREW ER, sq.
N ICIIO~A lAYNADIER,
E sq.
Esq.
HEN~~~~ H. MAHHIOTT,
CARROLL, E~q.
THOMA::· ALEXANDER,Esq
WILL
1
1
6~~~ ~. \V
ATKINS, E sq.
l~RANKLIN, E sq .
AY WATERS,Esq.
RAMDSENN IS CL AUDE, Esq.
DR
'r
. OLl\S DREWER, JI' · E ~q.
' ·
NICll
ES E 'I
JERE.l\IlAII HUGil ~ , s .
;.HOM AS
GIDEON WHITE, Esq.
ALEXANDEgRANDALL, E sq.
JOSEPH H . NICH OLSON , E sq.
J OUN JOH NSON, 1':sq .
Tn :i.: As u n E n,
GEORGE MACKUillN, E sc1.
SE O RETAllY,
GEORGE WELLS,
E~41.
�31
CLASS GRADUATED,
F EBRt'ARY
RC.~IDi:l\"CD.
lfAH E5.
---
21st, 1835.
TPasliington City.
.lltmapolis.
,.\DRAM CLAUDE, A. B.
./lnnapolis.
f,owr .s BonE, A. B.
Caroline County•
IhcRARO SMITH C uLBRETU, A. B.
.flnnopolis.
lhcnAllD CaEAGD MAcrwurN, A. B .
fuolfA S H oLME HAGNER, A. B.
•
SENIOR CLASS.
R ESIDCl\"C r:.
lr.UIES.
TIJOMAS
PRorcsson OP
E . SUDLER
llf4Tll&MATtcs
.
•
.. "'
.....
41\"D CIVU.
WILLIAM
n·
l'D.OFcuon
LE ARV
m:
Esc11n:.1tar«c .
• A. M .
o r cnA.11u1An.
Thomas Granger,
George Grundy,
Richard Hay1vard,
J oshua D. J ohnson,
George F. J ohnson,
George Edward Afuse,
William J . Reeder,
J ohn H. Reeder,
H enry W. Thom:is,
F ranklin Weems,
Nicholas B. Worthington,
Queen .ll1111e's County.
Ballimore City.
Cambridge.
F1edtrick.,
.IJnnapolis.
Cambridge.
Baltimore Cily.
Do
St .•Mary's County.
Elkridge.
llm1 .IJrundel County •
t
•
JUNIOR CLASS.
I
r
t
John M. Brome,
Frederick S. Browo,
John Buchanan Hall,
John W. Martin,
Truman T yler,
St. 3/ary's Oounty.
Charles County.
Washington Couruy.
Can1
bridge.
P rince Georgt:'1 Comlly.
j
�33
s'fuoc~ TS
32
.-----;.:::11-;;:-
NAlU:S.
Dorchutcr C ouu.ly
,/Jnnapolis.
arius Duvall
·
Do.
.!J" 1ie .11.rundd Cbunty.
J ames Iliggin~
T homas Jgleh:rt
Do.
Philip L ansdale '
Harford County
Charles N. Mac,lrnb·
.flnnapolis.
W illiam H • T h ~mpsoo,
m,
•
Do.
NA)IES.
n ESID.C.'\" C &.
.Btmapolis.
J ohn \V . Dut"ail
Do
Caloert Coumy.
S~rsel County.
p .
nnnce George 's Counly
.,nnapoli1.
•
T albot County.
0
.IJNm .!Jnmdel
Annapolis.
'""Y·
R everdy GhisP/~
. in,
•
-i
eremiah L • JJ ug l1es
J
R1eh"'d H ughlett
T hemas R . Kent ,
Absalom Rid le •
'
T~cf'
c
Bnce J . W o rthin , to
J':t Tb 's. B· W onh~ o, ,
1ngtoo
.amu Do
.flrundel
Do
County.·
•
PART IAL STUDENT S.
NA)I.C:S.
G. Boggs,
Samuel Ridout
William R · G~ uian,
.l]mwpoli~ •
Jeremiah
·r.
Chase,
Do
J)o
J ohn eta~ to n,
Do
Do
Du
Hcnt y Duvall,
ftichat<l R. Gaither,
j\\C~anllcr n.
G;-irobri\\,
John T ·
~.
.IJmie JJrimcleL Cou11l1J·
c.
1l)·de,
J )O
Loockerman,
Do
E d\\'atd G . Maynnt<l,
Walter Md~ eir,
George Mc°Neir,
Do
T homas C. Gantt
'
.Benja min Gray '
p ,·;11ce Gcorgo's County.
Lc,,·cllin Bo) I<',
'l'o\\'\i\)
Johr. M . Brr.wer
Philip Culbreth '
~oho
~IJnno.polis·
Robert J3o" ie ,
1Jn11cipol is .
Beujatnin H . H a\\,
Jj11nC .flrLmdcl Cott1ll1/•
Dennis Hart,
.RmtCtpO ti s.
Bet.)aroin Harwood,
George s. n11rnphrc5~,
Do
FRESHMAN CLASS.
C.
sco oo[, .
----~cNcr..
j ohn Dnsil,
George S. Atl..-ioson
W illiam Tell Cla d '
11.f •
u e,
lVHli•m
GR.\M ~H~n.
~------George 13:iri o\t,
W ashi n gton City.
SOPHO MORE CLASS.
1•
-rue
1?'
R£SfD £ NCE.
Baltimore City.
.ll11i
ne ilrun del \,;01.mt y.
rt.
.lltinapolis.
-
Do
.-
Do
colJRSE OF STUDIES, y,xPENSES, &
·c.
-
1.'11.Et>AR-\'l'Olt'i s T UDt.ES, viz:
];ngli ,h G romnm ; Geogra 11hY; 1 rith m• lick; Lalin Gram\
"Esop'J F ables; Erasmus;. C:em'• Com·
mar; Corderius; J
mentaries, or Sallust; Eclogues, and
six books o! the
iEnei1 of Yirgil; Cicero'> Orolions; Mair's lntroUuction , o r
I
Lahn T utor; Greek Gran,ma r , Gred• D e\cctus; and J acob'•
~rst
recei~-
Greek Reader, an<l l)rosod y.
Pupi\3 not intending lo enter College, will also be
ed into the English Depart ment, and "iII pursue sueb bra ncl• es o! E ducnl ion. embraced m the course a• may suit their
particular views.
5
'
�36
JUNIOR CLASS.
FIRST TElUf.
34
COLLEGIATE COURSE.
FRESHMAN CLASS.
FlaST TE&H.
F olsoru's Livy.
Grreca Majorn-(Xenoeho.n, Herodotus, Thucydidu.)
Greek nnd Romao Aot1qu1tics, History, and M)tbology.
SECOND TERM.
H orace, (O<les.) Virgil's Gcorgicks.
Grreca .Majoro, (Lysins, Demosthenes I ~c~tc·s.)
Algebra, with A rllhmetic revised.
'
TIIIRD TElllll.
~l ·ora. ( Minor Poet~.) the Mens uration of IlcigbtJ;
or:cca I .11~1s of 1;rigo?om.etry ;urveying, Levelling , &c.
N 1v 1g at1on, . ,
1)lcallO
APlnd Distances, ' (Abercrombie s.)
11
pbtlosophy.
Motnl
a&ooND TERM·
(History.)
Tacitus.- · s
. '· Secuon ..
t res
comci.
-
SOPHOMORE CLASS.
PJRST TEIUIJ ,
J U'\""Cnal, ( Le\'eretl's )
Ho'Jlel 's Ilia<l, (Robinson's.)
Plane G eomelry, (LcgencJre's.J
SE COND T E RM.
Cicero de Oralore, or Quintilian.
Grrecn Majora (Od) s~cy and Hes iod.)
Solid Geometry, (Lrgt:ndrt:',;·)
TJIIRD T t.: Il)f,
Rh1:lorick and Belles Lellres.-( Whateley.)
Gr::cca l\lajora.- (T ragedi'lns.)
.
L ogarith ms; Pl?n.e and _ Sphcn~al Tr1gonomclr.>'..
.r.xcrc i; cs in ong rnnl ( ompos1t;o11 nn<.l E locu1
1on, during
the .par.
('f ur oer's. J
. try WI
•
)
s and Life of Agrico 1
a.
of the German 1 (Olmsted's)
.1 s-(~faoners 'th Lectures.
the Fine Arts.Tac• ul Pbilo&op~1Y.' w1 with Lectures on
Natura ts of Crit1c1scn,
d . ·og the year.
Etemen
1 ations ur1
(Kames')
't"oos and Dec am
Debates, Compos1 i
,
GhellltS
Horace, (Satires nnd Epistles.)
Grreca Majorn, (Xenophon's .Memorabilia, Plato.)
Algebra comp leted.
.
Traaslntions, Themes, and Declamations during lhe year.
.
' th Lee u
'
1'JJJRD TERM·
SENIOR CLASS.
d' ~
Ohnste >0.,
(.
· hcd with Leclltres.
and a
tural Philosophy, fi.n•s wi'th Lectures on Taste,
FIRST TERM•
...r
!"n
D Arte Poeuca,
; ol Latin.
M' d (Whateley's.)
R~v1s1od Philosophy of the r in •
Logic, an
Horne~,.
s&COXD T ERM•
( Cnmb1 idge.) )
• 11i Lectures.
(Say's
A;.tronomy- w•
vilh Lectures.
' •
(Paley's.J
Political Econom.Y~' . and Natural Theology.
Evidences of Chnsunn1ty
TU!RD T E RM
. .
aa<l Ch·il and Politica-1
.
Consuluhon,
la1vs of NationsU-.t cl States. (Kent.)
H is tory of the
ot e
.
Bu1ler':1 Annlogt·
(
tructioo of l\1achin es, Brtdges,
Civil Engineering- cons
Roads, Canals, &c.)
(She ard's.)
Miocralorry and G~o~ogy.p·
pEx!emporaneous Debates,
'7
f OrJtYtnnl 11?ces,
Declan1at1 o . e. 't' . n during she year.
ons.
and Exercises in 0 rr 1c1s1 '
�37
of lhc Cou1t of Anno Arundel county; whicli mny bd
rccoverct! in nny proper notion before snid Court.
Sec. S. •'911d be i t t11
actcd, Thnt it shnll be tho duty of
tho Attorney 0<.'ncrnl of thill Stntc, or hie Dnputy, on the
('(llllplnint or nny of tho o mcors nforcsnid, to proucculc for
nil v1
olntions of lhis not.
110 11
The stuJ ) I llu~ Motleru L angua ge~. abftll be so arrnngcd,
u not m:ttcri11ll) to intrrfrrt with the College course.
T he offi c e r~ of instruction, \\ ill endtn\'Or to mnkc the
c<1un:e of ~ tu.iy ns t A
orous;h ns possihlr; nntl in 110 onsc will
11 Scholar he nllowcd to p nss, to nn 11clr nnccd stnndmg, till
he shnll hnn • sustained all the ineT1ous C.'<nminntions, to the
Slltisfuction of the Fnculty.
F ull Courses of Lectures are delircrecl to thr chwcs on
Chcmistr, , Mineralogy and Geology; and on Naturnl Phi)osopb,· aud Astronomy.
T he Stntc Cnbmel of l\l incrals, collected b) 1hc Gcolo.
gist of Maryland, is d<"pos1ted in the Collrgc, nnt! DlQ\" be
11sed, together " ith the College Cabinet, l\"hich of itse)f 1
s
qu\te respectnble, in illuslrnting the Lr ctures on Minel'1l]og-y
and Geology.
•
E XP ENSES.
T he College Bills n re pa)able quarterly, in
follows, ·d-1:
E oglish Dcp11rtruent,
4
Preparlltory Clsst-u,
40
F reshmen nnd ~ opbomorc Clnsse-,
40
Senior and J unior ClossC'5 1
50
adnince, os
per
do.
do.
do.
o.nnuni
do.
do.
do.
T he nboYo Dills include nil t ztms.
No Co mmons arr rst11bli~he<l; but bonrtl may be hnd in
p ri\"ate fa mi lie$, fo1 "1 :20 ptr nnnum.
PuC'nts nod Gua rdinns uc rt't'.JUC.'-le1l to plact nll monic3
intended for the n•c C'll the students. 111 thr h11ntl~ ol one of
the P rof1. or:-, " ho "ill t'~c rcisc a p1rent11l J1~crc11on, in
their disbursement; nnJ the following Lai\ of lhe Stnte,
pas..~cd Dt-cen bl.'r H'.'-IOn, 1SS4, is puhlrsbctl for lire inform3tion of all pt r-or " C< 11rerncd.
Section J. b e .zl rnntltd liy tl1c GrnrNtl .1sm nbly oj -~fa
ryland, T hnt no person or pen.on:. :.hull ~"ilrc crt•drt lo nny
S tudenl of St. J ohn':; Collt·i:e, b1•in~ n mrnor, w1tliout tire
consen:, in w1iting, of hi;; Pnrcnt or Guart!inn, or of such
Officer or Office·• ot the Col11'~l\ as mar he nutliori:.rd by
the goY
ernnwnt thereof, to act m sudi cases, lXLept for
l\ ashing fir mt dicnl ~id .
Sec. 2 • .ilild be il rnadeJ, T hat if any person or persons
shall g~Ye credit to nny minor as aforesaid, contrnry to the
prot'isions of this :ict, l.c or they shall forfeit and pa) lo
the T reasurer of the \\'rstrrn 'hore of thiq t'tatc, n ~u m
not less 1han t\\ enty, nor more than three hundred dollars,
:iccordiog to the nature of the offence, and nt the c
l.&cn:-
T he plnn of the subscription mentioned in th? ~cl<lrcBlf,
origrnatcd in tho followi ng resolutions, nnd is s11b10111cd, to ·
gethcMvith n list of the sums nlrt•ndy obtniocd.
,
R#olvccl, by lhc Visitor11 nnd G?''r rnors of St. J ohn 11
College, tlrnt lhc P1 incipnl uc nut hor1~e~l 11 ncl rr·q~1c~t ccl to
collect subscri ptio n ~, pnynhlo to t h ~ V1
sitorq. nml <J o, c1~1o r11,
to bo npplic1l hy them, in the rrc•chon of suit.nl>lo b~111l111gs ,
for thl' occommoll ntion of etudcntil, 1111d for 1mprov111g n11J
xtondiog tho librnry nm! pl1 ilosophi~nl Appnrntus of the
.College, nnd lhnt tho T rcnsurcr be nu~horiscd. to pny lo ~he
Princ ipnl, tho expenses he mny incur, Ill cnrry11lR 111lo cncct
this Tcsolution.
Resolved, by the Visitors nm\ ~o~·crnors . of L~ t. J ohn's
s
C0 ltcrrc l thnl the Governor. of th1c; Stntc, I I 1I.! ••xi:cllo11cy
b
l
1'
.
n
hc
J A 11, Rs TnoatAs , . n<l 1 li on. J ENJ A1111N IJl, '0 1rn F.sT ,
.
f I.
1
tl the H on. 'l' 110 MAS \V 1twn·r Sd. mcm lH' rs .o It 1 s
Gil
•
h ' .
.
Ilonrd, be a committee to ro·Opcrnto with t . c r111?1pa , 111
m nkin~ nll suitable preparntions, to carry rnto cOcct the
resolution of the Bonrd 1 to collect trnl>scriplions for the lie·
nefit of this I 11stit11tio11
S t. J ohn's Colkgc Feb. 15th 1834.
Co1•Y Ol" Tnt: Sunsc n1M'10N.
We tho subscribers, hereby nw C'e to pny to th~ Visito rs
nnd Go\'crnors of S t. J ohn'i1 College, nt . J\nnnpolis, l\l aryJnnil, or order, the sums of money opposite our n n1~1cs, res·
wcti\'ely, in two <'<1unl i11srnl111t•n1s1• to be npplred, in cnrry1
ing into effect 1he fo rrgoing lll'sol11t1o n~; prov1dctl, ho wc ,·cr ,
thl\t this eubscription 11lrnll he void, 11nl1·s-. n~ ll'n ~ t ll•n
thousnn1 dollurs, sh.11! ho R11hqcr1hcd n ~ nforl'Sn u.1 nnd o n
\
;
tho eompl1 1011 ol snill i;ulisciiption, the fi rR 111 R h~l11w nl'
•1
t
ubo1c \llC'ntion1•d, ~ 1t11 ll bl'C't>mc cl ue, nnd the other 111stalmr11t, twelvt' months thcrcn l't1'l,
Sept. 9th 1834.
J nmcs T homn!I,
$500
Willinm l lu1,;hlr tt,
300
Hobert W. Uni' io
250
Wm. IL ~I n rri oll,
250
Alt'~ andc r C. ;\fngrmlcr,
200
HC'nry Mn) nnll in,
200 c
1-1. H. llnrwootl,
200 ..
C:rorgc i\I nckubin,
200 ..
�89
ll<l11M• ClnuM
lh11111\
$'.WO .
Wl\l :,
!lOO •
1WO •
J oh11 J ohnt'ou •
N1uholn" 1110,~r J i.
A h-xn111lrr 1\nntltill
' l'I 1 M1 n~ :S. Al cxnmla1
'
I
200
~00 ••
Oc•Mt;'-' W <'llit
•
lh i 1•1• J • W 01 tl1111gton
U1d1ud ll nrn ouJ ol'' 'l'h
ll ll• 1 nul I. J om•s
os.
' I' Il l'l lllll 'I OlivN
'
ll1dnr ll uil>pl:l'('y&
'
Hober\ W . l{<' nl
\)tin\d
~11\IK('
•
1oc, •
100 .
100
100
100 •.
100 •
J ohn 11. Suthorou,
I
\\1\\i1 nl11M•hi;
•1t
~nmu1·I Mllynnrci·
100 •
100 •
'J' homa'I .... rnnkhu •
r
100 •
R M. Chnsc,
'
'i h mu.u1 S. C ulbreth
~\\:\Ill\
!ZOO•
200 ...
1(10 •
n.
llytlo Hny
J l\lll('I lgl;hnrt
i?OO •
100 .
100.
I
Ollbrid n u,rili
F1dJur C ron ,
\\' I IIl l\lll
Ho witJ
'
\\ 1\ ltt\11\ \lc•t't\('t
1?00 •
lWO .
S?OO •
'
:1111l l gl;b1rt
Ocor-gn I". \\ o rtliinSton
Geo~u G. n rowcr
,
J ohn ll. Morru1 '
!'mlrc•w Mc-Loughlin,
.
j homns n. l)prscy
Cluarks Oo\d,,boro~gh
J ohn C . lf cnry
,
J osl'ph g, l\lu~'0 1
ll cnry l':igc,
0. C. W nshington
Benj. S.Forrest '
J . Nc,·itt Steel~,
Allen Thornftll
ChnTlcs W . D~rscy
R. G. Stockett,
'
R. \\'. Dorsey
Larkiu Dorsey'
J ohn C. W ccm;
Chas. S . W . D~"-"Y
Daoitl Murray,
'
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
JOO
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
100.
100 •
JOO •
100 .
100.
100.
100.
t OO·
100 .
100 I
100 •
100·
ioo·
100·
100 •
J ohn 11 . Aloxontlcr
G wiun Jlnrr\111
'
N. F . Wltllam• ,
1'homM Sopplnglon,
lloborl JJ. Gol<laLorough,
];, S. Win<lor,
Andrew Sl"nncr,
J 118.
t l OO\
JOO ..
100 ·
100>60.
liO •
60 •
(,0 •
60 •
U. S toclc,
nrico J . G oldsborough,
'fhomOS }l oywnrJ,
W ilham W. Ecclo11ton,
ChnB. J. J{ilgoor,
J . ll. Wilkiuion,
'}'hoe. E . Sue.lier,
J . Hughes,
Jl. J. CowLnnn,
J ohn Hnndnll,
Geo. McNcir,
J)nsil Shephard,
uO
t>O
Chnr\cs H. S teele,
The bolonco of the subscription, will be
•
•
,
•
()0
50
50
50
50
}l. J. Crnbb,
'l'homns Ducl<cll,
J ohn U . Wnrin~,
Willio1n Ghiselrn,
J . G. Chopman,
Lconnr<l I glehart,
W in. D. Merrick,
•
60
60
60
c;O
oO
60
60
50
:
60
50
50
published in a
future Edition. to collect nl least tlairty t1i.0u1ancl dollar•,
It is proposed
for the purposes here epceificc.I; nnd it is proper to sta to that
tho builcling11 contemplated, nre
}Ill. A L Ano Y. Cox.LEOJ ATE E o rvrcE.
2<l. /t.. ~pAc1ouR GitAMllfA n Sonoox..
It is designed thnl these buildings !lhnll be of the most
npllrovc<l conslruction. 'l'hc plnn.t fowe been prepared, nnd
wi l bo cnrricd into execution ns soon ns the necessary funds
shnll be obtained. 1.'ho principal building is intended tor
tho aceommodotion of Studonte with board, lodging, ~c.
Jndlvidunls willing to lent.I their aid to the objcctR of this
1ubscrip1 io11, ore r equeete<l to oommunicntc, by letter, with
tho Hev. 11 . IJ u MJ>llllE\'li 1 Annapolis, nuthorising him to
add their nomes to the nboYe list, in either o ( the deuomi .
nations thnt 1hey mny designate; or, in cue ony check or
ordc1 slinll be tror.Fmitll'd, 10 mnk e it poynblc to "tlie
·
---
�40
John'• rollegt, Mnrylarnl.,, All such sub.
Treasurer O>f St .
.
·11 b
I
k
scri tions and contributmos w1
e proper y _ ·nowlcdgc<l
ac
by
Vi siTORS A~D. Gon:n~oRs, and faithfully approriateJ lo t he above ob~ects.
.
p Associations of ind1nduals wbo mas feel the 1mpor lnncc
of the undertaking, and \\ i~h lo co·O_Peralc! by the ~ onntion
:11£
of smnller sum~, :ire requested lo u m le ti.cir respective contributions, nnd forward the m lo lhe same address, for the
Treasurer.
T he hope is also ('nlerlaioe<l, that indi, idunls of great
\nalth may b e williog to imitate the larger donations nod
bequests, which nre n o t unfrequently b estowed up?n similar
Institutions in t1thcr ~ tntes, to found Profc~sorslnps; to en.
dow L ibraries; or to crcd College I!all..~, lo be n:nucu by
the respecth·e donors a!' permanc1.t mcm<>rials ol their mu.
l odin<luals \\ho hz.ve th e ability may thus grali·
11\ficcncc.
fy a laudable desire l? perpctuai,c thc~r names, al t_he same
time that they may CllJO)' the sa11.;fact1 of know mg, lh11t
on
their \!eoelacuons will promolc tlie interests of sc11rnc<' 1 hu .
mnnit'y, and religion, ~o the laiest PoSlerity.
~Copies of this Address will be sent to all the Alumni
of the College, who a re especially reques~ed. to promote
tht? objE:Ct, both by t~cir. individual su~scnpllons, and. by
their efforts 10 obtain aid from the fne.1ds o{ Education,
throughout the Stnle.
En1
u.TA
Pago S, lino 40, for ldters read Wtn ... "
.,
• .,
·11,
"nom.UU1,, ., "no:nuua.
~<?wing to the great hurry of tlie moment nl \Vhich the
foregoing form was printed, lhe nnmcs ol the following
Students in lbe Grammar School were inadverlcn1 ly omitted.
NAMCS.
J ames McNcir,
George Miller,
Edward C. Mills,
Henry M. Murray,
J ames Reany,
Horatio S. Ridout,
Samuel Ridout,
Richard R idgley,
William Ridgely,
Alfred G . R idgely,
JI ESI D ENCE.
Jlnnapolis.
Do
Jlnnc .!lrundel (oun ty.
.!lmiopoFs.
Richard H . S ch wnrar,
Francis H. Stockett,
John T. Taylor,
Deonis C. Thompson,
James c. Wetch,
Edward WilEams,
Levin W1nder,
J ames M. Winde_,
r
Charlea F. Wortl11ogton,
Ballimorc Cily.
.Rnm .Brundtl County.
.llnnupolis.
Do
Do
Do
Do
.llm1e JJrundct County.
.llnnapolis.
no
Do
.flrme .llrundtl County.
Easton.
Do
.0.nne .Arundel County.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
Text
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paper
Page numeration
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41 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Description
An account of the resource
Address to the Alumni and Graduates of St. John's College, and to the Friends of Education in Maryland. By Hector Humphreys, D. D., President and Professor of Moral Science, Delivered After the Annual Commencement in February, 1835. Printed at the request of the Visitors and Governors of the College.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Humphreys, Hector, 1797-1857
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Jeremiah Hughes, Printer
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1835-02
Rights
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
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text
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pdf
Language
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English
Identifier
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Commencement Address from 1835 by Hector Humphreys {1835-02}
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Address, 1835
Commencement
Presidents
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/90d0b40f187bcf30d426c2d44fb0738a.pdf
650b8b52a74f55ece317a81e681dbb24
PDF Text
Text
Ulhe Ufmdeucies olf J!J),otlem
~cience;
viewed in their
!Jleligious J!,specfs.
A~
ADDRESS
.
DELIVERED BEFORE
The Alumni of St. John's College,
AT THE COMMENCEMENT, HELD ON THE 27TH JuLv, 1870.
BY THE
Rev. 0. HUTTON, D. D.,
Rector of Asceuaiou Parish, Washiugtou, D. C.
PUBLISHED :SY EEQ,UEST OF THE .A.LUJ)<l:NI.
BALTIMORE:
GEORGE LYCETT, 44 LEXINGTON ST.
1871.
,I
�lfhe l§mtlencics off JjjJ.orlcm ~cience; viewell in their
IJ,cligious J!,spcds.
A_N ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE
The Alumni of St. John's College,
AT THE COMMENCEMENT, HELD ON THE 27TH JULY, 1870.
BY THE
Rev. 0. HUTTON, D. D.,
Rector of Ascension Parish, Washington, D. C.
PUBLISHED :BY EEQ.UEST OF THE .A.LU:I!<I:NI.
BALTIMORE:
GE.OHGE LYCETT, 44 LEXINGTON ST.
1871.
.
�I
.
REV. DR. O R LANDO HUTTON:-
ANNAPOLIS,
October 12, 1870.
Rev. and Dear Bii· ··- At th e meetmg of the so · t
.
College, on the afternoon of I t
.
cie Y of the Alumni of St. John's
as commencement da th
w ere instructed to t ender t
y,
e Executive Committee
0 you on behalf of the A
. .
masterly address which you d 1·
ssocrat1on , their thanks for the
h
e ivered on ti· at day and t
t e sa m e, when convenient for pub! ' t· '
o r equest of you a copy of
the College.
'·
ica ion, to be preserved among the archives of
BRETH R EN OF THE A L U:i\I NI :
I know not the considerations that moved tl1e fou nders to give
to this venerable institution the nam of ST. J OHN; b~1t I am persuaded that all her ::;ons and those having charge and trust within
these walls should find in snch a name so sacred and significant,
the source of an honorable pride and the stimulns to a noble ambition.
St. John was t he first and greatest of Christian philosophers.
Like the eagle, by which he is symbolized in all ecclesiastical literature, he soars aloft into t he hi ghest regions of thought, and
with undazzled eye looks upon the very centre and source of all
celestial light. T lwough diction sweet and simple almost as that
of a child, he unfo lds the deep things of a wisdom as sublime as
it is profound . T he unseen heavenly t rnth::; that absorbed his
whole inner beiug were mirrored in pu rity and loveliness upon
his character and life. St. John therefore ::;tands as the representative of everything noble in the intellectual, the contemplative, and the spiritual. By bearing his name, than which our
Alma Mater could bear none more honored and befitting, this
College is engaged to impress upon her scholars the living and
undying characters of a philosophy which, fo unded upon t he essential principles of truth, reaches beyond earth, sky, and Heaven,
up to the uncreated One, and finds ' its response in t he innermost
clept hs of the soul of man. In an age when as yet science in its
physical depart ments had no distinct existence, St. John, with
his k een perceptions and eagle insight into th e Divine and human
I therefore 'in compliance with these instructions
·
take pleasure in adding that ·ts
..
.
'request a copy of the same, and
i me11t emmently entitles it to be .
V ery trul
p1eserved.
y,
FRANK H. STOCKETT,
Chairman Executive Committee.
FRANK H . S TOCKETT, ESQ.,
WASHINGTON, D . C.,
F eb. 22, 1871.
C hai?-m an of the E xecutive Com m'ittce :
Derir Sir:- Your c ommumcationrequesting on b b
.
