University of South Carolina Libraries
ADDRESS ? " r< Delivered by Associate Justice'Eugene B. Gary, Before the! South Carolina College" and the Alumni Associa- tl tion'of the College, 12th June, 1895. o c Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlemen : When the highly appreciated invitations were extended p 1 T 1 ? - 1 -s J 4-.1 1 ttnw 4-U a o /I _ I P notifying me mat i naa Deen sueticu iu ucuvci mc ~ dress on the part of the Senior Alumni of the College, on a the occasion of the Association's Anniversary during com- c mencement week, and that I had also been selected to ti deliver the address before the' College during its commence- o ment exercises now in progress I was afraid that official duties would not permit me to avail myself of the honor C and pleasure of appearing before you at this time, and if I had simply regarded the honor and pleasure which I would derive from being the orator on this occasion, a S sense of duty would have caused me to forego them. o But, reflecting that my words at this time, teeble as a they will be, might put in motion forces that would tend o to benefit our Alma Mater, it seemed to me that an ac- p ceptance of the invitations was a response to the call of ' duty, and, may the time never come, when her voice will tl not be hearkened unto and obeyed by me. c I recalled that some of the most important historical events have been brought about bv forces set in motion by n unimportant circumstances. . o The tripod which crowns the monument in these grounds, erected to the memory of Dr. Maxcy, the first President of the College, is a striking illustration of this fact: h After some fishermen of Miletus had cast their nets t] into the sea, they made a sale of the anticipated draught " to some bystanders. f3 When the nets were drawn, it was found that they con- ^ tained a golden tripod, which the fishermen refused to fj give to the purchasers of the draught, alleging that they had only sold the fish, which the nets might enclose. t] ' 3 After disputing for sometime the fishermen and pur- ' chasers of the draught agreed to refer the matter to the citizens of Miletus, who finding it difficult to decide the question, sent to consult the oracle at Delphi.. The oracle adjudged that the tripod should be presented -to the wisest man that could be found. Whereupon they offered it to their fellow-citizen Thales, but his mod* 5 Vinnor and he sent esty causeu mm iu ucwmt mv. ?7 ? it to Bias of Priene, who likewise refused to accept the honorable gift and sent it to another. It passed successively through the hands of all the in- tj dividuals subsequently classed as the Seven Wise Men. a The tripod was then consecrated to Apollo, and de- n posited in the temple of Delphi, from which time it has a been emblematic of wisdom. We meet today as a band of brothers, but judging from the preparations now being made for admitting young t< ladies into the full curriculum of the College, we may a soon have sisters as alumna of our Alma Mater. Woman is certainly making strides in the new fields tl opening before her. a Under certain Acts of the Legislature recently passea, the Supreme Court of this State has decided that women ci had the right to vote in certain elections relating to the te taxation of their property. The power of woman has been appreciated in every " age, and was a conspicuous subject in the memorable debate reported in the Book of Esdras : " After those who were invited to the great feast of Darius had eaten and departed, three young men of the guard debated as to what was strongest. The first said wine is the strongest; the second said the King is the ^ strongest ; and the third said women are strongest, but above all things truth beareth away the victory. After r each had assigned the reasons for his opinion, the victory u< was decided in favor of the third guardsman. Who knows but that from this College will yet go ;r forth women as illustrious as Boadicea Semirimis, or Joan j of Arc. Let us, at least, live in hope. As we meet today the thoughts of each and every one j of us involuntarily recur to the past history of the College, ^ upon which however, it is not our intention at this time bi to dwell. la The history of the College written by the painstaking ^ Dr. LaBorde ; the beautiful and instructive address made _ by Dr. Joseph Daniel Pope at the request of the Law tc Association of the College; and the classical address of the a gifted and versatile Gen. Youmans before the Alumni Association of the College, as well as other literature upon this subject, render it unnecessary that we should do so. Who of us can forget the feelings that came over him 0] when first beholding these classic grounds, with beautiful fv trpps prassv lawns, and imposing buildings ? d The old class-rooms and the