Excerpt from Influence of Religious Belief Upon National Character: An Oration Delivered Before the Demosthenian and Phi Kappa Societies of the University of Georgia, August 7, 1845 We meet here not only to seek our own gratification, but to sympathise in the struggles. And success of others. The fond father, who having well nigh accomplished his own day' is now only ambitious for a hopeful son, is here. Brothers and sisters are here with warm smiles to greet him who returns to their embrace, with all his blushing honors thick upon him. The patrons of learning and smence are here, to crown with the first success of those who have entered the fame. A large body of the serious are here to welcome into their ranks, those who promise to do service for God and their coun try ia the great battle of life. It LS a season when Hope beats with as strong a pulse in the old as in the young; and therefore it is fitting that the drama should not close, until those who have gone forth into life, who have borne its cares and gathered its honors, shall have spoken back to you words of cheer and sympathy. To this grateful office, gentlemen, your partial voice has called me and while I stand upon this platform, I feel that it is a high and noble mission to be thus the Representative of all the classes to which allusion has been made, and in their name to welcome you to the fellowship of those who are associated together in the great commonwealth of letters. Be assured it is with profound self-distrust that I under take. This mission: for what offering can I bring worthy of your acceptance and of theirs? Your summons found me drenched in the early toils ofa severe profession, and too heavily fettered with daily duties, to roam through the fields of polite learning that I might gather a boquet, fragrant enough to be laid upon this sacred shrine. Yet however feeble my voice, it is a filial duty to obey the call of an Institution, to which I owe all the affection ofa foster-child -and this pious sentiment which now glows within my breast will, I trust, be as incense to the offer ing, and consecrate it to your acceptance. 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.