hOS\ VJ447 V ^= 5 f An' Addr e s s To The Gr a dv. a t i ng ^ thev/ P , '^7 -, ^'^-.M- r a-^ -^ ADDRESS jViSYI^ftEW f^. Ds^S-Dy, L.I,. !)., U, S. DISTRICT .TUDGK, OREGON. mu niucr^ito. AN ADDRESS Wallamet University MATTHEW P. DEADY, L.L. D., TJ, S. DISTRICT .lUBGK, OREGON. J-uune 1, 18^6- PORTLAND, OREGON: GEO. 11. III.MES' STEAM PRINTIXG EST ABLISllM KXT, •1 Wiisliington Streot. 1S76. -^ LO'514 7 19. -7 (b ADDRESS. ^lewbers of the Graduating Class of the Wallauu't l')iivcrsitx : We arc 'iict here t<>-(lav to confer upon voii the laurel crown awarded to those who have successfully run the race set for them by their Alma Mater. Laying aside the habits and habiliments of pupilage, in the presence of these sympathizing relatives and friends, this day, you mav be said to assume the toga virilis^ and ^ with it the duties and responsibilities of manhood and womanhood. T- We greet and congratulate von upon reaching this goal of vour >^ ycjuthful ambition. We heartilv welcome you from the narrow ^ and secluded \ ale of adolescence, t(^ the wide and varied region of 2j adult life. As fellows and co-laborers in the battle and work of ac this world, we give you the right hand of fellowship, and cordiallv SS bid you God-spted in your endeavors to i"ealize the bright dreams *^ and high hopes which have attended and sustained \o\\ through the years of stuch' and preparation for this important and jovous occasion. Having equipped yourself for the joinnev of life, vou will soon bid farewell to these familiar halls and groves, and join the ranks of the great caravan of humanitv that is ever toiling across the deserts, over the mountains and through the \allevs of this pro- bationary world, on its way from time to eternity. ^Vs vou pass along you will encounter the memorials of the diverse generations which have preceded vou, and mav learn from them how to sliun the dangers which beset your paths, and to make \(>ur ]i\es worth\ of commemoration and example. Amid the din and tunnilt of the busy, eager crowd, some of vou may soon disapjjeai' from •^iglit, and never be known to fame. Others will doubtless gain the \ an and go through the world in the front rank of the column. \\\\\ in 291142 4 U'dlhiiiiil C/iirrrsifi/. i-itluT l•;l'^^, llir jciiiiiK\ is Imt for ;i (l;i\ ; and it is well U> i"ciiKiMl>tr thai it is not so iinpoi'taiit what vmr ])C)siti()n is (iiirinj; it — as, after it. Vit aihicvc success is one tiiilljj, hut to cleserv «• it is another anrl a hetter. Hnl I WDiild not ha\e \<)'i, who are just c-iiterin;^ upon the arena of action, fear the result of" \n\w existence, or anticipate the failure of \ our hi'^h endeavors. Nor w ill I attempt to sow douhts, on this auspicious occasion, in the minds of those to whom the future — all rohed in sunshine — is a^low witli the hope and promise cf)ntainc(l in the heautitul and proud \;nnit — " In tlic Icxiccm of vfMitli wliicli fate rosorvfs For a l)ris?lil nianliond, tlnTi- is no siicli word As— FAII-." Age and experience ma\' ponder and cjuestion, but to vou, who are yet in the May-morn of life, and have not experienced the vi- cissituiles of fortune, all things seem possible. Courage and hope are the guiding stars of youth. Led and inspired by them it dares and expects all things. How sublimely but truly the author of Evangeline apostrophizes it, as looking down "from the snowv sum- mit of his years," he hails and salutes the class of his Alma Mater on the semi-centennial of his own graduation: " How l)e!iutifnl is yoiitli! how brisrlit if sricams Willi its illusions, as|iiratioiis, (livains I Hook of Bosinninjrs, Story without ond, Eafh maid a heroine and each man a friend ! Alladin's lamp and Fortunatns* pui-se, That holds the treasures of tlie universe! All possibilities are in its hands, No danger daunts it and no foe withstands; In its sublime audaeity of faith, ' Be thou removed I' it to the mountain saith, And with ambitious fcet.seeure antl jiroud, Ascends the ladder leaning on the eloud !" But age and experience will eclipse the bright sun and abate the c colt, which has just been trotted up on the stage. To they really think that these little tliin legs can do anything in such a slashing sweepstakes, as is coming ott" in these next forty years ?" Then a\ailing himself of "the terriltle gift of second sight," ^) ll'ii/hi/iirf I '/iircrsi/j/. which hi-«-;i\s iniiu-s to some- of flidsr \\hi) "look thioii;;li the silvnc'd riii;^s ol the arms senilis!!^ tlic Autocrat j^rapliically First luni Intlii' raci". A ffw lirolti-n ilown; two ortlirof lK»lt- <'e despised, my boy !" Tt is on the back stretch that Dives makes the best time. Like .'if/dress of Matt/ieir P. Deadi/. 