College a copy of th e address d 1· .
e alf of the Alumni of St.John's
. e iv e1ed bv me before th . b
m en cem en t , h as been r eceived I I . . .
e1r ody at the la te com.
ie11oiw1th send y o u a c
f
I trus t the addr ess may b f
opy o th e same.
e ound to subserve in I
t er ests of r eligion a n d true .
so n e sma ll m ea sure the great inscience. In consentina t ' t
.
.
geth er the jud~ment of t~
h
o
o l s publlcation, I defer a lto"
ose w o are pleased to think th t · .
.
t o such ends.
a it will be servi ceable
Yours most truly,
O . HUTTON.
'
I
....
�4
THE TENDENCIES OF . MODERN
SCIENCE;
aspects of truth, met the subtlest f; .
. .
cism . and all
.
I
or ms of Gnosticism and skepti'
<
em nest f'ee <ers after th
.
things whether m t . I
'. .
e essential knowledO'e of
'
. a er1a or "Plfltual h
fi
d .
.
;.
a power to shield them from the h · ]. a~e oun m h1.c;; wr1tmgs
them into the pure em
I
. y< ia s iapes of error and guide
pvrea rf'0'1ons of absol t
d
,.
. To teach and vindic~te su I " l :l
h. u e an per1ect truth.
as the hiO'h vocation o'f
. cA p 11 ~;sop y I err not in claiming
1l
"
oui
ma J.V!ater a
· · ·
·
so hallowed in its a«C>oc1.,,t.
I
' s l'f'.J01c111g Ill a name
ions an< s 0 1Jrscriptive of her noble
• •
m1ss10n.
0 ·,
"
The College is the O'reat edrcator 0 I
there are. for fro111 tl1e"' b . .'
.
t 1er educators, indeed
'
eO'umrng t ti
J
f
'
life a thousand influences a"'· t . ol 1e c ose o man's earthly
· re
wor
t ·
·
d or evil, all the capahil"f a f I . c to brin!! ou, m d"
goo
1rectwns
f; t"
I IP.S o
i1s nature Bt t ti
ec !Ve agencies that mo Id r
. I le most efmental activity. of
u 'c irect, and control the thought and
an age aTe the colJeO'. t . . .
t lmm are to be foiwd ti
h
o 1 e 111st1tut1011s.
a
In
.
ie m~m w o do th tl. . k.
the men who ta] k and
k b
.
e tin ing; and it is not
ma e usy stir and noise b t tl
th . k
m that govern the world. From
: ' u le men who
crates, Plato, and Aristotle whose
the times of Thales, Sothe progress of Greo] d '1
. systems of thought controlled
.
e { eve opment and that f
b
until now, this ma::;tenr of mi ,J 1'
I 11 .o su sequent ages·
•
n11
t
E very yea1· tl1 o·o forth ,.1·0 ti 1as ie. c its dom·
ere
d
.
man sway.
0
JJ
m le e 11cat10n J • ft ·
country thousands of youthful . d
.
a. rns i ut10ns of our
ciplined in tho1wht cult
l n~rn s, storerl with knowledge, disthe great uesti,7ns 'an ~1rec anc tr~ined to meet and battle with
the millio~s of our p~o~~;ues t~at rnvolve the highest welfare of
gravest responsibilities r·eC> e, t n upon wl1om must devolve the
~
.
., pee 111cr Ollr 1 111 . . ·1·
rLJt
.
0
cause oft·
, ·
·
'
e c1v1 1zation and th
i ne science and Ro 111H] religion.
e
To no subject, then, of pl'ofo1111c1er . t . t
a consideration of the t
.
- 111 e1 l's - can wc tnm than to
is being afforded our edendet11cl1 es of 1.liat e11 ltnrc which in this aO'e
·
'
nca e< youth.
"'
Under tne awakened inten·"t wh i 1 1
.
.
ments has l'ecently excited ,,l ·- .c i_ 11cat1on in all its depart1e(
•
r
arisen: suc:h as Ifov'.., . tl ' S ( ep ..tn<1 com r ex qnes t"
· nl ·,
·1011s Jlave
'
' 1 ar
JP
tatesliall · ·1 f'
control of education. t
I
p1 ov1t e OI', and assume
.
.'
' o w iat extent the old s. t
d
Jects of i 11structio11 sh ll b I
. J s ems an sn b·
.
·
d wl1etl1er education a I II e l c 1a110'ecl 'and new ones rntrodnced.
an
':
·
s 1a . >e entirely sev r J c.
.
. . '
rnfluence and teacl11"n• , d I
. e ec nom a 11 rel10'1ous
•
g an
'c of a
. I . l
"'
These points I undertal·
n. exc ns1ve y secular character.
• ,e not to discuss. Tliey al'e at this mo-
VIEWED IN THEIR RELIGIOUS ASPECTS.
5
'
ment engaging the most anxious thoughts of our best and ablest
men. Upon their right solution immense interests are depending.
Apart from these questions, certain it is t hat ~e have to deal with
modern society, with what the past has made it, and with the
mighty and pervading elements that are at work to mould it, and
retard or advance its pl'ogress towards the practical and happy solution of those problems, deep and multiform, which lie at the
basis of our whole modern social structure. I am convinced that
there are no influences, outside of religion and yet intimately connected with all religious belief, more powerfully at work than
those which modern science, as popularly taught and systematically set forth, is exerting upon the thought, the culture, and the
activity of the present age.
It is to this subject, the tendencies of modern science, that I
invite the attention of the distinguished and learned body before
which I stand, and of this audience that <!Oncentres in itself the
intelligence, the beauty, and the refinement of a city that any son
ol' daughter of Maryland may be proud to claim as his birthplace.
And if it seem presumptuous in one who can lay no claim to any
fitness to discuss such a theme, especially in this presence, I can
only plead the remembrance of those counsels, to be ever ready
for any service, however feeble, in the cause of truth and sound
education, received from that venerated man at whose feet in
these halls it was my privilege to sit, whose high culture of mind,
vast and varied learning, dignity of bearing, and noble devotion
to science, literature, and religi0n, rendered him not unworthy of
any position which such qualities are requisite to sustain and
adorn, and whose mantle it is no light praise to say has fitly descended upon him* who now occupies the chair once and so long
filled by Hector Humphreys.
No one can fail to note the intensity and perseverance with
wh ich the human mind is now pushing its r esearches into the
minutest and remotest realms of all knowledge. These researches
al'e constantly discovering new facts in the constitution of the universe, and are bringing the discoveries to bear directly upon all
points of human Lelief and all matters touching the progress of
human society. S ince the time of Francis Bacon, who by his
*Pres ..J. C. W elling.
I,.
•
�VIEWED IN TIIEIR RELIGIOUS ASPECTS.
6
THE TENDENCIES OF MODERN SCIENCE;
mighty genius gave the first impulse and the new method and
direction to scientific study, the investigations have taken the
most varied and extensive range, and have everywhere been rewarded with laurels of success. Never before in the history of mankind have the results in any departments of study been so astonishiug as they have been in the physical sciences. In fact, these
sciences have progressed so far that they now claim to deal not
only with material phenomena, but with the higher questions of
life, mind, society, history, education, and the deepest mysteries of
creation. In the " battle of the philosophies" Physics has triumphed over Metaphysics. The old Stagirite master has been
dethroned from that royal supremacy which for centuries he had
held. New sciences have arisen; new questions have been
started; new issues have to be met. The whole current of
human thought touching old matters of settled belief threatens to
be changed. Modern science, like another Pallas, springing fullarmed into life, steps forth, points everywhere to the trophies of
her conquest, and claims that all men shall rise up and do her
reverence. So intimately and essentially indeed are scientific
principles and facts now involved in all branches of human industry and pursuit, in manufactures, in agriculture, in commerce
in navigation, in the agencies of warfare, in all modes of inter~
communication and locomotion, in resthetics and the fine arts, and
in the problems of political economy and social progress, that it is
impossible to be educated up to the level and the spirit of the
age without some considerable knowledge of those principles and
facts. They are becoming more and more extensively studied
and investigated. Science, simplified and familiarized, is introduced into our common schools and academies. Popular treatises
upon it abound. Magazines are full of it. The lecturer takes it
to the remotest country village. Governments are occupied with
it, and are making the most liberal provisions for the vigorous
prosecution of its researches. In fine, institutes and museums,
richly endowed and furnished with most extensive apparatus and
laboratories, have sprnng up in all parts of the civilized world, and
not least here in our own country.
Thus it has come to pass that modern science, by her accumulated stores of new facts, by her enlargement of the sphere of
human knowledge, and by the wonderfql adaptation of her dis-
•
7
.
and advantages of life, has acquired
coveries to the practical uses
. cl Physical studies are bever the human mm .
•t
a master-power o
l d nd rosecuted. Ho'v long 1 may
coming more and mor~ va ue a f ~reece and Rome will be banbe before the old classic masters o l
Plato and Aristotle now
ished to the peaceful shades w 1etre
d1"ct Certain it is that
I ·n
t venture o pre
·
quietly repose, w1 no
h
l s up in cloistered walls and
the days when men shut t em;es v:culations and reasonings, and
p
gave themselves to purefabstraclanguages aml the ancient philoso.
t d
dead
to the exclusives u y o
h
.
may think, however
t
l one . and w atever we
..
phi.es, are pas anc g
' H t face the new facts of our pos1t1on
we may feel, we are broug 1 o lt . and the whole system of
.
d to science mental cu ure,
m regar
'
modern education.
. whly pract" l an d utilitarian ' wherein
ica
. .
In an ao-e t l1us ti10101"'
.
cl
y knows no hm1t
"'
d .
t" e life an energ
thought i.s quickene 111to ac iv
~he educator of the thinking
save the impossible, the College, as
t keep pace with this
. d f tl e country mus
and controlling mm s o 1 1 . i' • h place to the physical
d not on y g,1ve ng
h
spirit of t h e age, an
d"
e to it that as taught t ey
t hful guar 1an se
sciences, but as a wa c . . l
f solid truth and tbe well-ascerare founded upon the pnnc1p es o
.
t and not upon theories
b
t" on and ex:penmen ' ly to be abandoned totai.ned facts of o serva i
and hypotheses accepted to-day as true, on
morrow as false.
h b ficent material results of
sti.on as to t e ene
b
There ean b e no que
ld"t"ons contributed there y to
.
s to the vast ac J l
. .
d
modern s01ence, nor a
t that valuable trammg an
l
I dge nor yet as o
l . .
our stores of rnow e
' .
.
t the intellectual facu ties m
discipline which such studies g1ve o ti er results than these to be
the search after truth ; but there are. o 1
considered.
.
l- ries are put forth touching the
When bold and startling t ielo.
11 mental power, all moral
. .
. .c. •
ongm an d nat ure of man ' reso v111g a d 11 spiritual behe1s m t o
.
c 1·
J sentiment, an a
. lf .
affection, a11 iee mg an
d. 1 · thlil universe 1tse 111
.
t . l forces . an w 1en
b
divers automatic ma ena
. ' d
ations is asserted to e
all its marvellous beauty' order, an . olpedr lop' ment which for
lt f a 1)hys1ca
eve
'
nothing but the resn
t"l from some
.
h
t has been gomg on un l
countless ages m. t e pas
..
. ·1.•1 and invisible have been
.
.
.
pr1mord1al seecl or. ger m a11 thmgs v1s1,., e · uire whither mtb ese
evolved - then thoughtful minds pause to i~q
.
f our modern s01ence.
regards are the ten d encies 0
°
.
�8
THE TENDENCIES OF MODERN
'
SCIENCE;
. !lrnse tendencies - and it is onl as t
lrg10us belief that I h .
.d Y
hey respect matters of reer e cons1 er them
h
h
markedly in two main direct· .. th - s ow t emselves most
· ·
wns · ' e one towards unconsc10us
·
s lrnptw1sm in the minds f
.
o men generally . th th
tive conviction in the . d f h
'
e o er towards posimm s o t e great b d f . .
cu l tured men that there is a d .d :I
? y o scientific. and
. .
ec1 ec antagomsm bet ween science
au d re l 1g10n.
An investigation into the causes which .
.
results, conducted philosophicall
. . are le.adrng to these
trium1)hs of modern sc·
dy, recogmzmg the JUst claims and
ience an at the
·
· .
setting forth the true s h' .
f
. ~ame time vrndwating and
':ould be a work of in~a1::1~a~le 1~;!~~1s though_t and belief,
Ciples of a sound philosoph in re ·d
' as ~e~tlmg the prinfor all truth must emanaty c.
gar to both relig10n and science .
e
·
.
h armony with itself 0 1 lrom one . sou rce an d beat umty and'
b
·
n y very nefiy
d ·
c.
present any considerations b .
an. unperiectly can I
,
earmg on the subject
The characteristics of th
.
. •
1
science are an extreme pr
. e p.opu. ar mmd m connexion with
•
epossess10n Ill favor of
h.
.
t 1 gmse of science and an . d. t•
le
,
everyt mg bearmg
·
'
Ill is met idea th t
·
g10n are incompatible prod d b
a science and relit1·eated and reliofon r~ferred u~e . y the way in which science is
tions of the day 0 Tl
1 u~ the popular scientific . publica.
le popu ar mmd rec .
th
.
ments and propositions w·th
e1ves e scientific stateence. Call any theory hr unquestioning and unreasoning cred' owever prepostero
. .fi
once acquires a IJrestige "'h. h
. .
us, scientr c, and it at
.
" re secures rt th
belref of a great proportion f
e respect and even the
. .
o men The ma
.
SCJentrfic method and hav
•th .
ss are ignorant of
'
e ne1 er the abTt
test any scientific questions a d
bl
I I y nor the means to
conscious of the immense b n fro ems. But they are perfectly
discoveries of science H enehts conferred on mankind by the
·
ence t ey are J d
exaggerated views of tl
, .
e most naturally to form
·
S uch wooden; in the pastle provmce and capa bTrtres of science.
h
b
I
.
h e1r eyes that the w·ld ··tave een wrought an d are da1·1 y before
t
d
.
1
reams
.
T heir thoughts and hopeses th b for th e fiut ure are rndu!ged.
are
material and the usefiul 0
dus .rought to concentrate upon the
·
ur a vanced h - · ·
is everything that science .
h. p JSICists teach that nature
.
'
Is everyt mg Th
·h
h
.
gives mastery over the ph . 1
Id
·
ey s ow ow science
yswa wor rer
f
.
makes nature man's hand·
1
' ieves rom toil and trouble
r-wor rer and
t ·b
.
'
ways to add to the sources d
'
con rr utes In a thousand
an means of human wealth and enjoy-
°
VIEWED IN 'rl-IEIR RELIGIOUS ASPECirs.
meut. Thus in the popular mind ideas of utility and of material advantage become so thoroughly associated with physical science, that
the spiritual as beyond the range of sense-perception loses its true
value in the ordinary life, and is supposed to be without evidence
of reality. It is therefore ignored and set aside for that which
seems more real, and is regarded with doubt, suspicion, aud at last
skeptical unbelief.
It may indeed be asserted that nothing is grander and more ennobling than the triu111ph of mind over matter as illustrated in
physical science, that nothing is calculated to give us more lofty
, conceptions of the unseen and mighty powers of nature than when
they are represented as working ever under what is called necessary and immutable law. Unfolding beauties and wonders indeed
are everywhere and in everything to be seen. For God has made
the world as wonderful in its beauty as it is complicated in its
parts and ~tructure. From the pollen of the tiny lily to the
mightiest orb of the heavens, in whatever microscope can reveal
or telescope bring near, there are the lines and shades and colors
of the beautiful, as well as those infinite adaptations and contrivances which in all things proclaim the power, wisdom, and glory
of the great Creator. Indeed, this ve~'Y element · of the beautiful
in the constitution of the universe stands as one of the unaccountable things which science cannot reach or explain. But the question is not with what feelings of admiration we should contemplate the natural worhl, nor what would be the effect of a proper
study and just presentation of natural science, but what practically
is the effect upon the popular mind of such knowledge as is imparted in popular treatises and lectures, wherein for the most part
the thoughts are concentrated upon the material and the useful,
and nature herself is vested with attributes of Deity.
Nay more, in the enthusiasm with which physical str,dies
are recommended by the advocates of modern science, it is
gravely asserted that om· whole modern civilization has been the
product of modern science; that the great advances made, especially within the last half century, in education, culture, and
everything that is comprehended under the term civilization, have
been the results of scientific discoveries and their application to
the uses of life. But herein the true order of things is reversed.
Modern science with all the improvements to which it has led has
2
�10
nm
TJ;;NDENC!ES OF MODER.N SCIENCE;
been the outgrowth, not the cause - the offspring, not the parent,
of our advanced civilization. It is not to any one cause or set of
causes that we are to ascribe that multiform and complex state of
things around us which we call modern society. Many agencies
and influences have been at work in a long series of years to brin(J'
•
•
0
it to its present stage of advancement. Science has been one of
the concomitant results of that progress. As in society deep
wants were felt, so physical science came more and more into
being, and experiments were directed to meet these wants. Sometimes by happy accident, sometimes as the reward of long and
patient study, the most important discoveries have been made.
So rapid and extraordinary of late years have been these discoveries, .e~peeially cf the application of steam as ~motive power, of
electricity and magnetism for the communication of thought, of
new modes of warfare by land and by sea, of chemical combinations as applied to the arts and uses of li.fe, of the spectrum
analysis, of photography, of physiology, of the conservation and
correlation of forces - so great and varied have these been as to
constitute the present age one of remarkable and unprecedented
scientific progress. But these have all successively followed upon
the advancemeut of modern civilization, and are the outgrowth
and results of its awakened life and energy. They react
indeed to give additional stimulus and zest to modern improve- .
ments; but the just claims of science do not require us to put
that as the cause which is fairly to be reckoned as the sequence in
the history of modern civilization.
"\<Vhen, however, the mass of men become imbued with the conviction that everything which gives to modern life its advantages
over the past and its prestige for the future is to be attributed to
physical science, they will give to it an unreasoning predominance
over all other studies and pursuits, and receive without discrimination, as alike established and true, both the facts and the theories
of modern science. Now a wide distinction ·is to be drawn between the practical and the theoretical divisions of science. "\<Ve
accept the facts of science, all of them, so far as they are proved
to be facts; for as so proved they are as certain as the evidence of
sense an~ reason can render any knowledge. "\<Ve deem the study and
systematic arrangement of those facts in their relations connexions
'
and bearings, of immense importance and of the greatest practical
VIEWED IN THEIR. REJ~IGIOUS ASPECTS.
11
utility. It is this that constitutes trne science, which differs from
cOn1 mon knowledo-e si mply in the fact that it is extended and
0
.
systematized knowledge of material phenomena, differing. not in
nature and kind but in degree from that common experunental
knowledge which one must have to preserve his life and promote
his comfort for a si ngle day. To t he practical labors of the
zooloo-ist the chemist, botanist, the geologist., the astronomer, too
mucl~ e1;couragement can scarcely be given 1 By their investigations they have laid bare such a multitude of facts in the constitution ancl operations of the natural world as to fill us with au
ever-increasing wonder at the boundless and ever-widening field s
of knowlP-clge before the human mind. 'Vhile we extend all
honoi· and admiration to the noble band of men who with such
acuteness and patient research have sought to penetrate the mysteries
of nature, and while we gratefully accept and take just pride in t he
actual results of their labors, we cannot be too cautious and discriminating in the reception of theories based in part on assumptions of supposititious facts lying so far removed from the sphere
of man's investigation as to rendet· any positive determination concernin(J' them impossible. It is from such theories, as commonly
set for~h and recei vecl, that men conclude that science and religion
are antagonistic. In the popular mind the facts and the theories
are indiscriminately blended together. 'Vhile the conclusions of
science are received as absolute and certain, the postulates of rel io-ious belief are reo-arded as in conflict with these conclusions.
0
0
Hence, what I term unconscious skepticism on the part of the mass
of men results. It is a seer misgiving as to all religious truths,
scarcely admitted or expressed, but surely terminating in that
skepticism so deplorably prevalent in the present age.
But when we turn to the consideration of that decided antagonism which, in the opinion of so many scientific and cultured men ,
exists between science and revealed religion, we are forced to recoo-nize it as one of the most painful facts in the development of
m~dern science that there should seem to be this conflict between
the two. This result is partly to be ascribed to those bold and
startling positions of which I have spoken as assumed of late by
scientific men, and partly to the way in which both the facts and
the theories of modern science have from time to t ime been met
hy theologians and the defenders of Christianity.
�12
VIEWED IN
TI-IE TENDENCIES OF MODERN SCIENCE ;
Revealed religion has nothing to fear from sciencer Sure and
immovable is the basis on which her divine verities rest. Increase of knowledge and lapse of time shall only make more
manifest her stability and her glory. For revealed religion, no
less than science, is founded on facts, true and certain ; and
there are other facts in man's nature and in the universe than
those material ones of which physical science takes cognizance.
All true philosophy must not only recogni ze but be based upon
the real composite structure of our being, the material, the intellectual, and the spiritual. From the failure to do this results the
chief dangerous tendency of modern science, which takes hold of
one element of our being and cultivates that at the expense and
to the exclusion of all others . It deals with the uni verse and with
man- simply as presenting so many material phenomena to be investigated, and as fact after fact is discovered it is assigned to its
supposed place with its antecedent and consequent connections;
thus classified and ordered, ignoring and rejecting all other
agencies, everything is brought under the control of self-acting
and perpetually evolving material forces, which are indestructible
and yet convertible and correlative, working ever according to
necessary and immutable laws. From such positions as these no
other impression can be received than that, somehow in the indeterminable ages of the past, things have wrought themselves up into
their present condition ; and that if there be a personal GoD at all ,
He stands away back of those endless millions of years when the first
primordial and self-developing seed sprang into existence. If.th e
ideas. of GoD and religion are to be a<ilmitted into this system, they
must stand apart from this unchangeable order and succession .
There can be no place found for them in such a conception of the
universe. True, indeed, the non-existence of GoD and of the
human soul, and the impossibility of any supernatural proofs of a
Divine revelation, are not in so many words positively asserted;
but if the mere theories and speculations referred to are to be. received as established facts, it is hard to find where and how the
religious beliefs are to come in. For if you are to reduce all things
to material forces and immutable laws, you of necessity exclude
the spiritual and religious idea, and the supernatural becomes a
contradiction and an impossibility. Thus these conclusions
referring all things to impersonal forces, and either reducing the
'IIIEIR RELIGIOUS ASPECTS,
rt Or excludin<F him altogether from OUr
D eity to an imperson~ I y en t'. ly· ~aIT to satisfy the requirements
f ti
mverse
ne i:
•
conceptions o ie u
' l the very instincts of his nature IS
•
of man ' s na t t ne . For. man iy •
intelligence and t h e cl esll'e of
.
b ·
His reasonrng
~
cl
relicnous e1ng.
'
t
er·sonal GoD all-penect an
••
""
1 h" t eek un o a p ,
'
.
his soul impe im o s b
b" ctive reality to meet that rnThere must e an o ~e
.
f
"
s
supreme .
d cl •
"The personal1tv o man, say
· conv1ction an
·
esire. t cl y "demands a personal G OD."
'
stinct1ve
~
cl writer of the presen a '
d b .
a pro1oun
.
cl ls with matter alone an p ys1But it is said that as smence ea bly expect to obtain from it
e cannot reasona
;
cal forces al one, w
. f
' craving after snpernatura1
.
. tecl to sat1s y man s
conclus1ons sm
d . b t we do assert that in no depart.
u
.
1 . Tl11 s is not expecte t ; d consequent reasomng app l'ie d t o
trut 1
.
1 wledge can JUS an
.
t
ment of rno .
. . ~ t
roduce conclusions rncompa r hed and certam iac s p
t
wel1-es t ab is
.
"t. 1 'med thatJ'ust and consequen
.l
' ature But l IS c a1
.
ible w1 t 1 man s n
h . th
conclusions be received. It IS pre.
demands t at ese
·
reasonrng
R r . has no quarrel with t Irn f:ac t s
cisely this that we deny.
e 1g1on.
hich deduces certain con.
. ·
1 with the reasomng w
of science; it is on y
F
h scientific men demand that
clusions from these facts . . or ,yt~: origin and transmutation of
. l'k those of Darwm on
theories i -e
lntion and development, or
.
f Herbert Spencer on evo
D
species, o
. lb . f life or protoplasm, of raper on
Huxley on the phys1ca cl ~sis~
:bsolutely immutable-when
the universe as governe . >Yl'l·awtsh
shall he received as settled
. .
.. d that theones I ,..e ese
.
. ..
.
h 1 . s to a searchrng cnt1c1sm,
1t IS requne
t snb1ect sue c ann
d
facts, then we mus
~
't'
be at least intelligible, an
tl at their exposi ions
,
.
t
and clemancl 1
,
t B t are these reqmremen s
. .
nd and correc .
u
d
d
their reasomng sou
l
cl they ascribe this gran an
duly fulfilled? To what t 1len o t thi: perfect and beautiful
. bl
l eme of deve .opmen ' e or forces actmg un cl er im.
•
in term ma e sc 1
I
t r
"
" ?
t is o 1orc
order of the cosmos .
.
cl l at lciw is and how causaB t I tjm·ce is an w i,
'
mutable laws.
u w 1~ . . ' do . eratinO' agents, is nowheTe
tive as in themselves or1grnatm? a~ ~ . wl~en I am told that
sati~factorily and clearly explame. ·t · o;ion and that law is per. l
duces or res1s s mo
'
I
.
force is that w h ic 1 pro
.
.
atural phenomena, am rn
cci vecl regularity and snccess10::: t;~is definition presents to the
reality no wiser than before, s as an effective cause. These terms
mind nothing that ca~ opera~~ti~s but simply conceptions .of ~he
rer)resent no ontological rea . ' 1 . the statement of acientdici
. l" cfhey are however ~o nsec H\ , . . •
n
mrnc.
.
�14
THE 'l'ENDENCIES OF MODERN SCIENCE.
VIEWED IN THEIR RELIGIOUS ASPECTS.
'
propositions atHl conclusions and .
:hey are deduced, that if we' are t~n)l~e argumants from which
ens.e, we rnnst invest them wit! .
~1ve to them any intelligible
real:ty. B ut is that sound r 1 a ~ort ?f substantive and concre
cept10.ns of the mind are
Ill
the abstract
material pl1 enome11·1 all
actual, or1grnatino· causes f II
th
I t
, ' . succession and I
"'
o a
.oug,1.,sentimcutaml foeli1w ? .y.
ciange of life, of all
science reason thus . Tl iey t"'l. ti et b
many expounders '>f nlo l l em
.
't ·e
.
c
conceptions of tl1e minrl , {' : ' . , ie a stract, intangible im1Je1·fi t
1
101 concret
1· ·
'
ec
a.c vanced systems of the da 't .
, e rea it1es. Thus under the
s1stent operation of j'01 .ce 1rnc er is gravely asserted th·1t [)Y ti ie pery]1 . , I . t · .
t'
'
1011, the sidereal anc1 sol
1
'
· ar sy:;f.em v. i,1 is •termed the frL\v of evo·1uJ
'
c,e~·eloped - that in the same- was iave .rn orderly succession been
e,utl1 has come to i ts present
'
y .
.
r by like successive, cl1"
"no·es th
life and its varieties in the
1:1011 -.that all the
like ~11anner been produced . I
~1nd ammal kingdoms hav .
phase of
- that man
111 us I)h ys1ca I strncture in l .
·
.ve ' has become what he . '
•.
moral
t
'
us mental co ft ·
is
fi • na ure, under th e operat'
f
, ns i ut10n, and in h.
' ne, that all proO'ress of 1
wn .o the same force ancl l
_is
l
"' ··
1uman soci t ·
· aw· 111
au~fovemment, is attributable •o t~ y rn culture, arts, civilization
so when it is said ti t t' " l~ same agencies .
'
·ibso l ute ly immutable I . la . umve tse is governed b 1
·
·
ne
· ·
.
for ti
' ieie aO'am we Iia ti
y aws
.ie concrete.
