THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 THE COLLECTION OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINIANA 
 
 ENDOWED BY 
 
 JOHN SPRUNT HILL 
 
 CLASS OF 1889 
 
 C378 
 
 UK3 
 1836P 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 00036720708 
 
 This book must not 
 be foken from the 
 Library building. 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
 
 in 2010 witii funding from 
 
 University of Nortii Carolina at Chapel Hil 
 
 http://www.arGhive.org/details/thespiritofageadOOpinG 
 
«*THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE." 
 
 Tr.^%j\ 8,uj:.~ 
 
 AI% ADDRESS 
 
 I)£I,IT£REn B£FORS 
 
 THE TWO LITERARY SOCIETIES 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH-CAHOLESTA; 
 
 »y 
 
 Hon. HEXRY I.. PIKCKl^JEY. 
 
 Publisbe4 by the request of the Philanthropic Society, 
 
 RALEIGH : 
 
 PRINTED BY J. GALES ft SOW. 
 1836. 
 
JC?* The great pressure ofoffici.il business having rendered it im- 
 possible for the distinguished Author of this Address to leave his 
 post in Congress, and complj with the agreement into which he had 
 entered with the Philanthropic Sociely, a copy of it was forwarded 
 by him, and read before the two Societies, by the President of the 
 University, Hon. David L. Swain. 
 
 The accidental obliteration of the manuscript has occasioned con- 
 siderable delay in the publication of the Address. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 U:?iTKnsiTT OF NoRTH-CinoLriTA, August 11, 1836. 
 SIR: We aro under the disagreeable necessity of informing you that the man- 
 uscript of the able Address you had the kindness to transmit to us, has been acci- 
 dentally destroyed in the Office to which it was sent for publication. We have 
 been Instructed by the Philanthropic Society to apprize you of this fact, and request 
 another copy, if, fortunately, the original is in your possession. You will add 
 another to the great obligations under which we already lie, by granting thii out 
 request. 
 
 We are, Sir, with much respect and esteem, your's truly, 
 AUGUSTUS BENNERS, 
 JOSEPH B. CHERRY, ^ Coramittoe. 
 
 WILLIAM S. PETTIGREW, 
 
 Hon. Hbxst L. Pikckszt. 
 
 .,! 
 
 Chami-eston, August 26, 1836. 
 GENTLEMEN : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favor, 
 requesting another copy of my Address for publication, and assigning the reasons 
 why it became necessary to apply for<another copy. It is hardly necessary to say 
 hat the reasons assigned are not only perfectly satisfactory, but that I feel deeply 
 indebted for the kind manner in which you have conveyed them. In compliance 
 with your request, I transmit you another copy by the same mail which will carry 
 this. Allow me again. Gentlemen, to express my deep regret that I was unable 
 to attend you personally, and make the pleasure, which would have been very great, 
 of your personal acquaintance, and to beg you to present to the Philanthropic So- 
 ciety, of which I am proud to be a member, and to accept for yourselves, the assu- 
 rance of the respect and esteem with which I am, 
 
 Your's truly, 
 
 HENRY L. PINCKNEY. 
 Mcsere. ArotrsTtrs Bkhkehs, ^ 
 
 Joseph B. Chbrht, > CorumitJtee. 
 
 WllUAM S. Pkttigrbw, J 
 
ADDRESS. 
 
 Gentlemen — In compliance with your invitation, I ap- 
 pear before you. Prudence, indeed, would liave deterred mo 
 from tlie acceptance of a station, hitherto illustrated hy the 
 genius and the eloquence of your Gastons and your Iredeels ; 
 but patriotism forbade me to decline a service, by the execution 
 of which, I might contribute, however partially or feebly, to 
 llje promotion of liberal intercourse between the States to which 
 we are respectively attached. They ought to be united by the 
 strongest ties of amity. They were both Colonies of the Bri- 
 tish Crown. They were members of the old Confederation. 
 They were two of tlic old Thirken, who resisted the tyranny, 
 and threw off the dominion of tiie Parent Country. They de- 
 liberated together in the Continental Congress; fought toge- 
 ther in the Revolutionary battle-grounds ; partook the same 
 dangers ; achieved the same triumphs j and now enjoy, in their 
 common freedom, the inestimable reward of their common suf- 
 ferings and toils. If South Carolina can boast of the victory 
 of Fort Moultrie, and still wears, fi-esh and unfaded, the lau- 
 rels of King's Mountain, and other fields of deathless fame, to 
 North Carolina alone belongs the high and signal honor of 
 having originated the Declaration of American Independence. 
 If the one can point to a long line of illustrious sons, of whom 
 she can say, with Cornelia, these are my jewels, and who, like 
 jewels, always shone most brightly in her darkest hour; the 
 Iiistory of the other is emblazoned by many an exhibition of 
 intellect, eloquence and virtue, worthy of the pnlmicst dayt 
 
of Greece and Rome. If the former entered earlier than the 
 latter into that great constitutional compact, by which the 
 States of the Confederacy are beautifully blended into one, and 
 under whose auspicious influence they Ir.ive grown with almost 
 niHgical rapidity, into a mighty eni[)ire, tiie compai-ative tar- 
 diness of tl)e other has bco'i more than compensated by licr 
 uniform devotion to tiie objects it was intended to accomplish, 
 and by t!ie ample and gratifying evidence it furnis'jcs, tbat she 
 will never wantonly profane tlie temple of American Liberty, 
 nor sacrilegiously tear down tlie pillars of the sacred edifice 
 of Union. They arc, indeed, Sisters, in every sense of that 
 endearing relation — members of the same political fimily, liv- 
 ing under the same federative system, possessing similar forms 
 of State Government, speaking the same language, iiavingthe 
 same manners, customs and religion, enjoying the same immu- 
 nities and privileges, engaged in the same pursuits, interested 
 in the same objects, and looking forward, through the vista of 
 futurity, to the same glorious and happy destiny. Who, then, 
 would not make an eflTort to cement the ties that subsist between 
 them? Or where is the citizen of cither of them, who docs not 
 fervently desire, that, as they arc identified in interests and 
 institutions, they may be drawn more and more closely to each 
 other, by reciprocations of liberal and kindly sentiments, until 
 they become literally identified in principle and feeling ? 
 
 And now, let me ask, what is the occasion that convenes 
 us? Why this numerous assemblage, and the evident interest 
 they exhibit in the scene before them? Is it connected witU 
 party principles, or with objects of a sectional or local char- 
 acter ? Have we met to examine the internal condition, and 
 foreign relations of our country? Or, to investigate the sub- 
 jects involved in the approaching election of a Federal Chief 
 Magistrate? Or, to lament the desolation of unhappy Florida, 
 nnd weave a chaplet for the gallant men who flew to her res- 
 cue at the first intimation of her peril ? Or, to enquire into the 
 policy of national interference, on our part, in the sanguinary 
 contest now carried on between Mexico and Texas, with a view 
 to the Requisition of the latter by our Govenmient, and tiie pros- 
 
pcctive admission into this Confeilcracy of several additional 
 slavclioldiiig States, into >v!iic!i so extensive a triM-itory might 
 jiaturallj be diviilcd? No! we meet not to kindle the torch of 
 Alcrto, or to minister in any way to po])nlai' prejudice or pas- 
 sion. We meet not to array j)arS;ics sigaiiist eacli other in the 
 field of sti"ife; nor to exiiibit the tomaliavvk or scalping-knifo, 
 reeking with the gore of onr nuii'dei-ed countrymen ; nor even 
 to aliude to the measures recently adojited for the protection 
 of (uir frontiej' against a savage foe, who kuoMS no sweeter 
 music than a djiiig groan, nor source of pleasure than a gasp- 
 ing babe. Tojucs of this kind are hut little in unison \Nith tho 
 feelings and offices that belong to the Ansiiversary which thi*j 
 respected auditory have assembled to commemorate. They 
 have left the world, with all its cares, the political arena, with 
 all its tunniltiious contention, tiic varied sources of agitation 
 that arc hourly springing up, not only in painful occui'rences 
 at home, but in the exciting scenes tiiat are enacting in our 
 ueighbouriiood — they I'.avc left all tlicsc, to covrimirg'e fvir a 
 while in tliis peaceful abode of sciciice, where, shaking off all 
 other and distracting thougiits, they maiufest their devotion, 
 and give their powerful aid to the great cause of Literature, 
 by ofTering the homage of frecTncn at its sacred shrine! 
 
