Howard University - Bison Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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for it in space In doit's unhrrse there is room far millions of worlds, because out there is late which none max disregard. There, at least, the reiyn of hue is complete. ( nr planet is safe , because in oliedience to an immutable law. it revokes around tlu- sun. producing tlu seasons springtime and autumn, sect I time and harvest. symbolizing the i eriods of birth, of love, and of death It turns upon its axis, (jiving us day and night for labor and rest We know that all life tqion this planet, from a blade of grass to the highest vertebra , follows a certain order of existence, and cannot escajie Nature's laws of growth and decay. In those far-off prehistoric times, before the earth lieeame thickly populated. there was little need of law. because there were no conllicting interests of men to Ik: harmoni ed. With the development of the family, tribal life, settlement of villages, towns, founding of great cities, ami the establishment of mighty stales, and the rise of what we call civilization, men found that they could not live together in the same ncighlurhood. u|X»n the same soil, without certain rules, or law , which all must «U y. These laws were either impiscd front without by some su|»erinr jtower a despot or a conquering foe. or from within by the |»eoplc themselves, directly or through their clmscn representatives. Thus grew up a Utdy oi municipal law. In time, with the dotting of the g!ol e 1 many nations, it was necessary that there should Ik established certain laws of intercourse, and even laws of war. resting upon the common consent. Just as a municipality cannot prosjier unless men arc com|x:llcd to keep the peace and settle their disputes by arbitration, m nations cannot endure, and there can Ik- no | eace among and ln-tween separate states unless governments recognize the obligations of international law. Then con he no law in the true sense, unless there is a unlity he fore the law. The humblest individual in the community is entitled to the due and eiftial protection of the laws. The weakest nation in the family of nations is entitled to its complete so;rreit ntx. just as the strongest and the most ptnvcriit I. The |M»pulation of the earth i l.log.r»gn.:;m; The Aryan race, including white Semitic, and . H5,nou,iuu of blast Indians. numlM rs STb.Oim.iHK). The yellow, black, brown, and the red constitute sgii.ooo.uoo The density of population is 2! persons to each square mile. At the Peace Table there sat

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The problems of tin world today are not only economic readjustment, the reconstruction of devastated regions, the restoration .•» jHtblir onlcr these follow naturally in the wake oi war; hut the rebuilding of our civilization along lines which give !i i|k of its jieriiiancncc. and i T| ctiiity. The cademic classes of 1! | go forth with an opportunity for service such as conies t » few generations of college-bred men and women I I lessons for the hour, the lesson that I would have you go forth this day and impress u|»on your fellows, i the lesson taught by the great Workl War, that the maintenance of the supremacy of the laws is the lir t duty of man. When William the Third ascended the throne and proclaimed himself ruler by divine right, he exclaimed, “He who opjxiscs my will I will crush him. Ilis will was to Ik the lex suprema. There is none s«» low n-dav a the all-highest of yesterday Xo single will ran rule the world today the collective will of all alone may make the law far all. The German Kmpirc. built upon Wood and iron. jicrishcd by hl »od and iron. because she thought that might made right, and that the end justified die means The command. “Thou shall not steal” applies to nations as well as individuals. The war taught us that the law of co-ojieration of friendship and gixn! will among nations i essential t » flic jn-acc ami happiness of the workl. (Irdcr is the first law of heaven, and must Ik made the tir t law of earth, or there can lie nothing hut social chaos and anarchy in the world. Individuals and nations must learn to oliev the Laws, which they tliemsdves have made for their own protection ami happiness. If there an anywhere classes of moil outside the jmle of the law. none are safely within its walls, lawlessness and violence produce lawlessness and violence. I.aw is universal, and if it is not everywhere, it is nowhere. From the earliest times, when the shepherds gazed upon the stars at night, through all the ages from I‘tokrins to Cojk. miens. Gallilco. Kepler. Newton. Hcrschel. and Kinstein. men have lieen trying to discover the laws of the universe. Out there in that vast and ont|ity space we call the sky arc many worlds besides our own. There is no war. or clash of worlds. Iiecause inch olicys the law of its Ix-ing. Tlu simple law of gravitation keeps each planet in it orbit The attraction of each for the other keeps it in the jxult marked out

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different states I ?i. Obviously, these millions cannot live together u| on the same planet, hos-tile, and jealous of each other, nation against nation, race against race, every man's hand uplifted against his brother. The reign of peace will never come among men until the reign of law is established Out of onr social chaos must conte a social cosmos. or the race of man is doomed. I liclicvc in the endless progress of the human race. Our civilization will yet reach a finer state. The kingdom of heaven will yet conte tijxm earth. I Ixrlicvc with Tennyson, that some diviner force will guide us through the days I shall not see. “W hen the schemes and nil the systems, Kingdoms and Republics fall, Something kindlier, higher, holier—all for each and each for all?' “Ml the futl-lirain. half-brain races, led by fust ice. I.ove. and Tn-rh; 1! the millions one at length, with nil the visions f n»y youth?' I art It at last a wtrless world .1 single race, a single tongue, I have seen her far nwav for is not Karth as vet so youngv’ “Rolled mi universal liarvest up to either | ilc she smiles. I'niversal ocean softly washing all her war less Isles. The greatest servant of the human race in all the ages has Im cu the law. Ml the great inventions that have added to the convenience, comfort, and happiness of civilized man. from the wheel to rive autocar, have l»ccn the result id’ the discovery and application of Nature's laws to the needs of the human race. Man has taken the lightning from the ■•kie- to turn Ins machinery. and to carry his messages to the utmost j»nrts of the earth. He has made fire and water, the two most destructive elements in Nature, serve his purpose through the application of steam to the vvliecls of industry, and by rail and hollow liont to carry the commerce of the world. Ml the lal omtories of the world, every workshop, is trying to find new Laws, or sonu application of old laws to serve the purpose of man. Tire Duke of rgyll. famous Scots scholar, was not far wrong when In? said: Tin- Iv'eign of I.aw is this., then, the reign under which we live? Yes. in a sense it is. There is no denying it The whole world around us, and