Howard University - Bison Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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(went) millions more, inniim‘ ! ami wounded in this unholy ceremony. Tltev fought ii]X»n the seas, and U-neath the ocean's depth; they fought ujion tlu earth, and in the heavens al ove. As Senator Henry Calx it I .odge. one of the greatest statesmen of his time—or of any time has said of the war with deejx-r significance, as I think. (Jther.s things, the impalj-ahlc possessions of the mind and heart, have m like fashion been wounded and crippled. Indeed, the liiiman intellect was f»r«istitnted as never la-fore to baser purposes. Science itself, which has added so much to the comfort and happiness of man, was turned to his destruction. Not only was chemistry o m|»cl)cd to coiitrihutc her share, in poisonous gases, deadly bacilli, and more terrible explosives; hut the aeroplane. the autocar, and wireless telegraphy, twentieth century developments, must jiay their tribute also to the (Vod of War What shall he said, too. of the debasement of the higher man. the lessening of all moral restraint, the practical denial of the teachings of the Christ? The great war was an eclipse of the moral world Might Ixvame the sole test of right The im| al|iahle possessions of the mind and heart have suffered most. When I stood here last, I did not hear the | eaceful Ik-IIs calling men and women to the recitation hall, or chnjH-l for a |x riiwl of study and meditation; hut this campus resounded with arms, with tlu- tramp of marching men. I heard the bugle call to the assembly, and there | asscd in review the Students’ Army Training Corps. I.r» men. the very pick and flower of our schools and colleges Howard University, nestling within the shadow- of the Capitol, supported increasingly, by the Nation itself fot the education of the colored youth, could not fail to answer the country's call for trained leadership and unselfish service The spirit of her great founder and iuspiror. that great Christian soldier and patriot, (ieneral O. O Howard, a name worthy to stand in history by the side of Godfrey dc Rotiillion and Sir Philip Sidney, keeps its vigil lure. In his spirit the men of Howard went forth to the war. The University will ever cherish the memory of Fairfax. Proctor. Davis. Summons. Cork, and Carter, wlio gave their all to country and humanity To make the next age liettor for the last. In the words of another line of Lowell's commemoration ode. We welcome back our bravest and our liest.

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Commencement Address, Howard University By Tiif. Honorable William H. I.f.wis. of Boston. Mass. Mr. President. Distinguished Guests. Memlicrs of the Faculty, Graduatfng ( lass, ami Friends of live University: A we mortals measure time and s|«ce, we arc now in the twenty-first year «if tlie century. The twentieth century is therefore of age. Whatever stirring events may hap| en lie fore the cycle is complete, we know tint the two decades | ast. arc as amazing as any in the annals of mankind. This small segment of time may not com|iare with the immortal age of Pericles; l»ut of those who died in the World War it may lie said of them, as the Athenian statesman and orator said of those who fell in the first Peloponnesion War, “We have received of them a tree state. “We have compelled every land and every sea to ojien a |«ath for our valor, and have everywhere planted eternal memorials of our friendship. Nor is this | criod to Ik comjiarcd with the Italian Kennaissancc. when Florence and Venice were the eyes of the world. But the age that gave to the world Columhus. and Copernicus, can never look askance at the achievcmncts of Peary. Ammnnd'cn. and F.instein. Peary and Antmundsen explored the entls of the earth; Einstein rc-madc the world—or our conception of it. The Eliza-Itethan age. which produced the great explorers like Drake. Raleigh, and Frobisher, and gave us the illustrious names in literature of Shakcsjienrc, Sidney, Spencer, Ben Johnson, defeated the Spanish Armaria. P ut the liattle of the British and German fleets off Jutland will exert a greater influence ujxm the world's histon titan did the r matin. The crowning |kuiU of the nineteenth century was the organizing of The Hague tribunal, to put an end to war; hut in less than two decades the most tU| etxVrtis war in histon had I teen fought, won, and lost. Sixteen nations were contending in anus on the one side or the other. More than a hundred billions uf dollars were sjient in this gigantic struggle. Seven millions of precious human lives were sacrificed to the grim visaged Moloch of war. and

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To our living limits, young Dent (ioodloe. C’urlry. Junes. Ijung. and llvsli|». Ik- ever llic pride and glory of Ainu Mater. I deprecate tin- recent attempt in some quarters u|mn a plea of sincerity and truth to destroy the splendid idealism with which the American youth went forth to war. hy asserting tliey were afraid not to light. I rather •hcrish the idealism of the great leader who siid, Thai our object i- to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life oi the world, as against selfish and autocratic power: that they went forth to light tor democracy, tor the right of those who submit i authority to have a voice in |heir own governments, for the rights and lilicrlics of small nations —as well as the great. Victory of the Allies was a triumph, in j«art. at least, of those great ideals. I lave we colored Americans a right to claim a slum in the fruits of victory? I lave we a right to sjieak of the lessons of war? When the age-long conflict between the Teuton and «aul for dominion and power ami glory had once more set Ivurope allanic. and the conflagration was extending wider and farther to other nations, and the whole structure of our modern civilization menaced, when the honor of America was assailed, her prestige among tiations challenged, the rights of her nationals upon the high sens violated in contemptuous disregard of all law. the colored American asked only tor a chance to prove his fidelity, loyally, and devotion to meriran institutions and ideals Half a million men filled the ranks of our armies; two tUuisaud went over the seas to serve in France and Italy. Whether with Dej»ot brigades, the Stevedore regiments, the Kngmeer-. so-called, doing the menial work of the army, they did tu t complain, they were happy in sticlt service. Along that far-flung battle lines. from the Y-er to the Marne, with the lighting units of the army, they bravely met death in every conceivable shaj»e. Their hli n | and I tones, mingled with the sacred soil oi France, will nourish a tree of lilierty for a thousand year-, and nuke “liltcrtv. fraternity, ami equality a thing worth lighting for. and. if need Ite. worth dying for. I.ei us l»elicvc that in falling upon the field oi l»attlc. their uplifted eyes caught the vision of a liltcrated world.” in which equal justice and democracy shall rule. not lor some men. hut for all men ; not for white men alone, hut for brown, black, yellow, and all the children of men.