professors rise up before " the mind's eye, and recall the halcyon days of youth. jr We remember the work of perhaps some mischievous student who wrote over the door of the room in which b > the examinations were held the quotation from Dante : n' "All hope abandon ye who enter here." . rr The old well with its crystal waters is not forgotten, and recalls to our mind the almost matchless piece of tl word-painting by Hawthorne in his description of the w Town Pump, which he concludes as follows, and which ir seems to indicate that he did not think a pretty girl was averse to using water as a looking glass : tj "Here comes a pretty girl of my acquaintance with a p large stone-pitcher for me to fill. May she draw a hus- ti band while drawing her water as Rachel did of old. Hold out your vessel, my dear?there it is full to the brim. So n now run home peeping at your sweet image in the pitcher ri as you go, and forget not in a glass of mv own liquor to it, drink success to the Town Pump." u ... t? We must not fail to mention the magnificent old libra- w ry with its alcoves, where we loved to linger with our tc sweet hearts; and perhaps, if those alcoves could speak, tl - - - .1 TV they would tell that the students did not confine tnem- * selves in their discourse to the beauties of literature, nor the love of books. * We turn from this to a sadder picture which we can not pass unnoticed. e< ai The poet has well said : c. fl "We look before and after. 0 And pine for what is not; , Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; b Our sweetest songs are those That tell of saddest thought." a a: When the State during the late war called upon her P sons to take up arms in her defense, not only did the call 0 receive a response from the men in every part of the I tate, but many of those who were here as students left ei tie classroom for the tented field?many of them never to ti eturn again. They were brave, manly, true and honorable, and in he death of those whose life-blood crimsoned the3 sands li; f the battlefields, South Carolina sustained a loss which an not be repaired. bi During the war between France and Austria, a brave rivate in the Austrian ranks was killed while bearing the al olors of his company to the front; years after there was qi re-union of the survivors of the company, the roll was ailed, and when the name of this brave private was men- fl ioned the old sergeant stepped forward and said, "Died b; n the field of Glory." 01 So, my friends if the roll was called of the College u ladets the sad response would but too frequently be made -"Died on the field of Glory." c< In honor of their brave deeds along with other true fc iouth Carolinians who died for their country the women f Columbia have erected within the State-House grounds a: beautiful monument, which is not only commemorative oJ f the dead soldier, but of woman's love, devotion and w atriotism. u: The ravages of war and the incendiary destruction of lis beautiful city caused the doors of the College to be L losed for awhile. s? The places where, once stood magnificent houses, were tc larked by ashes and the chimneys, like so many sentinels tc n duty. m We are reminded of the words: lc "A land without ruins is a land without memories?a ind without memories is a land without history; a land gi lat wears a laurel crown may be fair to see, but twine a ta iw sad cypress leaves around the brow of any land, and e that land barren, beautiless and bleak, it becomes love f in lis tUUbCCIcllCU LUIUI1CI aunun, any* i?. ...~ ympathy of the heart, and of history?crowns of roses ide?crowns of thorns endure. "Calvaries and crucifixions take deepest hold of humani/?the triumphs of might are transient?they pass and re forgotten?the sufferings of right are graven deepest ^ n the chronicles of nations." ' Father Ryan the illustrious pqet then says: a "Yes, give me a land with a grave in each root, b! And names in the graves that shall not be forgot. Yes, give me the land of the wreck and the tomb, There is grandeur in graves there is glory in gloom. For out of the gloom future brightness is born n' As after the night comes the sunrise of mom. fc And the graves of the dead, with the names overgrown May yet form the footstool of liberty's throne, And each single wreck in the war path of might b Shall yet be a rock in the temple of right." aj The people of this city with a commendable zeal, after ^ le termination of hostilities, repaired their waste places, p nd rebuilt the city; and though there are not many signs e, ow remaining of the terrible conflagration, the memories a re still fresh with us, and can not be forgotten. We turn from the past. We shall endeavor to take advantage of this occasion j' 3 offer some suggestions why the College should receive a liberal support from the State. ir Let us here call attention to the error on the part of h' lose who suppose that colleges only benefit those who ? re educated at them. " A government can not rise higher than the individual w itizenship composing it and it therefore has a direct in- c? irest in the education of its citizens. a The colleges are recruited from the common-schools, ut interest in the common schools is to a great extent w ept alive by the graduates of the college, when they relrn to their homes. 