The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-29
RICHMOND COLLEGE.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES.
Address of Hon. Robert L. Montague
AWARD OF DIPLOMAS,

morning in the First Baptist church. A
fine audience were in attendance, and by
profound attention paid to all that trans
pired, manifested their interest in the eX-
crcscs. Half an hour before the time ap-
pointed, Armbrecht's Post Band entered
the church, and being posted in the gallery,
regaled the audience with several delight
ful airs, not in the noisy style of parade
music, but beautiful, and appropriate to
the place in which the exercises were held.
At about halfpast 10 o'clock the men,
bers of the Faculty ascended the pulpit,
escorting the Hon. r. l.. Montague, of
Middlesex, the orator, and the Rev. j. C..
Long, Of Albemarle, the poet of the day.
Rev. Moses y. Hoge, d. D., OF this city,
and A. K. Courtney, Esq, President Of the
Alumni, were also invited to seats upon
the platform. DR.. Hoge opened the meet
ing with prayer; after which the band dis
pensed an appropriate air.
Rev. Il. g. Jones, ID. D., president of
the college, annoynccd that as this vas
the first session since the suspension caused
by the war, there were TO fill graduates,
and consequently no orations or essays
would be delivered by students. lie then
introduced Hon. r. l.. Montague, the dis
tinguished Virginian who mad been chosen
to deliver the annual address.
| Mr. Montague commenced by ngratula-
| ting his audience that there are Vet few
spots untouched by the iron hand OF despot.
| ism, and unpolluted by the tOul spirit Of
| agrarian innovation. Here, within the pre-
| Cincts dedicated TO learning and science, even
the stern spirit of despotsm has been rcluc-
| tant TO enter. After alludIng to the saying
| that knowledge is power and making some
| comments upon IT, the speaker proceeded to
| the subject of education. All systems Of edu-
| cation should be held subordinate 10 the grand
| idea Of the union of " liberty, virtue, glory,
| knowledge hot that liberty which called
! forth Madame Roland's celebrated eXclama-
| tiun, but that liberty which, when allied 10
| virtue, carries blessings in her train. This
education is the duty Of all, and especially of
| the high seats of learning. We should not
dCspOnd, but should take courage from the
! history of all nations. Look 1T solid and
! wars, how many cruel revolutions, now many
| of her sovereigns cXilcd or bcheaded,
| how many bloody circuits, how many high
! commission and star -Chimb Der DEGREES, mark
| her history Yet She stands to-day the peer
| if not the superior of all III" Seftes Of the old
world. Look at France Through what vi
| Cissitudes has sh" passed. IsL sh" l. SUI tn"
| equal of the greatest Of the nations of III"
| earth Wars, said the speaker. have always
| been permitted by PrOvidruce-ior what pUr-
pose we know not-and viii always continue
| till all men acknowledge rs their rightiul
| Ruler the King of kings and Lord of all. See
| ing that woe is the heritage OF man. it should
! be our high aim, in the fear of God, b"' MT ~
| nun, to 20 10 work to build mp tn" waste
| places-phySiCal, intellectual, and moral.
| Here in this college you nave begun in the
right place. You ere operating in the intel
lectual and moral field.
| But how shall men be properly educated ;
| He who thinks and teaches that it can be ac-
| COmpli~hrd by operating upon the exterior
! and upgleCtiug the interlOr-th" h"art-is a
| shallow thinker and dangerous teacher. Here
| The speaker touched upon the doctrines OF the
! French Revolution, and made some opposite
| quotations. showing that those teachings are
| prevalent in this country. We know, said he.
what they did for France, and we have felt
! and now feel what they have done here. We
! know how in France "as each begun with be-
! ing 4 god TO himself, 50 soon he ended with be
! COming0 d'rU ip his DsigiL,r.' The speaker
! continued upon his point at some length, and
| with much o!OqWonoo. Il is moral powoT, Ia"
concluded on this head, that is TO elevat" the
world If il were otherwise. how could the
| world ever be elevated TO that high moral gran
dcur which it will ultimately attain? BY the
! sweat of whose face would the world b."
! clothed and fcd Will" these mighty numbers
! were acquiring intellectual power Herein
! we see the wisdom of Tie Creator, and that
! his plan of educating he world can b. accom-
! pli,hcd without intCrrupling the aNOCItiOns of
! life or disturbing the harmOnleS Of society,"
! The great end, and aim, ana purpose of all
/
| grand and glorious point OF believer In
| Christ.
The speaker next noticed the modern dogma
| that "all men are. created equal a more
glaring tailacy and dangerous h"r">y was
never presented to IN ignorant and credulous
world. lie refutrd this heresy by arguments
! from analogy, from The nature OF things, and
from the necessities of mankind.
Closely allied TO this idea of equality is an
other hercsy which has often filled the world
with misery and lamentations. 1t has been
called by some by one name and by others an
other; | call it Rnijo0ijSm-not in the party
sense, bat because II best expresses my uea OF
that plinciple of evil winch Is always rrluC
tamt 10 obey any law or 10 submit 10 any re-
straint but its own unlicensed VIII. This prln-
Ciple made Adam rebel this overthreW ihean-
Gent republics. During the middle ages II was
locked in tn" cells of feudal barbaTi~m. After
wards il subverted the modern Italian rcpub-
lies. In France it grew and strengthened untilit
eliminated in the Revolution OF iIN9, when all
its accumulated wrath seemed TO have been
poured upon the heads of her unhappy people.
At this time ii i maniicsting itself through
out the world. The whole European CONT
nent is vibrating under the electric influence
of its mighty touch Here III this country wc
have seen and felt TO the full extent the enOr-
mites of this misChieNOus principle. Where
all are SUNereIgnS iand every man Is, ana every
woman soon viii be-, who shall be supreme
The American idea that there must be unlNer-
sal suffrage and universal elections - the
widest ana most I lOplln SCItlllt' lI' llp=t
stupid nonsense, which ever entered the head
of man, and one which has never brought
forth anything good, and is always fraught
with the most miSchleNOus consequences.
This idea, when carried to its logical results,
means "liberty without the restraint OF
law" ana liberty not controlled by law is
but the worst form of anarchy. universal
suffrage caused our great civil war, nc, &c.
1t is a cruel and inhuman doctrine that
whatever the majority wills is right provided
they have the power TO enforce their wishes.
And this is the law of this country. 1t lacks
but TWO more steps 10 reach the climax of
folly and atrOCity and these VIII be taken at
no distant day unless there shall be reaction
in public opinion and feeling. These VIII be
female suffrage and IN equal division and
partition of property. This is the next move
in the march of that grand, progressive policy
which already holds ten free ISjcl States III
military bondage. Come II must unless The
voice Of reason shall reach and enter the
hearts and unders standing OF the great mass OF
the American people. And then the North as
we'll rs the South Will feel the shock and reel
under its merciless blows. Then will be real
lied the unwriIten horrors OF The french
Revolu tion.
Bur il NAV be asked, Is there no remedy for
this fell destroyer? There is. II Is Il proper
system of education. Such an education OF
the whole people as begins at and affects the
whole heart is the only cure of the terrible
disease which aflicts us. All other remedies
Will be quackerles.
And what part shall Virginia perform in the
great work OF lifting up the human race TO the
lofty heights Of true greatness and true glory
When l think of Nirslnia-what she has here
totore done in the great work of enlarging the
human empire and protecting human rights
when l remember how she has given away
great States, and from the prolific storehouse
of her greatness has presented TO the world
its most gifted statesmen, its grandest orators,
lis most distinguished heroes, as one OF her
humblest sons feel that she should be no lag
gard III the noble race yet 10 be run. The
rude hand OF agrarianlsm has despolled her OF
..a.,in,, Of hnr terri fnrX. Bloody war has