Such, my young friends, was the great and good man whose life and character I have attempted to portray. I cannot take upon myself to say that he was faultless: since the memorable declaration of the incarnate Son of God, that "there is none good save one, that is God," it would be impious for me to do so; but whatever might have been his frailties, he had such great virtues, such noble qualities, there was such a harmony in his character, such a beauty in his life, that I can conscientiously propose him for your study, and recommend him for your imitation. Go then, and like him, perform fully, faithfully, fearlessly, your duty to yourselves, your families, your country and your God; and then, like him, you will be honored in your lives, and when you come to die, a nation's tears will hallow your graves.
_Gentlemen of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies_:
When I look around on this extraordinary concourse of visitors I cannot but feel that expectation has been too highly excited, and cannot but anticipate and regret the disappointment which it must necessarily meet with. Aware of the value which is here set upon the ceremony of the annual address; knowing that friends of the University throughout the State regard it as calculated not only to excite a spirit of emulation among the students, but to attract the public attention to the institution itself; and warmly attached to that noble cause, for the advancement of which these edifices have been erected and your associations formed, I felt myself bound to accept the invitation, in obedience to which I appear before you. Could I indeed have foreseen the unusual engagements which, added to the ordinary occupations of a busy life, have left me no leisure to prepare anything worthy of the general expectation, I should have deemed myself at liberty to decline the call. But the discovery was not made until after my word was pledged and it was too late to hope that the duty could be devolved on another. Compelled then to choose between an entire disappointment of your hopes and the presenting myself to you without the advantage of full preparation, I have resolved to execute the undertaking imperfectly rather than forego it altogether. To whatever petty mortifications the adoption of this alternative may expose me elsewhere, from you, my young friends, I am sure of a favorable reception. You will see in it an expression of the sense which I entertain of the honor conferred on me, by your choice, of my readiness to gratify your wishes, and of my solicitude to cheer you on in the noble career upon which you have entered. The few homely truths which I wish to impress upon your minds will not indeed come mended from my tongue, but I do not despair that, presented in their naked plainness, but urged with the earnestness and sincerity of friendship, they may win their way to your generous and affectionate approbation.