3,{ The common schools act upon the college, and the colge re-acts upon the common schools. Education is not governed by the laws of supply and emand, but the more we have the more we desire. The education of every man and woman acts either di- " sctly or indirectlv as an incentive to others to get an ednation. ? at Dr. Thornwell once the loved President of this College, w i an open letter to Governor Manning uses this forcible ;nguage: tl "But then the important point is, and it is a point which w Light never to be forgotten, though it is systematically overtoked by those who are accustomed to decry the College, tl lat these benefits are imparted, not for the sake of the few, tc Lit for the interest of the many?the good of the State at rge. Those who are educated are educated not for them;lves, but for the advantage of the Commonwealth as a whole. tc very scholar is regarded as a blessing?a great public benefit ni -and for the sake of the general influence that he is qualified v< ) exert, the State makes provision for his training. It is be- rj luse the 'proper education of youth contributes greatly to le prosperity of society,' that it 'ought to be an object of' gislativc attention.' The many, therefore, are not taxed T >r the few but the few are trained for exalted usefulness and ttensive good to the many. If the legislature had-in view nly the interest of those who are educated, and expended its ^ mds in reference to their good considered simply as indivi- in nalc thprp wnnlH hp 111st around of comnlaint : but when it is m ;ally aiming at the prosperity of the whole community, and y( ses these individuals as a means to that end, there is noth- c< ig limited or partial in its measures. ?( "It is great weakness to suppose that nothing can contriute to the general good, the immediate ends of which are 8( ot realized in the case of every individual. Are lighthouses ^ instructed only for the safety of the benighted mariner who A lay be actually guided by their lamps, or are they raised for T le security of navigation, the interest of commerce, and, irough these, the interest of society at large ? There is no P1 ay of evading the force of this argument but by flatly deny- Je ig that an educated class is a public good. If there are any P' mong us who are prepared to take this ground, and to bejme open advocates of barbarism, I have nothing to say to ^ lem ; but for the sake of those who may be seduced by so- ^ histry which they cannot disentangle, I offer a few reflec- Je ons. in "In the first place the educated men in every commu- m ity are the real elements of steady and consistent prog>ss. They are generally in advance of their generation ; tl] %/it descends from them to their inferiors, and by a grad- f1 al and imperceptible influence emanating from the soli- in iry speculations, it may be of their secret hours, the ^ hole texture of society is modified, a wider scope is given in ) its views and a loftier end to its measnres. They are P( le men who sustain and carry forward the complicated lovements of a refined civilization?the real authors of hanges which constitute epochs in the social elevation of w ic race. P( * * * * * * * * * * tl< " In the next place, it should not be omitted that general ducation is the true source of the elevation of the masses, _ nd of the demand for popular instruction. Every eduated man is a centre of light, and (his example and in- 01 uence create the consciousness of ignorance and the sense se f need, from which elementary schools have sprung. De- jn ;ctive culture is never conscious of itself until it is rought into contact with superior power. There may be conviction of ignorance in reference to special things, ie nd a desire of knowledge as the means of accompishing th articular ends ; but the need of intellectual improvement ty n its own account never is awakened spontaneously." th g? Not onlv is the necessity for education greater than i :er before, but the necessity is greater for higher educa- was on. res; Before the war our wealth consisted chiefly in slaves. uni C6E We were an agricultural people, and our manner of anc fe was different from .that of our Northern brother. but We lived almost exclusively to ourselves, and mingled tun Lit little with the outside world. anc Events happening outside the limits of