Excerpt from Address Delivered Before the Philanthropic and Dialectic Societies of the University of North Carolina, June 3, 1857 Professors Mitchell and Phillips, who have been long connected with the Uni versity, and to whose valuable services it is indebted for much of its prosperity. Since this address was delivered, the former has been snatched, by the hand of death, from his earthly labors. The circumstances connected with this melancholy event, are well known to the public. Truly, was he a martyr to the cause of science! A Christian scholar, -ardently devoted to the duties of his high position, and to the interests and character of the University, to which he was so great an ornament his death will be universally lamented, and his memory ever dear to the friends; of education and science!resources-moral, intellectual and physical - of his country, no subject can bring more of interest and importance than one, which presents to his view the prospects of that coun try's success and glory, and which warns him, in season, of those dangers that threaten its ruin or disgrace. It is good, at all times, if we desire to learn our duty to the generation in which we live, to recur to the teachings of history. No people cease to provide for the prosperity of their offspring, so long as they look back with proud, interest to the achievements of their ancestors. And it certainly is peculiarly befitting this occasion, in view of the moral and political degeneracy now prevailing, and the ultimate national disasters with which we are threatened, to institute a rigid and fearless enquiry into the character and strength of those tenures by which we hold our social blessings and political rights. He who aims only at pleasing the fancy or grati fying a taste for novelty, when every energy should be directed to the safety of those most substantial of all bles sings and valuable of all rights, which society and govern ment are formed to secure and perpetuate, would not' be acting less foolish than the architect who proceeds to add rare and costly decorations to a temple, whose foundations are at the very moment being undermined by causes, which if not counteracted, must ensure its swift demolition! About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.