For in
1e abstract substituted
p.crce1vcd regularity ofrecm~re~:~es, la~v is nothing else but the
:~~ct~mstances, which so far as our oofb;~!~e ~henomena under like
• . e' but we cannot say that the
. . vat10n extends is in varid 1rects the reo· I .
pe1ee1 ved reO'ul . t
. t i . . 'd
. bu ar1ty and uniformity f tl
"' any causes or
llS ls I entical with sayinO' that ti
o . 1e phenomena; and yet
produced or O'Overned b ."'
ie uniformity of pheno
.
entities be b
y immutable law Th
mena is
t he
. come strangely mixed up toO'
us facts and non. .. concrete, the real and the s
. be lei. The abstract and
V1S1ble, the knowable a11d ti peekulat1ve, the visible and the .
bl d d
ie un ·no
bl
rnsc;~1 e ai~l without discrimination i:~h e,t are. all so intimately
nt?te, ~11 by the advocates of new th e _ermmology of modern
Co ns l utwn of tl
.
eories of the or1gm and
. .
t II
le umverse and f
e v;hether the forces of whicl o man, :hat it is impossible to
or spiritual, inherent in matt : 1 so mue!11s predicated are material
abstractions they are in vestede~v~~1e~::rwr. it; but still as mere
pos1t1ve attributes of D Cly,
•t
mad::~onrng w~1i?h
i:
~f
~he] ~11ghest
~~~~~
l:
develo1J~::1ttaiasnsmtnted
)h .· .
v:
;I .
t?
co1:~
phe1~rnen:
him:e;~
15
While thus ignoring and rejecting mind and spirit as a separate
entity in man, the physicists, by a strange inconsistency, showing
how truth will vindicate herself, are compe1led to assume the .existence of mind and of mental operations before they can proceed
to form any scientific propositions whatever.
vVe know that matter and mind touch each other. very closely,
and that there is a mysterious connection and interdependence
between them, as facts in physiology abundantly prove; but to
make the rational intelligence of man simply the result of so much
food, which, when converted into blood, produces thought in the
brain and digestion in the stomach, and which thought, when rn
produced or originated, resolves itself into will, emotion, sentiment,
imagination,~ all this is to be utterly nnsc·ientijic, to pnt the
necessary condition for the ccmse, and to pass into the wildest
speculations.
The universal convictions of mankind and the facts of a constant experience are to go for something. vVe are as much bound
to take the facts of mental phenomena into our philosophy as the
material facts of the outer world. There is a world of thought, of
reasoning intelligence, of spiritual being, as well us a world of
inorganic and organized matter. Into the mystery of the origin
of life and mind no human science can penetrate. The greatest
naturalist of the age has pronounced it impossible to solYe it.
You may trace the beginning of life to a simple cell, lmt you have
not solved the mystery. You may locate the seat of the intellect
in the brain, and undertake to show how the mental characteristics are modified by the cerebral structure and its convolutions, but
you have not proved that a material organization, however complex and perfect, can originate rational consciousness and voluntary activity. You have indeed shown the complexity and ingenuity of the machine, but you have not demonstrated that it is
self-acting, self-originating, and self-developing. It still remains
only a machine, and the motive power still remains to be accounted
for.
JTurther, in the regular ascending gratlation which you may traoe
from the lowest form of animal life, where the action is sim
reflex, as in the radiata and the mollusc, up to the highest
most complex organism of the adult man, there are no facts
stress upon the word ~ no fcicts to show that any one of
'I
�16
'l'HE TENlJENC!ES OF :MODERN SC!ENCE;
gl'e:lt classes of the animal kingdom evel· passes by any transmutation or development into another, or that life and intelligence
are the product of self-evolving material causes.
Now it is this effort to prove that for which from the nature of
the case there can never be sufficient testimony, that vitiates all
works of science which are opposed to religious belief.
Admitting then the whole series of new facts, so far as they are
facts, which of late years have been brought to light, there yet
remain to be seal'ched into the deeper depths of things unknown.
Great as may be .her advances, modern science cannot claim to
have reached the Ult:ima Thide of all knowledge and discovery in
the natural world. The very ardor with which investigatious
are now being pushed in all departments shows that the acquisitions of the past are ohly serving to give stimulus to inquiries
which it is instinctively felt will be rewarded with new successes;
and these new discovel'ies mocli(v, change, and set aside much that
was before regarded as settled and established. In science as in
practical life we are as continually unlearning as learning. Almost
every day witnesses new discoveries, new advances. As the new
facts come up, the old theories have to be discarded. The discovery, for example, during the present age of the correlation and
conservation of forces has entirely changed the views of scientific
men respecting heat, light, electricity, magnetism, and motion.
In geology, also, new facts are constantly being disclosed ; but
the evidence is too fragmentary and imperfect to enable us to form
any complete and certain history of the world; and our conclusions
and conjectures can only at the best be probable, perhap:: not that.
The same may be said with equal justness of the nebular hypothesis and the development theory. Thus science is ever changing.
This onward advance necessitates continually the abandoi1ment of
old theories and the formation of new ones, and makes it impossible for science t~ pronounce definitely concerning the constitution
of the universe, the genesis of stars and worlds, the origin and
nature of life. It is in the highest degree irrational and unscientific to base upon uncertain and changing theories such positive
assumptions as to require mankind to abnegate the convictions and
the beliefs founded upon the acknowledged facts of e
mr intellectual and spiritual being, and upon historical proofs of the most
conclusive character; and as this is done by scientific men with a ,.
.
I N 'rllEIR RELIGIOUS ASPECTS.
VIEWED
17
.
.
."t' vism we h ave a decided antagonism between .modern
.
certarn posl 1
h'
d vealed relio-ion. Three centuries ago,
t fort an re
"
.
. I
science as se
.'
'tl orror upon thought, ranged itself w1t i
't'
loolnng wi i 1
1
.
supers ti 10n '.
.
. t -day scientific skepticism, mockrng at
. .
'
. ·
·11
11gron agamst science .b o ·d'tiec with credulity. Skepticism WI
re
.
. .
f: 'th receives a snr 1 ~
. .
I
h
religions a1 '
erstition po1luted religion.
n trut '
.. t
. ence even as sup
.
v1t1a e sci
'
D' .
ource there can be no antagornsms.
'
.
.
11
t . a- from one l v111e s
as emana 111"
d I
ld and has so ordered rt that m a
who create t 1e wor '
1
The G OD
•
H' . fi 'te wisdom power and goo< ness,
cl )era t1ons is 111 Ill
'
its parts an o1
d
. or· should be proclaimed, is the
t
ator an govern '
.
d
as the grea ere cl
l.
the relia-ious instincts, emotwns an
" who is recoa-mzed as a G OD,
.
G OD to war s w iom
same
f
. and
.
f th soul o man nse,
"
adorat10ns o
e
t
•
f His grace for the benefit
. H'
If in the mys ..enes o
revealing rmse .
.
. t ·r·es What He reveals in His
·
f His ratlona1 crea u ·
and b l essrng 0
·
.
with the true teaching that
.
·d
not be at variance
.
wntten wo1 ~au
·c 11
1 c of creation. Whatever seemmg
f
His man110 c wor i::~
f
comes rom
b b tween them further knowledge o
. t'
there may e e " ·
'
]
contrac ic wns
1 .
'
1· 'ans truth will reveal a perfect
d el· r esearc 1 mto re 1g1 .
'
. .
nature, eep
T . science and revealed religion,
· t y and harmonv.
me
. ·
cons1s enc
..
. t r·s of truth having one ongrn,
.
b
ide as the twm sis e
' .
.
side y s
. .
l . t o11e destiny muted m the bonds
·
'
1nt reac 11n<>' o
h.
breat .mg one bSI]J '. t
us~ alike witness with convincing power
of an msepara e um y, m
.
l G D self-existent and ommpotent.
for a persona o 'fi l
l f to her legitimate sphere. Over all
Science must con ne 1 erse
. ·
Txrhen she assumes
.
. h ' that sphere we reJ01ce. n
.
her conquests wit m
'd
d
wh'1ch to rest passes mto
. 1
soh groun on
'
to be dogmatic, ias no
l d ft ipon our faith for millions
.
.
f
l tion ma ccs ra s t
the regions o specu a
'
. bl
· the past demands
.
f ]
t intermrna e ages 111 ·
'
and mill10ns o a mos .
.
. all its complicated parts,
1. l'
ti t the um verse rn
that we shall ue ieve . 1U
•
bl daptations harmonious
c t
cl r 111 numera e a
'
in its present per1ec or e '
.
d that even the very
.
1 b eaut'fu1 contr1vances, an by the supposed self 1
movements, ant
d
f
have been evo1ve
. t
mind and s.ou l o man,
. 1
,
then we protest agams
. l1 'e have spa , en,
.
b t
acting forces of w h tc v.
· t'c to relia-10n,
u as
.
1 s antagoms I
"
~
the assumpt10ns, not o.n y. a
on in - which is valuable 8.Jly.
opposed to all sound scient1fi~ reas ·t ~ cl and established
. d ls with ascer ame
conclusive only as it ea
in the natural world.
.
. ·on the keenness
. B· n w1t1 a v1s1
1
The great Francis aco '
h these dangero
saw through and throng
we marvel at,
�18
THE TENDENCIES OF MODERN SCIENCE, &C.
He perceived the grand truth, not even yet fully recognized,
tpat true science must cleave steadily to facts -no divergence, no
imagination, no abstract terms, no wild speculation. And as induction is the method of discovering and utilizing facts, so he proclaimed induction as the method of science. With a fearless
voice whose E;lChoes shall never Cease nor be needless, he warned
h.is own and all future ages against the real adversaries of true
science, against meaningless or wrong-meaning terms, ·and against
all imaginative theories and systems.
Let modern science, so far as she has departed from these great
essential principles of a sound philosophy, return to the true system of all real scientific investigation; and while she searches
into the profoundest mysteries of the natural world, let her bow
with reveren~e and devotion before those higher and diviner truths
which revelation unfolds concerning GoD and man, and all things
created; and h~r future glory in her true sphere will be as great
as her conquests in the past have been triumphant. We look
with anxious yet eager longing to the future. The interests of
hunfanity and the cause of truth alike require that science and religion shall go hand in hand in the great work of ameliorating
the condition of the race. Science fails and is powerless to satisfy
the real wants of man's nature. Religion must come in with her
Divi11e consolations and hopes, and reveal to the soul a glol'ious
destiny of immor't ality and blessedness. Let the two be conjoined to benefit and bless mankind. Let the philosophy taught
in our academic halls recogn ize the claims and respective spheres
of each; and as human knowledge progresses, parallel with it and
ever sanctifying it will be that knowledge which comes from
above, and is above all because it raises man up to GoD, the one
source of all true light.
_Never did human heart so pulsate under the celestial influences
of the Truth Divine, and never did human eye so rapturously
gaze npon its radiant glory, as did the heart and eye of him from
whom our Alma lVIater takes her name; and may she ever reflect the bright beams of that Light which shined upon St. John
with such a halo of beauty and glory.
"Ccelum trausit, vel'i robam
Solis vidit, ibi totam
Mentis figens aciem ;
Speculator spi.ritalis
Quasi Sera.pbim sub alis,
Dei videt faciem."
'I
�
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
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Annapolis, MD
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
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Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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paper
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18 pages
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Commencement Address, 1870
Description
An account of the resource
An address delivered before the alumni of St. John's College, at the Commencement, held on the 27th July, 1870. By the Rev. O. Hutton, D. D., Rector of Ascension Parish, Washington, D.C. Published by request of the alumni. Entitled "The tendencies of modern science; viewed in their religious aspects".
Creator
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Hutton, D. D., Rev. Orlando
Publisher
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George Lycett
Coverage
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Baltimore, MD
Date
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1870-07-27
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text
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pdf
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English
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Commencement Address 1870-07-27
Commencement
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/da2d05240e123d6c7c8a3d6d80581cd4.pdf
af1211354749f31fa6b12bff97629926
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Text
·This n:iateriaf' may be protected by
Copynght iWJit {Thie 17 U.S. Code)
On the Difficult
Commencement Address for the Graduate Institute
10 August 2007
Peter Kalkavage
Graduates and family members, visitors and colleagues!
There is a famous saying that all beginners in ancient Greek learn: khalepa ta kala. It
means, "Beautiful or fine things are difficult." Today we celebrate your accomplishment
of something beautiful and difficult: the successful completion of your work in the
Graduate Institute of St. John's College. In my remarks this morning I want to reflect
briefly on the experience of the difficult as it appeared in the books you read and in your
struggle to learn. I offer this reflection in tribute to that struggle.
I begin with the Platonic dialogues, those golden examples of beauty joined to
difficulty. Through his hero Socrates, Plato inspires and calls into question; he arouses
and checks; he sets in motion and brings to a stop; he is playful and also deeply serious.
He gives us difficult arguments, and equally difficult myths. Socrates is difficult. He
wears the mask of irony, persists in asking hard questions about the most important
matters of human life, and generates perplexity and the knowledge of ignorance. The
difficulty of Socrates is evident in the Meno. Meno is fascinated by impressive sounding
definitions of virtue. He is an example of what Nietzsche calls "decorative culture." He
wants to be beautiful, as Socrates suggests, but he has no stomach for the difficult.
In your time here, you have experienced the perplexity that abounds in Plato's
dialogues. With more life experience than our undergraduates, more settled opinions,
�and a more formed character, you dared to make a new beginning. You were willing to
be, for a time, unsettled adults, courageous enough to know that you did not know. As
you questioned the books, you also let them question you. In reading all the books on the
program, you let yourself be animated by the beautiful difficulty of Socrates.
Socrates' knowledge of his own ignorance is sometimes taken as an expression of
humility. But that can't be right. If it were, then Socrates would rest content with
opinion; he would not engage in philosophy. Socrates does not say, "I think I don't
know" or "I don't claim to know" or "Who knows what virtue is!" He says, "I know that
I don't know." There is an audacity here, a claim to know. Socrates' admission is a
paradoxical way of saying: "I recognize what is problematic about virtue: I know what
calls forth questioning." Only one who persisted in inquiring into virtue, and who
examined various opinions about it, could say, "I know that I don't know."
This recognition of the difficult and the willingness to bring it out into the open were
at work in our Herodotus preceptorial this summer. In a recent class discussion, one of
you tried to describe why Herodotus was a difficult, if engaging, author. Was his book
like an onion with many layers, or like a tangled ball of yarn, in which every strand leads
to every other in ever-surprising ways? You allowed Herodotus to appear as perplexing
as he really was. His inquiry, historia, was also yours.
My hope is that your experience of Herodotus will enrich your experience of life: that
it will inspire you with the wonder, imagination, and intelligent appreciation of otherness
that Herodotus brought to his mighty task. As you know, one of the central themes in
Herodotus is custom, no mos. What is custom? Why are customs, like this graduation
ceremony, important to us? How do they help us understand what it means to be human?
2
�Why should we inquire into our own customs and those of other cultures? Is the life of
unexamined custom, in the words of Socrates, not worth living? Can respect for custom
co-exist with inquiry, and if so, how? How do we know that in looking at other peoples'
customs we are not like Gyges, who looks upon the naked queen while he himself
remains, so he thinks, invisible?
I urge you to continue to ask these questions as you return to your private and
professional lives. I hope that you will remember, as Herodotus wanted you to, the
wonders of Egypt, colorful Persians like Cyrus and Xerxes, spirited women like Queen
Tomyris, who avenges her son, and the great warrior-advisor Artemisia, the heroic deeds
at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis, and what was required of the Greeks to save
their country from enslavement by a foreign power. I hope you will remember, as fondly
as I do, those Arabian sheep whose long tails must be carried on specially constructed
carts and the gold-digging ants that are smaller than dogs but bigger than foxes. I hope
you will remember Herodotus' terrifying depictions of the human soul as a monster of
unbounded desire, wrath, cruelty, perversity, and madness-especially the madness of
violating the customs of one's own people. These are, to be sure, ugly truths. That is
why it is all the more important to remember them. They are part of the same world in
which beauty dwells.
Another book that mixes beauty with difficulty is Dante's Purgatorio. Some of you
were in the preceptorial last summer when we studied this middle part of Dante's poem.
Purgatory is the place of hope. It is "the mountain where reason searches us." Hope here
is not a passing emotion but a fixed disposition. It is desire for the good joined to the
work of achievement. With the aid of grace, souls on Mt. Purgatory make themselves
3
�worthy to be happy. They do this by embracing their torment and playing an active role
in their salvation. The proud bear heavy rocks on their backs, the envious endure having
their eyes sewn shut, and the lustful experience the fire that burns but does not harm or
kill. The soul for Dante is like a beautiful sculpture that has been ruined by sin. The hard
work of purgation is the art by which we reverse time and regain our original shape. It is
the difficulty that is prerequisite to moral beauty.
One of the best opportunities some of you had to experience the marriage of difficulty
and beauty was the mathematics tutorial. The right triangle, as an outward shape, is
beautiful. But it became more of a beauty when you analyzed its many properties and its
precise relation to the squares constructed on its sides. I am referring, of course, to the
Pythagorean theorem. It was perhaps difficult at first to work through Euclid's proof.
But the result was worth it. That result was not merely increased skill in doing
geometrical proofs, or even the certitude that the proposition was indeed true. The goal
was not enhanced power and diminished doubt but something else. In grasping the proof
of the Pythagorean theorem, not merely memorizing it, you enjoyed an insight into the
perfectly formed inner life of a right triangle. The proof was the shining forth of the
intelligible. The beautiful relation that was in the triangle all along came to light as the
sides "sprouted" their squares and the logical connection with more elementary truths
was revealed.
You have read many difficult books while you were here: Aristotle's Metaphysics,
Plato's Timaeus, Kant's Critique ofPure Reason, Hegel's Philosophy of History, and
Lobachevski's Theory ofParallels. That's impressive. But I think the hardest thing we
asked you to do was to engage in serious conversation about the Bible. No philosophic,
4
�scientific, or mathematical arguments here, no clarity and distinctness of the right
triangle, not even theology: the Bible has no logical proofs for the existence of God.
How is it possible to discuss this book, to bracket all the belief and rejection alike,
defense and attack, piety and animus, all those centuries of accumulated doctrine and
interpretation? Not to mention the difficulty of understanding the text itself and what it is
telling us about the relation of God and man. No book requires more patience, openness,
imagination, and willingness to examine our presuppositions. As unsettled adults, you
faced this difficulty and took the risk.
In his second letter to Timothy, St. Paul writes: "I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith." You too have fought the good fight, you have
finished the race, you have kept the faith. Your faith has been your trust in this program
of education and its tutors, and in your own powers of learning, or rather what Socrates
calls "recollection." You read hard books, asked hard questions, and submitted to
perplexity. The journey at times was not easy. Some of you had to make personal
sacrifices that our undergraduates do not have to make: time away from jobs and family,
the interruption of established life. But you persisted, and you are here.
As you leave us now, I hope you will remember, above all, how much your learning
owed to your conversations with one another and to the friendships you formed here.
Having begun with a Greek saying, I end with another. It occurs at the end of Plato's
Phaedrus: koina gar ta ton philon, "the things of friends are held in common."
May you always hold dear that which you have held in common at this college: that
noblest, most divine, most shareable of all human activities-thought.
5
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Identifier
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commencementprograms
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
paper
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
5 pages
Dublin Core
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Title
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Commencement Address, Graduate Institute, Summer 2007
Description
An account of the resource
Typescript of the commencement address for the Graduate Institute given by Peter Kalkavage on August 10, 2007 in Annapolis, MD. Entitled "On the difficult".
Creator
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Kalkavage, Peter
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
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2007-08-10
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St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online.
Type
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text
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Graduate Institute Commencement Address 2007, Peter Kalkavage
Commencement
Graduate Institute
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Commencement Address for the Class of 1999
by Peter Kalkavage
16May 1999
Visitors and Honored Guests, Parents and Family of Students, Members of the Sl
John's Community, Degree Candidates in the Graduate Institute, and, last but not
least, Graduating Seniors!
Dear seniors and soon to be alumni, my thoughts for you on this momentous
dayrevolve around the following question: What makes thinking alive? Over
the last four years your thinking has ranged over a vast field of thinkables: the
wrath of heroes and the longing for home, shape and number, space and time,
being and becoming, the fate of republics, the aspirations of reason and the limits
of reason, what it means to be lost and what it means to be saved. The vastness
of this field of thinkables invites us to look
bac~
to search in that field for what
brought it all to life.
Hegel tells us that nothing great in the world is ever achieved without
passion. He is right, right about the world and right about you. For 'i\'hat you
have done here in coursing through the program is great as well as good, noble
as '''ell as useful. And it has all been the work of your passion for learning. It
was your passion that brought you to this College and kept you here in difficult
times. It was your passion for the thinkable that made thinking alive.
The clearest expression of this passion was something you did every day in all
your classes: you asked
qu~stions.
The perpetual asking of questions, together
"\i\rith the quest for precision in tutorial and laboratory, was your labor of love. In
Plato's Symposium we are told a story about the parentage of Love. Love, it
seems, was the offspring of Poros and Penia. Papa Poros is Resourcefulness or
Contrivance, and Mama Penia is Poverty or Lack. The humorous myth conveys
a deep mystery. Love is paradoxical -- a marriage of opposites. Neither sheer lack
nor sheer cunning, Love is both together. It is a desire that is cunning in its very
poverty, an emptiness that somehow manages to fill itself. In asking questions
over these four years, you, along with your tutors, engaged in just this sort of
�cunning poverty. You practised the art of magically transforming your lack into
a resource. Questions for you were like the raft of Odysseus as he weathers the
world in his effort to get back home. They were the expression of your need and
the means of your transport.
There is a poem by Wallace Stevens that bears the curious title "Questions Are
Remarks." I would emend that title to read: "Questions Are Insights." Consider
the phenomenon of the good question. You all know from experience what this
is:
The good question is the one. you remember, the one that opens up
something important, points the way to the heart and soul of a thought. The
good question, far from being a mere confession of ignorance, is already a highly
precise instance of knowitzg. To ask a good question is to locate and put into
words something that begs to be asked and inquired into. To ask is already to
have seen. Of all the powers you cultivated at this College, this one, I believe,
was the most important: the power of seeing and saying the What-is-to-be-asked.
Thanks to this power, you became formidable at making begiilnings; you became
what you are today -- the virtuosos of com 111 enc em en t..
So much for the eros of asking - now for t Jiu 111 os . You may recall that there
are many verbs in Greek for thinking, knowing, grasping and perceiving. One of
them is especially interesting: enthumeisthai, from which we get our logic term
"enthymeme." It comes up in Plato's Phaedo '\'\'hen it "hits" Phaedo, comes
home to him, that this man he so loves and admires, this Socrates, is about to
die. Enthumeisthai captures the umon of heart and mind that attends all
genuine learning. It has the word thumos embedded in it, which has no exact
analogue in English and means something like spirit, passionateness, heart or
feeling. Thum os is what allows us to take things to heart and to bear up in the
face of danger and difficulty. Sometimes the seat of overwhelming, irrational
passion, it is also where Homeric heroes, notably Odysseus, do their pondering
and mull over alternatives. It is the place in the soul where depth meets clarity.
We experience tile tltumos of thinking when '\Ve realize something deep down,
ponder it in our chests and feel its full weight. Such realizations fill our whole
being, sometimes to the point of transforming us forever.
2
�Such was the thinking you were invited to experience in your four years with
us. You were called upon by this program of study not merely to "work on" the
books but to ponder their meaning and take them to heart. I am sure that in the
course of the last week or so, the experience I am trying to describe was very real
to you. As the end of your student days at this College drew ever nearer, as that
last seminar approached and then ... was gone, you, like Phaedo, must have felt
the weight of a truth, the gravity of an impending moment.
This sobering
contemplation of an end is an image of that intellectual seriousness you brought
to reading books and engaging in conversation.
But I have become too serious. For if your learning here was a time of
pondering, it was no less a tini.e of intelligent play. Play, as well as passion,
makes thinking alive. This play is the offspring of imagination, that great and
necessary complemertt to taking things seriously. Through the imagination, we
cultivate a taste for otherness: we take a fascinated interest in opinions we may
not hold, try to look at the world through eyes that are not our own.
Imagination is the faculty of distance and perspective. It "cools us off," prevents
us from being too serious, too wrapped up in ourselves, too consumed by our
passions and our point of view.
'Whereas thumos gives thinking gravity,
imagination gives it levity. Imagination thus liberates. It frees us from the bad
effects of zeal - zeal even for the truth. If the sun is our passion for insight, then
the imagination is a great plane tree like the one in the Phaednts - or perhaps a
tulip poplar like our noble Liberty Tree. In the shade of this tree in the soul '\·ve
find relief and protection, not only from the crudeness of our lower natures but
also from the intensity and self-importance of our higher natures.
There is a danger that you face today. The danger is that, having completed
your program of study, you will cease to be transformed by \·\rhat you have read
and talked about; that you will leave these books and these conversations with
the opinions you now hold and never again submit them to careful
examination. In the language of the Phaedo, the danger consists in letting the
logos within you, the Socrates within you, die. I am sure that for some of you,
there was some book, author or part of the program that was, as the saying goes, a
3
�closed book. For some of you it was perhaps Baudelaire, who refused either to
make us feel good or to teach us virtue; for others it was Hegel, who refused to
speak plain English; for others, the Bible, whose God refused to be the
enlightened gentleman we wanted Him to be. Some of you may have found
Socrates himself merely off-putting and obnoxious. I hope that you will not
succumb to the danger of which I speak. It would be a failure of imagination. I
hope that you will return to that all-but-closed book - that dismissed question,
idea or author - and reopen it, remembering that sometimes we learn the most
from those who are most other.
This year you read Dostoievsky's novel about three brothers. At the end of
this novel, one of them, Alyosha, says the following to the boys gathered around
Ilyushechka's grave: "You must know that there is nothing higher_, or stronger_,
or sounder, or more useful afterwards in life, than some good memory,
especially a memory from childhood, from the parental home."
I end by applying this speech to you and to the four years of learning you have
completed at this, your academic home.
follovdng:
Some time soon, ask yourself the
Of all the insights I have experienced here (including all the
questions I have asked and have been asked), which one was the most important
to me? V\Thlch one most caused me to realize something deep down, most
opened my eyes to what I had not seen before? \'\Then you find that insight,
guard it well: it is '\Vhat your education has most been for. I\1ay this remembered
insight be for you that good memory of 1..vhich Alyosha speaks. :May it beget in
you, the children of Poros and Penia, a life of continued pondering and rich
imaginings.
As you enjoy the sunniness of this day that is yours, consider the sun's
likeness to the good you have found at this College. Let the sun with its twofold
~nergy,
its Light and its Warmth_, call to mind that which you will never lose:
whatever intellectual Light you attained here through study and all the '"'arm th
of our affection for you.
My dear comrades in iearning, do not let the logos within you die!
4
�
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
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Annapolis, MD
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An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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4 pages
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Commencement Address, 1999
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Typescript of the commencement address given by Peter Kalkavage on May 16, 1999.
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Kalkavage, Peter
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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1999-05-16
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text
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pdf
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English
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lec Kalkavage 1999-05-16
Commencement
Tutors
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083da7398bfdca7b06e822760363e890
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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Original Format
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paper
Page numeration
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7 pages
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Commencement Address, Graduate Institute, Summer 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Typescript of the commencement address for the Graduate Institute given by Peter Kalkavage at the end of the Summer 2016 semester in Annapolis, MD. Entitled "On the seriousness of play or the importance of not being Earnest".
Creator
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Kalkavage, Peter
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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2016-08-05
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St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online.
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CommencementAddressGISummer2016
Commencement
Graduate Institute
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Text
AN
ADDRESS
TO THE
ALUMNI
AND
STUDENTS
OF
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE, ANNAPOLIS.
Delivered February U, 180.
BY JOHN TAYLOE
OF
LOMAX,
VIRGINIA.
BALTIMORE:
WOODS
l
AND
CRANE,
PRINTERS.
1842.
!II'~~~~~~~~--~~!il
�AN
ADDRESS
TO THE
ALUMNI
AND
STUDENTS
OF
ST. JOHN 'S COLLEGE, ANNAPOIJS.
Delivered February U , 180.
BY JOHN TAYLOE
OF
LOMAX,
VIRGINIA.
BALTIMORE:
WOODS
AND
CRANE,
1842.
I
f.
PRINTER S.
�ADDRESS .
GENTLEMEN ALUMNI-
Emboldened by your kindness I shall make the effort,
I fear an unsuccessful one, to discharge the duty to which
your partiality has invited me. I advance to it with the overwhelming distrust of any talent of mine, suitably to express
my own feelings, or to strike the responsive sympathies of
your bosoms, in this our revived intercourse. Whatever
humble pretensions to imagery of thought, or to the graces of
elocution, the exercises of this seminary may at one time
have tended to awaken in me, they have all been dispelled
by the labours of professional occupation, and the ·advancing
sobrieties of age. If the flattering honour, with which your
kindness has graced me, upon this occasion, was won by the
intensity of my affections for these halls and all its beloved
associations, every fibre of my heart is testifying that your
favor has not been unmerited. All beyond that must be ascribed to a generosity and partiality for which I am most
profoundly grateful.
