Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-06-08


OF WAKE
COMMENCEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF NORTH-CAROLINA.
VISIT OF PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.
Route Of tie P,ssident-his reception at the cart
ous points-speeehes Of the President, Hon. Jacob
ThomDeon. &e-C Commencement Exercises, the
Ball, a., &c., at Chapel HiA
The visit of the President of the United States to
The University Of the State, is most gratifying
event in our annals. venerable and wise old man,
burdened but not broken by the cares Of State upon
the cordial invitation of the authorities of the Uni
versity, came among us to see our people, to take
them by the hand, to give encouragement by his
presence to the cause of learning, and to enjoy a
brief respite from the arduous abors of his great Of
fee He was greeted everywhere, from the time he
touched the soil of the State until he departed with
every mark of respect and esteem. The people and
the military crowded to see HIM and to do him hon.
or at Weldon, CASTOR, Littleton, Warrenton, Hen
derson, Franklinton, and at other points along the
line and at Raleigh and Chapel Hill. He came as
the President, and not as the head Of party. and
he was welcomed accordingly. He came to visit US
on literary and ,cial OCCASION and for time po-
lca feeling was forgotten in the warm and cordial
salutations with which all receive him. We trust
indeed we Enou that he is much pleased with his
visit, and that he carried back with him to WASH
ington a still higher respect for the State and her
University, and still warmer regard for our people
The speeches made by the President on various
occasions while in this State, were models of their
kind. Mr.. Buchanan is not, perhaps great orator,
Judged by the standard We are accustomed to apply
to great orators; yet his delivery impressive and
his style is remarkably clear and pure. We never
heard him when aroused in debate; but we may
well conclude that he who maintained position and
made reputation in the best days of the American
Senate, when such men as Calhoun, and Webster,
and Randolph and Clay, and King were his associ-
ates in that body, is no second-rate orator even
among the greatest We were struck with one lead
ing idea in all his speeches-his devotion to the Con-
stitution and the Union. The Union according to
the Constitution, seemed to be uppermost in his
thoughts and this devotion his part to this great
work of our fathers-a Constitutional Union-met
warm response from every one who heard him.
The Hon. Jacob Thompson, the Secretary of the
Interior, accompanied the President Mr. Thomp-
son is native Of Caswel county, in this State, and
. graduate Of the University. He, too, was most
cordially welcomed His mother State, and the
University, one of her most cherished institutions
stretched forth their arms to greet him. The son,
whom circumstances had carried and kept away
from the old hearthstone for quarter of century,
came back again, with the same noble principles
which he imbibed here when youth; came to see
u.s. and to say to us, as he did say, that though he
had lived among and served another people, he had
never forgotten ours and that he owed whatever Of
success in life he had achieved to the opportunities
he had enjoyed and the character he had formed be-
fore he left the State. But we will no longer detan
our readers from the account of the Presidents visit
The Hon. l. OBJ. Branch, one of the committee of
the citizens Of Raleigh, and the Hon. Weldon N Ed.
wards, met the President and Mr.. Thomson At
Portsmouth, Va, on Monday night, the soth, and
accompanied them to Weldon. At Weldon thew
were met by Gov. Ellis, Ex-Gov. Bragg. D. W.
Courts, ESQ.,, and W. W. Holden, on the part of the
Trustees Of the University; and Hon. D. NJ. Bar.
ringer, NJ A. Bledsoe, A. N. Lewis, W. H. High
). ). Iredeu, Ed Graham Haywood, W. R. Cox
and Wiley J. Palmer, Esquires, on the part of thu
citizens Of Raleigh. The Committees from Rale:ct
were accompanied by Wesley jones, ESQ.,, Marshal
OF the State, Geo. 7. Cooke, ESQ.,, Postmaster. MAJ;
u u: Wilder and P. A. Dunn, ESQ.,, of the Raleigh
and CASTOR Railroad, Col. John n Bunting. W
d. Bum, ESQ.,, of Wilson, and the Oak. CITY Guards
commanded by Capt Thompson About II o'cloc,
on Monday night the Wilmington Light Infantry
commanded by Capt Hall, and accompanied by Gen
Cowan and staff arrived The Oak CITY Guard
had with them the Salisbury Brass Band and tn
Wilmington Company the Fayetteville Band
At half past ten on Tuesday morning the Seabosr,
tram arrived at Weldon having on board the Presj
sdsot and his friends. Soon after the President v.
conducted by Gov. Ellis and the Committees tn tn
piazza IN front of Happer's Hotel, where the tyr
military companies were stationed to receive him -
On reachiBg the piazza Gov. Ellis addressed u,
President IS follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: have the honor If ;ntro,,,
xng 70 Jour acquaintance the President of the I'm
~ otateS de comes to visit North Carolina n
nS.e anu her people, his friends for a Quarter Of
easoly, ana those Who will ever prove the friend
"oe ana the :taithfal to their country's into
II needs not that should sne.l, n vo,, ~ =,
shasactss and services Of our distincu shell vs;to
They are . part bold, enduring nsrt If The ~;
ant hissesy Of !: great country; and Is you tno
end value bis iahors In It's bshalf NV
Il MAS tie boast q valiant Nazsh,, AZ F,,,.
q ~ eaoee Of IN sventtul career when he had IN
to think that his eouptzynea were forretfni of =
services. that be had fought Ave hundred bsttie.
france and never one against her. So NAV Il /
~ q the veteran statesman who stands before va
tae Syil conflicts that have transpired in n
1conssn many and fierce they have been, jam
1ucoanan has fought five hundred battles for d
xons''toaen and the Union, and never one again
tnsm: Let those forge. who can, but AZ for the NJ
Pss % Nottn Carolina they will ever Sear in er.,
=" 'eso'ssnce their countzy's bmesacsor: