The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-01
Local and Stat" New News.

LITERARY CoHfEsN-We had the pleas
ure of attending the Contest at washing
ton pa College, ON Wednesday evening
last. Under. the circumstances it does moi
behoove US to give aay opinion OF our OWL
of at .least one portion Of the performances
We therefore insert tue following commu
nicatiou, kindly furnished US BY one whe
was present: 8FbkH -
Ms. EDrroR:- Having attended the An
nual Contesttbetween the Washington aud
Union Literary Societies of Washington
College on Wednesday, 26tb inst, and think
I'M that it would be interesting to those
of your readerswho were not present on the
occasion. q Herewith furnish brief &C
count of the exercises of the evening. 3
Scarcely had the shadows Of night begun
to drop down upon the quiet village oil
Washington, when emerging from every
dwelling might have been seen crowds OF
Intelligent we'll dressed people all bending
theft steps toward the old College. When
We arrived we found large assembly all
anxiously awaiting the opening exercises
Soon the enliving strains of Prof Vaas'
band were echoing through the College, and
after prayer by Rev. Dr.. Beatty, and mu
SIC again, the first speaker of the evening,
was introduced
Mr. Alexander r. Spriggs of Washington,
Pa. delivered a Select Grafton on "Our
Couatry" in an able and elegant manner
A similar Grafton was next spoken by
W. r. Cowl, Of Pittsburg with equal credit
to his attachments in the beautiful art OF
delivery.
Then followed essays upon interesting
topics by Messrs. j. &. Patterson and
A. W. PAUL, each acquitting himself in q
manner 81 creditable as to make all com
parsons unnecessary.
The Original Orations by Messrs. D. I.
Watson and c. B. Newton were elegant
COMPOSITIONS and delivered in the highest
orotorical style.
Now came the principal entertainment OF
the evening-the discussion CT the question
Should there be an educational qualitca
ton for suffrage?" affirmed by John 7.
Oxtoby, of Wheeling, Va, and denied by
A. A. Kuhn, of New Texas, Pa, The de
bate was necessarily quite lengthy, but the
quiet and good order that was maintained
throughout, gave the most convincing proof
as well of the spirit and ability Of the de-
baters, as of the intelligence and gentility
of the audience.
While the writer has very high regard
for the abilities IT all tue young contestors
Of the evening. and has thus far looked
apon the fairest side OF the exhibition tor
getting the few imperfections which always
creep more or less into the performances of
the best speakers, yet We cannot torbear
candidIY expressing an opinion as to the
relative merits of the principal performers,
The question was one of high interest and
inheritance. and each Of the speakers
broupht to the stand mass of fact and ar
sument which had only been acquired by
the most diligent study, and elaborated and
xrouebt out into beautiful and logical
forms after many q laborious hour. They
both came, therefore, we'll prepared to the
intellectual combat. Mr.. Oxtoby's speech
was characterized by plainness and sim.
phcty of expression which rarely are at
the command OF go young an orator; while
Mr.. Kuhn, although III the main bringing
forward splendid array of argument, Gov
cred most Of the point and beauty OF his
speech with a thick, dark mantle of verbiage
which 70 most of his auditors must have
been G,eek. ln one word, Mr.. Kuhn over
slot the mark by the use of high and
pompous style which furnished the most
striking contrast with the pure, concise
language of his opponent; and what detract
ei still more from the success of his speech
was the fact that it had not been memorlzed.
The decision was read by every one in lhe
fHces Of the gentlemen aid ladies OF the
iury-namely the audience, and was un'
eou,vocally rendered in favor OF the attirma
tive.
Altogether the occasion was pleas
ant one. The music, the speaking, every
thing excellent after its kind, and the
writer felt abundantly repaid for journey
of few hundred miles from the bloody
contest to see this harmless, bloodiess spar
of Young America ). NJ. u.