 Tills, tlien, is the cause for which we ai-e convened. This 
 is the Commencement of yoiir xiluia Mater — when literary 
 honoi's arc awarded, and when each youthful victor, crowned 
 with laurels, carries to his Iiome, and to the worhl, the anima- 
 ting evi<lencc of his merit, and tlie just reward of his assiduity 
 and rectitude. To you, then, who are closing your Collegiate 
 career, it is a most interesting and impoi'tant i)eriod. Hitherto, 
 you have been engaged in the same studies, ejijoyingthc same 
 pleasures, and knowing no contention but generous emulation 
 in the ])ursuit of knowledge. Hitlicrto, you have lived like a 
 band of brotiiers, now wooitig wisdom in the philosophic grove, 
 now roaming on the flowery heights of Helicon, now mingling 
 in the contests of tlic Athenian Assembly, or Roman Forum, 
 and feeling the spirit of Liberty burn within your bosoms, as 
 you caught the inspiration from the veiy altars of Antiquity, 
 
Hitlierio, you have dwelt togetlicr, now sitting at tho feet of 
 Plato, as he sublimely unfolded the diviuiV' of virtue, or hang- 
 ing with raptui*c on the lyre of Pindar, as it i.w.tiou forth tli» 
 tide of 01ym])ic song ; and wliile you thus called up " antiquity 
 from the old Schools of Greece," and communed with the spirits 
 of the mighty dead, similarity of pursuits naturally engendered 
 con-fraternity of feeling, and your hearts glowed, and still 
 glow, for each other, with all tlic ingenuous warmth of youth- 
 ful friendship. But the period of separation has at length ar- 
 rived, and these calm and delightful scenes must soon bo ex- 
 changed for a far more extensive and important theatre. The 
 dreams of youth arc now to be succeeded by the realities of 
 njanhood. On this day, you will be invested with the toga 
 virilis, like the Roman youth, and assume your places amongst 
 men, and prepare for action on the stage of life. On this day, 
 the implements of warfare will be put into your hands, and, 
 armed with a shield and a spear, like the German youth, you 
 will go forth from these calm retreats, to the active duties and 
 arduous conflicts that await you. Farewell, then, to the green 
 arbour, and the sunny fount. Farewell to Pindus, with its 
 laurel shade, and the enchanting Hermus, with its golden stream. 
 You leave the Schools, to enter on the world. You leave your • 
 revered Prccejjtors, to battle for yourselves. You leave each 
 other, perhaps forever, to become, each for himself, the archi- 
 tect of the fame and fortune, whatever they may be, that may 
 stamp the complexion of your future lives! 
 
 No wonder, then, that on such an occasion, such an assem- 
 blugc should have attended the ceremonies connected with it. 
 Who, indeed, can be indiflcrent to the future career of so many 
 interesting and talented youth, quitting forever these green soli- 
 tudes and classic vales, to enter on the vast and untried ocean of 
 actual life ? Here you are, flushed with academical distinction, 
 buoyant with hope, confident of success, eager to enter tho lists 
 with men, and grasping, in anticipation, the laurel wreath of 
 victory. But wbo can foretell your destiny ? Wlio can explore 
 tiiat mysterious future, v.hich may be to you a delightful stream, 
 with fruits and flowers on its banks, or a dreary dcsart, w ith its 
 
burning sands nnd blasting breath i* Who can tell how many 
 of joa may become ornaments and benefactors of sociot) , an«i 
 descend to lliw louib ** full of years and full of honor" — and 
 how many, diverted like Atalanta, from the race before tlicm, 
 may become the victims of alluring vice, and be hurried prema- 
 turely to dishonored graves ? From these peaceful and seclu- 
 ded walks, you see nothing but tlic ^' calm surface of a sum- 
 mer's sea," inviting you to spiHjad your sails, and take the 
 auspicious flood that leads on to fortune. You see nothing but 
 briglit suns and unclouded skies, verdant hills and luxuriant 
 fields, friends to assist, and admirers to applaud, fortune throw- 
 ing her treasures in your laps, and fame, with her richest gar- 
 lands in her hands, ready to crov^n your victorious brows! — 
 Little dream you of the dangerous rocks which that smiling 
 sea conceals beneath its bosom, or of the sudden and desolating 
 tempests that may overwhelm you in a moment. Little know 
 you of the fearful rapidity with which the clearest sky may be 
 overcast with clouds, or of the keen and cutting frosts by which 
 the fairest flower may be withered. Far be it fix)m me, how- 
 ever, to repress the ardour of aspiring youth. Far be it from 
 me to inspire you with suspicion, or chill you w ith fear. I say 
 nothing, therefore, of the fickleness of friendship, or the uncer- 
 tainty of fortune ; nothing of the smiles of hjprociisy or the low 
 intrigues of political duplicity; nothing of the toils and sacri- 
 fices by wliich popular favor is acquired, or the pitiful trifles, 
 and not less frequently the meritorious actions, by which it may 
 be lost. But I feel that I would not properly discharge tho 
 office so kindly conferred upon me, if I did not warn you, that 
 iu blooming bowers, adders and scorpions often lie concealed; 
 that the sweetest melody may be a Syren's song to lure you to 
 your ruin; that the most luscious fruits are often those that 
 turn to ashes in the taste; and, in one word, that the voyage 
 of life may well be likened to Scylla and Charybdis, which he 
 alone can navigate successfully, who has the requisite skill ta 
 avoid rocks upon the one side, and whirlpools on the other. 
 
 As you will soon be called upon, then, to act for yourselves, 
 it is all important that you should be properly qualified to dig- 
 
cljarge the duties, and surmount the difficulties, that await yon, 
 in society. It is by no means my intention, however, to lectura 
 you upon the advantages of industry, or the utility of virtue. 
 That ofiice has been s})a}'cd nic by the wise and good men, to 
 whom were confided the cultivation of your intellect, and the 
 moral regulation of your hearts. There is no field of scienco. 
 they have not taught you to explore, nor piinciple of rectitude 
 they have not implanted in your bosoms. I know, moreover^ 
 that in addressing you, I sj)cak to gentlemen; to generous, 
 ingenuous, well-educated youth, whose delicate sensibilities! 
 would recoil at the conception of an act of turpitude, and feel 
 even the suspicion of dislionor as they would tlie o])pressioii 
 of a mountain's weight. Seeing, then, that your hearts are 
 guarded, as I trust they are, by the instinctive principles of 
 Ijonor, refined and matured by virtuous education, it is useless 
 to trouble you with a dull dissertation on integrity. And even 
 were it otherwise, it would still be useless. The honor or 
 lionesty that is assumed through policy, is but ** the homage of 
 hypocrisy to virtue." He who practices the semblance of these 
 noble qualities, not possessing them in truth, may go through 
 life escaping censure, but can neither enjoy the feelings, nop 
 deserve the reputation, of an upright man! 
 
 But the mere possession of high and estimahle principles 
 signifies but little, unless they are employed for the advantage 
 of society. In vain, have you been tauglit to discipline your 
 minds, if you relax, henceforward, in the pursuit of knowledge. 
 In vain, has a foundation been laid for your future eminence and 
 usefulness, if no generous ambition prompt you to erect tijo 
 superstructure. It is not sufficient to possess good principles, 
 or merely to refrain from the perpetration of ignoble deeds.-—^ 
 No dormant quality can constitute an element of human great- 
 ness. Man is an active animal. He is not only an individual, 
 but a member of society. He was not formed to dream away 
 his life, however pure or innocent it may be, but to devote the 
 energies of his mind, and the virtues of his heart, to the disco^ 
 very and advancement of the public good. The whole institu- 
 tion of civil society is but a system of reciprocal dependencies. 
 
Inir.vidiials dencnd upon society for pi'otcctiou and security ; 
 and society (lepemls on its com:)onei!t parts (or its own stabiiity 
 and welfare. Every man, tir-'i-efore, has duties to perform ; 
 and precisely to tlie extent to wliich lie does^jjerform tli^m, is 
 !ic virtuous iiii(lco:uniead;ib!e as a man, or useful and patriotic 
 as a citizen. 
 
