Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-07-21
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
COMMENCEMENT AT DAVIDSON
COLLEGE.

COLLEGE.
This Collerc, as 'all know, derived its name
from General DAVIDSON of Revolutionary fame,
whose remains sleep on the banks Of the Catawba,
not for from the College. 1t was founded in the
year 1887, and is under the supervisory control
| of the Presbyteries of Concord and Fayetteville,
of n. c., and Bethel, of S. G.. The first class
was graduated in 1s4O. 1t has given the degree
of Bachelor of Arts to about two hundred and
twenty young men, and hos furnished to the Pres
byterian Church forty ministers, besides some yet
in course of Theological preparation.
1t now has FIVE Professors, besides the Presi-
dent, Rev. D. LACY, D. D. The standard of
scholarship is very high. Only one applicant in
ten can enter as high as the Sophomore class, and
not few ore unable to rise, and hence must
either remain second year in the same class, or
20 elsewhere rs many do. No student can remain
in College whose conduct is not very commenda-
bic, and whose diligence and perseverance is not
marked. The morals of the College will compare
favorably with any other Denominational College,
and are in wide contrast with those Of many
State Colleges and Universities.
The College has, in its history, enjoyed three
reyivals of Religion, in which more than sixty
young men have been converted and added to the
Church. From one third to one. half Of the stu
dents are always professed Christians, and hence
it is, that so few occasions arise for the en-
forcement of the rigid and perfect discipline un-
der which the College is controlled. During the
last year, more than hundred students have been
connected with the College.
The late Commencement Exercises, covering the
18th, 18th and 14th instant have some items of
interest. The Board Of Trustees on that occasion,
accepted the resignation of Maj D. H. HILL,
Professor of Mathematics and Civil Engineering,
and elected to fill his chair, Captain c. KINGS
BURY, of Richmond, Va The Professor elect, is
native of North Carolina-a graduate of West
Point, N. Y.-is about forty years Of age-a ripe
scholar-an author-and Of extensive reputation
MS an eminently competent and practical Mathe-
matician. His acceptance is tolerably sure, and
it is hoped that he will Immediately enter upon
his duties.
The Trustees learned VITA satisfaction, that the
capacious building, now in process Of erection, at
cost of seventy thousand dollars, will be in readi-
ness for the occupancy of students for the next
session. They conferred the degree of 4. B. on
thirteen young men, who had finished the pre-
scribed College course, and that of 4. II. upon
Jyo. T. HARRY, now of Tennessee: and D. C.
RAMsoUn of Statesville, N. C.-both graduates
of this Institution.
There were delivered on the occasion, one SER
mon and fourteen speeches.
Rev. R. L. DABNEr, D. D., Prof. Of Theology
in Union Theological Seminary, Va, preached the
Annual Sermon, from Prov. XI:2 His subject
was. Humility of mind the means and accessory
to wisdom" The reputation of the speaker for
having clear, we'll disciplined, logical and sar-
cast, mind, was we'll sustained in this effort
Whilst, in our judgment, it had more of the traits
and peculiartics of Theological dissertation
than Gospel Sermon, yet it was listened to with
the profoundest attention, and left many well-de-
fined ideas and propositions upon the minds of the
hearers. Before such presentations of truth,
Theological errors and isms, in all their protean
forms, are fated to wither and disappear.
OF the speeches of Wednesday, We will only
designate and characterize two. The students
who represented their respective Societies, We can
truly soy, nobly performed their parts We would
make no invidious comparisons, and hence do not
individualze. We were glad to see the practical
argumentatire and historical styles of composition
prevalent among the students, rather than the
ornamental, the poetic and bOm6astic, that were
in vogue in our College days. Contact with the