A few more months will complete the cycle of half a century, since I e~tered these halls as a student ; and rather more
than forty-four years since I quitted them. The glittering
prospects which the world held up to the hopes and aspirations
of the precocious graduate, were then deemed more than a
compensation for the pangs of separation from the scenes of
early instruction, and the beloved associations of my boyhood .
These prospects have eluded the ardor which pursued them .
I return after this long separation, to this pl ace and to the
surviving companions, who here shared with me the toils and
delights of our early studies, to make the acknowledgment that
here and with them, wa s spent the happiest period of my life.
I
f
�5
4
To that happy period, amidst all the ~icissitudes which have
intervened, remembrance has been fondly gravitating. The
· panorama of the scenes of our youth has been deeply engraved in all their brightness and distinctness and vivacity upon
the faithful tablets of the memory, and its contemplation has
afforded fond and frequent enjoyment.
In looking back to a date fifty years, from the pinnacle of the present times, what wonderful changes in the face
of society fill up the period of this retrospection. It has been
one, eventful beyond any other of the like duration, recorded in the history of the world. These changes have
involved mind and matters, deeply affecting individuals and
nations in all their social and political relations. In contempla;inO' their results, the philanthropists may exult in the
confident0hope that they have laid the foundations of a s~lid
and progressive amelioration of the condition of our species.
New sciences have been developed, out "f scattered phenomena, which fifty years ago, had hardly awakened inquiry,
as to the laws and relations by which they were governed:
whilst those which had already been grasped by the human
intellect, have with greater accuracy and profoundness been
explored and enlarged. The sciences and the art~, derivi~g
a mutual aid from each other, have both been qmckened m
their improvements, and genius has been stimulate~ int? more
active inventiveness. New powers, or new combmatwns of
powers, applied to new purposes, have to an inc~lcula~le extent, supplied and superseded the labours and mampulati?ns of
man. To a corresponding extent they may be considered
as having multiplied a labouring population, acc.elerated. ~n<l
augmented productiveness and the wealth of ?at.w.ns, facilitated, cheapened, and more widely dispensed to 111d1v1~uals, most
of the comforts and enjoyments of life. The operations of the
press have been progessi vely diffusing the benefits of knowledge in regions, from which they had been heretofore .excluded amongst classes of society who seemed to be doomed to
mental darkness. Instruction is afforded in every form of
appliance, to all the degrees and pec~li.arities. of intellectual
capacity, and suited to all the opportunities enJoyed for mental improvement. Education has gone abroad among the
P?or as well as the rich, and christian piety has brough t to its
aid the Sabbath ~chools, where the young and the poor redeemed from the idleness with which the day of holy res( was
won~ to .be profaned, have restored it to -its consecration, by
holdmg· rntercourse with God ' through the st ud y o f h' W or d •
Th
·
.
1s
e m.1ss10nanes ~f the christian church are bearing with
apo.stohc zeal and mtrepidi ty, the gospel to all the benighted
reg10ns. ~f th~ earth; awakening the savage from the death of
supersht10n. m which he was inhumed · inspiri·nO' a ne w cre. .
.
,
"
a~10n mto his ~ea~·t, and elevating him by the power of religwn, t~ t!ie d1gm ty of civilized man and to communion with
th~ chnshan's God. Man ascending higher in the scale of his
enjoyments, has become better acquainted with his social relations ~nd with his political rights. The governments of
Europe, m the decaying foundations of feudal tyranny, have
been compelled, of. necessity, to seek their own strength in
the resources, and m the prosperity and comforts of the people. The day . has passed by, when the monarch, in the
~aughtmess of his power, could say "I am the state." The
irrepressible sp.irit of inquiry and discussion upon the subject
of human relat10ns, has laid bare the foundations of political
power, a~d has taught the people to know, and their rulers to
feel, the important truth, that governments were made for the
benefit of the governed. The force of this truth, even where
the ~eople have not been admitted to a share in the administrat10n of government, has bowed down the ears of their rulers to listen to the wants and the interests and the opinons of
the people.
Am~ngst all the changes which have taken place in the
world m mode~·n. times, there have been none more strik ing
a~d ~ore gratifymg to the philanthropist, than the abatement
w1t.hm less than thi~ty years past, of that spirit of hostility
which formerly embittered the relations of nations to each
other, and to which extending to the members of different
communities, excited in the people of one nation, all the malignancy of personal hatred against those belonging to every
other.
The proof of this change is presented . in the fact, of that
general peace which has now prevailed throughout Europe
I
f,
�7
6
for more than a quarter of a century. The principle seems
· to be entering into the foreign policy of all · the nations of
christendom, to facilitate and quicken the means of commerce
and international communication, to control nations by moral
influences, rather than by the power of the sword, to strengthen the bonds of peace, and to embrace all the world in the connexions of amity. Public opinion, reciprocated and collected,
from all quarters of the globe, is assuming the justice seat, as
the mighty arbiter, to sit in judgment upon the conduct of individuals and governments in every nation. Its jurisdiction is
becoming commensurate with the world. Its impartial sentence admits of no appeal, and the record of that sentence,
upon the pages of history, will be forever irreversible. The
P""' i• i1' g<and inque", who•e finding• a<e ,,nt forth with
the velocity of winds and of steam, to be promptly tried at
the bar of this augu;;t tribunal. In this chancery the stoutest
despot may tremble at the fearless disclosure of his tyrannies.
Before it even a Tiberius or a Nero might shrink ashamed
and dismayed; and might feel their cruelty subdued into the
simulation and practice of virtue. The oppressed even in
those countries where the hand of an iron despotism lies
heaviest, feel some protection ·in the sympathies of this ar.biter,
and in the terrors which it suspends over the heads of their
oppressors.during my association here with my cotemporary
It was
alumni, that the French revolution assumed that baleful aspect of crime and horror, which will forever make it the most
frightful and amazing event in the history of the world. The
feelings with which we, in common with the world, were
agitated in the progress of that revolution, have subsided. We
can now look back to the scenes, which it exhibited to our
youthful contemplation, in the calm sobriety of age, and extract from its history, the great novel and political truths with
which it abounds. It was a spectacle worthy of all the enthusiasm of sympathy and hope which it excited, when twentyfive millions of men, redeeming themselves from the most corrupt and despotic of governments, asserted their right to be free.
But there is a wide difference between reforming the oppressions and the abuses of government, and its utter subversion.
It a rema I·I' worthy
thais " the subversion of of one of the profoundest of pol1't' . ·
b t
a govern
1c1ans
e considered but as a t
ment, to deserve praise
;
bette.·, eith" ,: ;:
to the focma;io:u;f
~omething
pc~parntocy
Itnh_the persons who administe; i~c oiei-~eo the government, or
bf
1s sche me o f emancipatin• a' . m oth •'' The acto" in
i
h
orm, uprooted from th . ~ mig ty nation, instead of
d
e1r 1ound f
rea.n the whole edifice of the
a wns all their institutions
ne~ of a visionary philosoph go~~:nrnent. . Indulging the theotheir ancient establ' ·h
y substituted
l'b
" men", y, •cheme f . in the pI ace of
a
I erty and of impracticable
r
o wild and unbridled
The government f F
ity.
,
. ·1
o
v1g1 ance over the press ranee ' m the exercise of its despoti
..
auspiciously for its own pfinor to the revolution, had most i c
sa ety and the
l"
nsuppressed all animadversio
h
we iare of the nation
abuses of th e government wh'lw atsoever upon tie practical
n t.
1
'
.
of mqu·
.
I
iry, an d d1seussion,' as to s it granted u nboun ded license
the
.
equ~
and philosophy
l~f humanto rights. Hostility to thbmetaphysicsthe clergy was
icensed
be waged ' md.
. !fectly e abuses of
h
..
e very foundations of chrisf ~ y wntmgs, which assailed
of .s?cial order, and moralit ia:7r~ an~ the great principles
"'.ntmgs, which tended to d: r
poisoned by applauded
cite to the lewdest sensuality ~n:v~h~he sentimen~s, and to inness. The subtle m fl uence . the
.
most profligate selfis h.
of
..
mto the whole mass of societ se wnt1~gs had infused itself
elements of France the f . d Y· In this state of the moral
1
'
nen s of r
1 .
wor' of wresting despotism from evo u~10n advanced to the
proudest monarchy in E
the gnpe of the oldest and
ro
urope-of red .
h
gance of a feudal aristocra
ucmg t e in veterate arancestral chivalry-of s bd
emblazoned in the
of
~ate power and privile e~ o:mg and secularizing the inorditmg from vil!anage an~ oppre: .corrupt clergy, and of elevaN~ attempt•, howevec cautioo';~· th~ pmantcy and people
_ocm of a body politic •o c
'."a e, at the mo.t grnduai
p1bous circumstances
Id honst1tuted, under the most pr
strugg les of the most' violent ave .failed to have roused the
cou
o.
the fires of the fiercest d' op~os1tlon, and to have kindled
combining and adj~stin in;~sens~~ns. The arduous work of
fiedfi interest!'! wh' h would have
g
pohtwal harmony ' these d'
.
"'
IC
d
1vers1pro oundest and most ex .
excee ed the capacity of th
penenced statesmen was h
· e
.
'I
'
un app1ly
t
~y,
'~
~enown
�9
8
for France-unhappily for the world-in the hands of men,
who, previously thereto, had been utterly denied all participation in the administration of public affairs; and whose initiation into the powers of legislation, was the work of remodeling a mighty kingdom. But even among the schemes of these
vast and prodigious changes, there were blazing the fires of
furious discord and strife, of dissension as to the means, and
as to the objects and extent of the revolution, which they were
conducting. The only concurrence of the parties, into which
they were divided, was as to the formation of some new po·
litical system, upon new and original foundations; and whence
were the lights to be sought which should guide the architects
in erecting this system? not from the sources o.f their own
practical knowledge-not from the experience and history of
other nations. The volumes were before them, filled with the
abstractions of political philosophy, which had been the familiar manuals of their studies; whence the architects drew the
plan, in all its shadowy and metaphysical proportions, for the
mighty edifice under which shelter and protection would be
found for the liberties of this illustrious nation. For the broad
foundation on which this system was to rest, all orders and
conditions of life were to be crushed into universal equality.
It was not sufficient to build up a system, without regard to
the habits, the feelings, the condition of the society, for which
it was framed; but man was to be reconstructed upon the
models of fanciful speculation, to suit him to the system. This
crude scheme of a republic which was pretended to be fashioned for France, was as it has been aptly described, "a
wild attempt to methodize anarchy ; to perpetuate and fix disorder." Party triumphed over party in sanguinary succe.ssion,
each party alike selfish and ferocious-all assuming the garb
of purest patriotism, professing devotion to the people, whom
they were butchering, and howling forth incantations to liberty
and equality, which they were trampling under foot. Faction
usurped the place of government, anarchy tore asunder all
the bonds of social order, depravity loosened all the ties of
domestic love. The impudence of vice, and a shameless
emulation in the most dissolute licentiousness were professed
and erected into habits of republican morality, with the pur-
pose of dethronina all earth! y I.
r
o
ongs, was blasph
I
iessed the determination t d h
emous y proverse.
o et rone the Sovereign of the uni-
In the halls of that Convention which I . .
representative wisdom a cl .
c aimed to be the
.
n virtue of the most e I' I t
d
hon of Europe' were the be1· f and worshi fGn d l ene na.
rg
ie
and there was adoratio n pa1.cl to the goddess of renounced;
P0 o
sonified in beauty without mode
. .
reason, perHoly of Holies. Oh I 't
~ty, usm p.mg the place of the
. i was a iearful thmg wh f
h
halls, it was announced th t
.
'
en rom t ese
would no longer have' Go~ t: na~10n of 25,000,000 of men
foolishness of man was
rdeign over them ; when the
·
pronounce to be ·
h
vidence of heaven-wh
..
wiser t an the proof the word of G cl
edn a dark philosophy assumed the place
cl
0 -an a cold and che ·I
philanthropy, was to be planted in
metaphym the place of th.e charities and consolations
of men,
graces and sanct10ns of christianity A f I
hopes and
when God seemed at th . .
. . . . w u was the scene,
'
e rmp10us b1ddmg of
.
hold the effusions of h' g1.ace from that
1s
tman, .to w1thf
.
and crime which lay b fi
.
was e o mfidehty
e ore 11 rm- when he seem cl t
d er his temples and his It
.
a ars to sacrilege whe e II o surrenr .
sanc tions being renounced h I
n a re 1g10usexcept by human sanct'
' de eft the heart unrestrained
.
wns an moral sense t0 . d I
.
its furious and mar()"
.
'
m Ll ge m all
fh
ionant propensity for crime. But th '
o eaven are ever gracious, and there is mere eve e
wrath. It is a scene W h.IC h hea ven has
ky d · n m hrs
for the instruction of the world mar
m terrifi_c
cal illustration of the th . ,
11· •
• It rs the practieones, w 1ch mfidelit
·
place of the truths wh' h h
Y proposes m the
of mankind. It is th~c amea:~en re~e~ls ~or the government
own agency, of the eternal t;:~h vmd~cat10n, through man's
that other foundation ca
..
'1 which has been revealed,
the Hol W
n no man ay than that which is laid in
y
ord. On what theatre of the I b
able for the success of h
.
go e, more fa vourbe) could infidel pl ·1 t ehexpd~nment (if successful it could
'
11 osop y
!splay th
ffi
morality, and the power f
I
e e cacy of human
roved t . . l
o mora sense, enlightened and imP
' o impe and control and cl' t h
path of virtue 'I
.!fee uman actions in the
2
. There was no nation more blessed in soil and
~ical
;~ee~o:n
an~ms
,"a~s
cha~acters,
~
I
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�10
climate ~nd in every natural advantage. Her population, as
'
h f l
d humoured and con- if by nature were brave, c eer u ' goo
tented. Sh~ was illumined by every science, adorned by the
tro hies o.f every art, and decked in wreaths .of every muse,
p
l" hed in all the refinements which can elevate
and accomp is
.
the
·b·l't·es or throw the restramts of decency upon
the sens1 1 1 I '
f
.
If philosophy could have redeemed man rom
pass10ns.
·
f
.
d could have renewed him in the image o a pure
cnme, an
d
·
. n that was the place, and those were the ays, m
mo1a t y,
.
. . f
l . generawhich it would have poured out its spmt o mora ie .
tion upon its disciples. But its spiri.t w~s. p~ured out .m the
.
cord eprava t10n of the human heart-111 civil anarchy-111i:1
. . -.
.
11 the charities of social and domestic hfe-m u astruptrng a
· h d
ing all the objects of human reverence and love-m t e estruction of all that is worthy of man to live for! an~ w.hat to
. c
perd ie 101• 1 sleep 1 Oh eternal sleep! and 8hall man m his h
•
.
. h
·11
t1 be bl1"nd to the awful instructions wh1c t . ese
verseness, s
him-and will he still seek for the delus10ns
scenes presen t to
.
of a false philosophy, instead of seeking "Him who is the way
and the truth and the life 'I''
.
.
The rage for military gl?ry and foreign. ~onquest. l~rndled 111
this revolutionary anarchy the wildest spmt of political fa~a
ticism. The dogmas of philosophical lib~rty and equality'
which had deluged France in blood, were, 111 the pretence of
universal benevolence for man, propagated as the only
foundations of legitimate government throughout the world.
Incendiary excitements to rebellion and anarchy were every
where scattered through the surrounding states. All ~ystems
of social polity, inconsistent with the th~ory of the rights of
man were denounced as tyrannical and rnsufferable; and the
ema~cipation of the subjects of (oreign nation~'. from the t~
ranny of their governments roused all. the chanties of repubh'fhe established polity of states was to be
can crusa ders ·
.
upset, that the social condition of ~heir sub!ects rrnght b.e
remodelled, at the dictation of foreign fanatics~ upo~ their
theories of human rights, and according to their notions of
liberty and equality. The loss of national independenc~, the
desolation and horrors of civil war, was the cheap pnce of
this foreign interference, and of the proffered blessings of
protection and fraternity and emancipation.
11
The distractions of party, which long continued to agitate
republican France, were at last terminated, in that catastrophe, which anacchy never fa ils to prod uce, a military despotism, under the sceptre of that wonderful genius, by whom that
despotism was usurped. France enlarged by foreign conquest,
rose into the most stupendous po wer that the world has beheld, since the downfall of the Roman Empire. Monarchs
were compelled to throw down their crowns at the feet of this
imperial despot, or to abdicate their thrones to be filled by his
appointment, or to hold them in vassalage to his power. The
subjugation of three-fourths of Europe to his dominion was
not enough to satisfy his inordinate ambition, which seemed
to grasp the empire of the world. At length overwhelmed
in the tempests of a Russian winter, the refluent tide of victory
scattered his glory ,and power into fragments; and haughty
France was compelled by the combined forces ~ Europe to
behold the abdicated throne of imperial greatness filled by the
restored dynasty of her beheaded king. But short was the
reign of their folly and imbecility. Another revolution hurled
them from the throne, which they proved unworthy or incompetent to fill : and the crown has been placed on the head of
another dynasty, in the novel elevation of a citizen king.
From these revolutionary horrors, engendered by philosophical speculations on the abuses and oppressions of despotic
power, and raging in all the madness of crime, and impiety
the mind seeks relief, in turning to contemplate the efficacy
of those great principles of Anglo-Saxon liberty, which sustained the land of our fathers, during that momentous period
of convulsion which agitated and afflicted continental Europe.
It has ever been the policy of that race to regard their liberties,
as the reliques of ancestral wisdom and bravery, secured by
magna charta, and the principles of their jurisprudence, reaching back beyond human memory into a remote antiquity.
Their origin is not to be sought in the visions of abstract
philosophy; but they are _to be traced back, through the experience of practical wisdom, to those institutions which in
the dissolution of the Roman Empire, were established throughout tht: nations of Europe, as best adapted to the condition
I
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12
in which they were then placed. If in the feudal system of
government, there are to be found the features of a harsh and_
oppressive aristocracy, it was not without securities for popular rights. These securities were from various causes, gradually weakened or obliterated in the political institutions of
the continental states : but they were valiantly maintained in
Great Britain by our Anglo-Saxon ancestors. They never
permitted any element of popular rights, which existed in the
system, that had descended to them, to be extinguished by
the usurpations of the crown or the arrogance of the nobles.
For these they struggled against the power of their Norman
conquerors, and successfully restored and maintained them,
in the charters which were extorted from their decendants.
These elements of popular freedom continued to be cherished
and progressively to be ameliorated, and to be adapted to the
changing c.ndition of society, until they expanded into democratic representation in parliament, and the power of taxation,
and juries, and independent judges, and freedom of the press,
and maxims and laws for the security of the subject as fixed
as the vital principles of the constitution itself-which cannot
be taken away without the cons,ent of all the powers of the
state, and which dare not be invaded by any of them without
upsetting the whole edifice of the government. If there is to
be found in the British history any thing like revolution (with
the exception of the temporary excesses of religious fanaticism)
it has been for conservation of rights, attempted to be disturbed or destroyed; for the restoration of rights which have
been suspended or temporarily lost. The spirit of change in
the British institutions has, in the language of Lord Bacon,
"followed the example of time itself, which indeed innovates
greatly, but quietly and by degrees scarcely to be perceived;
avoiding experiments _ the state, except the necessity be urin
gent, or the utility evident-and taking care that it is a reformation that draws on the change, and not the desire of
change that pretends . the reformation; and when novelties
be not rejected, yet they shall be held for a suspect.'' The
system of Anglo-Saxon government and of jurisprudence has
advanced in analogy to nature in just correspondence and
13
symmetry with the order o~ society, and a pliancy and fitness
to its changes. It has never aimed at the reconstruction of
the moral relations upon any speculative models. It takes
them as it finds them, and protects and ameliorates them and
'
'
accompanies and adapts itself to them, in their progress to the
hightest degree of improvement. I mean not, in the abstract,
to express approbation of hereditary monarchy or aristocracy,
or of religious establishments, and other institutions engrafted
upon the political system of Great Britain. These were found
engrafted in the very elements of the system, and it may have
been most wise to tolerate them in the state of society which
has grown up under them. But I do applaud the wisdom
with which restraints upon them have been incorporated in
the system, in those great principles of liberty, under the shelter
and protection of which the people never can be slaves, even
under a monarchy; and without which the people would be
slaves even under a republic. Nor do I mean to say that the
action of the English government may not sometimes, at periods of peril or excitement, or under the influence of the
s?irit of party, have been greatly disturbed, and may not in particular cases have had a strong tendency to oppression. But
I do believe that in the Anglo-Saxon institutions, whether as
they have existed in this country or in Great Britain, there is
a greater amount of rational liberty, better regulated, and better protected and secured, than can be found in the institutions
of any race of men that has ever existed upon the face of the
globe. It was the spirit of these institutions which sustained
Great Britain amidst all the revolutions and convulsions which
for more than twenty years agitated continental Europe to the
centre. Her opposition to the revolutionary fana ticism and
~ilitary. power of France was steady and unceasing, sometimes with the co-operation of other powers, sometimes alone
she only, maintained her government unshaken, her spirit un~
broken, her soil unviolated, her power unsubdued, her resources expanded with the pressure which encumbered them.
The loyalty of her people clung to her government and rallied
to ~er standar~, in all the perils and vicissitudes of that trying
pe~10d, unternfied by the tempests which were shaking into
rums the powers around her : undismayed by disaster, she
I
f
�..
14 .
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\
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I
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I
maintained her lofty attitude of unblenching defiance and gallant hostility to France, in all the growth of her colossal
power. It becomes not the citizens of these states, unconnected as we are with the political relations of other countries, to
display extravagant sympathies in the good or ill fortune of
any of the nations of Europe ; but in the displays of the indomitable vigor and solidity of Anglo-Saxon institutions, and
of the spirit which they inspire, it is not unbecoming that we
should rejoice. These instituti'ons our forefathers aided to
establish in England, and are the same which in their elements,
they transplanted and renovated in the soil of America.
That spirit transmitted in the blood of common ancestors, is
the same which under these institutions still fire~ the bosoms
of their American offspring.
During this period of political change, Great Britain, however, has not been stationary. Her political institutions have
underg01rn reformations. The struggles to ob1ain them have
been agitating; but their success has been bloodless. It is in
her legislative halls, not in her fields ensanguined by civil strife,
that the persevering champions of popular rights have at last
triumphed, in the success of parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation.
Our own continent also, in what were once portions of the
kingdoms of Portugal and Spain, has been the theatre of vast
political changes. They too have burst the chains which
bound them to the domination of the mother countries-and
now, from the limits of Maine to the extremity of Cape Horn,
no European power holds dominion in America, and from the
people of all this vast. region the united declaration has gone
forth to the world, that it stands forever redeemed and emancipated from the colonization of foreign powers. In their redemption from foreign tyranny, these nations have made large
advances to the accomplishment of the liberties and prosperity
of their people. But the Portuguese kingdom in America still
continues to hug the chains of tyranny within, which were
severed from without ; and whilst it has, in the great commonwealth of nations, taken its rank as a free and independent state, the freedom and independence of her people are
still oppressed by a thraldom, as despotic as ever. The
15
Spanish kingdoms have assumed the form of republican states,
and have1 for the most part, adopted institutions, of which
ours in Northern America, have served for models. With
what success such institutions may diffuse all the blessiwrs of
0
free government among a people so differently constituted in
habits, feelings, religion, orders, castes and intelligence from
our own population, is a subject of deep and painful anxiety,
which a.n inscru:able future can alone remove. Amongst all
the subjects which the pages of modern history present for
philosophic speculation, none is more interesting than a comparison between the causes, incidents and consequences of
these revolutions in Southern America, under the dominion of
Portugal and Spain, and that of the colonies in Northern
America, under the dominion of Great Britain. The former
were constituent portions, far separated in distance, from the
parent kingdoms, whose stern and universal despotism, embraced in its gripe, all that were subject to their dominion.
That despotism was greatly aggravated by the seve~ity of
monopolies and restrictions, which directed all the resources
and all the productiveness of these distant portions of their
realms into currents, to swell the cupidity and ·avarice of sordid
task-masters, in the mother countries. In the bosoms of their
American subjects, . every pulse of freedom was suppressed,
from their minds every ray of political truth was intercepted,
a black cloud of ignorance enveloped all the orders and
castes of their heterogeneous and unequal society, and tyranny. had subdued into slavish humility the spirit of thei~ populat10n. To British America the great principles of liberty
had been translated, as an inherent birthright, of which no
power c01.1ld disinherit the colonists. The right of legislation
and taxat10n through their own representative, of administering justice, of jury trial, of the freedom of speech and of the
press, were among their inalienable privileges. The facilities
of education gave them access to all the illuminations of
science and improvements in the arts, and to the refinements
of taste and literature. No prerogatives of the crown were
c~lled ~nto exercise in these distant regions-there had been no
migrat10ns of nobles to plant in America the seeds of hereditary aristocracy-no hierarchy to cast the shade of bigotry
'1
�16
17
over the freedom of religious opinion or religious faith. Under
this system of polity these colonial appendag~s of the ki~1gdom
of Great Britain, had struck deep into the soil of Amenca, the
germinations of vast republics, invigorated by the spirit and
protection of Anglo-Saxon jurisprudenc~ . When at length ~he
mother country, disregarding the theories of her own constitution, invaded the rights which _ colonists claimed _with her,
the
as a common inheritance, she found that the colomsts were
freemen, that the race from which they were descended could
not breed slaves-that they had caught from her own altars,
along with the spirit of freedom, an intre~id and i~domitable
courage to defend it from every aggress10n. It_ '.s, my
spected auditors, by comparing the happy cond1t10n, which
peculiarly distinguishes the people, governed and prot:cted by
Anglo-Saxon institutions, from all other races of mankmd, that
we are taught the inestimable blessings of the system of government under which we live, that our hearts are elevated
into an ennobling love of our country, and are penetrated
with gratitude to heaven for having made us wh~t we are.
There was indeed a fearful period in our history, when
there hung over the destinies of these infant stat~s a portentous cloud, from which were thundering the warnings of that
fate, which ~ so often in the history of the world,_ h~d blasted
the prospects of nations who had achieved theJr liberty by
their heroism, which they had not the ability to preserve ~y
·
·
t he1r w1s dom. That period immediately succeeded the brilliant events of the Revolution. At the commencement of the
Revolution, a system of confederation of the states had_ been
adopted to supply the place of that discarded power m the
British government, which had regulated ~nd repr:sented the
colonies, in common with the 1~est of the k1~gdom, ~n the concerns of peace and war, and in their exterior relations. !he
powers of this confederation were exercised by representatives
of sovereign states assembled in congress, and by m:ans of
· 10ns upon . the states • without any legal sanct10ns to
reqms1·t·
enforce them. This system was found feeble even when a
spirit of hostility against a common enemy, and a com~on
sense of danger, rallied all hearts to the standard of the umon.
When peace was achieved, the languid powers of the confe-
:e-
deration scarcely he_ together the dissolving ties of the states,
ld
among whom many causes of dissension were beginning to
fester. Deplorable was the condition of these states, as it was
disclosed in the cotemporary representations. According to
them, we had experienced every thing which could wound the
pride degrade the character of an independent people. Our
engagements violated-public debts undischarged and unprovided for-territories and ports retained by Great Britain, in·
violation of the treaty of peace-the navigation of the Mississippi denied us by Spain, in violation of right and of compact;
no troops, nor treasury, nor efficient government to resent these
aggressions--no public credit-commerce at the lowest ebb,
the imbecility of government such as to deter foreign nations
from treating with us-our ambassadors abroad regarded as
the pageants of a mimic sovereignty-the value of lands
decreasing private credit distrusted-and the catalogue of the
public misfortunes of a community, blessed with every natural
advantage, was filled _up with all the indications of national
disorder, poverty, and insignificance.
To repair this <liU!pidated condition of the tottering union
was the arduous undertaking of the framers of our present
constitution. Of the full extent of the difficulties which they
encountered in this undertaking, the whole hns not· until recently been known. Fortunately for us and for future generations, some met'Dorial of them has been preserved in the
posthumous works of that most illustrious character and best
of men, who survived a!! his co-labourers in this mighty work,
which stands a perpetual monument of their wisdom and
magnanimity and patriotism. It was in the construction of
this renovated system of federal government, and not until
then, that our Revolution was perfected and it s benefits secured.