 Tisc importance of t.jjcr.c distic:^, moreover, and the conse- 
 quent obligativ);! to discliargc them, is intimately connected 
 Nvitii tlie sjiirit of tlie age, and tlse general condition of tlio 
 C-Quntry, in Vvliidi it lias been your fortujic to be born. Amongst 
 a rude ami uncultivated '^people, duties arc few and sim[)k hi 
 tlieir cliaractcr. With barbarians, the gi-eatest savage is tha 
 gieatest man. Witls tise superstitious, the most secluded an- 
 chorite is tlic holiest Saint. And so, during the dark ages — 
 that singular jjeriod of artiucial manners and unreal life — of 
 tilts and tournaments — of s|i!eiidid pagcaiitry and sanguinary 
 war — v/hen every jirinciple of society was perverted, romantic 
 passion being substituted for utility, and ^^ ihl enthusiasm for 
 solid virtue — during all that period, chivalry embraced all 
 duties iii Uscir, a h.idy'.-i smile was t'se principle of honor, the 
 song of a Troubadour was immoi'tal fame, and the human niind 
 boi'.ig profoundly locked up in ignorance, tlie merest gleam of 
 ii^.ai'uing was esteemed a prodigy. But not so now. You live 
 neither in a barbarous age, nor yet in th;vt crepuscular con- 
 dition of society, which stands in tlie same position between 
 savageism and reiinement, tliat twiliglit does between the deep 
 darkness of the night, aiid t!ic full splendor of tlie mid-day sun. 
 On the conti'ary, you live in an age preeminently characterized 
 by iigiit and life: and as it is important that you should under- 
 stand its .spirit, that you may appreciate the obligations resting 
 on yourselves, you will indulge me in a brief cxaminatiou of 
 some of the pi-omiueut features tliat distinguish it. 
 
 In the first phice, then, this is the age of Scienee. Antiquity 
 had but little science, in the strict significatioM of the term ; 
 but, in cvei-y department, moral, intellectual, and idiysical — ki 
 every thisig rcliiting to mi;:d or matter — every thing that can 
 illustrate tlie geography of the heavens or tho earth— cvory 
 
10 
 
 Tftrtig that can reveal the secrets of nature, or IncreJisci ttiB 
 strength of nations, or contribute to the security and elegancd 
 of life-^thc ])resent century is illuminated with a flood of lisht. 
 And, as it is the peculiar property of science to know no limit* 
 so even its present elevation may justly be regarded as a point 
 from which it will continue, w itii undazzlcd eye and unwearied 
 wing, to ascend to gieater and still greater heights. JEach 
 ndliiig year will still come laden with improvements, and every 
 step in the march of mind, will either devclope some new and 
 valuable principle, or Increase the power of those with which 
 W6 arc acquainted, by applying them to purposes to which as 
 yet they have never been directed. And thus every known 
 science will continue to advance, and new ones will be con* 
 fitantly added to their train, going on steadily to the Ultima 
 Thule of human knowledge, and imparting, as they go, all that 
 is essential, in every department of society, to the dignity and 
 happiness of the human race. And it is the age of Elegant 
 Literature and the Arts. It is true, however, respecting this 
 assumption, that Antiquity may I'isc up, and dispute the palm. 
 She may take us to the villa of Cicero, or the tomb of Virgil. 
 She may show us the ruins of the Coliseum or Partheon. Sh6 
 may exhibit the agony of Laocoon, struggling with the Ser- 
 pents, and the noble self-sacrifice of Alcestis, as she dooms 
 herself to death f )r the preservation of her husband. And sh6 
 hiay ask, where are your Polydorus and Euii])ides! What 
 liave yo«, superior to the Venus of Apelles! Who has yet 
 touchied the lyre with the plaintive sweetness of Tibullus!— » 
 "Where is the invention in modern architecture, that rivals the 
 luxuriant elegance of the Corinthian, or the graceful beauty of 
 the Ionic order! And above all, what have you, in cloquwice, 
 Comparable to the energy of that soul of fire, " who shook the 
 Arsenal, and fulmincd over Greece, to Macedon and Artax- 
 ftrxes* throne'*! But it is not my purpose to respond to these 
 inquiries. It would be sacrifege to disturb her repose, by 
 |)lucking a leaf from the laurel that adorns her tomb. There 
 is no classic heart who would not that it should bloom forever 
 t\ ith unfading freshness. In every thing susceptible of improve- 
 
H 
 
 ment, wc have left her f.u- behind, fin:l it ought not to mortify 
 us, that, ill those thiiigi which she could, and therefore did 
 carry to perfection, we liavc been uiiabie to surjjass her. Scir 
 ence adn)its of endless progression, and is ther(?forc constantly 
 progressing. B;it imagination may fly at once to the higliest 
 heaven of invention, and as this was eiTec{e;'i by ancient poetry, 
 I!.') modern wing can ascend beyond it. This is tlie diftcrenc* 
 between scic!u:e and literature, as contradistingnished from 
 each other. The one is emphatically t!»c production of intel- 
 lect, requiriiig patient research and profound investigation. — » 
 The other is the offspring of those faculties of ti»e mind, wliich 
 RIO usually employed in the creations of fancy or dclineatioiiji 
 of nature, in pourtraying character or exhibiting the passions 
 of the human heart. Hence the vast superiority of Euler and 
 La Place over Ptolemy and Euclid, or, in other words, of ma-! 
 dern over ancient science, while Homer still remains the princo 
 of poets, and sculptors, and painters still take tlieir lessons 
 from the great models of antiquity. But even admitting t!i« 
 claims of the ancients, and to the fullest extent to which their 
 warmest admirers consider them entitled to admission, it is 
 still demonstrable that the present age not only far surpasses all 
 that have preceded it in the number and variety of its authoi'S 
 Mid its artists, but will bear an advantageous comparison with 
 any in the extent of their learning, the originality of their 
 genius, and the sterling merit of their works. In proof of this 
 assertion, abundant testimony might easily be adduced from 
 England, France, and the classic soil of Italy. But as my 
 limits will not perm'^J me to dwell upon this topic, I proceed to 
 remark, in the next place, that a prominent feature of the prOf 
 sent age is the general diffusion of popular intelligence. Amongst 
 the ancients, the benefits of education were confined to few.—* 
 The Spartans were barbarians, and even an Atlienian populace 
 was an ignorant mob. Since the invention of the art of printT 
 ing, however, information has become easy and pxcessiblc, an^ 
 in every Christian country, therefore, the people have received 
 an extraordinary degree of moral and mental cultivation. Of 
 late years, particularly, the attention of patriots i^nd philan^ 
 
tliropists lias Lccn powerfully direclci (o tlie great object of 
 popular education. Knowledge is now carried to the liumble 
 tlwellijig of the i)oor, as well as to tlic splendid mansion of tlio 
 i'icli. Like tliS sun, it diffu.^cs its light indiscrimiiiatcly ujion 
 ^V>, and till, in consequence, have hrcomc enlightened. But a 
 still more con.sjjicuous fcatui'c of the pi'cscnt age, is the uupre" 
 ccdeiited extent to which the dor.vnion of man over physical vnture 
 has been carried. I'liis is truly tho era of steamboats and rail- 
 "tvays, of canals and tunnels. The pvoi)hecy of Barxcin ban 
 been more ihan realized. Wail ?i\n\ Fulton have subdued t!ic 
 ricments. Unconquerod steam not only rides,, like a sGa-god, 
 on the bosom of the ocean, but moves wiib resistless power TiwA 
 rapidity over every obstacle on land. And who can prcscribo 
 n limit to its conquests ? Who can designate the barrier that 
 it shall not pass", or name the river or the ^^ ilderness, however 
 desolate and solitary now, that it shall not^cause to roll down 
 gold, c.v blossom as tiic rose ? And it is the epoch nf exploration 
 ami discovcnj. Governments arc laudably vieing with each 
 other in the cause of scieiicc. ' New accc^;sio;is arc constaniiy 
 making to the stores of kaov.iodge. The sjdrit of adventure 
 examines la;;d and sea, the Niger and Columbia, the Pacific 
 Ocean and the American m ilderness, and while it daily dis- 
 closes new wondci's of iiaturc, and new mines of knowledge, it 
 filso lays open new avenues of commerce, and new and exten- 
 fiivc sources of national jtro^pcrity. But while nations ar(^ thu3~ 
 engaged in exploring and subduii-.g physical nature and itscle- 
 uncnts, they have not forgotten to investigate and establish the 
 ])rinciplos of government and the rights of man, Tiiis is pecu- 
 liarly the age of civil avd religious libcrlif. 'The ancients liad 
 lioihing tliat deserved the nasne. Gi-ecian li!)crty was alwa}3 
 wild and tumultuous, and the Romans knew no medium between 
 liccntiousr.css and servitude. Tiicse great principles oi-iginated 
 in the era of the Reformation, v.hen Luther and Zuingie, and 
 t!ic"r bold coadjutors, broke tiie chain of ecclesiastical ojiprcs- 
 sioM, and proclaimed freedom of conscicjjcc to a captive world.'- 
 From that j)criod they have gone on regularly, '' conquei-ing 
 i\ni\ to conquer." They shone triumpliasitly in England, h\ 
 