7 Judex, he Is late coming to the front, but is likely to stay there un- til the last, unless he swerves aside into the gambler's path — in some places called the Boui\se, California street or Wall street. During the first ten 3^ears he labored hard and gathered slowly, but getting over that critical period successfullv, he has since gained steadily. As the race lengthens his metfl'/— " A dust dug from the bowels of the earth "-^increases rapidlv and tells heavily in his favor. Asiei-- oid is a prepossessing name. So far he has cantered along without endeavoring to lead. But now as he enters the second half of his centuiy, his blood and training begin to tell, and "the quiet brown colt with the star in his forehead" is seen in the front rank. He is supposed to represent the "gentleman and the scholar,'" who has kept "himself unspotted from the world," while setting it an ex- ample of integrity and refinement, and aiding bv word and deed in its moral and intellectual improvement. I hope he is a favorite with you, and that you will emulate his example; and that the Asteroid of Wallamet Universitv will keep well to the front in the sweepstakes of this generation. The "black colt" appears to have reached the goal of his am- bition — a good parish and a fitting helpmeet — and is going along at an easy gait, caring only to do his duty and save his distance. Indeed the struggle is now well over. Unlike the Derby, the pace slackens as the end approaches. Here are the notes upon the next and last two turns in the course: '^ Forty years. More dropping off— but places much as before. Fifty years. Race over. All that are on the course aie corains; in at a walk; no more running. Who is ahead? Ahead? What! and the winning post a slab of white or grey stone standing out from that luif Ml tie tl'.eie is no more .jockeying or straining for victory !" And so the long strife for the goal ends at the grave. And the winners! what of them? Alas! we cannot even tell who they are. Some of those who appear to be such, have carried light weight, — others have ridden foul or across the field. Doomsday alone will distinguish the true from the false — the real winners from the losers. In the meantime, and whatever else the world may say or do, we may rest under the comfortable assurance that no one has lost or run in vain, who has done his dutv as best he knew or could, ii that state of life to which it has pleased God to call him. Education is a thing much talked of at this dav. Its importance •^ U'dlldiiHt ['//irrr.siti/. ,111(1 iilililv ;irc LCt-'ncriill\- inlmitu-il; hut the thin;; itself is variously umk-rstooil, and not a little misapprehended. There is an education w hieh assists one to ^et alonj; in this world. It is sometimes called a practical education. By it, a youth is tauj^ht the rudiments — to read, write and cipher — to the same end and in the same spirit that the acrohat learns to halance upon the tight rope, or the athlete to walk under a crushing weight — so that he may with the more ease and certainty obtain food and raiment, if not great wealth. This education is not to he despised or depreciated. On the contrary, it is very useful and convenient; and is even more than a great part of the world ha\e vet attained to, or perhaps ever will. Rut there is a broader, higher education, whose aim and end is the cultivation of the learner, — not so much for the sake of enabling him to get wealtii, as to tit him tor the best use of it, and if need be, to live usefully and happily without it. This education — or the foundation of it — you are presumed to have received, and therefore the responsibility is devolved upon you of doing something more tlian tilling your barns with plenty. Since the great and sudden increase of money consequent upon the discovery of gold in California and Australia, and the increase of currency during the war, colossal fortunes have been suddenly amassed in all the considerable centres of trade and business, by persons without the previous experience, training or culture needed to fit them for the right appreciation anil proper discharge of the duties and responsibilities of such a trust. Naturally enough, these persons seek to command recognition and attract attention in society, by a free use and lavish display of their new-found wealth and all tliat it can procure. The consequence has been, that palatial residences, extravagant equipages, costly dinners, elaborate dresses and gorgeous receptions have become in a great measure the chief distinction and end of social life. lietore this gilded juggernaut, seduced by its outward show and splendor, and the prospect of partaking of its profits, often bows down the scholar, the poet, the artist, the statesman, the lawyer and the divine, — while the nameless crowd tread hard upon each other's heels, in their eager haste to catch and batten upon its corrujjti ng favi>r and ]-)atronage. Some of the truits of thi- su Men ac(|uisition lAddress by Matthew P. Deadij. 