Who can look down, without horror, into that dark abyss,
opening to engulf all the glories and achievements of our revolutionary struggles, and contemplate the wild uproar of national
animosity, and civil discord and anarchy, which lay in its
dark profound. That frightful gulf has been closed, I fondly
hope forever closed, by building up from its depth, a mighty
edifice of political freedom and social order-the security of
or
3
''
�18
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i9
the states and of the people-the admiration of the world. Jn
all its parts it displays the skill of mighty architects-in all its
arrancrements arc found the traces of exalted patriotism and
I:>
magnanimous compromise. As soon as this constitution went
into operation, with Washington for the president, our renovated union roused from its debility, like a yodthfol giant from
his slumbers. The nalion was raised as an instant from the dust
of its humiliation-its credit was redeemed and resuscitated-its
engagements fulfilled-its foreign and domestic debt provided
for-its treasury supplied-the obligations of foreign powers
complied with-and commerce unfurling its sails and the
constellated flag of the union in every sea-treaties of amity
and commerce sought with us by foreign natio_ns-our ambassadors respected by foreign courts, and reflecting by their
talents, a lustre upon the character of the nation-private
credit revived--:the arm of industry nerved with renewed
vigour-and our lands increasing in value and teeming with
productiveness.
A grateful country beholds, in the administration of her first
president, a wisdom in council, exceeding · even his glory in
arms. In our foreign relations, his sagacity early discovered
that the true policy of his country was, "never to quit the ad vantages of our own peculiar, detached and distant situation, to
stand on foreign ground; nor by interweaving our destiny with
that of any part of Europe, to entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest,
humour or caprice.'' This principle stands embodied as a
maxim in our foreign policy, which none would be now disposed to controvert, or to discard. , The energy of mind and
intrepidity of soul, which were ta$ked in our first president to
fix and establish it, can only be known and appreciated by the
cotemporaries who witnessed the agitations of popular excitement within, and the aggressions of the European belligerents
to disturb it from without. In our internal concerns, our new
constitution developed during Washington's administration, alt
its varied capacities for conferring and perpetuating liberty
and prosperity upon our people. On this consecrated day•
may we not, in the retrospect of the history of our government
from its commencement to the present period, claim from the
the justice of our countrymen, the acknowledgment, that at no
period has it been more wisely administered than by Washington; that at no period has its tendency, as affecting the
morals of the people, the internal and external commerce of
the nation, and the prosperity of the states, been more salutary
and steady, than its tendency as impelled by his wisdom, and
under the . institutions as organized with his concurrence 1
May not the practical experience of our institutions as unfolded
by him, be safely consulted and relied upon in all times by the
descendants of those ancestors, whose whole ~history has been
characterized for sober wisdom, "avoiding experiments in the
staJe, except the necessity be urgent, or the utility evident>
and taking care, that it is a reformation that draws on the
change, and not the desire of change which pretends the reformation."
Our march was still onward ,' onward to prosperity. There
has not been wanting in the display of our national improvements, a single test, which indicates, with unerring certainty,
the blessings of a good government and a prosperous people.
A success, beyond the most sanguine calculations and any
parallel in the history of society, has signally marked the annals of our institutions. There may, .in particular measu res,
have been errors, to disturb their course in the full tide of successful experiment. The tempests of party may at times have
greatly agitated the political fabric, and seemed to have exposed it to perils imminent and alarming; our institutions with
their recuperative energies have braved the storm, and still
preserved their onward co~irse to peace and prosperity. Practical blunders, or party extravagances, have never accumulated into fixed or habitual oppression. Every year has the interminable wilderness of the west surrendered wider and
wider clearings for the advances of civilization and agriculture. Regions which fifty years ag o had been hardly explored, have been redeemed by the arm of a st~rdy industry,
and are now teeming with plenty, and are covered with a
refined and active population, and are glittering with villages
and cities. Population cannot outrun the protection of the
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government, or territories expand beyond the embrace, whic h
reaches forth to encircle them within the union.
Shall these institutions continue to flourish and to spread
their benignant energies, till all the regions from the Atlantic
to the Pacific shall be peopled wi.th the decendants of one
common origin, glowing with a common love of liberty under
republican forms of government, and offering up the adorations. of a christian faith to the throne of heaven ? I do hope
so ! However inauspicious the signs of the times, I will fondly believe so ! I will not forego the hope, I will not abandon
the belief, -that there exists in every portion of this nation, a
catholic patriotism, uncorrupted by party, which will continue
to rally around tlie constitution and the union, and will defend
them against the fanaticism and the local jealousies that are
assailing them. The blessings which they have diffused
throughout the whole length and breadth of this nation, indi vidually and politically, are as inappreciable, as the calamities, springing from the loss of them, are incalculable. We
have seen and known and felt the blessings, to a degree of
happiness and prosperity of which no example can be found
in the history of any nation in th~ world-of the calamities,
a ll that we know is the dreadful truth of their certainty whene" er that loss may come, as to the intensity and magnitude
v
and extent of these calamities, should they ever come, the
mind grows dizzy with horrors in its _
dark conjectures.
In every free state, the regulation of the civil condition of
those, who constitute its community, must be the exclusive
matter of its own peculiar polity. The moment that is surrendered to external influence, whether it be the influence of
force or of fanaticism, that state ceases to be free. This
axiom in politics was felt in all its force, and was a rallying
point of nations during the French revolution. It must ever
be so. It is engrafted deeply in our own federal constitution,
and there it has acquired the force of love and the faith of
compact. Shall patriotism be wanting in any portion of this
union, to rise in defence of this fundamental maxim of national
and political law, and of this stipulation of plighted faith to
suppress the attacks upon the polity of any of the states, by a
deluded and wicked fanaticism. An enlarged and liberal con struction of the constitution, as regards the interests of the
various states, co-extensive with its provisions and with the
spirit of compromise in which it was made, would seem to be
the most effectual antidote against sectional dissensions, and
the only means of maintaining and perpetuating our institutions.
Whether these interests be local or general, whether they
have been expressly guaranteed by the terms of the compact,
or have been included in the general powers conferred on the
federal government by the compromises of state protection,
all would seem to be alike comprehended within the beneficence
of federal power. The claims for the interposition of that power, to arrest the disturbances of such interests, would seem to
be alike sustainable, whether they are unwarrantably assailed
from within or from without, whether the protection required
is to be afforded by law or by commercial regulation, or in
any other mode, without adequate protection to our own labour and capital, they will be regulated by the selfish spirit of
foreign monopoly; our revolution is yet incomplete in not
having extricated our trade from foreign control.
It is not, my respected auditors, in the spirit of party that
I advert to these painful and agitating subjects. I should be
abusing the privileges which the kindness of the alumni of St.
John's have conferred upon me, and I should be unjust to my
own feelings, and doubtless equally so to yours, if upon this
occasion, and in this place, and upon this day, the spirit of
party could find a place in my bosom or utterance from my
lips. This day is consecrated to the memory of a hero and
sage and patriot, who did more than any one man, to establish our institutions and our union, and to bind them indissolubly together. In them his memory is identified, as the monuments of his virtues and his greatness. The grateful reverence for his name, which this day awakens, blends with it the
love of what it was the struggle of his life, in the field and in
the councils, to obtain and secure for us. What more appropriate service to his memory can I render, than to awaken
my countrymen to the dangers of the dissensions, arising
out of "geographical discriminations," which are now agita-
I
f
�23
22
· ting the country, and against which the presages of the Fathei'
of his Country have so earnestly warned us, when he poured
forth his concentrated wisdom and patriotism in his farewell
address to the people of the United States.
The beneficence of our system penetrates into all concerns
of life, elevating enjoyments that are in some degree selfish,
and expanding them in all the del ights of personal intercourse.
The consciousness of freedom is ennobled by the pride of state,
and the still loftier name of an American. The citizen expands his views· and his sensations through the wide orb of
American happiness and glory, and he identifies them as a part
of himself and of his own personal enjoyment: and he feels
this enjoyment heightened an9 enlivened by the consciousness
that the same emotions are swelling in the bosoms of all around
him. With this are blended all the recollections of frendship
and kindred in their wide dispersions throughout the union.
"The cit izens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges
and immunities of citizens in the several states,'' is the passport which is written not only in the charter, but in the heart
of every American. With them he is conscious are blended
the still more endearing privileges and immunities of kindness
and love. In whatever remote region of our country his nativity may have been cast, he goes forth in the catholicism of
his American name ; on the threshhold of each sovereicrnty
•
0
which he enters, he seems to behold the words of the constitution written upon its portal, and in them he feels the assurances of protection and the invitations of kindness. This is
his passport, and the surveillance which attends him is the
reciproc-ations of brotherly love. In these walls in the days
of my boyhood, were these my "privileges and immunities,''
endeared to me by all that the ardour of boyhood could love;
and now in the days of declining life, these endearments are still
clustering around me with overwhelming kindness.
We, my cotemporary alumni, have nearly enjoyed our
full measure of that beneficence which our country, in the full
vigor of her institutions, could confer or secure to us. From
this enjoyment, it is not very long before we may expect to
be separated-we have nearly completed the gathering of
our harvest. Little remains for us but to scatter from our
garners the seeds of our experience and influence, to fructify
into the future harvest which is to be gathered by the young
who are to succeed us. The defence of these institutions,
under which we have prospered, must devolve upon the vigorous heads and hearts an<l arms of the rising generation
which is to take our place
And may not that d_
efence be safely entrusted to you, my
youthful friends? (addressed to the students.) Oh, it w ill be a
defence for which you will be vastly responsible. It will be
a defence of the dearest object that can animate the hearts or
invigorate the actions of men. The destinies not only of your
country, but the destinies of freedom, throughout the world,
may be deeply involved. To prepare for it your minds must
be disciplined with the highest intellectual culture, and your
hearts, with the sublimest lessons of morality. Self must be
lost in the immensity of the general good which is to be contemplated. Education is unfolding to you all the lights of improving science. It will need all the lights which the most
ardent assiduity can concentrate in your minds, to irradiate
the path of usefulness which you will have to tread. In this
seminary there are advantages enjoyed by you beyond most
students in the United States. In its contiguity to the halls of
legislation and the supreme court of the state, you have access
to practical instruction in the great concerns of jurisprudence,
in your earliest initiation into science. In contemplating the
scenes, by which I am now surrounded,how irresistably are my
recollections carried back to the period of my youthful studies
at this place 1 I am living over again the days, when the
exercise of the school being finished, we hurried away from
the neglected pastime to contemplate in that vene1:ated statehouse, the most illustrious d isplays of justice and wisdom and
learning and eloquence in the courts, and in the chambers of
the legislature. What ardent aspirations filled our youthful
bosoms, as we listened to the eloquence of him who was justly
considered as the greatest orator of his day,* and of another,t
inferior only to him: and with the recency of the classic e_
xercise still upon the mind, could almost fancy we were enchant•Pinkney.
'1
t Phil. B. Key .
�( !
24
25
ed by the eloquence of Cicero and Hortensius in the capitol
of Rome?
If an officious interest in your future destinies can excuse
the recommendation of any study, in addition to your usual
collegiate course, I would earnestly direct you to the study of
the history of your Anglo-Saxon race of ancestors, and of
those institutions, which were established by their wisdom and
prudence, for the preservation of their liberty. Let that study
be pursued through the annals of our own country. In studying these annals, let me particularly urge upon your attention
and profound consideration the study of the causes, which
led to the formation of the present constitution, and of the difficulties that had to be surmounted by a magnanimous spirit
of compromise among the states, to adjust it in its present
form. These studies will teach you practical wisdom as applied to politics; and will guard you against the disastrous
reforms and revolutions, springing out of mere philosophical
theories, with which it is contrasted. There is also another
study that requires more the docility of the heart, than of the
head, I mean the study of the- Holy Scriptures. That study
will invigorate your intellect by expanding it in its efforts to
grasp the stupendous and immense truths which it brings to
its contemplation. The Scriptures as a book of philosophy
are the only source, from which man can derive a true know~
ledge of what he is, and of the Deity, whom he serves with
the sublime and holy attributes which are appropria te to him.
As a book of history, they unfold the records of creation; and,
far beyond the glimmerings of pagan story, they show the rise
and progress and downfall of mighty nations, which issued
from the first pair that inhabited the earth. Other histories
exhibit the destinies of nations as they seem to be governed
and directed by human agency. The Scriptures are the only
history of nations, as they are shown in their immediate dependence and connection with the agency of Divine Providence.
As a book of literature, it contains the sublimest poetry, the
most beautiful and pathetic narratives, and the most splendid
imagery, in a style of purest simplicity, far superior to the .
best models of classic literature. Its claims to inspiration are
signally attested by a variety of proofs
.
.
is particularly striking-the concurren~ Tfhere is one which
e 0 all the penmen by
whom it was written, though separated f·
1 om each other by
·
time and space too remote for concert in th
.
.
'
e sameness with
which the character of God and of man is d
.
.
escnbed by all
and the sameness of the doctrmes w hich they in 1
'
.
.
..
cu cate. Compare this feature of their wntmgs with the discr
.
. .
epancy to be
found m all the works of umnspired philosophers, the sys.
.
tem of each bemg for the most part peculiar to himself. Oh
my young friends, let not a reckless infidelity exclude fro~
your eyes the truths which illumine the Bible; or tear from
your bosoms the sacred morality which it teaches, or the
hopes and the consolations which it inspires. If you would
live for the benefit of mankind, or your country, you must be
virtuous, as well as intellectual. From no source, so pure,
can you derive the springs of your philanthropy or patriotism, as from the great fountain of the inspired writings. The
fruit which was plucked from the tree of knowledge against
God's command, was the primal sin of man; the fruit, to be
salutary, must still be sought for with his blessing; and under
his instructions man is assuming a very different relation to
his fellow men from that which subsisted one or two centuries ago. The improvements of recent times, and the facilities of commerce, are spreading wider and wider the social
relations, and bringing all the inhabitants of the earth into
closer connexion with each other. Our wants multiply with
the objects for their gratification and the facilities of obtaining
them. Our wants are therefore binding the whole human species
more widely and more closely in bonds of mutual dependence.
The remotest regions of the earth are tasked, the skill of the
savage in the least frequented lands is put in requisition to
supply our most common wants. The polar seas are vexed
to procure the students nightly lamps-the savage of Kamschatska is pursuing the game whose furs supply the ordinary
covering for the head. If you would estimate the dependence
of man upon his fellow beings, even in his most common enjoyments, contemplate for a moment the infinite combination of
human manipulations and of human agencies, which dailf
4
I
f.
�26
contribute to supply the elements of our simplest repast, or
the simplest article of our raiment. When we survey these
social ties in all their infinite reticulations, how strong are the
inducements of social man to the fulfilment of his duty-of
striving with all his faculties and all his means to preserve
these ramified ligaments in harmonious vibrations? Most just
are the penalties which heaven has denounced against that
selfish wickedness which would entangle or disturb them.
Most gracious are the rewards which it has promised to that
virtue, which would preserve them in concord-most wise,
that commandment of charity, which it has spread over these
social relations; which from its culmination in love to God,
descends like a bow of celestial radiance, to encompass with
brotherly love the whole family of mankind. In the aspirations of the youthful heart, therefore, for a future usefulness commensurate with its social duties, its feelings and its
sympathies should be circumscribed by no limits more confined than the whq~e circle of humanity.
But, still, it is our country, for which the heart reserves its
most intense affections-it is to her service that the faculties
are most vehemently dedicated-it is her safety, her glory,
her prnsperity, that kindle to the highest ardor the hopes and
wishes and longings of the bosom. Country is bound up in
the dearest domestic ties-it contains our homes and our
sepulchres. Throughout the whole extent of its boundaries,
the ties of kindred and friendship, and the social relations, are
involved in the civil and political connections, w hich make
all the members of the community mutually and directly dependent on the feelings and interests and opinions of the .other.
Each citizen, in his own appropriate sphere of duty to his
country, becomes bound by principles infinitely more obligatory, and by motives infinitely more · intense, than that diffusive charity which comprehends the world. In a christian's
bosom, patriotism glows, not merely in the purity of a moral
virtue, but it is consecrated in his religious faith, and in the
holiness of divine example. When the Saviour of mankind
descended upon the earth, upon his errand of universal love,
which was to reach through time and eternity, it was not over
the regions of Syria, or of Greece, or of Italy, that he went
27
abroad displaying his beneficence; nor was it over Damascus,
or ~thens, or Corinth, or Rome, that he wept in the contemplat10n of their sins and their future desolations. It was in
his own native Judea, that on wearied feet, amidst railings and
scoffs, he went about doing good ; and it was over his beloved
Jeru~alem that he wept, as he bewailed her approaching de~olat10ns; though he already heard the foreknown cries, echot~g through her streets and from her judgment hall, of "crucify
him, crucify him." This elevated virtue rejects the indulgence
?f voluptuousness and sensuality, and of selfish ambition and
rnter~st._ It d~mands the entire sacrifice of every enjoyment,
that Is mconsrstent with public good. Heaven has blessed
~an with _his peculiar attribute of reason, to be employed by
lum for his own temporal and eternal happiness, and for the
~enefit of his country and of mankind. Freedom of opinion
Is one of the noblest privileges of man ; and the proper exercise of it imposes upon him the heaviest of responsibilities,
reaching through time to eternity. Let me-conjure you then,
never to surrender this illustrious privilege, this weighty responsibility, to the domination and keeping of party. The
tendency of party spirit is to expel all the charities and all the
virtues from the human heart, and in their place to bring in
all the reptile brood of corruption and malevolence. The
soul shrinks, under its influence, from the graspings of a comprehensive charity and of love of country, into the narrow
dimensions of self, and of a low and grovelling ambition. It will
assail you in every form of delusion; and will be most apt to
cheat you, under the assumed garb of patriotism. When this
demon spirit is once admitted to his usurped control, he will
be found to sway with a power the most despotic, and his
subjects sink into a slavery the basest and most abject. The
contagious sympathies, which he excites amongst his slaves
spread from bosom to bosom, an infection fevers every
wholesome passion of the heart, and maddens them all (as in
the history of the French Revolution,) into every species of
crime.
I need not remind you of the brilliant examples of patriotic
devotion which shine upon the pages of ancient history ; or
�28
set before you the examples to be found in the histories of
more modern times. We need only to look to the lives of
the men by whom our independence was achieved, and to the
men, by whom our institutions, springing out of that independence, were established. These will awaken your admiration
of the most illustrious displays of patriotism-and will stam p
with veneration and reverence, the inheritance which they
have transmitted to their descendants. This anniversary
presents to your contemplation and imitation, the character
of one pre-eminently adorned with that virtue. In him it
was displayed (as genuine patriotism always should be) in
connexion with christian piety and every other grace which
can adorn the human character. His country's safety, his
country's happiness, his country's glory were the unceasing
labours of his life, and to attain which no sacrifice was too
painful to be encountered by him. The continued commemoration of this anniversary, more than forty years after his
death, is a peculiarity which distinguishes his name from that
of any other human benefactor who has ever lived. This
tribute magnifies the virtues of him, to whom it is paid, and
exalts the nation who still cherishes the grateful admi~·ation
to offer it. Long, long may it continue to be offered ; and
should some of you, my youthful friends, some fifty years
hence, be graced by the invitation of the a lumni of St. John's
with the honor, which I feel that I am so feebly discharging,
oh! may the aged orator still continue to dwell upon the
grateful theme of Washington's greatness, consecrated then in
the hearts and upon the lips of sixty millions of American
freemen-and up0n the dome, beneath which the victorious
champion of his country's liberty, resigned his commission to
the authority that -gave it, may that flag, still continue to
wave, with all its stars and all its stripes; and may the
motto, E Pluribus Unum, still be seen glittering upon its folds!
�I!
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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paper
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28 pages
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Commencement Address, 1842
Description
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An address to the alumni and students of St. John's College, Annapolis. Delivered February 22, 1842. By John Tayloe Lomax, of Virginia.
Creator
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Lomax, John Tayloe, 1781-1862
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Woods and Crane, Printers
Coverage
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Baltimore, MD
Date
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1842-02-22
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
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text
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pdf
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English
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Address to the Alumni and Students of St. John's-Lomax, John Tayloe-1842-02-22
Relation
A related resource
<a title="Commencement Program" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3624">Commencement Program</a>
Commencement
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/2cb28ab9fe12c7149504a725500187a2.pdf
aacb090b6618eede96611e8793012732
PDF Text
Text
President
Nelson,
Members
of
the
Board,
Colleagues
of
the
Faculty
and
Staff,
Parents
and
Families,
Honored
Guests,
and
Members
of
the
Class
of
2016:
“So
after
St.
John’s,
what’s
next?”—the
opening
question
you’ve
no
doubt
been
asked
in
one
form
or
another
by
close
friends,
relatives,
and
remoter
acquaintances,
with
varying
degrees
of
curiosity,
interest,
or
maybe
even
skepticism
and
irony.
But
you
should
be
ready
for
this.
You’ve
already
felt
each
of
these
modalities
yourselves
on
occasion
during
the
long
hours
of
your
tutorials,
preceptorials,
and
seminars
here.
You
met
all
of
them
together
in
the
course
of
Socrates’
conversation
with
Meno,
which
you
read
and
puzzled
over
in
your
first
seminar
encounter
with
the
Dialogues
of
Plato.
Remember?
Come
to
think
of
it,
this
dialogue
makes
the
claim
that
learning
is
remembering,
or
so
I
recall.
But
this
question
What’s
next?—does
it
mean
that
you’ve
finished,
that
you’re
ready
now
and
should
now
move
on
to
something
different,
as
newly
minted
Bachelors
of
Arts
or
Masters
of
Arts,
either
onto
something
else,
or
back
to
whatever
you
were
doing
full
time,
or
perhaps
to
retirement?
And
is
this
something,
whatever
it
may
be,
somehow
more
real?
Well
you
might
wonder,
but
then
you
also
remember
that
wonder
is
the
beginning
of
philosophy,
and
so
you’re
off
and
at
it
once
again!
But
wait!
Is
this
but
an
endless
circle
to
which
you,
like
Gabriel
Conroy
in
Joyce’s
The
Dead,
have
been
consigned,
to
a
kind
of
“thought-‐tormented”
life,
to
be
haunted
by
echoes
of
the
books
you’ve
read
and
the
conversations
you’ve
had
here?
Isn’t
“what’s
next”
supposed
to
be
different
and
elsewhere?
Even
if
you
find
kindred
souls
interested
enough
to
hear
about
what
you’ve
done
here,
it
probably
shouldn’t
be
more
than
an
elevator
speech,
but
don’t
count
on
even
getting
that
far.
I
recall
an
alumna
telling
me
some
years
back
that
at
her
Harvard
Law
orientation
she
met
an
equally
new
Ivy
league
alum
who
on
hearing
she
had
studied
here
cut
her
off,
saying,
“Oh
yeah,
that’s
the
big
books
school,”
and
who
then
went
on
to
tell
her
at
great
length
about
where
he
went
and
what
he
did.
I’m
inclined
to
think
that
the
kinds
of
books
and
manuals
that
fill
the
shelves
of
the
learned
professions
are
truly
the
big
books,
filled
with
lots
of
important
and
useful
knowledge,
but
not
great
ones.
I’m
also
reminded
here
of
the
aphorism
in
Epictetus’s
Handbook,
a
very
different
kind
of
manual,
where
he
claims
that
“when
a
man
says
to
you
that
you
know
nothing,
then
be
sure
that
you
have
begun
the
work
of
philosophy.”
He
adds
a
corollary
to
this
by
way
of
a
memorable
analogy:
For
even
sheep
do
not
throw
up
grass
to
show
to
the
shepherds
how
much
they
have
eaten;
but
when
they
have
internally
digested
the
pasture,
they
produce
externally
wool
and
milk.
Do
not
show
your
theorems
to
the
uninstructed,
but
show
the
acts
which
come
from
their
digestion.
What
are
these
acts?
I
would
suggest
that
they
are
a
kind
of
thinking,
of
listening,
and
of
learning
that
can
continue
to
open
up
new
possibilities
for
self-‐knowledge
and
generous
endeavor,
for
life
in
a
word.
The
context
for
this
may
be
whatever
you
ultimately
pursue—or
what
some
are
already
pursuing-‐
whether
it
be
in
a
courtroom,
a
classroom,
an
office,
a
laboratory,
a
sanctuary,
an
embassy,
a
farm,
a
hospital,
or
a
vineyard.
You
now
have
considerable
practice
in
certain
habits
of
mind
and
heart
and
imagination
that
have
opened
you
to
the
books
you’ve
read
here,
the
propositions
and
equations
and
lab
practica
that
you’ve
1
�demonstrated
and
worked
through,
the
music
that
you’ve
sung—these
are
all
part
of
you.
Over
time,
you’ll
probably
forget
many
of
the
details
of
much
of
this,
except
perhaps
the
music
you’ve
sung—memory
has
such
a
mysterious
power,
retaining
tunes
and
rhythms,
even
as
nearly
everything
else
seems
to
fade
slowly
away.
And
the
way
you’ve
done
all
of
this
and
the
people
you’ve
done
it
with
are
amateurs
all,
lovers
in
the
root
sense
of
that
word,
enamored
of
a
kind
of
learning
that
is
meant
to
liberate,
to
free,
to
enable
life
and
growth.
Such
growth
and
change
are
evidence
of
life.
John
Henry
Newman,
a
favorite
thinker
of
mine,
put
it
thus:
“To
grow
is
to
change,
to
be
perfect
is
to
have
changed
often.”
Think
back
to
when
you
first
came
here.
The
convocation,
then
the
gathering
afterwards,
meeting
President,
Dean,
tutors
and
community;
then
off
to
your
first
class,
assigned
book
in
hand
dutifully
read,
you
picked
your
seat
and
waited
for
the
opening
question.
Do
you
still
remember
what
it
was?
How
much
can
you
recall
of
the
discussion
that
followed?—the
first
of
so
many
that
were
to
follow
in
classes
and
in
conversations
outside
afterwards,
testing
the
books,
finding
out
what
you
really
believe
and
what
you
have
doubts
about,
listening
to
what
others
think,
pushing
your
limits
and
having
them
pushed,
finding
ground
and
losing
ground,
feeling
keenly
what
may
be
at
stake
in
the
difference
between
mere
opinion
and
right
opinion,
let
alone
knowledge—all
challenging,
frustrating,
wonderful!
No
longer
mere
spectators,
you
were
off
and
in
it!
And
it
might
have
seemed
had
you
walked
through
the
halls
with
all
these
seminars
simultaneously
convened
that
Homer
and
Lucretius
and
Cervantes
and
Tolstoy
were
mysteriously
present,
despite
the
array
of
translations
-‐
prosaic,
poetic,
or
plodding.
Like
the
shades
Odysseus
met
in
Hades,
revived
by
the
sacrificial
blood
of
Circe’s
sheep,
these
authors
breathed
and
spoke
again,
but
all
of
them
in
the
modern
barbaric
tongue
of
English.
Since
that
first
day,
you
have
been
on
your
way,
on
a
path
undertaken
with
deliberation
and
hope,
only
gradually
realizing
what
you
had
gotten
yourself
into—the
reading
lists
of
the
books
providing
an
itinerary
of
sorts,
a
long
list
of
places
where
you
must
stop,
with
no
indication
of
what
you
might
actually
see,
whom
you
would
meet,
where
you
might
finish.
My,
but
you
were
really
in
it
now!
This
trek
has
been
both
exhausting
and
exhilarating,
with
lots
of
trudging
along
on
stony
paths
(you
can
name
inwardly
here
which
books
and
exercises
mark
them)
with
roadblocks,
detours,
and
delays;
but
also
with
glorious
mornings
and
golden
afternoons,
when
an
elegant
proof,
a
beautiful
poem,
a
moving
piece
of
music,
a
difficult
lab
reading
sparked
a
conversation
in
which
a
class
working
together
caught
a
glimpse
of
something
beautiful
and
true.
What
should
such
a
trek
be
named—Odyssey,
Exodus,
pilgrimage?
Each
of
these
has
a
goal.
But
does
any
of
them
have
an
ending?
You’ve
done
so
much
in
so
little
time—perhaps
too
much.
So
much
greatness
in
such
brief
compass
can
be
overwhelming.
There’s
a
clinical
name
for
the
kind
of
disorder
that
comes
from
extended
exposure
to
experiences
of
great
personal
significance.
It’s
called
the
Stendahl
syndrome,
named
for
the
French
novelist
who
described
a
very
disturbing
reaction
he
experienced
while
visiting
the
city
of
Florence
in
1817.
Prior
to
this,
Stendahl,
who
served
under
Napoleon
during
his
Russian
campaign,
had
witnessed
the
burning
of
Moscow
and
subsequently
arranged
for
supplies
prior
to
the
French
army’s
retreat
to
Smolensk,
yet
he
suffered
no
ill
effects.