our State did not feet us to the same extent as they now do. In the last wil uarter of a century great changes have taken place. cla The progress which has been made by the potent inuences of steam, electricity and mechanical inventions, thr ** -** ---*1.1-. a???? r*V? K/>fp onrl 1 ring our section in competition wnn um ucignuuio, ?nv. Ieg nr success in competing with other sections will depend pon the advancement we make in education. doi We can no longer sit idly awaiting to spend our injmes in affluence and luxurious ease. It is now a fight Wi >r bread. We are truly in the midst of revolutions. The theories the id habits of the past, are fast giving way to a new order It E things. New life has been infused into the scientific orld. If a man fifty years ago had penned a picture of the s flying through the country at a lightning speed of more lan sixty miles an hour, of sailing from New York to am iverpool in less than a week's time, of sending a mesige to any part of the world in less time thah it takes > tell of it, of talking with persons in a conversational >ne hundreds of miles away, and listening to the sweet lusic of the opera quietly sitting at a distance in our par- am ?rs, of bottling up a speech or a song, and reproducing pi* at any distance of time, he would indeed, have been re- m' arded as a romancer, with as little foundation for his ilp- as the author of Aladin with his wonderful lamp. Who would have dreamt fifty years ago of composing th< le couplet: Sti "With steeds of steam and wheels of fire, We go a speed that's frightening. err We send our letters on a wire, sei And dip our pens in lightning." , There is no more potent factor in South Carolina for ch; ringing about this advancement in education than the ^ac outh Carolina College, and we quote the following from ^ message of Governor Hammond to the General Assemly touching this subject: otl " The first duty of a government after providing for the u? ecessities of its constituents is to take proper measures >r their education. , " The benefits they derive from facilitating commerce, , y digging canals, clearing out rivers, constructing roads . id opening new.channels of intercourse are great, but ' ley sink into insignificance in comparison with the im- SC1 ortance of pouring out upon them in every direction co- EV ious streams of knowledge, expanding their intellects, elbating and purifying their morals and training them up to ,ni high and noble caste of thought. " Under a government like ours where no aristocracy tolerated or ever can take root, the only hope we can ave of the homogeneous action or lasting duration of our an( istitutions, is by resting them on the solid foundation of people imbued with lofty sentiments and deeply versed i all the lore of learning who will be capable of compreending all the blessings they confer, watchful of distant anger and prompt to meet and overcome it, not less by ower of intellect, than by force of arms. " Every dollar which can be spared from the absolute ants of the State, should be first offered to this great up i?eo inrleeH. n liheral exnenditure enriches, while i.:_ t I" "" * LIU narrow economy impoverishes and degrades. " Another error on the part of some to which we likeise desire to call attention is in supposing that the raount annually appropriated, is lost to the State, except ; she may derive a benefit from the education of her in 3Uth. . 001 It may well be questioned whether the State would not >se more in dollars and cents by failing to make the apropriation than the amount thereof. . by The money which the students spend here, would in br< reat part, be expended at other colleges, and the students ^ t the college, who do not live within the State, of course, ^ ' ould not come here t6 spend their money. do If we do not sustain a college within our State, where By ie, students have the finest advantage for an education, ma e may expect them to go elsewhere to be educated. &u Many of them, perhaps, would be influenced to make pg leir homes elsewhere, and this would certainly be a loss sc} > the State. " If our State does not present college advantages equal wo > those of other States, we will have to depend, in a easure, upon the scientific knowledge of outsiders to de- 0n ;lop our resources, and much of our wealth may be cared to other lands. cai The following extract from an address of Col. S. W. ^a( rotti, delivered before the war, is in point: " The State annually spends some fifteen or twenty &ai lousand dollars on the College." This amount is laid out i the State, employs labor in the State, and forever re- A ains in the State. In addition to this, the College brings Dung men into the State, who otherwise would not have mo )me, and who spend their money here, in acquiring an iucation. Suppose we had no