speeches-literary & social-第40章

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Harvard　University　is　less　true　to　herself　in　peace　than　she　was　in

war？　　I　ask　you；　who　will　not　recognise　in　her　boat's　crew　the

leaven　of　her　soldiers；　and　who　does　not　feel　that　she　has　now　a

greater　right　than　ever　to　be　proud　of　her　sons；　and　take　these

sons　to　her　breast　when　they　return　with　resounding　acclamations？

It　is　related　of　the　Duke　of　Wellington　that　he　once　told　a　lady

who　foolishly　protested　that　she　would　like　to　see　a　great　victory

that　there　was　only　one　thing　worse　than　a　great　victory；　and　that

was　a　great　defeat。



But；　gentlemen；　there　is　another　sense　in　which　to　use　the　term　a

great　defeat。　　Such　is　the　defeat　of　a　handful　of　daring　fellows

who　make　a　preliminary　dash　of　three　or　four　thousand　stormy　miles

to　meet　great　conquerors　on　their　own　domain　…　who　do　not　want　the

stimulus　of　friends　and　home；　but　who　sufficiently　hear　and　feel

their　own　dear　land　in　the　shouts　and　cheers　of　another　…　and　who

strive　to　the　last　with　a　desperate　tenacity　that　makes　the　beating

of　them　a　new　feather　in　the　proudest　cap。　　Gentlemen；　you　agree

with　me　that　such　a　defeat　is　a　great；　noble　part　of　a　manly；

wholesome　action；　and　I　say　that　it　is　in　the　essence　and　life…

blood　of　such　a　defeat　to　become　at　last　sure　victory。



Now；　gentlemen；　you　know　perfectly　well　the　toast　I　am　going　to

propose；　and　you　know　equally　well　that　in　thus　glancing　first

towards　our　friends　of　the　white　stripes；　I　merely　anticipate　and

respond　to　the　instinctive　courtesy　of　Oxford　towards　our　brothers

from　a　distance　…　a　courtesy　extending；　I　hope；　and　I　do　not　doubt；

to　any　imaginable　limits　except　allowing　them　to　take　the　first

place　in　last　Friday's　match；　if　they　could　by　any　human　and

honourable　means　be　kept　in　the　second。　　I　will　not　avail　myself　of

the　opportunity　provided　for　me　by　the　absence　of　the　greater　part

of　the　Oxford　crew　…　indeed；　of　all　but　one；　and　that；　its　most

modest　and　devoted　member　…　I　will　not　avail　myself　of　the　golden

opportunity　considerately　provided　for　me　to　say　a　great　deal　in

honour　of　the　Oxford　crew。　　I　know　that　the　gentleman　who　attends

here　attends　under　unusual　anxieties　and　difficulties；　and　that　if

he　were　less　in　earnest　his　filial　affection　could　not　possibly

allow　him　to　be　here。



It　is　therefore　enough　for　me；　gentlemen；　and　enough　for　you；　that

I　should　say　here；　and　now；　that　we　all　unite　with　one　accord　in

regarding　the　Oxford　crew　as　the　pride　and　flower　of　England　…　and

that　we　should　consider　it　very　weak　indeed　to　set　anything　short

of　England's　very　best　in　opposition　to　or　competition　with

America；　though　it　certainly　must　be　confessed　…　I　am　bound　in

common　justice　and　honour　to　admit　it　…　it　must　be　confessed　in

disparagement　of　the　Oxford　men；　as　I　heard　a　discontented

gentleman　remark　…　last　Friday　night；　about　ten　o'clock；　when　he

was　baiting　a　very　small　horse　in　the　Strand　…　he　was　one　of　eleven

with　pipes　in　a　chaise　cart　…　I　say　it　must　be　admitted　in

disparagement　of　the　Oxford　men　on　the　authority　of　this　gentleman；

that　they　have　won　so　often　that　they　could　afford　to　lose　a　little

now；　and　that　〃they　ought　to　do　it；　but　they　won't。〃



Gentlemen；　in　drinking　to　both　crews；　and　in　offering　the　poor

testimony　of　our　thanks　in　acknowledgment　of　the　gallant　spectacle

which　they　presented　to　countless　thousands　last　Friday；　I　am　sure

I　express　not　only　your　feeling；　and　my　feeling；　and　the　feeling　of

the　Blue；　but　also　the　feeling　of　the　whole　people　of　England；　when

I　cordially　give　them　welcome　to　our　English　waters　and　English

ground；　and　also　bid　them　〃God　speed〃　in　their　voyage　home。　　As　the

greater　includes　the　less；　and　the　sea　holds　the　river；　so　I　think

it　is　no　very　bold　augury　to　predict　that　in　the　friendly　contests

yet　to　come　and　to　take　place；　I　hope；　on　both　sides　of　the

Atlantic　…　there　are　great　river　triumphs　for　Harvard　University

yet　in　store。　　Gentlemen；　I　warn　the　English　portion　of　this