the memorable Revolution of 1 G33, liiid {\\?y gave t!io. impulse to 
 nuv Revolutionary \vf\i', and laid the foundation of the Ameri- 
 can CoiiBtittition. An.d tLe triumph of Liberty here, a\val;onpd 
 the enthusiasm of tlic gallant Fi-en(l<. But, unfortunately, 
 tliey knew lint little of regulated fi'cciIo;ii. and tiicir I'cvolntlon, 
 tliercrore. instead of ending, like onrs, in the success of the 
 principles in wliich it had its origin, terminated iii <!ie cstab- 
 li>,liment of a military desp )tism. Since then, Imwevcr, the 
 Catiiolics of Irclaml have achieved t'.ieir cmancipatioii, and 
 English Dissenters have been admitted to the full enjc>ymont of 
 their birtiiriglit. Mar. no longer (Un'cs to legislate f.)r liea- 
 \e.n, or to regulate conscience by jsenal laws. In many other 
 j)oirits, too, imi)ortant advances have been made in ciilarging 
 the freedom of the British Cor.slitnlion. A very numerous 
 poi ;:^fi ot" tiic jieaplo, formerly denied all participation in the 
 fitriilis of gover!in5C)>t, arc now entitletl to t!ic exercise of the 
 elective franciiisc, and the period is rapidly approaching ^^]^cn 
 the odious pi-incip.le, that one denomin:itio!i of religionists slial! 
 be couijielled to sustain another, will be finally abolished. Ta 
 Fi-ancc- all coiriicction bctv>een Church and State has been dis- 
 solved, and in consonrjn:c with tlio s])iiil; of the glorious Revo- 
 lution of '31, a Republican system has been engrafted on its 
 jnonarch}'. Thei'c is, indeed, every where, a constant contest 
 b'.tween. fi-eedom and oppres.fion. Even in old S])ain, the spirit 
 of liberty heaves and tliroes, though Pelion lias becii jiiled upon 
 Ossa to crush it to the carlh ; and at tliis xcvy moment, it nerves 
 Hie arrns, and animates the hc;vrts cf a gallant band in a neigh- 
 bouring territory, who, with the true nobleness of tlie Anglo ■ 
 Saxon blood, have firmly resolved to achieve their indepen- 
 dence, or to pei'ish in the cA'oit. An.d may wc not hope that 
 they will succeed ! While wc weep over the scene of the Alamo, 
 may we not rejoice at the brilliant victory of San Jacinto, and 
 the consequent cajiturc of a tyrant v.hosc (lcc{]:i of blood have 
 disgraced hnmariify! And may we not trust that the period js 
 r.ear at l;and, when the people of Texas shall indeed be onr 
 brv_nhren,and when Use clioriis qf fixcdom shall revoibei-ate ham 
 the iiudso-.j to the Sabitje, and from the banks of tiic Coiorada 
 
H 
 
 to t1»e heights of Bunker! But, again, this is the age of liberal 
 principles and free enquiry. The liiiman niiiui is no longer 
 chained down by despotism, nor locked up in darkness. Anti- 
 quity is no longer t!ic shield of error, nor dogmatic authoi'ity 
 the evidence of argument. Notiiing now can stand, that is not 
 sustained by truth and reason. Every system is subjected to 
 the severest sci'utiny, and the consequence is, that while every 
 valuable principle is sti-engthened, and cvei-y good system re- 
 fined and jiurificd, by the ordeal of discussion, all pernicious 
 ftnd untenable doctrines arc tottering and falling, and new and 
 better ones erected on tlieir ruins. And, '' though last, not 
 least," it is the age of active piety and enlarged benevolence."- 
 After whole centuries of apathy, the Cijristian Ciiurch has at 
 length awakened to the full performance of its duty. It has 
 undertaken the great entci'prise of the conversion of the world, 
 and organized a system of moral machinej'y admirably adapted 
 to the purpose. And its success has been commensurate with 
 the godlike principle upon which it acts. It has established 
 thousands of nurseries, in which myriads of children reccivq 
 the bcjiefits of religious education. It has revolutionized so- 
 ciety by the great engine of t!»c Temperance Reform. It has 
 placed heralds of salvation on Moslem minarets and on Pagan 
 walls. It has kindled the light of Revelation in Al]iinc soli- 
 tudes, and on Himalayan heights. It has planted the standard 
 »f the Cross on the banks of the Ganges, and jn the Isles of 
 Polynesia. In one word, it has brought on tlje dawn of tho 
 icillcnnial day ; and it will go on prosperously, like an army 
 with banners, invading kingdoms and subduing nations, *till 
 •the pure spirit of Christianity shall spread; like a sea of glory, 
 over a reformed and evangelized world! 
 
 Such is the age in which you live! And here permit mc to 
 remark, that even in such an age, and amongst the most distin- 
 guished nations, our owmi country occupies a high and enviable 
 rank. Toung as it is, its population has increased already 
 from three to fifteen millions, and its flag is emblazoned with 
 nearly double the number of its original stars. Already can it 
 boast of Appir.n and Flaminian ways, of columns as towering 
 
as that of Trajan, of canals surpassing tlios€ of Langiicdoc and 
 Ellismere, anil of an extent of rail-ways not only exceeding 
 any that is known to exist in any portion of tlic globe, but to 
 Whicli will soon be added what w^iil well desei-ve to be consid-- 
 crcd one of tlie wonders of the world, in the completion of tliat 
 magnificent enlerprize which is tolmitc tlie Atlantic Avith tho 
 Valley of tlie Mississippi, and wliich will constitute equally a 
 mine of wealtli, a bond of brotlicrhood, and a golden ciiain of 
 union. But it is not only in the developement of its physical 
 resources, that this young Republic moves on rapidly to great- 
 ness and distinction. As knowledge is the handmaid of free- 
 dom, so is freed(mi the patron of useful knowledge. Our peo- 
 ple well know that without public virtue and inteHigcnce, there 
 is no security for the permanency of our Republican Institution^, 
 and. therefore no eflTort has been omitted to advance the great 
 cause of popular enlightenment. In consequence of this, we 
 not only have a large number of scientific and ingenious men, 
 to whom we are constantly indebted for important improve* 
 ments and discoveries, but it is not extravagant to assert that 
 the great body of Americati people are b^jyond all comparison 
 more intelligent and better educated, than any other upon earth. 
 Indeed, under the beneficent influence of our admirable gov- 
 ernment, which prohibits the slightest infringement of the frcc- 
 alom of speech or of the press, the American mind may literally 
 be said to revel in the enjoyment of its privileges and its pow- 
 ers. Nothing can elude its search, or escape its grasp. It 
 cleaves the skies, and penetrates the earth. It chains the winds 
 and the waves, and subjects the elements to its stern dominion. 
 Our country, moreover, is admirably rich in all the materials 
 of a national literature. It is true, it may be deficient in those 
 things that form the peculiar charm of the ancient classics, 
 and are supposed to constitute tlie elements of classical inter- 
 est and beauty. We have no fabulous origin ; no romantic his- 
 tory ; nothing preternatural in tiio wisdom of our sages, or the 
 valour of our heroes. AVc have no Jupiter, shaking Olympus 
 with his awful nod ; no JS'eptune, ruling tlje ocean witii his trU 
 ilcnt. Wc have no Naiads or Dryads; no Delphic Oracle, or 
 