After
the
war,
however,
coming
to
Florence
with
its
immense
treasury
of
2
�Medieval
and
Renaissance
art,
he
viewed
the
frescos
of
Giotto
in
the
Basilica
of
Santa
Croce
and
reported
being
overcome
with
an
initial
feeling
of
ecstasy,
which
was
quickly
followed
by
acute
psychosomatic
symptoms
that
included
heart
palpitations,
nervousness,
fear
of
falling,
and
a
general
sense
that
life
had
been
drained
from
him.
The
last
of
these
is
something
some
of
you
may
have
felt
recently.
The
prescribed
clinical
antidote
for
the
Stendahl
syndrome
is
removal
and
rest;
Stendahl’s
own
solution
was
to
exit
Santa
Croce
and
find
a
bench
outside
where
he
read
some
Italian
poetry.
Similarly,
David
Hume,
finding
himself
in
a
splenetic
humor
as
he
drew
near
the
end
of
Part
I
of
his
celebrated
Treatise,
called
this
sense
of
being
overwhelmed
“philosophical
melancholy
and
delirium.”
He
sought
relief
in
the
lively
impressions
that
come
with
dining,
conversing
with
friends,
and
playing
backgammon,
necessary
remedies
for
too
much
philosophy.
So
what
did
you
do
to
restore
equilibrium
while
studying
here?
Retreat
to
our
gym,
aptly
called
Temple
Iglehart?
Play
intramurals,
make
music
with
friends,
play
in
the
orchestra;
sing
in
one
of
the
many
vocal
groups,
large
or
small;
in
a
Fine
Arts
workshop
draw
or
paint
or
sculpt
or
throw
pots,
for
yourself
or
for
the
Mitchell
Gallery
Community
Art
Show;
act
or
work
with
the
King
William
Players?
Did
you
go
running
through
this
town
of
Anglo-‐Palladian
architectural
beauty—but
focused
on
your
running,
of
course;
or
pursue
different
kinds
of
work
in
an
off-‐
campus
job
or
profession,
or
play
chess
or
billiards
or
croquet?
Or
did
you
work
as
an
intern
for
the
state
legislature,
tutor
kids
at
the
Stanton
center,
or
write
for
The
Gadfly,
Energeia,
The
Epoch,
or
a
blog?
Whichever
of
these
you
were
in
brought
all
of
us
in
the
College
into
a
larger
life
as
it
is
lived
here
and
beyond
these
thirty
or
so
acres—and
these
other
pursuits
will
continue
to
do
so
beyond
your
time
here.
It
seems
that
the
nature
of
human
institutions
is
such
that
the
first
time
for
anything
is
typically
regarded
as
a
radical
innovation
and
is
thus
somewhat
suspect;
is
it
the
second
or
third
time
that
makes
it
a
tradition?
It
seems
that
in
a
four-‐year
college,
the
fourth
year
should
make
it
a
venerable
tradition.
Think
of
croquet,
yes;
but
think
also
of
the
Program.
Books
with
a
balance;
both
of
these
emblems
grace
our
college
seal.
You
have
read
and
discussed
these
books
freely
and
collaboratively
in
this
distinctive
community
that
is
St.
John’s
College.
You
have
sought,
pursued,
and
practiced
the
activities
that
complement
and
balance
its
heady,
intellectual
life.
It
is
thus
so
fitting
that
College
tradition
has
had
you
toast
together
four
republics
in
the
special
social
gatherings
of
this
final
week:
the
Republic
of
The
United
States,
the
Republic
of
Letters,
the
Republic
of
St.
John’s
College,
and
the
Republic
of
Plato,
for
each
of
these
strives
to
express
the
necessary
balance
that
enables
and
fosters
human
excellence.
Plato's
Republic
and
the
Republic
of
Letters
both
predate
the
College
and
the
United
States,
and
both
recognize
the
community
of
those
who
seek
the
truth,
regardless
of
native
country,
culture,
or
religious
belief.
St.
John's,
from
its
founding
in
the
early
days
of
the
American
Republic,
has
aspired
to
be
an
instantiation
of
these
venerable
antecedent
republics.
The
international
students
in
both
programs
are
representatives
of
this
global
community
of
free
inquiry.
You
have
enriched
the
conversation
here
so
much!
As
living
communities
these
four
republics
can
thrive
only
through
the
continued
thoughtfulness
and
engagement
of
men
and
women
such
as
all
of
you
are
who
graduate
here
today,
your
energy
and
engagement,
your
conscience
and
sense
of
social
justice,
your
willingness
to
speak
out
clearly
and
to
act
3
�deliberately,
your
ability
to
listen
generously
as
well
as
critically,
and
your
imagination
and
flexibility.
And
here
you
are,
graduating
on
this
fifteenth
of
May,
2016,
having
realized
most
likely
that
the
last
seminar
reading
you’ve
just
read
and
discussed
is
not
the
end
of
the
path,
regardless
of
whether
it
was
on
Plato,
or
Nietzsche,
or
Kierkegaard,
or
Gibbon.
You’ve
reached
another
milestone,
doubtless
an
important
one,
but
the
path
goes
on
to
wherever
and
whatever
you
genuinely
find
yourself
in.
This
occasion
is
most
commendable
and
worthy
of
celebration,
but
you
haven’t
finished
yet
and
you
know
it.
Congratulations!
May
you
always
have
the
hindsight
to
know
where
you’ve
been,
the
foresight
to
know
where
you’re
going,
and
the
insight
to
realize
what
you
don’t
know
and
when
you’ve
gone
too
far!
May
you
never
forget
the
friends
you’ve
made
here
and
all
that
has
been
good
in
this
adventurous
endeavor.
Finally,
I
will
not
let
you
go
without
hearing
one
more
poem,
an
appropriate
one
for
this
occasion,
I
think:
Wendell
Berry’s
“The
Vacation.”
The
Vacation
Once
there
was
a
man
who
filmed
his
vacation.
He
went
flying
down
the
river
in
his
boat
with
his
video
camera
to
his
eye,
making
a
moving
picture
of
the
moving
river
upon
which
his
sleek
boat
moved
swiftly
toward
the
end
of
his
vacation.
He
showed
his
vacation
to
his
camera,
which
pictured
it,
preserving
it
forever:
the
river,
the
trees,
the
sky,
the
light,
the
bow
of
his
rushing
boat
behind
which
he
stood
with
his
camera
preserving
his
vacation
even
as
he
was
having
it
so
that
after
he
had
had
it
he
would
still
have
it.
It
would
be
there.
With
a
flick
of
a
switch,
there
it
would
be.
But
he
would
not
be
in
it.
He
would
never
be
in
it.
(Credit:
Copyright
©
2012
by
Wendell
Berry,
from
New
Collected
Poems.
Reprinted
by
permission
of
Counterpoint.)
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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digital
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4 pages
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Address, Spring 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Typescript of the commencement address given on May 16, 2016 by Tom May at the end of the Spring 2016 semester in Annapolis, MD.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
May, Thomas
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-05-16
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Permission has been granted.
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text
Format
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pdf
Language
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English
Relation
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<a href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/6580" title="Audio Recording">Audio Recording</a>
Commencement
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/1f469fbb5764c06f4c8d499e450bf4c0.mp3
139816c6ed6b15bea59a2ccb68d240bf
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Identifier
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commencementprograms
Sound
A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
wav
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
023:22
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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Commencement Address, Spring 2016
Description
An account of the resource
Audio recording of the commencement address given on May 16, 2016 by Thomas May at the end of the Spring 2016.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
May, Thomas
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-05-16
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission to make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John's College Greenfield Library and to make an audio recording of my lecture available online."
Type
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sound
Format
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mp3
Relation
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<a href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/925" title="Typescript">Typescript</a>
Language
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English
Identifier
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Commencement Address, Spring 2016, May, Thomas 05-16-16
Commencement
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/1b86ddc1b8c16dfc93970b8a279ceb69.pdf
6468282d34162c138eb45693d040adce
PDF Text
Text
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n ith r the blandi.Bhments of sloth nor tho S<;ductive blandiehm nts ot
with unaba.ti
pl asur
should
v r draw him as.id •
to their enerv :ti
h
quic kl.y lo
r
idly
s
us ful and orn
I ho
str
r lax
th r fore that your
ental knowled'"'e will b
constant
· b red that studious dill
it
h
wi 1h much toil, and is
at
th th
one
and yi lda
ID rows a bo t against th cur r nt ,
n
r, like th
p
r
For i
nc
t 1 ngth carri d
ertions to acquire
n1 unr n:itt.in •
und r th
dir ction
r
ulti s'
uppli
its d
r
cts
.d exalts it
c
atl.y to
contribut
w s !or
petition
t t
ot
spirit
the principal wi h
It will never r
uld b
of his f vour1t
or
very
t eat.1sfi
t ~ con
your
a tuppy
x rtion
ch of
ntal fr
lich
e.
It
Tully of rer · up his f rv nt
patron
a; and this ou
n rous mind; that pants aft r
siduity.
t to b
c llenc •
To
t of
hat a h
1n
c , this
e t natural abilities, carried Cicero, you al.1
; and such a model const
fail to hav
8.
wi tb
uence of
spirit joined ind ed to
will kn
bodily and
p rpetual industry th
shrin
xc llenci
and moderate xercise;
trength n both th
·and
n to that of th
or is it 1 as friendly to th h alth of the rl.ni
body, Mi n att nd
ot
It t
.mind.
nlarges its
Let
cannot
tly propo
rt ct on yoo.r oo nduct
d for i
tati on could not
nd studies.
a.rd quick n yrur p rs v ranc · rou
It will
yo..1r minds tro
te
th
�.;.. J -
or o:f sloth
1
th a nobl aadour to
!ill th
him.el!
in his pro
Lf'ul
th
ar
or
b st use
trust
rutur
;
con
d
It i
ti
h
uenc
an<1 h
of p"'rvert <1 ctivi
pin
s.
re
s and trilling,
to b
c r fully
of
incapabl
By their b
or it.
ence cru Uy cii
- poirt.ed;
ilst t
a an obj ct or cont
ng
that h ev r pl
sorr<>
ncl
iel
d
prop .. s
th
s dwtiv
art.
bitt m ss of
s
ref r
in
!¥!
ut. altho th
on
s
ho
!utur
sinks into
or be as ur
r fore you ill al ay
,
net 1
b
o
tion to
v
v n your
rat
epur of
will, I am pe rauaa
e
nning th ir latter
ch
to this end.
. invi
the
Tl y
faire t pro
or d t st ti n.
1
kina
vict
mi::s r bl
in th b
our
i:ich ie
ided.
th
proau.ce so
tock or knowk
ha.v
n"Jpt
I hop t
it with care; so
your
nc
ful inf'l
d the fl.atterin
ious is oft n bla-t d
arly
·th which
to stuey-
ri · dly to
b co
ndeavor to
ot of it in yruth, d pen
Idl n
, o ht th retar
ust
t tr a
t
gr
lo
o th pro r
and.
sio ,
its po; rr;
n rous
<1 • alify it for useful
1 as
ulation as
inci1.o you t o
by
co
cquir
let
dictat.
kno l dg
rtio •
o
dut
your
'I
to di sch rg
pro!' ssion; ao
7et still the
v ls
tion
or
at int
l 1sure.
t ti
s
the duti s - or it 111. th
appllc t1on to - favourit
o will st.i ll h v
1t in yrur p
to other parte of ll t. r ture, and
o
°"
bilit.7
honour,
pursuit admits int rr to "&um your attenvari ty in your studi a
�,;_ 4 -
wil 1. b
tound tavotr ble to
cti. on ot the •
vigorous pro
stua. nt will nde vor to enrich his una. r t.arXling b
on all
bjects,
th
s
rro
the narrow tract
del.ieht!ul r gions o! Wliv rs 1
1 isur , I hope you
ith
It would be unnoc
ther by
kno
A
cl
an ac
find
ce
ai nt
to point out th us !'uln ss of e ch
your ttention to it.
that they all tend to ex rcise ma
st>ore it
i l l therefor
d di01ity and lustre to yaur character.
ery, I pre
sci nee in a-der to incit
prore sional .. tudy into
s yru
ci c •
ide
re but adVant.ag
ant inclin ti on to pr serv
11 not
neral science
or
lib ral
coll ctin
d will t.her tore !ind, not only pls
in deviating so eti
Th
the p
tren
th a rich vari ty of id
w
,
You u t b
convinced
ers of t
improve taste or
mind, to
bellish
dge.
sical literatur , thee
light and womer
celabr tell
they are
of th
ot yoor att tion.
shar
d capacity or anci. nt n
to the r aciing
yoor t
or
th
d ad l
gua.
ot true
ple
od ls of just thinldng,
rd.ado
th
it r , which ha.ve b
e writt n in
valuable,
tudy or
de-
, ·111 still, I natt r myself, con-
ot succ ssiv
considerabl
tinue to
loyed in the
been
a con iderahle port.ion of ywr ti.
t st
are highly
,
t bee
and
cievoting
ions.
anly tt
with critical
many oth r ad.vant ges, you will
Th
e
nt
on
pcrtion
or
tion, bEl ides
cquire that !ine classical truJt which
'I
giv ~ grace and luster to diction, b auty
eloqu
ce its
enuin
and cha.st
lrt.
import.
c
d
eat r valu ;
to b
bellls
ref ore
to r
onin
and to
ts.
lectual po ere hi
desire<l; y t
which has t
d t<r c
ly
rov d are
till th re is so
just clai.
to
thing
or
ereat
ls• of
ore a ri~us r gard.
�- 5 -
1
'f'er shining
ay b
only th virtu
r.tt
biliti
h
d
•
latt r
cy; but th
t ru1y
· ty and r
wq
art
h
to pr
ve
1
rr
rY
igion.
study to
; t
t
utation, "
one ho
t.er
to which h
an
n
c ,
ich is th
or r ligious li .t, th
of a.oncut ,
n
olv
r
id , wh
ut.
Lr.
Clara or
so
:rely to inter st
d
r-1 it
comtanc.r .
they ar
h•ir lives
d in a
co ndoo t
or
o hav no
th
ccusto · C1 to obey, can n
th
,
or passion or in t
lv a.
Saili
th ir cour
, t
to
ct
alJf
aan:rerous
ays in d
1
th
on
ai
11 ror
a,
r h
n ae, !ol.l.7
checquered with
according to t
c tric• o! h
th who
thout any !
t
rd
oo.r, th
they have co
g r of being ehipwr eked.
d.
ral
ot ctio
of !ix
For the dJn<1uct
ust
vie , changing and fluctu ti
ula
is for
ccordin
m
gr at advant
l.d
ccount. to
on
I
d
ct of
, that you h
convine
dditi nal im ;ortanc •
internal
o
i , it is n ces
oon b
d.e hi
ners.
rely llit h exter-
ctiv lit to lay do
:s to
und
ct o
you should propo
w.il
h•:r
late ywr conduct by th
tt
r
•
only
el gant & polite
nt
ev r rest s ti tied
n just irinciple
t
r ct r; and tt:
nd.eavour to r
In ord r to dJ
down c rt
r a
tt
whil , 'Y h ir
fo
t ...,...!! good c
rv that oral
r tion.
, it 1
led
ever r
art. tt t
th
lbelll
your con tant
r . or
his k
1 lust
rtr
t will properly adcit the
L t. it th n b
or
iv
hin
a o! t.h
t
, or exte
qu lit i•a
and .
t e obj ct of
rilli
hi.ti
tar to
d
Re olve
, to coIXiuct yoirs lv a by
�- 6-
j
a, yoo. will
prina1.pl·s of b haviour.
t
nuine re
ct.
innumera le
d
like
ln.r , you d 11
ro
u
cur
Let.
influ r.c
l
conduct of l1f •
on th
In t.
o
sc
in
or
h1n1.ng,
hi
d
r sphe
tr •
ot. r n:.att ,
tion to
ri
ot onl
hich
s u
It
rld
o th ir
on th
c
trance into lU' , to
r c.'loie ; 1t i
otiv •
Vi~
cit
'
Od
.
n tu.re
or out ;
ar th qua.lit s,
it.1 s ind
om
nt
ble in the
d not only
•
. t;
ch th
d
lv ,
t 11
8
1-
1
us
But. let it b
t insi<lio s
,
by th ti a of rri dsh1p.
abl qu.al.1ti
lS att
they are ti
d
If th
, th y
Let
it b
lso ad int
ll
SC
coimsct.
that to th
rtain
lectu
worth; t
d
to tr
to pri.ncip
t
ho our.
rit, be
titut
ured that o.ir characters will
ti.on.
ch
rld,
or th
ct r of you
your
G
n ....ru
the c pany ou fre
nst conn ct:ln
arel
principl s,
ch
despis
ll
nt.
1 other , b
.
th tho e
d ridicul
r
~•d
er
s ar pa.Uiat d to co c1wic
cl 1
o pro"' ess ec
:r str · nts,
l1
r
it
ol
or
r17
tical
�-7-
b
quickly ov rturn d; nn
those,
iO f
tt r t
ith r tor usef'uln e
,
anarally
I persu, d
ys l!, that you
not
co
nd
or
t opinion
j
eart , wh
nd r tarxiin
! yo·
oundnes
r
s to
or re
I hope th re!'ore, . Ul t I
their principl s.
ho
r pr judic s,
vul
ey ridicule
t
lives ot
Inde d th
up riority to other ,
ti.nary
1r own ride Of
w
ption fr
b.
s ry nsu .
disorder
· 11 n
th r
one, nor imit t
o t. tr
the
s er
other; but th t di r
will
lwa.y pres rv th
b haviour by th
Let
scorn r, y
sourc
of
11 assured ho
, th t the
ction
pleas
and.
principl
th th
now conclud
hol
u h ot th
arding t
of yrur llv s will b
you will oo n tantly pur u
dietin
ishea ror virtuous · ctivity -
noble
lfi.11 !aithtul.ly and conscientiously di char
good citiz
-
to understand th
OC1
r al in r
int gr1ty -
n s
or
in a
t.o b
11 in life; so
th
r be th
that yoo. vd.ll
and support. the or<1er
that
or
OOC1
ar friends or true lJ.bert.y
nt -
ov
du.tie
th :t you ill hon stlr
th fir:
t o! your ca.mtry and pr
that yo
orc1 -
a a 1i
a.ct yCllr
11 al
t to your parents
deavor
rte
ing to your
a bl
country.
d to th
kind providence o! t
the uni verse and in
yo
-
.o a
t
1
hand w all. are, I
sine r ly hoping and ferv
t
e rn st.ly
t.ly prayin , th t H
Cle you in th ri ht wny thro thl& tran itory life
you to a. hiet. r
d b tt r lit• or
ortality
ln sustains
,
hty
r
c0£ll:lsnC1
· prot. ct and
finnlly
joy---
ce
�- 8 -
go ead
uotoritat , qu inatit
accal.aure :tus
facit Coll
St. J.
t~
an ...,.,.,.,.u,,..
•tto, in cujus r 1 t st..u.u,. .u ... wu h o C"bi
ull l.mu Cooke
Johannee Sh
ob rtu Gol.dsborrufti
Fr
Carl,}'Ble
ciscus Day
• . it.ing
Oct. 21st. 1796
'I
�- 9 -
od
enus h\ltla.num cetera animalia mantis dotibus longe longequ
antecelllt, roinime dubimn est.
Hae v ro dotis doctrina m:ctae excul-
ta que hominem ab homine, hand ird.nus distar faciunt.
Hae de r
nullo
modo dubitar possumus, si bnrbaros, feros, incultos, cum j.is quorum re.ores
ineenurus art s emolliunt, tantum conf'oaamus .
Inter omnes, quae oxcultae ad humanitatum et mitigatae fuerunt, gens
illa, quae doctrinam et literas ad sUlI'mum provexit percelebris semper
habebatur.
minus
Uror..ime enim prof ectus in artibus, qua
d gloriam w::blirationem que acquira.nd
irtam xcolunt, non
conf ront, qu
et praeclara ingenua qune in Graecia &Xtiterunt.,
ree bellicae,
aeqµe illustram apud
posteros reddider , ao ducas ob odia belli facto gloriam clarissimi .
Civitates .Americanae, doctrinae utilitatis perspicaces, aliarumque
gentium de gloria aemulae, sunco cue studio ad literas excolendas incubuerunt, et ad
eti
as promovendas oporara adprima laudand
sun:ma llbertate, quae tot as animi vir s lie et f overe,
minorem ram.am adepturas esse.
profectus eonferret.
plus dignitatis
Sicut
as non
Aer.rulatio quoque multum ad literatur
N , ut quaequo civitas,
ruditiona praeminet,
t ponentiae habituram, necess
est.
stimulo incita.ti, non possurt. non bene mereri ct
honor
contulere.
cm od'Um:lUe suae civitati adferre.
Viri egreeli, hoc
liberalibl.s artibus, et
Ci1rita igitur ilia quae
doctrinae f acit, sibi optima consult.
Re b' omni cura adeo digna.m, ·axylandi;.a hand neglexit.
ni. ad pta securaque reddita, aeminaria publicitus 1nstitut
I..ibertate
sunt, ex
qui.bus, studio eodem ac cum primum fundabantur, semper annitenti multos
ci ves reip.>,lj,ticae utles provenir , sperandum
st.
�•. . - 10 -
Ut industri
sp
landia stimul tur; quid
honoris gradus in sdholis
publicis sunt invent1, qui.bus digni distinguer ntur.
honores academicos mox accepturi sint ad
probaverunt;
venimus .
t
~en
revocati se dignoe com-
riti s pra mils nunc sunt dimitt ndi.
Conventumque tam freqoont
Adolesc nt s, qui
Ad hoc hodie con-
laetus a.apicio et vos ealv re jubeoo
'I
�
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
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Annapolis, MD
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
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Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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10 pages
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Commencement Address, 1796
Description
An account of the resource
Statement conferring degrees and commencement address. Delivered by President McDowell on October 21, 1796 to the Class of which Francis Scott Key was a member.
Creator
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McDowell, John
Publisher
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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1796-10-21
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
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text
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pdf
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English
Latin
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Statement Conferring Degrees and Commencement Address by President McDowell (to the graduating class of Francis Scott Key) 1796-10-21
Subject
The topic of the resource
Key, Francis Scott, 1779-1843
McDowell, John
Commencement
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/3b8a866eb9185bd9ce19710c20af42d0.pdf
2b7abbb7d5da40ae9ca42ae7f6cda85d
PDF Text
Text
“Fit for the World”
Commencement Address, May 2017
St. John’s College in Annapolis
Christopher B. Nelson
Thank you for the honor of the invitation to address you today. The last time I did so, you had no
choice in the matter, as you seniors were just embarking on the four-year adventure of your studies at
the College, while you in the Graduate Institute were just undertaking an exciting extension of your
formal studies. In August of 2013, when most of you arrived, I welcomed you to the Wonderland that is
St. John’s College. Today we send you out into the World, another kind of Wonderland.
Indeed, I have wondered at something Scott Buchanan said nearly 50 years ago about the relationship
between these two worlds. Most of you know that Buchanan was the principal architect of the New
Program of study brought to St. John's College in 1937. That New Program, back when Buchanan was
dean, was in large measure much like the program we enjoy today. Shortly before he died in 1968,
Buchanan was interviewed by his old friend, Harris Wofford. These conversations were collected in a
book entitled Embers of the World: Conversations with Scott Buchanan.
The book closes with a comment by Buchanan that has bothered me since I first read it some 45 years
ago. It was this: "We used to say at St. John's that we were preparing people to be misfits, and we
meant that in a very broad sense. Perhaps misfits in the universe for the time being."
I can imagine that if I were to affirm that statement without explanation and close these remarks now,
some of you would demand a refund of your tuition. So, you can understand why I have been restless
for all these years, wondering at Buchanan’s remark while serving as your president. At long last, I
thought I ought at least to make an effort to understand why Buchanan said this, what he meant by it,
and whether I thought it was true, for your sake as well as my own.
The Case for the Misfit
Why might it be a positive good that the College should be preparing you to be “misfits” in the world?
Consider, for example, the place of a misfit in a world characterized by conflict, where change is sought
through violence alone, where rhetorical force is laced with fear-mongering or hatred. Such a misfit
might bring reason to bear on the rancor, and imagination to the resolution of conflict.
Or consider a world that is so conventional that people rarely contribute anything original or inventive
…. where so little of our natural human capacity, and none of our imagination, is exercised! What kind
of world would it be if everyone acted as though they had the answers to life and no one had any
questions of it?
What is the place of a misfit in a world that is out of joint? Or a world that has reduced all value to an
economic metaphor? Where everything has a price and nothing is priceless? Where the end of life is
service to the global economy? And the end of education is simply to fit one for the marketplace!
Page 1 of 6
�What is the place of a misfit in a world governed by one rule only: that it’s what we can get for
ourselves that counts, a world that does not accept that it is in our nature to do good for one another?
Many of you will recognize those worlds or will imagine that all of these descriptions characterize
aspects of the world we live in. The world is hardly perfect; a misfit may be what it needs from time to
time to get it on a better path. Perhaps when Buchanan spoke of preparing “misfits in the universe for
the time being,” he meant that misfits entering the world today could help shape the world of
tomorrow, one that would be a better fit for the imaginative, reform-minded individual.
Question: Why is Socrates so beloved of many of us at St. John’s? Is it because he was a misfit in the
world of Athens? Recall his argument for the defense in Plato’s Apology:
“I was attached to this city by the god – though it seems a ridiculous thing to say – as upon a
great and noble horse which was somewhat sluggish because of its size and needed to be
stirred by a kind of gadfly. It is to fulfill some such function that I believe the god has placed me
in the city. I never cease to rouse each and every one of you, to persuade and reproach you all
day long and everywhere I find myself in your company.”
Socrates even likened himself to Achilles, who despised death rather than shirk his responsibility to
avenge his friend and live the life of a coward ever after. If Socrates is a kind of hero to many of us,
dare we ask whether we are prepared to be the gadfly he claimed to be and run the risks he ran? It is a
lot of trouble to speak truth to power, and it takes courage.
Recall Antigone, a heroine to many! Are we prepared to make the sacrifice she made for her defense of
community mores that were out of favor in a kingdom itself out of joint?
Are these the kinds of misfits Buchanan was talking about? Are these sacrifices to be expected of you?
You want to be a doctor or lawyer, a soldier or farmer, a writer or painter, a scientist or engineer, a
teacher or librarian. You are attracted to politics, or investment banking, or the revolution in
technology. These are all fitting occupations in our world, all useful to it. Was Buchanan speaking of
you when he said what he did? What should distinguish you from others in the worlds you are entering
when you leave here?
When Buchanan made his remark about misfits in the universe, he seemed to have used it as a
punctuation to his reflection on the fate of tragic heroes. He understood that people generally identify
tragedy with calamity or death, but he thought that these were merely accidental to the real point:
that tragedy is about blindness and recognition, what the hero or heroine has learned from some
misfortune, like Oedipus recognizing who he is - his father's killer, his mother's husband, and his
children's brother - and then destroying his offending eyes that were useless to his recognition of
himself as the source of the pollution in Thebes!
This may be why we sometimes call such a protagonist a "tragic hero," someone "willing to pay the
price for a certain kind of integrity and rationality and honesty...," Buchanan would say. He even went
Page 2 of 6
�so far as to say that "happiness would be the life of a hero...who's willing to pay the price" for that
integrity for he will have "maintained his soul." Such happiness can extract a high price, sometimes
beyond the breaking point, he acknowledged. (Of course, the tragic hero may also come to recognize
his blindness without enjoying the happiness that might have followed. Recall Othello, confronting his
green-eyed monster; or Lear, his blindness to a daughter’s love.)
Ask yourselves: Is this what you have been up to at St. John’s College: stretching your imagination,
confronting your blindness and ignorance, and coming to some recognition, however tentative, of who
you are in all your imperfection, what propels you to go where you must, what calls you to do what
you will, what gives each of you a singular soul, what makes you whole?
Do you recognize that you have sometimes been brought to a breaking point, when it hurt you to
accept your blindness of something or someone, or when you heard a voice within you that you hardly
recognized confront you with a truth you wished you could deny but could not? Are you prepared to
keep asking these questions when you leave here, alive to the learning now begun? Do you have the
courage to maintain your integrity in a world that may often seem not to care for what you think or
who you are? Will you continue this search for an understanding of yourself and your world while
engaged in the career you may choose to pursue, even if you should confront an uncomfortable truth
about the work you are doing?
The Case for the World
I recognize that in trying to make a good home for our misfit, I may have come down pretty hard on
the world, blaming it for our woes, setting up heroes and heroines to confront it. I now would ask you
to look again at that world.