audience　that　these　are　very　dangerous　men。　　Remember　that　it　was

an　undergraduate　of　Harvard　University　who　served　as　a　common

seaman　two　years　before　the　mast；　and　who　wrote　about　the　best　sea

book　in　the　English　tongue。　　Remember　that　it　was　one　of　those

young　American　gentlemen　who　sailed　his　mite　of　a　yacht　across　the

Atlantic　in　mid…winter；　and　who　sailed　in　her　to　sink　or　swim　with

the　men　who　believed　in　him。



And　now；　gentlemen；　in　conclusion；　animated　by　your　cordial

acquiescence；　I　will　take　upon　myself　to　assure　our　brothers　from　a

distance　that　the　utmost　enthusiasm　with　which　they　can　be　received

on　their　return　home　will　find　a　ready　echo　in　every　corner　of

England　…　and　further；　that　none　of　their　immediate　countrymen　…　I

use　the　qualifying　term　immediate；　for　we　are；　as　our　president

said；　fellow　countrymen；　thank　God　…　that　none　of　their　compatriots

who　saw；　or　who　will　read　of；　what　they　did　in　this　great　race；　can

be　more　thoroughly　imbued　with　a　sense　of　their　indomitable　courage

and　their　high　deserts　than　are　their　rivals　and　their　hosts　to…

night。　　Gentlemen；　I　beg　to　propose　to　you　to　drink　the　crews　of

Harvard　and　Oxford　University；　and　I　beg　to　couple　with　that　toast

the　names　of　Mr。　Simmons　and　Mr。　Willan。







SPEECH：　　BIRMINGHAM；　SEPTEMBER　27；　1869。







＇Inaugural　Address　on　the　opening　of　the　Winter　Session　of　the

Birmingham　and　Midland　Institute。



One　who　was　present　during　the　delivery　of　the　following　speech；

informs　the　editor　that　〃no　note　of　any　kind　was　referred　to　by　Mr。

Dickens　…　except　the　Quotation　from　Sydney　Smith。　　The　address；

evidently　carefully　prepared；　was　delivered　without　a　single　pause；

in　Mr。　Dickens's　best　manner；　and　was　a　very　great　success。〃＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　We　often　hear　of　our　common　country　that　it

is　an　over…populated　one；　that　it　is　an　over…pauperized　one；　that

it　is　an　over…colonizing　one；　and　that　it　is　an　over…taxed　one。

Now；　I　entertain；　especially　of　late　times；　the　heretical　belief

that　it　is　an　over…talked　one；　and　that　there　is　a　deal　of　public

speech…making　going　about　in　various　directions　which　might　be

advantageously　dispensed　with。　　If　I　were　free　to　act　upon　this

conviction；　as　president　for　the　time　being　of　the　great

institution　so　numerously　represented　here；　I　should　immediately

and　at　once　subside　into　a　golden　silence；　which　would　be　of　a

highly　edifying；　because　of　a　very　exemplary　character。　　But　I

happen　to　be　the　institution's　willing　servant；　not　its　imperious

master；　and　it　exacts　tribute　of　mere　silver　or　copper　speech　…　not

to　say　brazen　…　from　whomsoever　it　exalts　to　my　high　office。　　Some

African　tribes　…　not　to　draw　the　comparison　disrespectfully　…　some

savage　African　tribes；　when　they　make　a　king　require　him　perhaps　to

achieve　an　exhausting　foot…race　under　the　stimulus　of　considerable

popular　prodding　and　goading；　or　perhaps　to　be　severely　and

experimentally　knocked　about　the　head　by　his　Privy　Council；　or

perhaps　to　be　dipped　in　a　river　full　of　crocodiles；　or　perhaps　to

drink　immense　quantities　of　something　nasty　out　of　a　calabash　…　at

all　events；　to　undergo　some　purifying　ordeal　in　presence　of　his

admiring　subjects。



I　must　confess　that　I　became　rather　alarmed　when　I　was　duly　warned

by　your　constituted　authorities　that　whatever　I　might　happen　to　say

here　to…night　would　be　termed　an　inaugural　address　on　the　entrance

upon　a　new　term　of　study　by　the　members　of　your　various　classes；

for；　besides　that；　the　phrase　is　something　high…sounding　for　my

taste；　I　avow　that　I　do　look　forward　to　that　blessed　time　when

every　man　shall　inaugurate　his　own　work　for　himself；　and　do　it。　　I

believe　that　we　shall　then　have　inaugurated　a　new　era　indeed；　and

one　in　which　the　Lord's　Prayer　will　become　a　fulfilled　prophecy

upon　this　earth。　　Remembering；　however；　that　you　may　call　anything

by　any　name　without　in　the　least　changing　its　nature　…　bethinking

myself　that　you　may；　if　you　be　so　minded