IS 
 
 JEgciiaii G^o^ e, Wi' have no P.ictolns, rolling down gold > ii« 
 iTi()Ui(!efi:!g ruins, or propljctic sti'cirsris; noi- any of tliosc ven- 
 cri'.bie, cousccfiitcd scenes, u:>. which the genius of pocti-y de- 
 lights t-f» dwell, and from wliich it is supposed to derive its 
 choicest inspiration. And so agaisi, we have no Feudal Insti- 
 tutions; no acje of chivali-j, with its liigli-wrought pi'iiiciplei3 
 and fantastic laws ; no crusades to recover Jerusalem from tho 
 power of the Infidels; nor hiivo we gnomes, or syiplis, or other 
 creations of the fairy ti'ihe. But why should an American 
 need Apollo or the Muses, w!icu he has the spii-it of liherty to 
 iuspii'e iiis song, and his own glorious country to afford a theme? 
 Yf'hy should he sigii for the Arno on tiie Avon, -for Parnassus 
 01- Hymcttus, wlien he has, in every thing around him — in tho 
 character of our govei'Timent, in our towering moiMitains and 
 majestic streams, in the,enter]>rising spirit of our peoj)le, in 
 the elo;|t!cnce of our oi'ators^ and the wisdom of our statesmen, 
 in cities sjuinging up, and forests disa])pearlng, as if more by 
 magic tlian tlie art of man, and partici'.liirly in the literary, 
 besievolrnt and religious institutions that ador.'i our country, 
 as thickly and heiiiitiiully as the stars of the firmament — wheji 
 li.e has in tlicse things, all the elements of natural and moral 
 snblinjily and beauty, every thing tliat can cIcn ate the imagi- 
 Ratio!), or reunc the taste? Assuredly, American history and 
 scenery, American cliaracier and actiojis, comprise an amj*io 
 and appropriate Held for the exercise of American talent. — 
 Kature has not only formed our country on the grande.st scale, 
 but it is irdiabitcd by a })ei>plc who exhibit^ ii\ all their m;)dc3 
 of th(;i!gnt and pririciplcs of actioji, a beautiful moral resem- 
 blance to tlie dignity and boldness of tlie natural scenery around 
 then). Ilej'C, then, are subjects of reflection, and sources of 
 inspiration, new, copious and inviting, and such as no oilier 
 couiitry can afford. . Here arc gardens in which genius may 
 revel, princiiiles on which j)hilns<)phy may speculate, events 
 an-.! ciiaracters on which Vaq muse of history may delight to 
 linger. And we fmi], accordingly, that American gcMiius has 
 essayed tiiis ne'>,v field of fame, and is daily producing fi'om it 
 ari abundant sujiply of t!ie p;ircst ore. It is no longer rpies- 
 
17 
 
 tionable wlietlicr we sliall have a Jiteratiirc of our own, nop 
 what will be its rank in the republic of letters. Even now, 
 iij every department of learning and the arts, our country com- 
 mands tlie respect and admiration of tbe world. Our rivers 
 roll in song, our lilHs are vocal with the music of the lyre, and 
 even tlie prairie has assumed an interest scarcely inferior to 
 any that !ias ever been imparted to tlie ocean. Painting vies 
 witli history, and sculpture witli poetry, in embalming the mem- 
 ory of illustrious deeds, and presenting the image of illustrious 
 men. And if such is our country now, so young, and yet so emi- 
 nent, who caniiot foretell the splendor of its future destiny ! ^Yho 
 cannot see, that '^ as the Sun, when he springs from the chambers 
 of the East, goes on his course, rojoicing in his streiigth," so 
 this great Republic is proceeding, with gigantic strides, in its 
 liigli career of honor and distinction! Yes, as surely as the 
 Alleghany lifts its head on high, or the beautiful Ohio glitters 
 in tiie sunbeams, with a world of wealth upon its bosom, so 
 surely is the period rapidly approaching, when our present 
 population will be augmented fourfold, and w hen the star span- 
 gled banner will wave in triumph, from the Atlantic to tha 
 Pacific, over an imperial Republic, great in arts and renowned 
 in arms, and rivalling, if not transcending, the splendour of 
 the Augustan ages of France and England! 
 
 Such is the period in which your lots have been cast, and 
 such the theatre in which you will soon be called upon to bear 
 your parts. 
 
 Let me, then, earnestly impress upon you, as a duty to your- 
 selves, the continued culiivaiion of your minds. Recollect tbat 
 your education is iu)t only not completed, but may in truth bo 
 said to be just begun. An excellent foundation has indeed 
 been laid, upon which, with adequate exertion, you may erect 
 the edifice of your future fame: but as no foundation, however 
 excellent in itself, can be of any actual utility, unless the su- 
 perstructure be added of whiclx it is intended as the basis, so 
 all the instruction you have here received, important as it may 
 be, when considered as the substratum of a more elevated 
 scheme to be carried on hereafter, will not only be of no praC'^ 
 
 C 
 
tical advantage to yourselves or to society, but will literally 
 be lost and forgotten, and in a shorter pei'iod, too, tbr^a was 
 necessary to obtain it, unless it be made the ground-work of 
 future and more extensive acquisitions, or, in other words, un- 
 less you determine to be more systematic and sedulous than 
 ever in the pursuit of knowledge. Neglect nothing, tlien, that 
 you have been taught in College. Learning w^is not imparted 
 here, to be thrown away hereafter. He who is content with 
 obscurity, may disdain to labor; but as fame can only be pur- 
 chased by incessant toil, so he who would be eminent must al- 
 ways be industrious. There is no limit ti> hncwledge, and 
 there can be none, of course, to intellectual improvement, and 
 consequently none to the necessity of study. Follow up, then, 
 every branch of science, and every department of elegant lite- 
 rature. The more you acquire, the higher you will rise; and 
 while every accession of knowledge will increase your fame, 
 the love of fame, by a natural re-action, will stimulate your 
 thirst for knowledge, and thus, at every step you take, yoii 
 will be constantly enlarging the sphere of your influence, and 
 the sources of your happiness. And here, in connection with 
 intellect, permit me to suggest the necessity of Eloquence. His- 
 tory abounds with illustrations of the resistless power of this 
 admirable art. Amongst the Republics of antiquity, he who was 
 most successful in appealing to the jjassions, or enkindling the 
 sensibilities of the multitude, may literally be said to have di- 
 rected the movements and controlled the destiny of his coun- 
 try, during the period of his oratorical ascendancy. It was 
 the voice of Demosthenes, and that alone, that united all Greece 
 against the ambitious views of Pliilip; and in Rome, even at a 
 period of great popular corruption, the eloquence of Cicero 
 defeated the conspiracy of Cataline, and compelled the profli- 
 gate and rapacious Verres to resort to exile for the preserva- 
 tion of his life. England has no prouder name tlian that of 
 Pitt, and, to say nothing of tiic Massillons and Mirabcaus of 
 France, even unhappy Ireland, amid all her sufferings, smiled 
 through her tears, and shone through her grief, with the re- 
 splendent triumphs of her Floods and Grattans. In no caun- 
 
n 
 
 tiy, however, is eloquence more powerful, or of more impor- 
 tance, tlian in our own liappy land. But, as knowledge is 
 power, so the essence of eloquence is sense. To be an accom- 
 plished orator, much more is requisite than an artificial modu- 
 lation of the voice, or an affected display of personal grace, or 
 a tumultuous outpouring of impassioned vehemence. Unfor- 
 tunately, caricatures of this kind arc sometimes mistaken for 
 genuine eloquence, and speeches ai-e applauded, as splendid 
 specimens of sterling oratory, whose sole merit consists in idle 
 declamation, or a skilful application of vulgar arts to the pas- 
 eioiis and prejudices of tlic populace. But, the ranting of a 
 demagogue, liowever it may succeed for the moment, confers 
 110 solid and enduring fame. Any demagogue may acquire 
 evanescent notoriety, but true fame can only be attained by 
 sterling merit, and sterling eloquence requires the combinaiioti 
 of a high order of intellect and eloquence, with the most pure 
 and elevated virtue. Eloquence is powerless, unless supplied 
 by intellect; nor can virtue exert its proper influence, unless 
 enlightened by knowledge and enforced by eloquence. And as 
 eloquence is notliing without intellect, and dangerous without 
 virtue, so intellect without eloquence, loses half its power, and, 
 destitute of virtue, can scarcely fail to be a curse, both to its 
 possessor and society. The combination of these qualities 
 forms the character of the accomj)lished Orator, and may be 
 said to constitute the perfection of humanity. Strive, then 
 to attain this perfection. Image to yourselves a standard of 
 excellence, embodying all that is noble in intellect, and per- 
 suasive in oratory, and pure in virtue, and follow it, as your po- 
 lar star, with a fixed determination to realize all that is possible 
 of tlie splendid combination, in your own characters respect- 
 ively. Continue to penetrate the arcana of the human mind, 
 to range amongst the stars, and to explore the recesses of the 
 Ocean and the Earth. Make yourselves thoroughly acquaint- 
 ed with the most approved systems of moral and political sci- 
 ence, and particularly with the principles of political economy. 
 But whilst, by this process, you enlarge your minds with valu- 
 able knowledge, you sJwuld by no means abandon your devotion 
 