9 of wealth in the United States, by people who have neither inherited civilization, nor had time to acquire it, are graphically described by a recent writer on " The pursuit of the Dollar." He says : " The waste in vulgar ostentation is great. Crude ornamentation, of the character of a New Yorli omnibus, or a palace sleeping car, is seen in every direction, where money has been accumulated. Show precedes comfort apd utility. Houses are full of paint and glass. Men are not unfrequently seen with a magnificent solitaire diamond on a soiled shirt bosom; and women, with the same precious stones on fingers whose nails are in mourning. ■•'■■ ■■■ '■■■ ■■■ '■■■ This man has, perhaps, the revenues of the lord of the manor, which are spent for a meager return. The Italian who turns the organ for a few cents before the windows of his pretentious house, could probably spend them more profitably, to the soul, as well as the body." Vulgar extravagance, fast living and garish display, being ac- cepted as evidence of distinction and high social position, the giddy, vain and aspiring poor, soon endeavor to vie with the diamond-decked nabobs and millionaires in evervthing, and then come peculation, theft, briberv, and all the gross and dishonest practices and devices which of late years have so corrupted and debased the pri\ ate and public life of the United States. But you who have given the morning of your life to self-im- provement — to getting wisdom and understanding — ought always to insist upon a higher and truer standard of excellence and dis- tinction, than the acquisition and possession of Ophir, Five-twenties, Double-eagles, or any other form of the so-called Almightv Dollar, Instead of these, make thatAvealth which is more difficult to obtain and more endin-ing and worthy of desire and pursuit than any other — the wealth of character and culture, duly seasoned with sound morals and good principles — the tirst passport to your admiration and res»,ect. Whatever vour calling or income may be — however humble or exalted your lot in life — you owe it to vourseh es and your education, never to forget the innate superiority of learning over lucre; and that virtue and intelligence are the only sure foun- dations of true greatness, happiness or prosperity. But I would not be understood as deprecating industrial pursuits or the desire or endeavor to acquire wealth by honest means for laudable purposes. The men who, by self-denial, industry and up- rightness, have accumulated wealth, are in no small sense public beii- etactors and profitable examples. They are the useful and needed reservoirs, into which are gathered the floating and surplus re- sources of the country, and without which it would suiTer materially. lo ]l',! I III III it I'/iirrrsifi/. (lurinj^ the seasons of scarcity incident to all trade and industrial pur- suits. ICven the man who hoards for the lo\ e f)f jjaih merely, is, so far, a I)etter, or at most, a liss harmful memher of society, than the tliouj^htless, careless sjjendthrift and prodi<;al, wIkj layishes on the present, regardless of the future, \yhateyer comes to his hand; and when oyertaken l>y old a<^e, sickness (jr death, becomes an unjust liurdeii upon the community, he has neyer henefited. I sometimes tear that the indiscriminate and inconsiderate philanthropy of this aj^e, is sappiiiL^ the Inundations of iudustrx and thrift, by confound- ing^ the industrious and economical with the indolent and wasteful. Time was, when the jjauper was buried, not by the side of the man who paid his funeral expenses, but apart — in a Potter's Field. Hut now-a-days, all such tributes and stimulants to well df)in<^ are disre- ijardcd as uncharitable — and the man who dies in poyerty, he- cause he was too lazy to labor or too wasteful to saye, is buried at the public expense beside of his nei<^hbor, who by constant exercise of industry and economy, honestly paid his way throu<;h life — eyen to tlie iLjraye. The old fashioned notion — that a man who diil not proyide for himself while living and for his burial when dead, is derelict in his duty to society, was right in the main, and on the whole productive of good results. It distinguished and discrimina- ted between idleness and vice on the one hand and industry and virtue on the other, by honoring the latter and discrediting the former. Still, it is true, that the pursuit of material gain — whether in making provision for the animal wants of man or gratifying his lust for dominion — is not the highest or ultimate purpose of his ejt- istencc. The aim of the scholar should he far above that of the low utilitarian philosophy of Franklin, which has borne its legitimate fruit in the worship of the Creature instead of the Creator, and the substitution of the sensual test — W'i// it pay ? for the spiritual (jne — Js it right? He should rememVier that it is better to know the meaning of the stars than to count them; that it is of more import- ance to be able to answc" the old and ever recurring qnec«^ion — ^/t id est Veritas? — than to nave invented a sauce or jumping jack, or discovered a mine, or the source of the Nile. True greatness is more or less moral, and is only reached by living under the con- stant influence of a lofty ideal, even though it never be realized. :>iddress by Mattheic P. Deady. n In the battle of life always choose duty for your watchword and motto, rather than the victory. A life whether humble or exalted, steadily impelled and guided by the dictates of duty — "Stprn daughter of the voice of God," is ever worthy of the highest honor and admiratif)n. The thought- less multitude may applaud the victory, unmindful of how it comes or is attained. Too often it is that — "All the proud virtue of this vaunting world, Fawns on success, however acquired." Knowing nothing beyond appearances, it is naturally governed by palpable results, without reference to their causes or merits. But remeinber, that its judgments change with the seasons, and its honors are liable to wither and decav at the first breath of misfor- tune or reverse. Popidar applause is not often deep seated, and is usuallv won and lost without adequate merit or faidt. In all ages the Polloi have alternately deified and damned their favorites and flatterers, accord- ing to the fancy or caprice of the moment. The famous general and statesman, Alcibiades, was twice banished by his sometime ardent admirers — the fickle /Vthenians. Marius, the plebeian hero and favorite af the Roman people, was driven bv them into exile, to wander a fugiti\e among the ruins of Carthage, where he had latelv led the victorious armies of the Republic. And to come down to our owiv countrv and times; I have seen a distinguished, popular faxorite, whose word, l)nt a dav liefore, like that "Of Cfcsar, might Have stooil against the world" — in Oregon, publicly hung in effigy and denounced as a traitor, be- cause, forsooth, he differed with the popular impression of the mo- ment — though agreeing with the oiice popular idol, feff'erson — upon the right of an American State peaceably to secede from the Union. But to-day, some of the most conspicuous actors in these scenes are among his professed admirers, and are fain to seek his good will as a stepping-stone to public favor. But this is no argument in favor of indiflerence to or disregard of public opinion, or excuse for indolence or ignorance in the dis- charge of the duties or labors devolving upon us. So long as it does not involve the surrender of principle or the neglect of duty, the good will of mankind is a matter to Ik- regarded with 1^ U'dlhiiili'l f '/lirrrslfi/. iiiikli lax 1)1. Tlir Mian nr woman who is iiidillcrciit t(» the oj)iiiioil ol'thr c'oiiinuinil \ , and rcall\ feels thai it is a thiiijj of no inonicnt ill wliat esteem he or slie is held \i\ others, is lackinj; in one of the most cdectual aids aiul stiimihints to enterprise and <;oo(l conduct. The ri<^ht sentiment on the subject was jjrandly expressed by Lord Mansfield, under the most meinorable circumstances — when ])ronoiincinfi^ the jud<^ment in Westminster Hall, in the famous ^\'iIkes outlawry case, while the purlieus of the court and the neighboring streets were filled with an excited and ignorant mob of Wilkites, "ready to celebrate the triumph or avenge the defeat" of this jjrofiigate demagogue, whom thev had already chosen to the House of Commons in spite of his disability After deliberately stating that neither the dictation of the press nor its daily calum- nies could influence the action of the court, he said: "I honor the King and respect the j^eople; but main things ac- (juired by the fayor of cither, are, in my account, objects not worth ambition. I wish popularity; lu/t it is that popularity which Jol' /oz(.'s\ )iot that zvhich is run after ; it is that popularity zc'hich, sooner or later, ?iever fails to do Justice to the pursuit of noble ends by noble means' Neither arc we sent here to float idh with the current and at last drift helplessly on a7iy shore, as the accidents of wind and tide may chance to determine. To become useful, wealthy, learned, distinguished or great, for good ends and by just means, are laud- able objects of ambition and worthy of your constant and utmost endeayors. Upon any theory of man's nature and destiny which distinguishes him from "the beasts that perish," this world is a probationary state, in which the better we do and deserve, the better it will be with us in both time and eternity. " Life is real .' I^ife is earnest ! And tlie grave is not its goal; ' Dust thou art, to dust returneth,' Was not spoicen