College at all: these two undred young men, now at College in Columbia, would 3 out of the State to receive an education, and carry with a s lem some ninety thousand dollars annually, to pay for it. . pretty considerable figure, on the wrong side of an account. IS he economv which would withhold a few thousand dollars om active employment in the State, and annually drive inety thousand entirely out of it, never to return, rather subcts itself to the imputation of being 'penny wise and u Dund foolish.' Nor can anything be more erroneous than stai lat Colleges only benefit those who are educated at them, ducation does much to promote the general prosperity of 3 le country ; and however poor a man may be, he is more or ss benefited by the prosperity around him. Every man is ma terested in the preservation of order, and education prootes that. But above all, every well educated man is more t0 * less a teacher, and exercises an influence on others, some- mo mes for evil, it is true, but much oftener for good. It is his roy lowledge which enables him to defend the rights of the or iured, or heal the diseases of the suffering. It is his science anc^ hich points out the resources of the State, or it is his learng which aids his divine mission in the glorious work of gos- win el peace. " . se" There never was a time within the history of our country tior hen so many grave problems confronted the American sho sople, demanding solution, and requiring for such soluan the ablest talent and highest intellectual training. eqU We see a disposition at times to defy law and order. | ducation tends to check this lawless spirit, which sooner cne later gets its just reward. The great necessity for ob- nia^ irving the laws is beautifully illustrated by Lord Bacon his Novum Organum, who says : maj "The merit of learning in remedying the inconven- ^eej nces arising from man to man, is not much inferior to . at of relieving human necessities. This merit was liveli- . ' described by the ancients in the fiction of Orpheus' W1 , eatre, where all the beasts and birds assembled, and for:tting their several appetites stood socially together lis- wor ning to tho harp, whoso sound no sooner ceased,' or leSe ; drowned by a louder, but they .all returned to their ^ pective natures; for, thus men are full of savage and eclaimed desires, which so long as we hearken to pre- , ?? its, laws and religion, sweetly touched with eloquence JriMi 1 persuasion, so long is society and peace maintained ; ; if these instruments become silent and seditious, and ; ' lult drown their music, all things fall back to confusion 1 anarchy." Our sister States have finely equipped Colleges, and we 1 be outstripped in progress, if we do not sustain a first ' y, ss College. I am glad to see the interest in the common schools oughout the State, and also in our denominational coles. I deprecate any sentiment that would endeavor to break tvn any institution of learning at the expense of another. I rejoice that Clemson has been built for the boys, and mtnrop ior me gins. It is a matter of congratulation to the whole State that Jj ! Trustees of Winthrop have selected so able a faculty. makes us feel assured of its success. We need all these schools and colleges, but we need : South Carolina College as the capstone of the arch. The school-room is the battle-ground, where many issues d problems now confronting us will be settled. It is a misfortune for a young man, who expects to ike this State his home, to attend college elsewhere as ig as this College offers equal advantages. Here he cements the friendships of a life-time. . Here he becomes acquainted in early life with those longst whom his lot is to be cast; and here he learns to ice a proper estimate upon the character of those who 11 in a great measure control the destiny of the State. ? The friendships of early days are most lasting. One of the effects of a State institution centrally locat- v v is to make the people homogeneous, and to liberalize y i educational training in the different sections of the ate. The influence of the College is thus exptessed by Gov- ? ior Pierce M. Butler in his message to the General As- , ? nbly: ' > V??r? o iroof mrnr fVio JL ills lllbllLULlUil Iiao CACiv^iotu a vaoi iiiiiuwuvv vvvi wnv. j aracter of the State, and I believe is destined to be its pallium of safety, amidst the popular commotions which too quently agitate all free states. The knowledge acquired d the friendships contracted here will be stronger than pop ir violence. Those who have formed good opinions 6f each " . ler, when they were associated together in the intimacy of reserved communication, will retain and cultivate a spirit , liberality and forgiveness, even in the heats of political stility. Our wise and prudent ancestors could not have