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I have spoken to you of the two great forms of industry — the indus- 

 try of the hand, and the industry of thought. To you is especially 

 comnaitted the first; to us is especially committed the last. We also 

 wish, as far as may be, in consistency with our peculiar charge, to work 

 with our hands also, as indeed many of us, belongmg to yom- ranks, 

 now do. The more, also, you will join us in the industry of thought, 

 the more we shall rejoice, for the more shall we all be prospered and 

 ennobled. You agree with me that these two forms of industry are 

 closely united — that the one cannot go on without the other. You 

 agree with me that the useful arts demand the diffusion of science, and 

 a class of scientific men, no less than the last demand the former. We 

 must live or die together. Banish the one, and you banish the other. 

 Come then, and let us join hands in feUow-feehng, in hearty fraternal sym- 

 pathy and good will. We will stand by each other, that we may both live 

 and do nobly for our country and our God, in the present and in com- 

 ing generations. The University is your University — I wish to put it 

 in your hands as much as possible — I wish you to make use of it. Send 

 your sons there, and we will do our best to educate them for whatever 

 pursuit you intend they shall adopt. Our pupils are now chiefly the 

 sons of farmers, as indeed they necessarily must be ; for subtract from 

 the young men of Michigan the sons of farmers, and how many would 

 be left ? Indeed it is the sons of farmers, for the most part, who own 

 the land, who become our men of business, and our professional men. 

 We do not deny it — the sons of farmers are building up the State. 



I have heard that the remark has been made, that we are Aristo- 

 crats at the University. This is partly true, and probably in time will 

 be quite true. Perhaps I should say, we are trying to become aristo- 

 crats as fast as we can. And I promise you, if you will send your sons 

 there, we will do our best to make aristocrats of all of them. But 

 when I say this, you must imderetand what I mean by the Avord aris- 

 tocrat. This word aristocrat, is a very much abused word. Originally 

 and truly, it means the mle of the wisest and best men. It means that 

 men of real character and worth shall hold the influence in society and 

 the State. Of course, in its just meaning, no one objects to it — all approve 

 of it — for there is not a more common sentiment in the human heart 

 than that those should wield influence who deserve to wield it. It k 

 just the principle of our democratical institutions, in opposition to a b«- 