of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow Find us fartlior than to-day." Follow, then, where duty leails, and if success comes close upon endeavor, well and good. Hut if not, be not despondent, or con- sider yourself absolved from the universal obligation "to labor and ."id dress hi/ Ma ft heir P. Dead if. 13 to wait" on God's good pleasure for your reward. Let us reason and resolve with Cato' — " 'Tis not in mortals to command success, But we'll do more, Sempronius: we'll deserve it." Meet disappointment and misfortune with the heroic hope and resignation expressed by Milton, when "•bereft* of light "-^" holy light! offspring of Heaven's first-born"- — he exclaimed: " Yet I argue not Against heaven's hand or will; nor bate a jot Of heart or hope; but still bear up alid steer Right onward." Sooner or later an occasion \vill come to each of Vou when nou will be called upon to choose between some present gain and the dictate of duty. This will be the supreme moment of your exist- ence, and the issue of it may color and control all your remaining life. Cast the temptation behind you, and, if heed be, flee from it. If the path of dut}' leads you away from the alluring field of the world's pleasures and rewards, and up the rocky, steep defile of poverty and obscurity, still follow it, even without murmuring or looking back. Stand by your deliberate convictions of right, and, if need be, stand alone. The world will come round to you in due time; and if not, you have your reward: " One self'approving hour whole years outweighs, Of stupid starers and of loud huzzas; And more true joy Marcellus exiled feels Than Csesar with a Senate at his heels." Nor is true success confined to those who appear to succeed, ac- cording to the judgment and opinion of the world. Material suc- cess — wealth, honor and friends — is not to be despised or neglected. But think not that even in this world, happiness — the very flower and fruit of true success — is confined to those Vvhom the world openly honors and rewanls. There are those who deliberately dwell above and beyond the ordinary aims and influence of the world — persons w'hose mind is a kingtlom to them. Often they are pitied, neglected or scorned by their generation. But the happiness vouchsafed to them in the sincere and unselfish contem- plation and pursuit of the ideal and infinite, may, and doubtless often does, far exceed that which awaits upon those who delve in the earth only, and in retiu'ii are filletl with w hat are known as the good things of this world. 14 Will Id III it I 'iiirrrsifj/. IIiMi ()n.'^n)irs I'oc-t siii'L,' of tlusc' souls, not iiiKlcrstood l)y you ;iti(l me, and lluii s.iy with liiii), lh;it iiia\ hup — •''I'lK-y foiK-li on faln-r s|ii>rfN tliiin IIiIh," ulicicoii \vc ciJinmon mortals walk and f^athtT <^ain tVoin the- ocean- tossed wrecks of others'' hopes and li\es, " All ! then- l>r SI Ml Is none iiiKlcrstiiiiil; UniinchortHl ships, they blnw and hlow. Sail to and fro, and tlicn go down In iinkn«>wn seas (liat none shall know. Without ono ripple of renown. Call these not fools; the test of worth Is not the hold you have of earth. Lo! there be gentlest souls sea-l)lr)wn That know not any harbor known. Now It may be the reason Is They touch on fairer xhorr.i than thix." The hadije and vice of this a^e lies in its seeming' rather than being — in pretending to he what we are not. Scarcely anything is real; and it is so difficult to distinguish the true from the false, that the one passes almost as current as the other. Whatever opinion or conduct is popular or profitable, is straightway imitated or aflfect- ed by mmibers, who know little and care less about the soun(hiess or morality of either. The insane rage for equality which overflowed from the volcano of the French Revolution, seems to have jiermeated all the relations and circumstances of life, until its disturbing influence is seen and felt everywhere. Because the servant is \ er\ properU the equal of her mistress be- fore the law, it is assumed that she must also be her equal in st\le and appearance. To minister to this false pride and pretence^ capital and labor are profitably employed to provide the former with cheap and comparativeK- worthless counterfeits and imitations of the elegant garb and costly adornments of the latter. No sooner does ;i particular article or product acquire a reputa- tion for usetulness or excellence, than the rascally ingenuitx . which seems to pervade all the departments of skilled labor, tills the market with a host of cheap, sjiurious imitations and counterfeits. As was expected, these are freely purchaseil and consumed by that Address hi/ Mutthnr P. Dead//. 