vised a more noble and effectual means of perpetuating \ jir glorious influence over the destinies of their country, ? in by the establishment of an institution of literature and ence, under the fostering care of the State, in which their* 2cepts would be valued, and their examples appreciated, lis institution should be a primary object of State policy d popular pride. It is the institution of the people, and the people. It is there they must acquire the intelligence , govern themselves." - : vlsl fhe love which we have for this institution is as strong J d fervent as that expressed in the lines: "The monarch may forget the crown, That on his head so late has been, The bridegroom may forget the bride, Was made his own but yestereen, The mother may forget the bairn, That smiled so sweetly on her knee, But forget thee will I ne'er Gleucairn, And all that thou hast done for me." Brother Alumni, A great responsibility therefore rests * on us to work for this grand old college, and the ques- j n is how to meet it. My answer is, for each and every one of us, to use i individual Influence to let the people in every section | ow the great educational advantages offered by the col- v| Here is an institution of learning thoroughly equipped ?ll I*" /.nnrtJntmunte crminrlc Vipaltfiv Irwaltfv <XLk 113 ayiJUlinuiv-ii^ , o 7 J J mfortable buildings; one of the finest libraries, and )St complete laboratories in the South; a corps of proisors unsurpassed at least in the South; some of torn have justly merited fame and renown not confined '? State lines but extending throughout the length and sadth of the land. A sense of justice impels us to say on this occcasion \ it too much praise can not be bestowed upon the faculand those who co-operated with them in keeping the ors of the college open for the summer-school last year. r this unselfish devotion to the college there was a irked difference in the number of students at the relar term. We are glad to know that this good work is to be re- * -: ated and the college again opened for the summer100I. Those who attend it, we see, do splendid missionary irk for the college. We can not impress too strongly on each and every e of the alumni, the individual responsibility resting on him. The great battle of Arbela was won by Alexander belse his soldiers realized the responsibility resting upon :h and every one of them. Cyrus the younger betrayed the Greeks the secret that if they could destroy the ig and lower the royal standard, they would certainly ' n the victory, for the Asiatics both in ancient and idem times, dispersed when these events happened, ey depended too much on others. The individual exertions of Peter the Hermit put in tion forces that led to the Crusades or Holy Wars. We are not confined, however, in our illustrations to at was done by man. An obscure country girl, the id of Orleans, who had lived in the humble station as ervant at an inn overthrew the power of England. ~'i Her execution was characterized by cruelty and was a grace which time can not efface. Gentlemen of the graduating class, a few words to i of admonition before we close. T 1 J ' ?^ ( liunion nofll YC* fA in_ XI seems tu ue a LiidiiiLiciisu^ ui uuman naiui^ ?? ... ge freely in the giving of advice to those who are just rting out on the road, over which we have travelled. I think it savors somewhat of vanity and therefore II not lay myself liable to this imputation except to a ited extent, especially as extensive advice is apt to ke less impression than a few plain truths. There is an ignis fatuvs called Genius which has lured destruction many bright minds and upon which I adnish you not to rely. Remember that there is no al road to learning and that "Not a truth has to art to science been given. But brows have ached for it I souls toiled and striven." Perhaps the most important step in your lives next to ining the hand of a fair lady as your helpmeet, is the ;ction of your profession. This should be done only after most mature deliberai hni- when the choice has once been made vou uld be very slow to make a change. Let there be a happy union of business and pleasure. Your very pleasures, if properly pursued, will better ip you for work. In fine, preserve you individuality; concentrate your rgies on one profession rather than on several; and j each and every one of you realize your brightest >es. If I have said on this occasion anything that may re* flm rvnnrvlo knf mrvrn ncnPflJlllv i'VlP ollimni Q VC HIV/ L/Ul IllUiV/ ???v. %U??V M per interest in the welfare of the college then my efs will not have been in vain. [t was the custom of Plato to conclude every speech 1 the words: "Carthago est dellenda." Let us in imitation of his zeal, though not of his ds adopt as our motto in behalf of this grand old Coli; "Esto Perpetua,"