In your four years at the College, you have been asking as many questions of your world as you have of
yourselves. You have studied the heavens above and the earth below, the movement of planets and
the elements of matter, the conception and growth of living things and the relation of their parts to
their wholes, the laws of nature (such as they are) and the forces at work in the world - even spooky
action at a distance.
In the world of human affairs, you have studied political, societal, religious, psychological, historical,
economic, and ethical forces that have more or less shaped the societies we live in … or vice versa.
These forces may seem more capricious than those you have studied in the laboratory, but they have
nonetheless influenced the world you will be living in, the world that belongs to you as much as you
belong to it.
The mysteries of the human heart, and of the soul within you, are every bit as wondrous as the
mysteries of the political and the natural worlds. And so you have asked questions of the world, in part
because it is your nature to wish to know, in part because you wish to know your place within that
world, and in part, I dare say, because it is your world and you are bent on loving it as you love
yourselves. It will be your love of the world that will bridge the divide between you and it.
Page 3 of 6
�Your world needs you; it needs your desire to understand it, your openness to what it has to teach you,
your acceptance of its imperfections, and your sincere wish and best efforts to be useful to it because
you care for it as it has cared for you, however unconscious that care may have been.
The Case for the Hero in the World
Once again, consider Socrates and how he put the case in his own defense: that he was a gift of the
god, and that he was attached “as upon a great and noble horse” that needed to be stirred. That great
and noble horse was the City of Athens, the world’s first democracy of any sort, the city that reared
and educated the man, the city that Socrates so loved he would not trade a death sentence in Athens
for life in any other city. This was Socrates’s world. He saw his service as a gadfly to be a divine gift, a
gift of love for his world in the hope that he could help Athens recognize the corruption within it,
correct its course and recover its integrity. How different is Socrates’s world from ours?
In her essay When I was a Child I Read Books, Marilynne Robinson located the American Western hero
on the frontier, something she called “neither a place nor a thing.” Such a hero could perhaps be
located someplace in the imagination, on a frontier of society, a frontier of science, a frontier of
medicine or law or technology or any other discipline you might commit yourselves to. The frontier
might be on the edge of a habitable wilderness, at a town hall meeting, in the workplace, or even
within the warmth of a household. These frontiers will always remain open.
Robinson described the archetypal hero or heroine as sometimes a visionary, sometimes a critic,
sometimes a rescuer or an avenger, expressing discontent with the status quo and a willingness,
perhaps even a calling, to seek change, always with a positive interest in the good of society. But she
added something more, a reflection on the beauty of human society: “Rousseau said men are born
free, yet everywhere they are in chains. Since the time of the Hebrew prophets it has been the role of
the outsider to loosen those chains, or lengthen them, if only by bringing the rumor of a life lived
otherwise.”
The Allegory of the Cave in Plato’s Republic reminds us that we need help to break the chains that have
kept us staring comfortably at the mere shadows of things; that we need to be turned around to face
the reality that has been hidden from us; that we need to be dragged up the rocky slope and out into
the light of the sun where we can see the extraordinary beauty of the world of things as they are; and
that the journey up is a painful one. We realize how exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, it must be
to make this journey to understanding alone. We need that “outsider” to shake us up and help us free
ourselves to make lives worthy of our humanity.
The Case for Your Education
This image of the lone individual in society should be a familiar one. Consider the paradox you face
every day in your education at our College: the learning you each come to enjoy is yours alone, but you
pursue it in the company of others. You make from the bits and pieces that you have read, heard, and
thought through, something entirely new that belongs to you alone. And yet, you have needed others
Page 4 of 6
�around you, helping you with your discoveries of the world, helping you uncover unsettling truths
about yourselves, and opening fruitful paths to your learning.
Nonetheless, what you have learned you have freely learned (it is your learning, not a learned
professor’s or someone else’s.) That freedom has helped you develop an adaptable mind, equally open
to tradition and to progress, one that gives you practice in the art of inquiry, in asking the questions
the human race has asked since mankind first began to speak. They are questions arising from the
depths of wonder; questions revealing the vast extent of your ignorance about the world and about
yourselves; questions demonstrating a startling truth: that your ignorance is the source of your
greatest strength. For it is ignorance, not knowledge, that will propel you forward. It generates the
desire to know, which draws you expectantly into the unknown.
This humility of the intellect is actually a powerful force. We often call it wisdom, and it is one of the
things the world needs: a good understanding of how to develop and where to direct our desire to
know and our desire to be better women and men. This generative force is also something your
professions will need, something your co-workers and neighbors will need and hopefully appreciate,
and something your children will need to live well in the world they will one day inherit.
You are fit to enter the world, having had four years of practice in the art of recognition without having
to pay the price of an Oedipus or an Antigone or an Othello or a Lear. You have had this practice within
the confines of a relatively safe classroom and among friends who have helped you recognize what you
don’t know and what you still need to learn to grapple with what the world will throw at you. These
friends - the books and the natural objects of your study, your tutors, and your classmates – these
friends have helped you understand both the limitations of your reach and the possibilities open to
you. They have freed you from conventional thinking, freed you to doubt what you have been taught
about the world, and thus freed you to imagine a world different from the one you find yourselves in
and the possibility of a future that you may lay claim to one day, a future you may even help to shape.
This mention of the power of the imagination reminds me of a story that may shed some light on what
Buchanan might have had in mind when he said we were making misfits in the universe. Stringfellow
Barr, president of St. John’s when Buchanan was dean, said this of his friend: “The difference between
Scott and me was that when I see a baby, I’m enchanted with him; and Scott is always feeling, ‘Well,
that’s not the baby I had in mind. Babies ought to do better than that.’ All human enterprises, including
birth, seem to him a little disappointing. He’s a Platonist in the sense he’s got some notion of the baby
in the back of his mind that no baby lives up to, whereas to me it’s such a miracle the little brat is alive
– so what, if he has defects. His ears stick out and he’s cross-eyed, certainly, but he’s alive.” Barr was
talking then about the birth of the St. John’s Program, but his observations about Buchanan – about
Buchanan as a kind of Socrates – these observations may help us understand how Buchanan saw the
world in general, and that only misfits were well fit to recognize the world as it is and the world as it is
meant to be … and then to make the effort to do something to close the gap between the two.
It is now your turn to take the gift of your education out into the world, which needs the open,
thoughtful, loving stewards, critics, and visionaries you are capable of being. May you fare well and
find happiness in this endeavor!
Page 5 of 6
�Thank you!
Page 6 of 6
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
Text
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Word doc
Page numeration
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6 pages
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Commencement Address, Spring 2017
Description
An account of the resource
Typescript of the commencement address given on May 14, 2017 by Christopher Nelson at the end of the Spring 2017 semester in Annapolis, MD. Entitled "Fit for the World."
Creator
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Nelson, Christopher B.
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Date
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2017-05-14
Rights
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St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online.
Type
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text
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pdf
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English
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Commencement, Spring 2017 Chris Nelson Fit for the World May 14 2017
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Macfarland, Joseph C.
Relation
A related resource
<a title="Audio recording" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/2179">Audio recording</a>
Commencement
Presidents
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/42532a7f90842826362584af4dff9845.mp3
28be47a0295d8c0c6f7b128a889decc8
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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mp3
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00:23:20
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Commencement Address, Spring 2017
Description
An account of the resource
Audio recording of the commencement address given on May 14, 2017 by Christopher Nelson at the end of the Spring 2017 semester in Annapolis, MD. Entitled "Fit for the World."
Creator
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Nelson, Christopher B.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
St. John's College
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-05-14
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
St. John's College has been given permission to make this item available online.
Type
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sound
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
mp3
Contributor
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Macfarland, Joseph C.
Relation
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<a title="Typescript" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/2163">Typescript</a>
Language
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English
Identifier
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SJCAnnapolisGraduation2017
Commencement
Deans
Presidents
Tutors
-
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/5ae74d2e16339c51c41746bd9cc3c2fd.pdf
ff7ab10e3d189f0deb01d67fec9fde68
PDF Text
Text
Goings and Comings
Graduate Institute Commencement Address
St. John’s College
August 4, 2017
William Pastille
“Every limit,” writes George Eliot near the end of Middlemarch, “is a beginning as well as
an ending.”
We come here today to mark a limit in the lives of you who are graduating—the limit
of your time in our halls.
Ceremonies like this are called “commencements,” even though they occur at the close
of study, because this ending, the ending of studenthood, coincides with the beginning of
a new life, the beginning of a new adventure.
That, at least, is the conventional explanation. Scholars, of course, who can’t seem to
abide the conventional, have tracked the historical source of the term “commencement”
down to a medieval ceremony called the Inceptio. This event was a formal induction into
the teachers’ guild, for which studenthood was the required apprenticeship. With the passage of time and changes in society, the original purpose of the ceremony was forgotten,
and its name was replaced by its English equivalent, Commencement. At its inception, then,
the Inceptio was all about beginnings and not all about endings.
Well, you can pretty much count on scholars to evaporate poetic truth. Whatever the
mundane antecedent of today’s ceremonies may have been, the poetic truth about commencements is that they are Janus-headed, one face looking toward student life in the past,
the other looking toward a new life in the future.
This truth is poetic because commencements, infused with wistfulness for what is past
and expectation for what is to come, are figures—not figures of speech but figures of life—
prefiguring something more universal, namely, that every moment, every Now, is also Janus-headed, both an ending and a beginning, both a going and a coming, both wistful and
expectant.
St. Augustine underlines this doubleness of the Now in the Confessions, in the section
on memory, where he writes about the experience of reciting a psalm. Every word of the
text stands before us in the future, enters into the Now as we speak it, and retires into the
past as the next word rises up. The eternal Now sits unmoving and attentive at the intersection of the goings and the comings, occupying the space in which they meet.
If commencements, then, are two-faced, like every Now, why do we name them after
the Janus face that looks toward the future rather than the one that looks toward the past?
The answer is obvious enough. If we called them “cessations” or “culminations,” we
would call attention to what is about to pass away and risk lingering on the emotions that
naturally attend the experience of loss. And why would we want to do that? These events
are not funerals.
1
�Nevertheless, at the risk of provoking sentimental nostalgia, that is exactly what I propose to do now: focus on what is passing away. Why? Because the past you share is full of
exceptional distinctions and achievements that deserve commemoration and a proper estimate of their worth.
So, I begin with a distinction you shared long before you joined us. You are book lovers.
Most people don’t care about books. Most people never have. You were already singled by
sharing this trait before you came to us.
Then, by joining this community, you singled yourself out again. You are not ordinary
book lovers. You are readers, determined readers. You leapt eagerly at these difficult,
sometimes impenetrable, books. You wanted the wisdom they might hold. This is the mark
of genuine readers: they approach books like granaries of wisdom. They try to pry open
hatches and extract seeds of insight. Real readers are seekers after wisdom.
Next, you set about a series of exceptional labors. You raided the book-granaries and
hauled off sacks and sacks of seeds. You learned to blow open the hatches by asking and
dwelling on questions—and then learned how to ask better questions that go nearer the
heart of things, where the greatest satisfactions are most likely to be found. In the process,
you struck up lasting friendships with the spirits of some of our long-dead authors—permanent friendships that will stand you in good stead as the vicissitudes of life deprive you
of other friendships.
And finally, most exceptional of all, you discovered the master key that unlocks all the
book-granaries. For most of them are locked, as Socrates tells us.
In the Phaedrus, Socrates claims that written documents are singularly uncommunicative. Partly, this is because they are static; if you question them, they always give the same
response. Partly, it is because they cannot attend to the character or the needs of the reader.
And partly, it is because the author is not present to defend his words or to correct his
errors.
So, Socrates concludes that writing is not a serious occupation, but at best a playful art
of note-taking that produces reminders of what an author once thought.
Far more important for seekers, he says, is dialectic—living conversation in which
seeds of wisdom can be sown into the participants’ souls, where they may someday grow
to nourish both mind and heart.
It is high irony that we encounter this critique of writing in a text. This points up Plato’s
extraordinary way of writing that overcomes the usual limitations of the written word, a
way that does sow seeds of wisdom in the souls of readers by prompting them to engage in
internal dialectic.
The details of Plato’s method—his deployment of unresolvable contradictions, perplexing myths, tantalizing but questionable analogies, and a host of other tricks that push
the reader out of the text into a dialectical self-conversation—that is a subject for a different
speech on a different occasion.
But most books, even great books, do not stimulate dialectic on their own. Most of
them are of the sort that Socrates criticized—static, always responding to questions in the
same way. And because many of the best books are extraordinarily difficult, their unchanging responses are often cryptic. Their granaries remain, for the most part, under lock and
key.
2
�The master key that opens all of them, as you well know, is serious conversation.
Serious conversation—by which I mean the sustained, focused inquiry of a cooperative
group of seekers after wisdom—supplies the necessary dialectic. When we share our perplexities and try out answers, when we interpret, reinterpret, and test interpretations against
one another—in short, when we search together in our classes, we turn the dialectical key
that opens up the stores. We shake out the seeds of wisdom so they can, with any luck, take
root in our souls.
But serious conversation achieves even more than that. It cuts through the usual divisions among us. If, as Aristotle says, all human beings desire to know, then serious conversation sets us all upon equal ground, uniting us in our common role as seekers. Serious
conversation makes it possible for us to have meaningful, civil, respectful, and thoughtful
exchanges about issues that, in unserious conversation, explode into animosity, hatred, and
even violence. And you have learned how to do this.
Summing up, then, your distinctions and achievements:
You are book lovers, and, what is more, genuine readers, which is to say, seekers after
wisdom. You have enhanced your seeking by practicing and honing your command of the
art of questioning. You have created permanent, inspirational friendships with some of the
authors we study. And you have learned how to use serious conversation to scatter seeds
of wisdom and promote mutual understanding.
All in all, as achievements go, this is not too shabby.
So much for the going Janus-face. In the coming direction, however, the scene has no
clear outlines. About your exceptional distinctions and attainments in the future I can make
out less than nothing. The only fairly certain relief is that each of you will apply your
common distinctions and attainments uniquely.
But since the future is malleable, I’d like to encourage you to lead at least part of it in
a common direction. Wherever your futures take you, I urge you all to carry on the practice
of serious conversation.
It is now common wisdom that our society is almost irreparably fractured, that we have
become too self-opinionated and truculent to speak with—or even to want to speak with—
those who hold differing opinions.
But you know this to be false wisdom. Serious conversation is possible. You’ve done
it. You’ve participated in searching—yet sociable and productive—discussions about God,
for God’s sake, and politics too—topics far too combustible for unserious conversation like
cocktail-party chitchat.
Since among your attainments is the art of serious conversation, you can use that skill
to relieve the epidemic of misanthropy and misology as few others can. You can have, or
at least try to have, serious conversations with the people in your lives.
I’m not suggesting that you set up St. John’s-style seminars among your friends and
acquaintances. That’s too far a stretch. I’m encouraging something more spontaneous,
something that can arise during lunch breaks or television commercials or taxi rides.
Such little serious conversations don’t have to last long. Many people can’t sustain
serious conversation for more than a few minutes anyway. These little talks don’t have to
be about books. Most people, as I said, don’t care about books. And Socrates didn’t need
texts to have serious conversations.
3
�But they do have to be serious—that is, directed at the truth about something that matters to the way we understand and lead our lives. Pushing a social conversation a tiny bit
in the direction of universals, just far enough to strain the limits of routine, may make some
seeds scatter. One or two of them might someday take root.
Can this sort of thing make a dent in the wall of animosity? Who knows? You may
inspire others to seek in ways they had not sought before. With enough inspiration, perhaps
attitudes would soften, perhaps the compulsion to be right and to impose that rightness on
others would give way to the milder and healthier compulsion to seek wisdom.
Does this sound hopelessly idealistic?
So what? Change takes time. The Grand Canyon wasn’t cut overnight. It was etched
slowly over eons by the infinitesimal scratchings of innumerable water molecules, each
one effecting next to nothing. Why couldn’t a similar process work to transform the landscape of human nature?
At the very end of Middlemarch, George Eliot sums up the life of her protagonist, Dorothea Brande. In her youth, Dorothea dreamed of transforming society for the benefit of
the less fortunate. A misconceived first marriage and a socially unacceptable second marriage made it impossible for her to realize her youthful dreams. Nevertheless, Eliot judges
that her influence was inestimable. Here is the closing paragraph of the book:
Her finely touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her
full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which
had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts;
and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the
number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.
I quote this not to imply that you should abjure a life of achievement. That would be
foolish to suggest to you, who are already so accomplished. By all means, if you wish,
reach out like Cyrus and bend the world to your will—provided your will inclines toward
truth and love.
But I do say that, in the matter of serious conversation, your influence will mostly go
unnoticed, even by yourselves. It could hardly be otherwise, since the fruits of serious conversation do not ripen in the visible world. And yet, your husbandry may prove to be incalculably diffusive, making things not so ill as they might otherwise be for generations
yet unborn.
And so, I hope you won’t think it too impertinent of me to conclude this farewell-thatis-also-a-greeting by begging of you this simple, but audacious, favor: Please, on occasion,
in all the goings and comings of all the Nows of the rest of your lives, please, spare a
thought for the planting of seeds.
4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
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Commencement Address, Graduate Institute, Summer 2017
Description
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Typescript of the commencement address given on August 4, 2017 by Bill Pastille at the end of the Summer 2017 semester in Annapolis, MD. Entitled "Goings and Comings".
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Pastille, William
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St. John's College
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Annapolis, MD
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2017-08-04
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A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John's College permission to: Make an audio recording of my lecture, and retain copies for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make a typescript copy of my lecture available for circulation and archival preservation in the St. John's College Greenfield Library. Make a copy of my typescript available online."
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text
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pdf
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English
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Pastille Goings and Comings (GI Commencement Address 2017-08-04)
Commencement
Graduate Institute
Tutors
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https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/241c097068e331e110888fe7733c0df3.pdf
b0a5e43d84680c6e4be9d6adf3f7e00e
PDF Text
Text
Commencement Address
St. John’s College, Annapolis
given
William Pastille
material may be protected by
law (Title 17 U.S. Code)
At every moment, Life demands that we choose between Love and Strife, between the
powers that bind and those that loose. If we do not hear the urgency of this demand, it is because
we do not live fully in the present moment. Most of our attention streams away toward the
remembered past or imagined future, relaxing our bond with the vivid Here and Now until we drift
too far off to hear the voice of Life above a whisper. But today, with music, ceremony, and
speeches, we try to dam the flood of inattention, to focus on the Now, on this single moment,
which is both ending and beginning for all qf you who are about to receive degrees. If you search
your feelings in this moment, you will find two commingled emotions: melancholy — for all that is
past and gone, for a way of Efe that can never be relived - and expectancy — for all that is yet to
come, for a way of life that you are hoping to create. Please remember this composite feeling,
because it is the feeling that lives in the heart of every Now. When we are not experiencing this
twofold emotion, we are not really in touch with the present, but have allowed our habits of
inattention to separate us from the Now. In this state of habitual inattention, we nevertheless carry
on the daily work of Efe: people are fed, cities and empires built, careers made and unmade, children
reared, and academies of higher learning established for the purpose of passing knowledge and
tradition from generation to generation.
At this ceremony, and at thousands of others Eke it to be held across the nation today and
in the coming weeks, those of us who serve and support the academy will confer upon you and
upon your counterparts at other institutions the outward signs that we have discharged our duty,
and that you, by completing rigorous courses of study, have increased in knowledge and learning.
In thousands of speeches we will extol your virtues; we will praise you for your fortitude,
perseverance, and intelligence; we will encourage you to develop your talents further, and to fulfil
your promise; we will impress upon you the solemn obligation that you pass the baton of learning
to the next generation; and we will express our pride in your achievements, for we honor the
devotion, the toil, and the sacrifice that nourished your success. It is altogether fitting and proper
for us to do this.
But even on such a congratulatory occasion, a decent regard for truth and for honest
self-criticism compels me to speak of failure as well as success — my failure, the failure of my
generation, and of all who consider themselves teachers, mentors, and leaders in all walks of Efe.
For the truth is that we have failed you. We have failed you because, being human, the better
�angels of our nature are often bested by the worse; and because, being consequently inconstant, we
preach ideals that we foil to honor in deeds; and because, being consequently hypocritical, we are
forced to hide painful truths from ourselves; and because, being consequently ignorant, we hand
down to you truth and falsehood mixed indiscriminately in unknown proportions.
Among the falsehoods which we have given you to believe far too easily is this: that
knowledge is an unqualified good. It is no such thing. For insofar as knowledge is power, it
corrupts as power corrupts; and insofar as it is taken to be an unqualified good, it corrupts
surreptitiously. Knowledge can ally itself with the slightest weakness of character and with any
unexamined prejudice, transmuting unjust, intolerant, or self-centered attitudes into the figures of
intelligence and ignorance: a latent racism, sexism, or class prejudice can manifest itself as an
empirical observation that this or that individual is just not as intelligent as we. Egotism, above all,
joins readily with knowledge, leading to the eihpirical observation that no one is quite as intelligent
as we, and to the logical conclusion that everyone needs to be inoculated with ample doses of our
own personal wisdom.
You have witnessed something of this here, in the microcosm of the classroom, whenever I
or one of my colleagues have used our familiarity with the books on the program or our knowledge
of other sources as unfair advantages to attain a position of power in discussion, or to maintain a
tenor of authority, or to sustain our own sense of intellectual superiority, perhaps going so far as to
be dismissive, even rude, to students or to other tutors whom we regard as less knowledgeable, less
experienced, or less sagacious than ourselves. Such behavior clearly creates estrangement and
disaffection, scattering seeds of Strife about the world; it can only be the work of our worse angels.
And yet I fear that some of you admire the ability to wield knowledge as a form of power, and are
planning to master the skill through fbrther schooling. I earnestly hope that my fear is misplaced; I
hope all of you understand that having and using such a skill is not worth the risk of planting a
single seed of Strife in a single human soul.
If the temptation to brandish knowledge as a weapon can infiltrate even here, where we
have an official rhetoric that cautions us against the danger, how much harm is it doing out there, in
classrooms and boardrooms, in factories and chambers of government where no such caution
exists? - where knowledge is valued precisely and only for its fearsome aspect of power? In the
world in which we live, knowledge consorts with Strife; and the belief that knowledge is an
unqualified good has precluded your seeking out the one force able to Uberate knowledge from the
dominion of Strife: Only Love can conquer Strife.
page 2
�Only Love can render knowledge harmless. Only Love can transform thought and
sensibility into wisdom and compassion. Only Love can bind the separate moments of existence
into a whole, meaningful life. But we have become such children of Strife that we no longer
understand the universal application of Love. Because Love always involves submission to deep
and overpowering feeling, we scrutinize it fearfully from within the protective cage of our current
conception of rationality, which is, on the whole, a heartless, soulless intellectualism. Love requires
the courage to hazard sentimentality; for the harm done by sentimentality - which can, after all, be
educated, broadened, and elevated — is very light compared to the harm done by fear of
sentimentality — which, like all fear, is an implacable agent of Strife. Love requires us to feel deeply»
and to be carried away by feeling.
Fortunately, there is always nearby one thing — the present moment — with which we can
practice our ability to love. If we can learn to love the Now, which is to live fully in the present
that is always with us, then the unifying force of Love will always be close at hand to shield us from
the divisive force of Strife. And we are already prepared halfway, because we know the heart of the
Now, we know the twofold feeling of melancholy and expectancy. To make a beginning, we must
carry the memory of that feeling with us at all times; we must cultivate that feeling until the
poignancy and fragility of the moment swells in our hearts, catches in our throats, brings tears to
our eyes. Then comes the hard part — we must give ourselves over completely to the feeling welling
up from within and to the moment embracing us from without, until we seem almost to forget our
own existence. Because this is the essence of Love: sublation of self in the enveloping presence of
the beloved.
If you can love the moment this intensely — as Penelope loved Odysseus, as Dante loved
Beatrice, as you loved when you first fell madly in love — then your knowledge will work no injury,
nor will the seeds of Strife take root in your soul; and the failings of your teachers, mentors, and
leaders will be redeemed. For Love makes all hurt as thou^ it had not been.
At every moment. Life demands that we choose between Love and Strife. For the sake of
the world in which you were raised, for your own sakes, and for the sake of the world to come,
which you will help to fashion: please, please, please - choose Love,
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
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commencementprograms
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paper
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3 pages
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Title
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Commencement Address, Spring 1998
Description
An account of the resource
Typescript of the commencement address given on May 17, 1998 by William Pastille at the end of the Spring 1998 semester in Annapolis, MD.
Creator
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Pastille, William Alfred, 1954-
Publisher
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St. John's College
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Date
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1998-05-17
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A signed permission form has been received stating, "I hereby grant St. John’s College permission to: make typescript copies of my event available for circulation and archival preservation at the St. John’s College Greenfield Library. Make a copy the typescript of my event available online."
Type
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text
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pdf
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Love
Presence (Philosophy)
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English
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Pastille_William_1998-05-17_Typescript
Commencement
Tutors
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https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sjcdigitalarchives/original/f89220b5b6214f7b38ab4479b0994ef9.pdf
00b9921b3d1a42e9ee641e6d4978c36a
PDF Text
Text
(
( ?- -r
~
I
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I
/•.' (VC<> 1-1 LI t,,
AN ADDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS
OF
ST. J 0 H NS.
BY
THE
REV . WILLIAM
PINI~ NEY.
ANNAPOLIS:
ROBERT F . BONSALL, PRINTER .-
1852.
If
�CORRESPONDENCE.
A~NAPOLis,
23rd February, 1852.
R ev. and Dear Sir_,
IT is our pleasant duty, in behalf ,of the ALUMNI OF ST. J onNS , to
thank .you for the br:illiant Discourse delivered this day at the Annual Commencement. In requesting a copy for pul;Jlication, we but express the gene,ral wish of those who .enjoy;t;d its delivery-also to see it in print.
Yf!ry Faithfqlly
You,r Friends,
WILL. H. TucK,
A. RANDALL,
·Tnos. J. WILSON.
:R,ev. Williant Pinkney.
ANN ~l' o L 1 s, Fe.(n-uary 24th , 1852 .
.Gentlemen,
I ACKNOWLEDGE the receipt of your letter of the 23rd, with feelings of
sincere pleasure ; and although I am confident, that both you and our breth_ren of the Alumni, for whom you act, have, in the kindliness of your
feelings, attached to my Address a value to which it has no inherent claim, I
must in this , as in th,e first acceptance of the honor, submit to your united
will. Thanking you for the most gratifying manner in which yoiJ have discharged your duty,
I ~m, Most Faithfully,
Your Friend,
W, PINKNEY.
Hon. Judge 'J1uc1c, Roi). Jl. Randall, Thos. J. Wilson, Esq.
It.
�I
I
ADDRESS ·
GEN'.rLEMEN OF THE ALUMNI
AND STUDENTS OF ST . JOHNS :-
The sight of these dear familiar walls- the reenacting, now
and here, of this sublime and affecting scene-the transition of
these young gentlemen from the tender and delightful associations and important duties of college life to the noble and exciting deeds of manhood, when they must begin the rugged,
up-hill toil of actual existence and take their places among
men-these all serve to recall to mind , not less thei r responsibilities, than ours, who like them were once nurturer! in this
venerable seat of learning.
We are assembled together for mutual congratulations and
for mutual improvement. A time-honored cust~rn is the bond
that binds us. At the call of our Alma Mater, we hav e met
together to mingle our heartfelt rejoicings amid the stirring
reminiscencies of the past, and the glowing picturings of the
future , when hope, with her pencil, is touching the canvass
with its most beautiful and delicate h ues.
The occasion is full of eloquence. ' Tis replete with grandeur. No mortal tongne can do it justice. Its most powerful
and impressive advocate is the silence of the past and the future ;
the one, not less eloquent in its losses than its gains, the other
in the hopes, which are doomed to be disappointed or else destined to be realised in the fruits of more than a golden harvest.
To you, young gentlemen, just crowned with the h onors of
your Alma JYiater and introduced into 1be society of your
brethren, the Alumni, this occasion is one of both interest and
sublimity. Your imagination kindles and glows w ith 1he first
I
f
�ALUMNI AND STUDENTS OF ST. JOHNS.
6
AN ADDRESS, DELl vERED BEFORE THE
noble pulsations of the heart;s throbbings, as you feel that the
step is taken which is to remove you from the pupilage of
others ~o your own guardianship. In us, it awakens those sad
but soul-arousing thoughts, which hopes that had their birth
here, on this consecrated soil, foll as bright as those you now
fondly ~herish, only half realized or else tot1tlly blighted .• cannot fail ~o engender. To you the occasion is a thrilling brilliant pros.pective, while to us it is a fearful ar:i~ in some respects
a mel<:J.noholy retrospect.