15 numerous class of people, who are always willing to sacrifice their true interest and comfort, for the sake of appearing to be the equals of their wealthier neighbors. Cheap factoi"ies of the learned professions— called colleges and institutes — openly vie with the regularly established and conduct- ed schools, and vend cheap and false diplomas,*to those who are willing to pass for graduates without bestowing the time and money necessary to secure the genuine article. The real art that fills '' the animated canvas " with the facts of history, the flights of fancy and the creatures of imagination — the beauties of nature and the linea- ments of "the human face divine," is mocked and confounded bv the manufacture of cheap chromos, that impudently profess to be a perfect imitation and counterfeit of the renowned original. The hope of receiving a Ribbon, a Star or a Title from the royal fountain of honor, or being awarded a niche in the British Pantheon, among the illustrious dead of the Empire, has done more to preserve and maintain the integrity, prowess and dominion of England, than all the gold of her commerce, twice told and repeated. Honors and titles, rightfully considered, constitute a never failing- public treasure, of infinitely moi'e use and value as a means of pro- curing faithful and heroic service to the State, than all its material revenues. From this mint of honor might issue as occasion required, the highest and most endiu'ing rewards that a people can bestow upon those who deserve well of their country. But the genius of sham and seeming has been nowhere more busily employed in the work of debasement and destruction than here. Pretending to despise titles and distinctions, we use and abuse them without stint or rea- son. A conceited fellow who feels called upon to denounce the title of Earl or Lord, as ininncal to Republican institutions and Democratic equality, will, at the same time, accept without scruple some military or civil distinction to which he has no claim, or avail himself of every opportunity to add to his plebeian patronymic — as an overgrown tail to a kite — half the letteis in the alphabet. The few official designations which are known to our law s, and the honorary distinctions which ante-Revolutionary usage had an- nexed to the names of persons, holding high ofiices, ha\ e been so cheapened and debased by popular use and abuse, that they have ■ictually come to be regarded as of little or no value or consideration, apart frcMii the pecuniar\' emoluments pertaining to them. 1(^1 It'll llimirf I'mnrs'iiii. "TIk' Kriirul old nurnror K<'>>ll<-iniiii, |ii>ruin>-(l liy cvj'ry chiirliiliin, And KolI'd with ull iKtlitltl)- uhc."— has lost its sij^iiitication and is applied indiscriminately to the gentle and ritNro- yide for their own households. During the past century a great portion of the learning and aliili- 3 i8 U'dl III 111(1 I'li'iiirsif ij. t\ III' tin- il;i\ li;is ln-c-ii drawn into what w x- call ])()litics. In this period, political (lucstioiis, or the sccidar side or aspect of contro- versies alFectiiif; the piihlic weal or sympatiiies, liave taken the nlace in the treneral mind of iheolo^iical ones. Dnrini' the l6th and 17th and the first half of the iSth centuries, politics were sub- ordinate to relii^ion; hut in the latter (piarter of the iSth century politic^ hcLTJin to Ik- the contidllinj^ consideration in public action, hotli in war and peace; wiiile the 19th century has witnessed the conipUtion of the chanL,^e. With the relative increase in the im- portance of politics, tfovernnienl has become an aflair of the many rather than the few. Theories of government — the rights and duties of sovereign and subject, together with countless schemes and dreams for the reconstruction of society or the melioration or inipro\ement of the condition of its members — are constantly pro- pounded and discussed by all classes and conditions of people. This general interest and acti\ity in whatever concerns the social life of man has prochiced, among other things, the modern newspaper, as a convenient vehicle for the communication and ex- change of observation and opinion upon all subjects. Journalism, from being the precarious pursuit of unknown adventurers and presumptuous sciolists, or the anonvmous b\- pla\' of the learned jM'ofessions and the literati, has itself become one of the professions, in which are found some of the most cultivated and able men of the countrv. The tcndencv and effect of all these things has been to work a change in the character and pursuits of the schohir. As a rule, he has become comparativelv practical and worldly. He is no longer regarded as belonging to a distinct order or priesthood, pursuing learning for its own sake. He has turned his back upon the Cloister and the Grove, and casting aside his cap and gown, he has gone forth into the arena of the world, where amid the clash and conflict of jarring opinions and hostile svstems he has found a remly market for his attainments, and compensation and distinction tor himself. As a consequence, he is in constant danger of being absorbed by the world and converted into a zealous partisan of some set of opinions and course of conduct which form the staple of some party, sect or school. The love anil habit of calm contemplation and unbiased pursuit of truth, are tlestroved bv the heat of dispute and the desire and necessitv for victorv. Sometimes, either as an aux- :>lddress hi/ Matthew P. Deadij. 