Dixon, I
will now discharge my conscience of my political creed, which is
contained in two articles, and has no reference to any party or
persons. My faith in the people governing is, on the whole,
infinitesimal; my faith in the People governed is, on the whole,
illimitable.
SPEECH: BIRMINGHAM, JANUARY 6, 1870.
[On the evening of the above date, Mr. Dickens, as President of the
Birmingham and Midland Institute, distributed the prizes and
certificates awarded to the most successful students in the first
year. The proceedings took place in the Town Hall: Mr. Dickens
entered at eight o'clock, accompanied by the officers of the
Institute, and was received with loud applause. After the lapse of
a minute or two, he rose and said:-]
Ladies and gentlemen,--When I last had the honour to preside over a
meeting of the Institution which again brings us together, I took
occasion to remark upon a certain superabundance of public speaking
which seems to me to distinguish the present time. It will require
very little self-denial on my part to practise now what I preached
then; firstly, because I said my little say that night; and
secondly, because we have definite and highly interesting action
before us to-night. We have now to bestow the rewards which have
been brilliantly won by the most successful competitors in the
society's lists. I say the most successful, because to-night we
should particularly observe, I think, that there is success in all
honest endeavour, and that there is some victory gained in every
gallant struggle that is made.
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