2? 
 
 h the Classics. The mind, like the body, not onlj requires 
 strengtli for usefulness, but decoration for effect. The massivo 
 pillars of a temple, however efficient without adornment, be- 
 come objects of admiration to the tasteful eye, when they dis- 
 play the ricliness of Corinthian capitals, or are beautifully 
 fluted with Ionic art. Continue, then, to drink deeper and 
 deeper of the Pierian Spring. The study of the Classics 
 not only disciplines the mlu.l. but it supjdics tliC orator v. ith 
 imagery, and the rc.isoncr with iliuslralion. He may be a 
 good lawyer, who knows notiiing but law, or a good physician, 
 who knows nothing but medicine; but no man can be accom- 
 plished, in any liberal profession, who cannot command exten- 
 sive resources in literature. Repudiate the new-fangled doc- 
 trine, that the Ancient Languages are dead, and should therefore 
 be discarded. They are not only not dead, but will live until 
 ancient literature shall be buried in oblivion: and, however 
 conversant a scholar may be with modern literature, yet he, 
 who neglects the ancients, does great injustice to himself, be- 
 cause it is unquestionable that almost all that is sublime in 
 conception, or beautiful in description, or exquisite in pathos, 
 amongst the moderns, may be traced, and not unfrequeiitly, 
 witii the most palpable distinctness, to the liallowed fountains 
 of antiquity. But, not to stray further in this seductive field, 
 allow me to recommend the advantages of History. "Were it 
 only a barren chronicle of the births and deaths of monarchs, 
 who were born, no one knows when, and died, no one cares 
 how; or did it only record the revolting details of all the cru- 
 elties, and massacres, and wars, by which humanity has been 
 disgraced and afflicted, in every country, and in cvevy age; no 
 one will dispute, that the time would be idly occupied, that 
 might be devoted to its study. But it has far higher ends and 
 purposes than these. If it tells of trifles not worth knowing, 
 it also narrates events, and describes characters and actions, 
 whicli will live forever in the memory of man, and which even 
 now exercise an influence over tiie destinies of nations. Here 
 you may trace the origin, progress, and decline of empires, and 
 comprehend the secret, and often insignificant sources, of the 
 
«1 
 
 mightiest results. Here you may see how often the fortunes 
 of individuals have been identified with tlic fate of nations, how 
 often ambition Iris assumed the garb of patriotism, and an af- 
 fected devotion to the people covered the deepest and darkest 
 designs against their riglits and liberties. Here you may sco 
 how a free people arc always corrupted before they are en- 
 slaved, and how surely popular corrupiLn lays th'^; corner 
 tttone of tyranny. Here you may sec that the fuir.i;; . f freedom 
 are oHen retaiiicil r.ficr tlic .:pirit has departed, and that the 
 "unreal mockery" of popuhir institutions may still be exhib- 
 ited, like '"a whited sepulchre full of dead mens' boues," after 
 the people themselves have been deprived of ail actual partici- 
 pation in the administration of alfiiirs. And here you may 
 learn the prodigious iiijlaence of moral causes upon the destiny of 
 nations. History is full of instruction upon this important 
 subject. The same physical causes still exist in Rome, that 
 did exist in the period of her greatest glory and prosperity. — 
 Tiie sky of Italy is as beautiful as it was when the people se- 
 ceded to the Sacred Mount; Tiber still rolls his stream as in 
 the days of the Scipios, and tiie Seven Hills retain their |)laces 
 as firmly and immovably as when the dignity and vii'tueof the 
 Roman Senate appeared as firm and imperishable as themselves: 
 but a modern Italian can neitlier conceive the elevated priiici- 
 ples and heroic spirit that formed the characters, and fired the 
 bosoms, of the ancient Romans, nor even realize his own de- 
 scent from such a noble ancestry. Tiie same physical causes 
 still exist in Greece, that were in existence theie, when the 
 Persians were repulsed at the Straits of Thermopylte, or when 
 Miltiades achieved the memorable victory of Marathon; but 
 Grecian glory has long been buried in the grave, and the 
 brutal Turk, as he treads in disdain upon the tomb of Phocion, 
 knows no classic sympathy for the departed grandeur of the 
 great mother country of Republics — the honm-cd parent of free- 
 dom, and science, and the arts. It is evident, then, that phy- 
 sical causes cannot perpetuate national power or prosperity. 
 They may sujjply the means of preserving liberty, where the 
 spirit of liberty burns ; but they cannot supply its place, where 
 
the spirit is extinct. No: as surely as effects result from 
 causes, popular degeneracy is the invariable precursor of po- 
 litical enslavement. As tlie ancient Republics fell, in the 
 hciglit of tlicir magnificence, and from the very rottenness of 
 luxury, such must inevitably be the fate of ours, whenever the 
 canker of corruption shall have infected the vitals of the body 
 politic. Vain, then, will be all the pliysical advantages tliat 
 nature has conferred, or that ingenuity can devise. In vain 
 may we boast of our extended empire, or of our great and 
 growing population, or of the variety of our soil and products, 
 or of our unbounded commerce and tlourishing manuiacturcs, 
 or of any other clement tliat enters into the composition of 
 national wealth and strength! It will all be in vain. No 
 vastness of territory or of numbers, no agriculture or manufac- 
 tures, no arts of elegance and luxury, no rail-roads or canals, 
 no marble statutes or monumental columns, can preserve our 
 Republican Institutions in purity and vigour, whenever the 
 people shall be ignorant or careless of t!ie riglits they were 
 intended to secure, or shall become so thoroughly debased as 
 to care less about their loss, than the trouble or danger of pre- 
 serving them. And, on the other hand, history will also show 
 you that civilization always conquer^ savagisra, that mind al- 
 ways conquers matter, and that a free and enliglitencd people, 
 knowing their rights and daring to maintain them, will always 
 succeed in any contest with any enemy, however superior in 
 mere physical capacity. And a!I this will impress the necessity 
 of promothig popular educntioH, without which there can be no 
 ])ub!ic spirit or love of country ; or, in other words, it will 
 teacli you to devote all your energies to the improvement and 
 extension of those moral elements which constitute the very 
 life-blood of fi-eedom, and upon which all our hopes depend of 
 the preservation and transmission, in their original strength 
 and pristine beauty, of those sacred and inestimable principles 
 upon which our Government was founded. It will show you 
 how detestable tyranny is, and teach you, like Hannibal, to 
 vow eternal enmity against it. It will show you how hardly 
 freedom is acquired, and how easily lost, and teach you to cher- 
 
ish it with vestal fervor and fidelity. It will sliow you how 
 little dependancc can he jilaced on the public virtue of a pri- 
 vate profligate, and that public agents should be judged by 
 their acts rather than jjrofcssions. It will show you how ma- 
 ny nations have struggled for fi-ecdom, and been unable to ob- 
 tain it ; how many have ac(iiiircd, and been unable to retain it. 
 And it will introduce you to the wise and good. It will make 
 you acquainted with cvei'y system, and with exevy sect. It 
 w ill imbue you with the rich spirit of philosophy and rhetoric. 
 It \^ ill show you virtue in its loveliest forms, and vice in its 
 most hideous deformity. It will show you patriotism in all its 
 purity, and treason in all its blackness. And there, too, you 
 may learn the instability of fortune, the versatility of popular 
 opinion, and the essential nothingness of all the world calls 
 great. There you may see Aristides banished, because he was 
 called " the Just,*' and a monument erected to Socrates by those 
 who condemned him to drink the hemlock. There you may 
 sec Bclisariiis, now commanding a victorious army, and now 
 dependant upon common charity, and Marius, the coufjueror 
 of the Cimbri, and often invested with the dignity of Consul, 
 sitting, an exile, on the ruins of Carthage. There you may 
 s<?e Napoleon, now disposing of Crowns and Kingdoms at his 
 
 pleasure, now dying, a wretched captive, on an ocean rock 
 
 And there too, you may behold our own Washington, after 
 having conducted his country safely through the War of Inde- 
 pendence, resigning his sword to Congress, and retiring, like 
 Cincinnatus, to the rural shades from which he had been drawn 
 to fight her battles. 
 