19 iliary or retainer, he suffers himself to be harnessed to tiie car of some lawless monopoly or capitalist or doubtful operation or adven- ture, and thus soils his soul in the doing of dishonest drudgery, where he ought to be iree to approve or condemn, as right and justice may requii'e. But you should remember that the learning of the scholar may be better employed than in feathering arrows for any side of any controversy which will pay best, or at all, for them. The purest and noblest aim that can animate the scholar is to pursue and com- municate knowledge and virtue for the honor and glory of God and the good of his fellow-men. For, after all — whether a poet, preacher, orator or teacher — it is as an Instructor and Helper of others that the scholar can best discharge the duties incumbent on him and make the world better for his having lived in it. " Thoughts that breathe and words that burn,"— whether uttered from the pulpit or the platform, or in the seclusion of the school-room or study, have produced mightier consequences and wrought greater good to man than armies and navies which for the moment shook the world with the weight of their move- ments. " A dreamer dropped a random thought; 'twas old, and yet 'twas new; A simple fancy of the brain, but strong in being true. It shone upon a genial mind, and lo ! its light became A lamp of life, a beacon ray, a monitory flame. The tliought was small; its issue great; a watch fire on tlio hill; It sheds its radiance far adown, and cheers the valley still. A nameless man, amid a crowd tliat thronged the daily mart, Let fall a word of Hope and Love, unstudied from the heart; A whisper on tlie tumult thrown,— a transitory breath,— It raised a brother from thi- dust; it saved a soul from death. O word of love! O thought at random cast! Yp were but little at the first, l)ut mighty at the last.' Yet the fact remains, that by far the greater part of the graduates of Ainerican schools go at once from their studies to pursuits whose chief end is gain. There can be no doubt, that it were better if this were otherwise, and that a larger portion of them could and would, in some way, devote themselves to the improvement of the Yvorld — content to i-eceive a living from it in return, instead of en- deavoring to make a fortune out of it. But even this condition of things is not without compensation to the community. So far as persons of education and cultm-e engage in the trade and affairs of -O ll'dlhiiiiit I'liircrsit u- tin- coimliy, tin- luttfi' it is lor the l.ittir. IJiit it i> a j^rcat itlls' fortiiiK- that a laij^a-r proporlicoi of such persons do not take an acti\L' interest in the pohtical and ])usiness methods and morals of ihe tinus from an impartial standpoint — neither \\arj)ed hv the hias of party nor hhnded l)y "tiie raj^e of j^ain." A few rcsohite and independent persons of cuhure and intet^ritv in evcrv c<»inrnunitv, \\ lio were free and w ilUni^ to arraign and eX])ose, at the har <»f Pnl)he C)j)inion, the hnndm^s, knaveries, foUies and indirections of the (hiy, Would he of incalculahle henefit to the country. Then in our Centennial hymn, while proudly thankinj^ God for our freedom and opulence, we mi<^ht not feel constramed also to hoAV our heads and say — " whilo withal Wv cravr Tlie iiusterc virtuos strong to savp, The honor proof tf» place or gold — The manhood never boujrht nor sold !'' as if these were, indeed, our sore want and need. To day the country is suffering- in interest and reputation hecause of the absence or exclusion of the scholar and j^^entleman from the conduct and manag-emeiit of its affairs. Thereby, these have hirge- ly fallen into the clumsy and unclean hands of the " scurvy politi- cian," who makes the success of faction and personal gain and ad-- \ antage the chief end of his existence. Therefore, in the selection of pu])lic servants, character, ability, learning, pnjpertv — the very things for which a man ought to be honored and trusted — are too often contemptuously disregarded; while the needy vagrant, the supple knave and sturdy rutyian,by simply bowing Knver and shout- ing louder, than their betters, to the party idol or idea, wlioever or whatever it may be, are promoted and exalted. "80 easy still it proves In factious times, With