Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-29

COLUMBIA CoILrer CoSrxsr FOR THE DAvrs
MRpALs-A most interesting oratorical DISPLAY
took place last evening at the lecture room Of the
Smithsonian Institution Seven young gentle
men from the senior or junior classes of Column
pa Coiiege presented themselves as caud itlates
Tor the Davis ORATORS medals and with all the
graces OF eiocution made contest for the prize
Lne duolence which filled the lecture room was
i,aIge, ana In most part composed of ladies'
Withers's band furnished excellent music The
only drawback upon the entertainment of the
evening was the extreme heat The efforts OF the
committee in charge to mitigate the exceeding
warmth bY large supply Of cold water which
was freely supplied atvarious points in the hall,
are highly commendable.
me exercises OF the evening were opened by
prayer-the President of the College inyoking
the Divine blessing.
Rev. DIR. Binnev then explained to the auditory
the nature OF the exercises they were about to
witness Several years ago, through the kind
ness OF Mr.: I,aac Davis, the College received a
donation, the annual interest on which, thirty
dollars, was by the terms Of the gift to be ap-
Pied 70 the purchase Of gold medals as prizes
for excellence in oratory, as well in composition
as elocution. This matter had been neglected
Tor some time but this year the faculty thought
was well to renew It. The exercises of the
evening would, therefore, be a contest for those
medals. Three gentlemen, then among the
audience, had been selected to award the prizes
Their decision would be announced at the Col
lege Commencement which would take place at
h street Baptist church on Wednesday morning
next. The rules of the college required said the
speak peculiar degree of collegiate standing
as essential to competitor for the oratorica hon.
ors OF the school. An irreproachable moral char
acter was deemed indispensable. and to that
must be added high deg Tree of scholastic dill
gence and capacity. The maximum Of excel
permitted to enter whose average was not eight
and he who fell, In any one case below six lost
the honor OF competing in these exercises
MI Thos b. Shepherd, Of Virginia, was the
lie 'hxar >,
Marking the several classes of heroism, he ad-
duced Alexander and Napoleon examples of
martial courage. Piometheus, chained to rock
gave the young orator fine illustration of patient
sutferaDce, which he declared the noblest tvpe of
the heroic. Woman here leads n an and even in
the more active walks of moral heroism the names
OF Florence Nightingale and Annie Andrews
showed that her gentle sweetness did to unfit for
duties whose discharge relieved humanity and
exalted our race. Gen Havelock was euloyized
as the pattern of Christian soldier, and the la
ample of those brave spirits who 90 hence i'm
proved by death and brighter by decay"
The next orator was Joseph Franklin Deans OF
Norfolk county, Va. He discussed Stability
Character In a manner which gave token Of
much reflection. His handling OF the subject was
at once concise and attractive. The influence of
firm, decided character upon the fortunes of
individuals, and of d stable national policy upou
the prosperity OF States, was illustrated by some
Of the numerous examples that stand out in his
tory The Grafton appropriately closed with the
lines of Sir VIM. Jones: " What constitutes a
State!,'
Music followed, aud for a while attracted the
attention of the audience.
Then came an Grafton on 'sThe Inner Life,n
oy James l.; Holmes, of Virsinia-one of the
most creditable college productions to which we
have ever listened The orator remarked the
variety and completely OF the elements that 20 10
make up the statue Of the mental man the in
ttllectudl facultiesi the moral perceptions; the
emotions and affections that stand the mental
being for tie features NV which it Is distin-
gdlshed and the nerves and thews that work ont
us Will. ihen running closely the line which
separates the material from the imInaterial man
he illustrated, in manner at once concise aud
classic, the elements and operations of the imna-
terial world bytypes and illustrations drawn from
substantial things. The outer life of man. he
concluded, might be glorious, but it was mortal
the inner life not less noble in time endured
when time ceased to be, and when abandoned
by Its brother in the flesh, plumes its pnions for
higher flight, nor rests until at last it folds them
at the Eternal rhTCne
Socrates and the Socratic Philosophy" an
Grafton by William Stephen Wright, OF Nanse-
mond county, Va, followed. Introducing his
subject by reference to the wonderful progress
OF science, he proceeded to show that all the
trluInphs won by man over the material world
around had been but the results of philosophy
OF the Impress OF mind upon the physical world
Tracing philosophy to its fountanhead, he de-
clared Socrates its father. The patient heIoism
Of Socrates was illustrated by his endurance Of
the henpecking Of Xantippe. The philosophy
of this master found God amid his works and be
nrst among the heather looked from nature I'D
to natures God.
An inteTmission In the exercises having been
pleasantly flled up by music from the band,
Charles II Hassier Of Washington city, pro-
nounced an Grafton upon '.The Power of the
Orator" The attributes and characteristics that
make up the orator and enable him to exercise
commanding influence upon mankind were first
noticed. A comparison of oratOry with other
means OF power was made, and the palm claimed
for oratory. Demosthenes, Cicero, Clay Web
StpF and Calhoun int rod
tue positions OF the young orator whose effort
was an exceedingly happy one.
Then came an Grafton on I" The Relation of
Poetry TO Religion by John Thomas Griffin
Of Nansemond county, Va. This was a highly
credtable effort to show that the true source of
poetic excellence was, in the religious sentiment
8 pure as Siioa,s brook that flowed fast by the
oracle Of Godn The excuses of poets, the ora
tor demonstrated to proceed from causes which
had no connection with their poetic talent The
0rauon -oneluded with fervent appeal on be-
half of an American Christian school Of poetry
Music again enlivened the exsrc ises and at its
John Henry Wright, Of Nansemond county.
Va, came forward, in tones mellow and with
enunciation distinct, to show Z" The Price of E1-
cellence." This Grafton was a most fnshed pro-
ducton, and received profound attention. The
result OF deep study came forth winged. With
brilliant fuency, chaste and vigorous, yet full,
the orator made the theme glow meath his hand
ling. We have seldom heard Wirt's warning
" There is no excellence without great labor,pi
stract would do the orator injustice.
he orations for the prize here concluded
Throughout they had been warmly appiauded.
and the speakers received beautiful boo uets from
fair hands among the auditory.
DIR. Ii nney then pronounced the benedicton
The baEd played lively air, to the music Of
which the hall was slowly cleared of a large au-
dience, that had sat the hot evening out deiiy ht-
ed with the entertainment. --.O
GOING "oN TICK. The only place in w ash
ington whereat business is conducted almost en-
tirely "on tick" and yet to the entire mutual
satisfaction and advantage of both the buyer and
seller, is the well known establishment of Mr..
Robinson, on Pennsylvania avenue. nearly oppo-
site Browns Hotel-the District of Columbia
bazaar where one not only sees but hears speci-
mems OF every thing ever produced for time
keeping by Yankee Inventive genius. In New
York city its doors and windows would be
crowded at all times by throngS Of the curious
from all parts Of the world; for within its portals
In i've minutes one can critically examine every
hintr In