8
THE BATTALION.
which cannot be supplied at home. The young man goes to
college fresh from the influences of home life, and the asso
ciations of that sacred place become powerful agencies in
leading him into an honorable and an upright life. The
memory of a mother’s fond caress, a father’s solicitude, a
sister’s farewell kiss, all plead with him to resist the tempta
tions thrown in his way, and entreat him to make honesty
and integrity his abiding faith. Home influences tend rather
to cultivate the moral pare of one’s nature, while the college
adds to these traits a spirit of independence and of individu
ality. The constant associations with bright minds creates
self reliance and the desire to be up and doing. Even the
daily spectacle of these quiet buildings teeming with tradi
tions of past learnings and triumphs, exerts a most potent in
fluence in moulding your characters. The frauds and evils
of politics, and in fact of all enterprises, while in a large meas
ure due to illiteracy and ignorance, are the results mainly of
the failure to establish a firm character in early life. Men
who lack stability—men who are
“Like wax, apply them to the fire
Melting they take the impression you desire ;
Easy to mould and fashion as you please,
And again moulded with an equal ease,”
allow themselves to be persuaded to vote for some man who is
influenced merely by selfish motives and has not the welfare
of others at heart; or they be cunningly enticed in some
venture which results disastrously for all but the one who
instigated the scheme. On the other hand we see men who
occupy the position of reformers who check the evil tenden
cies of the hour and are ever actuated by principles of hon
esty, men who are
“Like melted iron, their forms retain
But once impressed will never melt again.”
Such I hope you may be.
Every institution of learning should foster and encourage
its literary societies as they are very important, ver3 r neces
sary features. The meetings are but miniatures of our great
legislative bodies, and in the halls of the societies you haye
the opportunity to study the policies, tendencies and aims of