public zeal to cancel private crimes." Integrity, intelligence and cultivation seek and find employment and distinction everywhere except in the civil service of the Uni- ted States. It would be easy to name a few private institutions in many of the States that probably employ more of these qualities than are to be found in such service within their respective limits. Throughout the United States, the ignorant, incompetent and dis- honest are found in its ser\ ice in large numbers. Upon meagre and insutticient salaries iialf ]x'rtorming antl half neglecting their ^If/f/res.s hii Mdtthctr P. Dcady. a ciuties, thev float in and out of office with cverv chaiif^e of the po- litical tide-soften w ith as little thought or care for the true inter- ests of the country as a transient armv of occupation upon a foreign soil. Thev are usually tenants at will, and have little or no in- ducement to do more than make what thev can for themselves out of the premises while in their possession. Some of them, hv the practice of fraud and indirection, manage to grow rich, while not a few contrive bv the same means to live gross and prodigal Hacs, whose example and contagion are worse than pestilence. From the rank and impure civilization of the rich and populous cities, whose governments are the expression of a universal suffrage that is largely indigent, ignorant and vicious, the method and in- fection of maladministration rises and spreads in everv direction. And so the gross and corrupt practices of the municipal government of the chief commercial citv of the countr\ soon made their ap- pearance in its comparati\eh rural political capital. After the conquest of Svria, the Censors of Rome, referring to the decline of Roman morals and manners consequent upon the contact with the corrupt and lascivious people of Antioch, were wont to exclaim : ''The waters of the Orontes have muddied the Tiber!" So, in view of the events which have transpired within the past few years in the city bearing the honored name of the fath- er of his country, mav not \vc with equal reason exclaim : The waters of the Hudson have muddied the Potomac! In some degree, whatever your calling or position in life mav be, each of you, as an American citizen, will have an opportunity, both i")V voice and example, to aid in purifying the politics of the coimtry, and elevating and impro\ing the tone and methods of the public service, and it will l)e your imperative duty to do so. He faitht'ul to this opportunity and obligation. Remember, that no nomina- tion, platform or profession, howe\er unanimous, high-sounding or correct, can excuse you for supporting a dishonest, \icious or in- competent person for any position. Notwithstanding the ugly eruptions on the surtace of the body politic, I believe the country is still sound at the heart, and witli proper treatment ma\- in time be restored to a healthy condition. To this end yt)u may materially contribute by always and e\ery- where inculcating the idea that no government or jjolitical society. howe\er wiseh founded or devised, can long work well, unle^v 22 irdlliliilit I 'i/irlu(l 1)\ tin- a;4t-iicv ol" lioiu-st and caijaltlc n)(.-n. Man\ t^ood people arc hcj^iniiin;^ to d(nil)t whctlicr an honest ;,M)\ (.•rnnu-nt, bv tlu- |)c<)pk' and for the people, is any lonj^er pos- sible in these I'nited States. IJut I think they arc too dcspoiulent. Theie lia\e been spots — nav blotches — on our escutcheon before t()-da\. At present we are K"'"?^ throut^h a j^eneral clean up, pre- parat()r\' to a Presidential election. I iitortunatelv, the election of a chief niaj^istrate tuins more upon the faults and misdeeds ya<;c of life, coiiu- what may, rcs()l\c to kii'j) smn miwaid course, with Duty at the hehn and CoiT^citiue at the prow. Study and strive to dest-rve success, rather than lo attain it. (^uit yourselves like men and women. Be real and not sham --|)rirer hchu^ to srtnn'n^. " He JtiHl 1111(1 fear not; I,ol all till- i'IhIk Itioii alincMt at. In- thy coiiiitry'H, Tliy fiod's anil tiulh's;" — and then, when \ ou lia\ c cr<»sscd the narrow isthmus <»t' 'I'ime, and stand disLiithialled n])<)n the shore of the houndiess f)cean of eter- nitv, mav vou hear with joy uns|Hakal)le, the Ileaveidy plaudit — Well done thou «;ood and faithful servant, enter thou into the jov of tin Lord. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANCELES THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is DUE on the last date stamped below OiSCHA^ .•.i^^ Form L-0 20m-l,'41<1122) OTonRsirrofCA. AT LOS ANGEL.. LIBRARY 6051 Deady - W3447 An address 1876 to the gradnating^ class of Wallamet UCLA-Young Research Library LD6051 .W3447 1876 y liilllillli llllllllllllllliiillilllinlnlliilillll' L 009 513 910 1 DEMCO LIBRARY SUPPLIES' 114 South Carroll Street Madison, Wisconsin > )