 
Some boys console themselves for their want of energy in study by the fact that Patrick Henry, for instance, was a very poor student at school, or that Byron, or some other illustrious character was the poorest member of his class at College. They have the presumption to imagine that, because they follow in school the example of Henry and Byron, they will be as renowned in after life as an inevitable sequence. They dream of doing great things bye and bye, but are very indifferent about the present little things, which are the essentials of greatness. Such boys forget to compare what Patrick Henry was, with what he might have been, had he diligently applied himself at school. Therefore it is no wonder that in after life they realize their mistake and exclaim farewell, a long farewell to all my anticipated greatness! That old bigot Berkley, governor of the colony of Virginia, once said, “I thank God that there are no free schools, nor printing-presses, and I hope we shall not have them these hundred years!!” It was thought that this sentiment had long ago been eradicated from the minds of the American people, especially of the higher classes, but it is a sad fact that a few weeks ago an expression of like import was uttered even within the halls of the United States Senate. Now, two centuries after Berkley, a United States Senator says that, were he called upon to frame a title for the Blair Educational Bill, he would call it an act to erect a monument to Alexander Hamilton, and to encourage mendicancy in the South. Such a sentiment as this needs no comment, for every man who is a true patriot and has ever been outside of his own county will condemn the Senator’s remarks upon him who first “smote the rock of national resources and abundant streams of revenue gushed forth, who touched the corpse of public credit and it sprang upon its feet.” The primary object of a collegiate education should not be to educate for the sole purpose of making money, but to educate for education’s sake. The statement can be made, without too much self-laudation, that many Southern boys give evidences of great original ability while at college, but just as soon as they complete the course, too many think only of making money, and therefore entirely neglect literary work. Never can the South boast of a golden age of literature, nor can she furnish her own text-books, until this mistaken idea of education is driven out by the substitution of one which will give us a higher standard of refinement, and make us independent so far as poetry, history, fiction and text-books are concerned. People cannot do without news, and therefore newspapers are necessary. Furthermore, if their object be improvement in literary attainments, they exert an indispensable influence for good. They unite the people more closely, and have a great tendency to prevent sectionalism. But in our modern newspapers there is too much of the sensational and of the worthless. There is a continual contest between some papers to see which one can give the best account of the most brutal murders. In addition to this, every little thing, of no importance whatever, must be noticed, and therefore it takes up the space which should be occupied by good solid reading. Zeb. Vance can’t have a photograph taken, nor can President Cleveland wear a plug hat without its being mentioned in some newspaper. Wake Forest has sustained a great loss by the death of Prof. J. R. Duggan. It is sad to see one so young and at the same time so promising and so devoted to his profession, taken from the field of scientific investigation. The President of his alma mater said that he never missed a college duty. This is a compliment which indeed only a very few boys ever win. Punctuality is just as essential to success as a knowledge of text-books. Had morning prayers no other object than to get boys to conform to systematic habits, they could not be abolished without detriment to the scholars. For the boy who learns to be punctual at school will be so in life. Many young men who read of the eccentricities and vices of men of genius at once try to become eccentric by practicing the same vices. Some who have morbidly sensitive dispositions, imagine that they are exactly like Edgar Allan Poe, and determine to become poets. They let their hair grow long, assume a dreamy expression of face, write poetry that is enough to exasperate any man of sense, and because every body does not go into ecstacy over their literary performances, talk about how inappreciative the world has always been of the first efforts of genius. These same young men will practice the vices of Goldsmith, Byron, Poe, and other great geniuses of the past, and imagine that it is conclusive proof of the fact that mentally they are like these great men. Some are always trying to say something witty in a brusque way, because that was the way Dr. Johnson did. Others imagine that they can never become lawyers or politicians unless they get drunk occasionally. They say that Sheridan, Webster, Prentiss, and other great orators drank freely. It is a lamentable fact that a large number of the young men of the present day who intend to enter the ministry seem to think it necessary to be able to speak in a drawling, sanctimonious tone, until this method of talking has been denominated the “clerical whine.” There is no reason why a preacher should speak in the pulpit with an entirely different voice from that which he employs on other occasions. The truth of it is, some young preachers hear a man who has a big reputation as a preacher speak with the nasal twang, and straightway fancy that they can never become good preachers unless they can speak in the same way. Other young preachers try to imitate Sam Jones, or some other popular preacher, especially their eccentricities. The world makes allowances for the eccentricities and vices of genius, but never countenances them in mediocrity. The young man who thus tries to ape other men, not only loses the respect of others, but soon loses his own self respect. Individuality is a characteristic of genius, so that a young man who tries to imitate others proves by his actions that he is devoid of real ability, and makes himself contemptible in the eyes of sensible people. Every young man should determine to preserve his identity, and have the stamp of individuality upon all his actions, and he will then at least command respect, if he does not become distinguished as an eccentric genius. It is to be feared that stump speaking, in its highest and best sense, is becoming a thing of the past. People no longer delight to hear the great political questions of the day discussed in a sound, sensible manner on the stump, but seem to have a morbid appetite for smutty jokes and low buffoonery. The man who can tell the most anecdotes is the man for the office. It is a shame for the citizens of a State to applaud the vulgar jokes of men running for high offices. Such men deserve to be frowned upon with the virtuous indignation and contempt of every true citizen. It matters not how well they may tell their jokes, yet they are corrupters of the morals of the young who hear them, and do injury to the State in which they live, just in proportion to their talent and influence. Why is it that we so rarely have discussions now to which ladies can listen? Why is it that we do not have canvasses like that of Prentiss in Mississippi years ago, when he stumped the State for Congress, and the ladies turned out to hear the famous orator? Such stump speeches as those made by Douglas and Lincoln in Illinois, and Gov. Wise in Virginia, in which these great men discussed the political issues of the country in a statesman-like way? Why was President Garfield abused so outrageously by the stump speakers of opposite political faith to him, and a few months afterwards, when he was assassinated, lauded to the skies by the same men? Stump speaking in these latter times seems to have been assigned, in the main, to the lowest demagogues in each party, who see how much mud they can throw at each other, and how many vile jokes and political lies they can tell. The students of Trinity have in the past had the reputation throughout the State of being good speakers. They should determine to maintain this reputation. The way to do this is for them to take an interest in Society work. Society training is an invaluable part of every young man’s college education. No student should fail to improve the opportunities offered to him in this line. There is nothing that should be more congenial to a student who has any ambition than a good literary society—a society where he can learn to express himself with ease and fluency, with grammatical correctness, and rhetorical finish, where he can learn to clothe his thought in appropriate language, where he can cultivate his imaginative and reasoning powers. Some students seem to think that because they gave not the rhythmic flow of language of a Cicero, the information of a Burke, or the wit sarcasm and fluency of a John Randolph, that it is useless for them ever to try to become speakers. They seem to forget that no man can be a grand success right at the start, and that persistent effort is required to succeed at anything. Those who have no natural talent for speaking should be encouraged when they think of Demosthenes and other great orators, who possessed little natural powers of oratory. Let every student, at the beginning of this new year, take more interest in society work, and strive to become at least a moderately good speaker. |
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