 Of all history, then, let that of your own Country be most 
 deeply imprinted on your minds. It will explain tlie ])rinciplcs 
 for which your fathers fought, and teacij you to bind them in 
 your inmost hearts. It will show you the priceless value of the 
 high privileges you inherit, and cause you to resolve, like pa- 
 triots, to preserve them for yourselves, and to transmit them, 
 undiminished, to posterity. It will show you th.e fatal effects of 
 Civil and Religious intolerance; the despotism that has been 
 exercised over the minds and consciences of men; the atrocities 
 
&4 
 
 that have been perpetrated in the name of Religion, and for the 
 sake of Heaven; and wiiile it v.ill inspire you \vit!i an ablior- 
 rence of the ci'uclties that drove our ancestors from all the 
 comfoi-ts and elegancies of rvuiicmcnt to a howling \\ilderness, 
 it will also ius|)ir'e you with an ardent attaciimentto those great 
 ])rincip1es of civil and religions liberty, for which they endured 
 so many dangers and privations, and which they have left us as 
 their richest legacy, consecrated by their sufferings, and sealed 
 with their blood. It will show you, moreover, that in all free 
 countries, and in ours not less than others, tlicre is always dan- 
 ger that patriotism may be merged in faction, and that the peo- 
 ple, forgetting their country in subserviency to party, and still 
 Worse, to men, may become the servile tools of demagogues, 
 and fit instruments of tyranny. And thus it will show you, 
 again, how exceedingly impoi'tant it is, that pai'ty spirit should 
 be ei'adicated from amongst us, and that the citizens of this 
 gi-eat Republic, acting on principle for the public good, sliould 
 disdain to forego their country, cither for the accomj)lisIimcnt 
 of factious objects, or the advancement of ambitious men! 
 
 Such, t!icn, is a faint exhibition of the course of conduct 
 that is indispensable to eminence, or, in other words, of what I 
 conceive to be included in your duties to youi-selves. By jjur- 
 suing this course, you will become well qualified to discharge 
 your duties to your Country! 
 
 On this point, I shall say but little, though it opens a field 
 not less attractive than unbounded. He who faithfully performs 
 liis duty to himself, by the enrichment of his mind with know^- 
 ledge, and his heart with virtue, can scarcely fail in his obli- 
 gations to his country. It may safely be presumed that he 
 would be a good citizen, in the ordinary acceptation of the 
 teim. But passive fidelity is at best but a negative quality. — 
 Your coujitry requires your services, as well as your affections. 
 It is not sufficient that you revere the Constitution; you must 
 support and defend it against all infractions, from whatever 
 quarter they may come, whether from the Federal or State 
 departments of the Government. It is not sufficient that you 
 Iy',e the Union; you must enlist as soldiers, under its holy 
 
25 
 
 ban'i>er, whenevor any enemy shall attempt to umlermiue it* 
 foundatiyn.s, or to batter down its walls. In a word, it is not 
 sufiicient to obey the laws, or approve the in°4itution3, utidcp 
 which you live; they must be actively sustaisied a;ul advocated, 
 whenever their auUiority sliall be assailed by violence, or their 
 existence endangered by illegal combinatioiis. And, that you 
 Diay sustain them properly, make yourselves thoroughly con- 
 versant with the true character, and legitimate functions, of our 
 federative system. Examine it well, in all its hearings ami 
 relations. Ascertain the jmrposcs for which it was made, tho 
 extent of the powers conferred upon it, and of those reserved 
 to the individual States. You will then comprehend it, in all 
 its harmony and beauty. You will then sec independent sove- 
 reignties, exercising, jointly, certain common powers for their 
 common good, reciprocally securing the rights and liberties of 
 all the parties to the compact, and exercising separately th© 
 ■whole residuary mass of undelegated power. There is no other 
 government like this. The woild has produced no parallel. 
 It may have defects, but they are spots in the sun, almost invi« 
 9ible in its radiance, and not worth the trouble of detection. — 
 Whatever, therefore, may be the defects of the system, or the 
 errors or abuses of authority under it, let nothing strike at the 
 existence of the government itself. Defects may be remedied, 
 abuses corrected, all minor evils may be eradicated or endured ; 
 but destroy this Union, and who can rebuild it ? Dismember 
 these confederated States, and who can save them from irrepa- 
 rable ruin? Extinguish the light of this Republic, that now 
 guides the efforts and animates the hopes of suffering huma- 
 nity, in other portions of the globe, and *' where's the Prome- 
 thean heat that can this light relume** ? Bear with me, gentle- 
 men, in the expression of these sentiments. Be assured it i.i 
 not superfluous or unnecessary. The language of disunion has 
 become too common. Time was, when, like the first approach 
 of vice, it excited horror: hut, like vice, familiarity has not only 
 diminished its offensivencss, but even rendered it, to a certain 
 extent, an object of desir». In the youth of our country, how- 
 ever, is our country's hope. On you will dej>end, matorially^ 
 
 B 
 
i)\e perjietuity, or downfall, of tliia glorious fabric. Chen.shj 
 then, an ardent der(5tlon to our happy forms of government^ 
 both State and Fcdeval. Sustain the States, to the full extent 
 of their reserved authorities, and restrain the Federal Legisla- 
 ture within its constitutional sphere. But cultivate, also, an 
 expanded patriotrsm, and a generous attachment to evenj por- 
 tion of the Union. Never suffer your country to be sacrificed 
 to faction, nor your judgment to be blinded by local prejudices, 
 f)ut, rising above all sectional and cantractcd views, remember 
 that you are American citizens, as wefl as citiEeiis of States, 
 and that he wtio is false to our common country, can never be 
 faithful to his native State. And remember, moreover, that 
 while wc live under a system of political equality, wc also pro- 
 fess to live under a government of laws. We boast of the capa- 
 city of man to govern himself. We profess to uphold the ma* 
 jesty of the laws, to revere the sanctity of justice, and to act 
 on the principle that a man is presumed to be innocent, until 
 he has been proved to be guilty. Events, however, have re- 
 cently occurred, setting all these principles at defiance, tramp- 
 ling on the institutions of justice, and threatening to uproot 
 the foundations of civil society itself. The spirit of n>obocracy 
 has crossed the Atlantic, and burst forth, in this lancl of hiw» 
 til all its hideous deformity, and atrocious violence. Property 
 is destroyed, cruelty inflicted, and even life itself is taken, not 
 merely on suspicion, but often in cases where it is known that 
 no guilt exists. Now, unless this lawless si>irit is arrested, it 
 will necessarily befon»e more freqnent in occurrence, and more 
 violent in action. No man*s life arproperty wiH be safe, who- 
 happens to be enrolled on the list of the proscribed. Anarchy 
 \\ill usurp the place of law, and our country will become the 
 theatre of many a bloody and disgraceful scene, in which not 
 only every act of violence will be an outrage on society, but \n 
 which, from the very nature of the case, the innocen^t rn'tW bo 
 punished indiscmmtnately with the guilty. And, akin to this 
 spirit of illegal violence, is that revolting doctrine that wouhl 
 array the poor against the ricli, as opposite and hostile classes^ 
 and that labors to introduces community of propertip, under clio 
 