Education is the theme we have chosen. ;N'ot, however, its
,claims upon the foste,ring care Qf the State, which h,<1-s been
discussed* with an ability and research that :h ave left nothing
for us to gl,ean, not even -the fe'y straggling sheaves, which an
ordinary generosity i::; .accustome.d to leave for the reward find
enco,urag~ment of the unfortunate gleaner. No, nor its influence up9.11 the respor;i.sibility of the American citizen in the
preser;it stupendous juncture of human atfair1;1, which this time
two ye,1trs wa§ pressed with sp much sound practical wisdom
and patriotic ardor by the ge1;ttleman,t whqm yqur judgment
happily select.ed as the or~tor qn that occasion. It is in neither
of these imp9rtant aspectf,l th~t we propose to consider it. We
wquld :;tddress to your uqderstandings and your fe.elings a few
thoughts upon educatior;i coqtemplated frorn anot.Q.er point of
view, viz., as the beginqing of the life-work of man-the
lea~en, whi.c h ii;; to diffuse itself through the whole of the afterexistence- tre very warp and woof that are to be 'foven into
the whole moral and intelle. tual fabric of ~he future man-the
c
commencer~ent of a work, .which running through the whole
circle of coming years, ever approxjmates its destined goal; but
still, by the very law of our being, must ever continue this side
of it, wherein npthing is completed, nothipg finished. Education has its beginning here. 'rlrn key that opens the door
of the most richly furnished <;hambers of the temple of learning,
is here entrusted to our care and keeping. Lessons of wisdom
are .here impartep, which we must work out in solid and substantial fruit. The college is the image of the wide world we
enter. Here the ~vork begins. But education is not what,
alas ! too maqy of the young men of our day are prone to re-
1'
; •.
,;
7
gard it, a sort of scaffolding, which is used in the consfruetion
of an edifice, but useless the very moment that edifice, which
after all is but the work of mere childish hands and patiially
developed moral and intellectual facullies, is erected. i't is
rather the golden stair-way, by which we are to ascend, flight
after flight, until our eye shall have rested upon every object
of attraction, and our footstep have threaded· all the ,\iinding
labyrinths of the stupendous temple as yet above arid beyond us.
We would talk to you of the responsibilities ' vhich have just
begun, which meet you in every direction, now that you are
about to choose what position you will occupy in the society
you have entered-responsibilities which are the result of the
careful education you have already received, the j ust consequences of the toil and expense, already lavished upon your
intellectual and moral training- responsibilities, V:1 hich our
own better experience teaches us; are so little weighed and
appreciated by the young men· of this age and country.
You have received the rudiments of leurning~you have
pored with delight over the pages of the Greek and Latin
classics; and felt, as the prospect opened and expanded before
you, some slight kindlings of the more than magic influence
and power of those thoughts and deeds of grande ur. You
have been taught the beauty and propriety of a close, calm
and patient analysis of the philology of the languages, wherein
are stored up those rich choice gems of thought and feeling, of
more than the diamond sparkle and ruby solidity. You have
caught frvm the genius of your accomplished and consummate
Professor of Languages,* (whose n.{lme is identified with our
brightest recollections of this seat of learning, the only surviving
link that connects the past with the present,) the happy secret
of solving the many difficulties which meet' the aspiring student, every step he takes in the study of tlie ancients-and
you are now qualified to use with both skill and success those
invaluable instruments of learning.· You can read Demosthenes and Zenophon, Thucydides and Longinus, C icero and
Livy, in the languages they have immortalized, with some
nice appreciation of the bean ties that are lost to all,. but the
, Dr. Edward Sparks.
*Judge Tuck.
t Hon. A. Randall.
I
I
�8
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS OF ST. JOHNS.
AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED BEFORE THE
students of th~ 01~iginals. And to what end? Why, I · ask,
have you been thus carefully trained? Is it, can it be, that.
with nine-tenths of the educated young men of Columbia, you
may lay aside your grammars and the clasl'ics, the clavis to
which is nearly all that the most diligent and accomplished
graduate has obtained, and consign them to long years of neglect? Is it, can it be, that you may turn away from them as
1hough they were mere childish toys, designed to be the pastime
of boyhood? The academic groves, with their buds and blossoms, their refreshing shade and towering branches! suppose
you they were rneant to be trodden qnly by tottering footsteps
and viewed by half-closed eyelids, when you remember that
the spirits of Plato and Socrates are heard to whisper in every
breeze that wakes their undying melody! To so act and argue
is to forfeit the highest end of all sound education, and stultify
the yery guardians of your youth.
Our past education! what is it, but the beginning of a work,
which we are to carFy forward, and that too, in part, by the
use of the very instruments that were here employed. Not
simply pursuing, as we will have to do, the perplexing labyrinths of profes3ional life, or the not less difficult passes of mercantile and mechanic life, and expanding our powers of thought,
here but partially developed, by the acquisition of fresh practical
knowledge;-we must take along with us, as helps and assistancies, the very elements of our education, and out of them,
and with them, construct an edifice of general literature, which
\vill abide with us as long as we live, and open up for enjoyment and usefulness, fountains that can never run dry. The
use of their study at all, it seems to me, must of necessity imply
the wisdom and propriety of the prosec-ution of it to the close
life bt6od 6{the present onward march of human mind. They
are riow what they ever have been, the most powerful quickeners of thought, the most copious fountains of all that is grand
and august in eloquence anJ profound in mental phil~sophy.
The idea that the imaginative faculty is improved, while but
little.if any thipg is imparied to the vigor of the reasoning powers by this pleasing and fascinating study-that it is · rather a
beatitiful a!'1d elegant accomplishment, than a great practical
blessing to pi·actkal men, is libel upon the flncients. :Properly
studied, where the professci1•; is equal to the task and can lead
the ,inquisitive scholar into all the depths and heights of an
author's meaning, and thro~ the light of history and geography
upon the giound traversed, as you know is the preeminent
distinction·or' sL Johns, d~4re is no study which is more rich
in its infl.uenc~ upon all the powers of the human1 mind, the
reasoning, as the imaginative, than this. Like the.noble study
of the mathe1iia'.tics,·-it strengthens the understant'!:'ing, and developes the powers of concentration anc1 amplit~1de; while;at
the same time, it elevates and enlarges the imagination, and calls
into exercise those keen and delicate perceptions of the beauty
and force of sentiihent, and the copiousnesif and expressiveness
of language, which, like music tones, are th'e fosult of combined
skill and prac1ice: The mind learns in every faculty, ih this
noble department of the learning of tl:i~ schools. To find out
the meaning of ah author, what must be dorie by the earnest
and ambitious scholar? He must expose to a careful and rigid
analysis the words and thoughts, and in cases of difficulty he
must, by patient philological research and' deep reflection, catch
the scope of the argument and the analogy of the parts, each
to the other. Sometimes the itsus loquendi-'and the grammati·
cal construction will not of themselves suffice to determine the
sense ;~ and then the only mode left to elucidate the passage is
to dive deeper still into the au thor~s mind, and so study what
may be called his idiosyncracy of iritellect,·as from himself to
catch· the true image of his meaning. · Of course we are speaking now of the student, who studies to rnasler his a uthor, who
seeks·so to imbibe his spirit as to think with· his thoughts. And
when· from the books of the school, you' turn to the more difficult and philosophic writers, you ·will find· the intellectual exercise proportionably increased:
2
a
.
'
of life.
And here it may not be unimportant to my argument, to
glance for a moment at the true uses of the classics, as a fundamental part of all sound education. Time was, when such
a discussion would have been deemed a work of supererogation . But the times are changed, and uot a few there are, '
who now boldly denounce the system, which assigns so important a position to the study of what are called the dead languages. Dead languages indeed!- Dead they are not, for
they live in all the literature ofthe world. They are the very
r
9
I
f
�AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED BEFORE THE
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS OF ST. JOHNS.
And all this while, the student is imperceptibly acquiring
a more copious and exact knowledg·e of the beauty, flexibility
and singular copiousness of his own vernacular, and becoming
a more perfect niaster of the lucidus ordo and coherency, which
are the surest passports to immortality, as writers and as orators.
Thus taught the imagination becomes, what it ever should be,
the handmaid of reason; a burning mirror, that pictures the
argument on· the brain and leaves it thus, not a cold abstraction; but in living beauty, magnificence and power, the bright
reality it i~.
If this be a ' true and impartial estimate of this one branch of
human learning, (and I-select it from its sister branches because
it suits my purpose best,) does it not become us to bestow upon
it constant attention, such atter:ition as will qualify us to hold
easy nml profitable converse with the biost furnished minds of
antiquity? The work in the college building is not half accomplished. It i3 in reality, barely thoroughly begun. The
knowledge of the skilful use of the tools to work with, is nearly
all the knowledge we can acquire within the walls of our Alma
111.ater. The acquaintance which you, young brethren of the
Alumni, have formed with Dernosthenes and Cicero, Livy and
Xenophon, Virgil and Horner, and which has justly won for
you the degree this day conferred, will not satisfy the more
inquisitive curiosity and p1'ofound study of the future man.
Every fresh perusal will yield •you a harvest of beauties altogether new·. In history, philosophy, eloquence and poetry,
you will discover a field of boundie~s dimensions, travelled
over by your footsteps in youth, but without a discovery of the
luscious fruit that g1·ew upon-it, or the flowers that were bathed
in its tw licrht aews-and then the field will expand-and new
i 0
authors, of fragrant memory, altogether too abstruse for the
schools, but still eminently suggestive of lhe beautiful and the
useful, will invite the perusal of your more experienced and
ripened judgment. For the studies we prosecute here, in the
classics alone, open up before us a mngnificent vista extending
through long ages of thought, when giants were on the earth,
and years were devoted to the latest finish of their immortal
works; when the "labor lirnce et mora" of the poet, were practised, and men chose "materiam viribus .cequam." And I
would i111plore you, young genflemen, by the rich promise you
have this day given of your future career, to cultivate the iron
nerve and manly will, which will enable you to prove, that
you are worthy of the education you have received , and wide
awake to its deathless grandeur and glory, by weaving it into
your future, moral and intellectual being among men .
'I'he Greek an<l Latin languages are ours. Y ears of hard
study have ripened our knowledge of them, until they nre so
far .mastered by us, ae to make any further acquisition in th em,
a thing of comparative ease, provided we go on to acquire this
increasing familiai ity from the present moment. Begin now,
while tbe dew is upon your path, and the path ·will be rn10other
and lhe way pleasant. The motives to exertion are many and
powerful. Lift up your eyes and look upon the field that lies
spread out before you, in all the freshness and splendor of the
morning landscape. We confess, the sight of it brings pain
to us. vVe nre conscious, that through just such neglect as
we would, with g reat diffidence, caution you against, much of
it is to us as sterile as the sands of Arabia, though ind eed, in
and of itself, it is a very Goshen of delights. And it is in the
deep and burning shame of this consciousness of n eglect, and
the overwhelming sense of the loss sustained, that we would
now counsel you. The works of antiquity are the works we
would have you study, not once, but again and again-works
which h ave lived in the wreck of all other human things,
which were the fruit of the most painful toil aud wrought with
the indefatigable zeal and assiduous care of architects, who felt
that they were working for posterity; and who, in the greatness
of their souls resolved, that their work should n ever perish, but
endure as intellectual pyramids, in which their memories should
be embalmed, and on which their names shoutd be inscribed
in living letters, that no succeeding wave of time could possibly
wash out-works which it took a lifetime to complete, and
tasked the mightiest efforts of genius, enriched by centuries of
learning, to put into appropriate shape and form. There is
Homer, who first conceived, and then gave to the world, the
brilliant execution of the Epic Poem; the prince of poets,
who, though centuries removed from us, is still at th e very
apex of the column of fame by universal consent , followed by
the stupendous geniuses who have emulated his glory, and more
nearly approached by Milton , of the English tongue, than any
10
,
,.
.
I
11
�12
AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED BEFORE
· T,H ~
otherof his rivals; and by him approached, because h«;: had
learn~d to drink of the Mreonidean fount . In the striking characters "introduced, each, like the picturings o.f Ra,phrel on the
glowing canvass, standing out in the bold contours ,of distinct
personality; in the almost infinite richness and variety of the
illustrations borrowed from nature, and like nature herself
beautiful or grand as the ,occasion required; in the rushing and
impetuous eloquence of ~he narrative, his poems will ever prove
a study w,orthy of the fu,ll powers of the fully <levdope,d man .
And then there is Herodotus the historian, whose imagination
is constant.ly pouring fo;~;h digressions in the g,:aceful flow of
1
his narrati~'e, of such singular beauty, that they are welcomed
(to use the. ,l anguage of ~ distinguis,hed scholar of Oxford) as
half-way ho~ses, where the wearied attention may be relieved,
a~d the fan.cy regaled. And then t.here is Thucydides, the
co~nterpart of Herodotus, the philosophic histpri<~m, of such
ra;·e impartiality, patience ~f' research and superiority over prejudice, that he could be trusted to ~rite of the things he saw;
whose work .proves him to be, notwithstanding the occasional
obscurity ~f his style, the theme of Cicero's ~i·iticism, not less
an orator, th~n an intellige~t narrator of facts, ~nd whose deep,
philosophic, dis,criminating .l'.ast of mind, is reflected in almost
every page of his imperishabl,e work. These all join to invite
our future study, and promise to repay it with the richest reward
that mi~d ~~n irnpm;t to mind. , I will not pause to . speak of
Demosthenes and Cicero, Virgil and Horace, Livy and Sallust,
Plato, and Socrates, who lives but in Plato, and the reminiscences of Xenophon. They are all before us. They all
claim to be our companions through life, to go forth with us
when we leave these halls, and .enrich us with the stores of their
accumulated learning. One hour of daily critical converse
with some one or other of them, we undertake to say, will
make us not less easy than delighted in their company.
It may be said, that we can have access to those noble productions of the scholars, who have rreceded us, and that
through their translations, we may, without toil and long fa_
tiguing labor, extract from them all the gold they contain.
The argument is preeminently weak in all its parts. "'l'rue it
is," (to use the language of one of the brightest lights of this
Western continent,) "these may be all now read in our ver-
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS OF ST. JOI-INS.
13
nacular tongue. But only as one rememl:iers the face of a
dead friend, by gathering up the ;broken fragments of his image-as one listens lo the tale of .a dream twice told-as one
catches the roar of the ocean in t:h.e ripple of .the rivulet-- as
one sees the blaze of noon in the first glimmer of twilight."
There is a fulness, freshneEs, idiomatic force and expressiveness in the original, which you well know n,o translator can
catch, no matter how deeply imbued he ,may be with the master spirit of the original. We are free to admit, that translations
are of singular advantage to .o.ur more advanc,ed study of the
ancients. ·They are accomplished criticisms; roost valuable
helps to in(ei:pretalion, and where not slavishly followed or received with ,blind credulity, they may, . ith .profit, be studied
w
and examined wi~h the originals, by those who hp.ve, for themselves, alre;ady mastered the philology and philosophy of the
languages. We ,are free to ad,mit that they a1;e .of inestimable
value to those, who, unfortunately, are ignorant .of the originals.
But oh! :who that is just beginning life, at the close of the
collegia\e ,career, with the balmy atrnosph,er.e and clustering
fruit of the academic groves all around him; i,n the midst of
the daz_,zling visions of the future, and the kind~ing enthusiasm
of the scliolaF-spirit within hi~n, would listen to such weak
counselling of ease and self indulgence; or s.uffer himself to be
misled and duped by an argurn,e nt so full of sophistry? Who,
in the freshness of life's early dawn, when hope is beating high,
and the first bu,ds of ancient lit.erature, a ros,e from P.arnassus,
or a myrtle from Mount Cy Ilene, are just bursting on , is sight,
h
could rest .contente,d with the rnere report of another, while it
was his own high privilege to go into those luxuriant gardens,
and pluck the flow.ers and the frujt that were ri10.st congenial
to the taste, and tempting to t. e sight? Moreover, the use of
h
translations alone would neµtruli~,e the whole benefit of the
intellectual training, which t)1,e study of the originals cannot
fail to bestow.
,
This critical study of the classics, ,continued from day to day,
all through life, is a thing of toil. It is work, work, every inch
of it; a mighty work, the constant struggle of mind with mind.
It is not, what some might be pleased to term it, "studium
otii." Not at all. It is work. But it is work which wilI
soon accommodate itself to the sinew and muscle, that are·
''
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AN ADDRESS , DELIVERED BEF'ORE THE
trained to constant exercise. It is work which will each day
become easier, until at last the very idea of labor will be swallowed up in that of rich enjoyment.
The notion that literature in its widest signification is of no
avail' or ralher, prejudicial to proficiency ia professional life, is
preposterous; and yet it is not without its advocates. Let the
profession be named, which can dispense, without l-0ss, with
sound ancient literature, and we yield the point without debate.
Passing by the profession of medicine and theology, let us take
for illustration the profession of the law. We honor it, because
it is noble . nd elevating. The recollection of its mighty masa
ter s.pirits is among the most vivid of our life's young being.
Its end is the triumph of juslice; its means, enlightened reason,
enriched with learning and radiant with eloquence; and its circumference of usefulness, wide as the bomidaries of civilization.
It makes every thing in the circle of nature, and of science, tributary to itself. It lays its hand upon every region in the
territory of thought, and appropriates its treasures to the defence
of innocence, and the maintenance of ·right. We speak of the
law as it should be; and we ask, what more befitting companions for the young men, who are preparing for the forum and
the courts of judicature, and aspiring to become the expounders
of the constitution and the laws, than Demosthenes and Cicero,
Herodotus and Thucydides, Plato and Aristotle? Does brilliancy diminish the solidity of the diamond? does the sparkle
on the ocean 'vave take from the depth of ocean? 1'he deepest
and profoundest study of the driest principles of the common
law may be carried on, aye, has been carried on, in the midst
of the critical study of the classics of Greece and Rome, not
only without detriment to proficiency, but with signal advantage to the depth and practical power of the advocate. Judge
Story, "dulce nmnen observatur ad aures," one of the most
accomplished jurists that ever presided over an American tribunal-the contemporary and equal of Marshall and Kent,
that proud triumvirate of American jurisprude.n ce-a name
never to be mentioned by the scholar without reverence-a
model of intellectual culture, that any young man might be
proud to imitate-whose learning was drawn from the most
erudite sources, and adorned with an eloquence that few may
hope to equal-Judge Story, speaking of the late distinguished
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS OF' ST. JOHNS.
,,
15
attorney general Legare of South Carolina, says: "That it is a
most singular circumstance, that eminence in general literature
should, in the public mind, detract trom a man's repiltatioll as
a lawyer. It is an unworthy prejudice, for certainly the science of juri3prudence may borrow, as well as receire ornament,
from the cultivation of all the other branches of human learning." And if there were wanting a practical illustration of
this most admirable criticism, 1here could not be desired ' 6h·e
more brilliant and conCl'usive than the patriot orator and elo"
quent jurist. For the depth of theil'legal knowledge was only
equalled by the richness and variety of their literary attainments;
I know that difficulties· throng the pathway I would recotnmend. Much easier is it to counsel than to execute. It is a
herculean task to blend a life of business with a life of study.
But surely he, who speaks in the presence of those who have
just won the high honors of their Alma Mater, and are panting
for still higher distinction, ;would be alike wantin<T to himself
b
and them, if he were to counsel self-indulgence or a criminal
sloth: Business, study, enterprise, the laudable ambi'tiou to
make the utmost of the powers we have, are the atmosphere of
this quiet retreat. Would yon have us, now. that the arena is
widening around you, and we have come back after long years
of separation, to lay our humble tribute of gratitude owthis
venerable shrine, and offer our congratulations to you ,' our
y;ounger brethren-I repeat, would you have us acknowledge
or recognize the existence of any other principle, than ·that of a
wholesome, continuous exertion? Wete we so unmindful· of
our dnty to ourselves and you, we should be put to the blush
by every sight and sound that meets the eye and ear. This is
an age· 0f eminent activity, onward is its truest definition: The
laggard 'is· without a type in the buzz of panting enterprise and
bolt! adventure-and he who would act his part, or fulfil his
mission, must be up and doing. Earnestness must be the very
element of the life he leads.
Beauties of nature cluster all · around u~. The mild, yet
majestic Severn, almost unrivalled in the clearness and liquid
beauty of its fl.ow, and the broad, bold Chesapeake, combine to
lend their enchantment to the scene that daily meet& your admiring view. There is something in a spot like this, of quiet
I
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AN Aii>DRESS, DELIVERED BEFORE THE
gra'n'deur and retired beautj, to indicate it an academic retreat.
Asfociations of power are all around us! Mighty men have
stootl, where we now stahi:I'! Still mightier deeds have been
enacted within sight of this venerable Institution. Strains of
eloquence, which might well rival the eloql.tence of Greece
and Rome, because fed · from their own exhaustless fountains,
and·kept by diligent culture in a copious and healthful flow, and
which have moved and swayed, as by irresistible impulse, the
hearts and minds of multitudes, found here the arena for their
first wondrous development. Great names overshadow us!
1'he spirits of the ]'fast seem to hover over this beautiful hall,
so long consecrated' to learning, and still radiant With its brightest beams ! They stJeak to us from the drooping bi.1t giant limbs
of yon majestic poplar, whic~ stands now, where" it stood a
century ago, in all' its pride; beneath whose fosteHng shade,
their souls were attuned to deeds and thoughts "of greatness.
1'he voice of one a:nd all combine to lend their sole"inn eloquence to this occasion, and point, with pec'uliar emphasis, to
that much neglected path we w'ould have you tread:
There is power in"the place, and power'in· the meh· to mbve
our every soul to action! If Cicero could· counsel Marcus, his
son, in those thrilling words, "Te abundare oportetpraxeptis
ALUMNI AND STUDENTS OF ST. JOHNS.
~
'
_, I
institutisque philosopliice propter summam' doctoris auctoritatem et urbis; quorum alter te scientia'augere potest, altera
exemplis," may we' not, in view of our Alma· Mater and· this
venerable city, once known by the name of the Modern Athens,
assert., that it behooves us to abound in all that can add dignity
to the intellect and· purity to the character, propter sumrnam
doctoris auctoritatem et urbis; quorum alter nos augere potest
altera exemplis. The shades of the illustrious dead are here
to enforce my feeble advocacy of this cause! Key, the poet
and the orator, who with that singular fortune which few others
posse~sed, save the Father of his country, actually inscribed his
name upon the floating stars·and stripes, so that it now floats triumphantly in every sea that is freighted with our commerce!Key, whose genius was not more conspicuous on Parnassus than
in the forum of debate !-the man, whose commanding talents
were all consecrated to virtue and to virtue's deeds, was accustomed· to spend, in the study of the classics, moments which
are 01'<.iinarily squandered by the young in vapid pleasures and
I\
17
senseless reveries. The fire of Homer and the grandeur of
Demosthenes were familiarized to his mind. He loved to linger, in the pride of his manly beauty, as when his sun went
down while it was yet day, on .classic ground . And never
shall I forget the music tones of his voice, as, a short time before
his death, lie repeated one of the Latin Psalms of Buchanan,
and in a strain of rich criticism, dwelling upon its beauties,
pronounced it, in the softness of its fl.ow and the purity of its
diction, to be not unworthy the latinily of the Ciceronian age.
MuJray, Key's bosom companion, not less lovely in his life
and death, who might have transmitted his own chivalrous
and heroic spirit to our gallant Navy, and identified himself
with its rising glory-that Navy which has given to this beautiful city another institution of learning, which , under its preser).t admirable disciplii1e and distinguished corps of Professors,
is sending forth officers worthy of our national character; who
will be.a r the olive branch of peace for their country's glory,
and if need require, wake again those mighty thunders which
have made the names of P erry and Hull, D ecatur and Bainbridge, the terror of the seas. I repeat, Murray, who might
have identified himself with the rising glory of the Navy, had
he not chosen rather the life of the private christian gentleman,
was a ripe scholar, perfectly at home on Roman and Grecian
ground. Shaw too was a scholar; but alas ! he died too young
to give more than the opening bud of that scholarship to the
country; and that bud yet lives in freshness and in beauty here
in the garden of his youthful training.
Time would fail me to name all the sons (some of whom
were lumina eloquentice) of whom Maryland m ay be justly
proud, whose eloquence, thoug h now a by-gone tradition, has
left an echo behind, that still makes vocal your halls of legislation and courts of judicature-who have won a world-wide
fame, and the most illustrious of whom were earnest students
in the path we have pointed out- your exemplars and mine,
brethren of the Alumni, in all that can give dignity to human
attainments, and might and majesty to human eloquence .
These were not mere dependents on genius, however brilliant.
They were hard-working, laborious, earnest-minded men, who
well knew that those who would be principes inter pares, a,nd
3
I
f
�18
AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED BEFORE THE
leave their impress upon the age, must do it by u steady application of mind to the pursuits of learning.
It is said that Boston is eloquent in incident anu association;
and he must be dead to the beauty and power of all that is rich
in incident and thrilling in circumstance, who does not concede
the justice of the high euloguim. But Euston is not a whit
more eloquent in those mighty springs of human action, than
Annapolis. If the tea exploit of the one wakes the patriot bosom of her youth to high enthusiasm; the other boasts of u like
illustrious exploit. If Washington blew the first bugle blast of
freedom 011 Boston heights, and unsheathed beneath the old
American Elm the sword that was to win his country's freedom-it was in Annapolis he returned it to 'its scabbard without
one dishonoring stain upon it, when that country's freedom
was achievecl. Oh then, do you not see, that he who would
address you on an occasion like the present, rn ust sink his own
personal insignificance in the glory and grandeur that every
where surround him! "The past is secure."-It can never
perish.-It is written on the page of history.
When that page is closed and men cease to read it ·with delight, then, indeed, will national exaltation be a dream and
freedom live but in name.
Young gentlemen, when you step from this platform and
turn to receive the warm greetings of your friends, who have
witnessed with not less pride than pleasure the triumphs of
your toil and skill-you will have passed the gulf that separates
boyhood from manhood. Henceforth you will have to be the
architects of your own future renown. Obstacles, which it is
no part of wisdom to diminish or conceal, will confront you
from the start. You must grapple with them like men. The
, pathway of eminence is literally strewed with difficulties, and
as you traverse it you will find it illuminated with a halo of
glory-and while your in experienced zeal may well quake
and tremble at their magnitude and seeming invincibility, there
will come up from the abysses of the past many voices to stimulate and encourage you, by recalling· to mind those mighty
triumphs, the achievement of which the pen of history has
already immortalized. · Those difficulties have all been vanquished, and you may henceforth regard them only as so many
trophies of a battle fought and won . Temptations to in<lolence
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Commencement Programs and Addresses
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Annapolis, MD
Contributor
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St. John's College Greenfield Library
Description
An account of the resource
Addresses given at commencement and programs of events related to, and including, the annual commencement ceremonies at St. John's College. Includes both the undergraduate and Graduate Institute commencements. <br /><br />The College Archives holds programs and/or addresses for the following years:<br />
<ul>
<li>1796</li>
<li>1835-1836</li>
<li>1842</li>
<li>1852</li>
<li>1856-1857</li>
<li>1870</li>
<li>1878</li>
<li>1880</li>
<li>1890</li>
<li>1893</li>
<li>1895</li>
<li>1897</li>
<li>1907</li>
<li>1910-1918</li>
<li>1920-1924</li>
<li>1928-1929</li>
<li>1932</li>
<li>1936-1937</li>
<li>1939-1945</li>
<li>1947-present </li>
</ul>
Click on <strong><a title="Commencement Programs and Addresses" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CDate&sort_dir=d">Items in the Commencement Programs and Addresses Collection</a></strong> to view and sort all items in the collection.
Identifier
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commencementprograms
Text
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Original Format
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paper
Page numeration
Number of pages in the original item.
18 pages (Incomplete)
Dublin Core
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Title
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Commencement Address, 1852 (Incomplete)
Description
An account of the resource
An address delivered before the alumni and students of St. Johns. On the 23rd February, 1852. By the Rev. William Pinkney. (Incomplete)
Creator
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Pinkney, William, 1810-1883
Publisher
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Robert F. Bonsall, Printer
Coverage
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Annapolis, MD
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1852-02-23
Rights
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St. John's College owns the rights to this publication.
Type
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text
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pdf
Language
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English
Identifier
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Commencement Address by Rev. William Pinkney (Incomplete) 1852-02-23
Relation
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<a title="Commencement Program" href="http://digitalarchives.sjc.edu/items/show/3622">Commencement Program</a>
Commencement
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