27 
 
 specious appellation of an equality of rights. History afforcfa! 
 many warning cxauiplcs of its baleful fruits. In tiie Grecian 
 Commonwealths, contests frequently arose from the inequality 
 of property, and whenever the poor prevailed, they expelled the 
 I'ich, and tooiv possession of their Vvcalth. Similar contests 
 occurred in Rome, and produced the passage of Agrarian laws. 
 This same d(»ctrin<3 was interwoven with the French Revolu- 
 tion, and caused many of the horrors of that menioi-able drama. 
 And HOW we have it in America, It is true that it has been 
 hitherto confined to the more populous cities of the North, and 
 that, from the peculiar organization of Southern society, and 
 particularly from the institution of domestic slavery, it can 
 scarcely be said to have gained a foothold in the region of tho 
 South. But, like t!ic spirit of mobocracy, it is contagious in 
 its character, and therefore cannot be too solemnly deprecated, 
 or too earnestly resisted. If not checked at the North, it may 
 spread to the South, and, wherever it apjjcars, it is destined, 
 sooner or later, to produce a convulsion of all the elements of 
 civil society, to which nothing can be compared but the tremen- 
 dous eruption of a burning mountain. He, therefore, who as- 
 pires to the title of a patriot, should be the uncompromising 
 oj)ponent of eveiy doctrine and every practice, no matter how 
 glossed by specious pretexts, or artfully urged foi' the public 
 good, of which the tendency is to substitute lawless violence for 
 the established forms of justice, or to produce a conflict be- 
 tween different portions of the people, whicii insidious agitators- 
 may produce, but which, wlvcn once begun, no^ human power o? 
 Avisdom can control. And here, permit me to remind you, th.it 
 as Consolidation and Disunion are the two extremes of our 
 political system, and its equilibrium can only be maintained by 
 averting both, so both can only be averted bij a strict observance 
 of the Constitution, and by causing the goverimient to be admin- 
 istered with impartiality and kindness as regards the States. 
 And let liie warn you also, to beware of the excesses of party 
 spirit. Doubtless it may be necessary to a certain extent, in 
 a government like ours. The vigilance of a minority may ba 
 highly important in restraining abuses by a dominant majority; 
 
and the collision of intellect and the excitement of conflict, may 
 be eqisally important in kindling and spreading the fire of free- 
 dom, seeing tliat any thing, no matter what, the constant con- 
 tention of party, or the ntmost licentiousiiess of liherty, arc far 
 preferable to that miserable apathy which is political death, 
 or to that general servility which is the bane of a Rcpnblic, and 
 tl'.e stepping stone to monarchy. But tliere is a medium in 
 this, as in every thing else; and, as party is but too apt to de- 
 generate into faction, and principles to be forgotten in devotion 
 to men, so a true patriot, looking honestly and steadily to his 
 country's good, N\ill neither bow servilely to t!ie dictation of 
 power on the one liaiu', nor siuTor liimself to be governed by a 
 reckless spirit of indiscriminating opposition on the other.— 
 Ami, while you act upon these high and expanded piinciples in 
 politics, as I trust you will, let not the ^"cat caiise of general 
 education be forgotten. 1 shall offer no argument to prove tho 
 intimate connection between Intclligcucc and Freedom. None 
 but an educated people can be virtuous, and nothing but public 
 virtue can preserve our republican institutions in tlicir purity. 
 And, in connection with popular enlightenment, without 
 which every thing else is vain, it will be not the least of your 
 obligations, as citizens, to promote to the utmost of your ability 
 nnd i!)flt!cncc all liberal and pnblic-spiriled enterprises, which 
 have for their object the advancement of our country in intel- 
 lectual, moral, or pliysica! strength, or are calculated to give 
 us a name amongst the nations, and to knit us togetlicr in unity 
 as a ])olitical family at home. Such are some of the duties 
 which you owe your country. I come now to speak of tliose 
 that you owe to Goil! 
 
 These may all be comprised in a single word. They are, 
 to acqtiire personal piety fur yotirselvcs, and to honour and 
 suRtain the Christiati Religion, and all the institutions a)id ope- 
 rations connected witli it. Of all the enemies of the human 
 race, he is the greatest, who, in a country like ours, would 
 disseminntc the poison of infidelity, and destroy at onrc tho 
 i>ai)liiiiess of iu<ii\i«hials, aiul tlie very fiujudation of our (tov- ,>* 
 wntnieiit. Christianity is the i-otk o« 'Aliicli they stawd, and, * 
 
5^ 
 
 ■without wliich there would bo no hope for either. Extinguish 
 t'lau J^iul as the extinction of the natural sun would produce 
 universal desolation, so tlie moral world would be wrapt in 
 diukncss. Abolish that, and the vail of our political templo 
 "i^otild be rent, and the people would be driven into despotism, 
 as the only refuge from their own excesses. Disdain the idea 
 that R,eligion is an evidence of mental imbecility. That can- 
 not be weakness, which proceeds from the fountain of infinita 
 wisdom. That cannot be weakness, to whicli we are in- 
 dcLted for ti»e purest system of morality, tiie most sacred 
 priMCi[>les of justice, and for all that is precious in the rights 
 of man. Examine the history of your own country, and you 
 win find, tiiat, generally intelligent as our people are, there is 
 at least an equal amount of learning in those devoted to Reli- 
 gion, as in any other class. Consult the annals of the Chris- 
 tian world, from the Christian JEra down, and you will find, 
 that in every age and country, literature and science have been 
 more extensively cultivated, and more essentially advanced, 
 Ly ministers and professors of Christianity, than by any other 
 portion of society whatever. He, then, who rejects the hope 
 set before him in the Gospel, from the miserable fear tliat, by 
 embracing it, he may be subjected to the imputation of mental 
 svcakncss or superstitious folly, not only exhibits gross igno- 
 rance of Christianity itself, but of the host oi literati thathave^^ 
 been and arc enlisted in its service. There is, indeed, no ob- 
 ject more pure, or elevated, or eimobllng, to which human in- 
 tellect and eloquence can be applied, than in inculcatiug the 
 obligations, and exhibiting the advantages of the Christian 
 Religion. Sullcr me, then, to entreat you to consider its im- 
 portance to yourselves, your country, and tiie world. Realize 
 the great trulii, that without personal piety, you can have no 
 solid happiness oh earth, and no hope of felicity hereafter.— 
 Realize the great truth, also, that the genius of Christianity 
 is the source from which we derive all that we are, and all that 
 we have, as a free, enlightened, and happy people, and that, 
 Mifnout its pure and elevating influence, we should iiftT« been 
 iiivolvcd in all the darkness anil degradation of sujjerstitio!!. 
 
50 
 
 ignorance and viee. Realize these great trutlis, and you caiT- 
 not fail to be impressed with the imperious corresponding ebli- 
 gations that rest upon you, to love and honor God, and to ex- 
 ert all your energies in sustaining and diffusing the institutions 
 of the Gospel, Go, tlicn, Gentlemen, into the untried woidd 
 that lies before you. I have already shown that it is not a 
 field in which you will have only to recline by gurgling streams, 
 or muse in shady groves, or regale your senses v.ith fruits and 
 flowers, but that it is a theatre of action, in whicii t!ie prizo 
 »f honor can only be attained by a rare combination of intcN 
 lect and eloquence, of industry and virtue. Put on the ar- 
 mour, then, that is best ada])ted for the conflict. How lionor- 
 abte will it be to yourselves, to attain distinction as the just 
 reward of superior merit! How gratifying will it be to your 
 revered Preceptoi»s, and all your relatives, to witness your ca- 
 reer, as orators and scholars, from one iK>int of elevation to 
 another, and to know that eacii ascending step is the evidenc* 
 and the effect of a corresponding growth, on your part, in atl 
 the elements that enter into the composition of human great- 
 ness! Go then, Gentlemen, and carry witli you the princi- 
 ples I have endeavored to delineate. Determine to excel in 
 all noble arts and qualities. Cultivate an ardent love of libei** 
 ty, and a deep and abiding attachment to the excellent Gov- 
 cmmtent under which we live. Above all, determine to b« 
 Christians — always remembering, that he only is a real pa- 
 triot, who serves his country in the fear of God ; that he only 
 is truly rich, who enjoys the friendship of his Saviour; and 
 that all earthly honors arc worse than nothing, when compared 
 with the honor that comcth from on high. And now. Farewell. 
 Pursue the course recommended, and every rational aspiration 
 ■will be fully gratified. You will go through life witii useful- 
 ness and honor, popular admiration will crown you with un- 
 dying fame, nnd a grateful country will venerate your memo- 
 ries ! 
 
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