Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-03
II ninu aud 9ispatfh.
SUNDAY. rEBRTARY 3. 1897.
Largest Circulation in City and State
LITERATURE IN LEBANON.
Occasion - Society
Speeches and HOnOrs-EIOqueneea and

won should not be entirely unsung for tho
young orators who enlightened the worl
on that occasion, and, since we know of 3
one who intends penning their deeds, v
will essay 10 be the Horace for each fMec,
mas and transmit to clamorous posterity
written papyrus Of their glory; and to pr,
mise you must know that the Philomathia
and Anasagassian Societies are the riva
literary societies Of this University.
Before the war, they we're accustomed {
have one orator each 20 represent them a
the end Of each session. That wonld no
do for this age Of oratory. There were. i
seems, more than one from each who though
themselves worthy Of being heard for thei
cause and they at last compromised b.
choosing two each, and calling the occasion
a ''sociat reunion"
Proceeding at 63 O'Clock 10 the Sduare
We were greeted with the sound Of music
and from a brass band at that. II bein,
the irst We had heard since
Our warrior banner took its aiqht-
10 greet our warriors souls"
We actually forgot what excuses of pru
dence this same sort Of music forced us int
some years ago. and double-quicked 10 the
scene. Found the Philomathians formed
| in the Square like militia company, with
their President and Marshal in front
They were here Joined BY the Amssagae-
SLAMS and the President Of the Social Re
union, when, band in front and music play
ing they marched to the Cumberland
Church. Entering the church their march
was az follows: The Philomatians no the
left aisle preceded by their President. the
President Of the Social Reunion. and their
] Maraha a -
blue sashes; the Amassgaasians on the
right their officers ia front and wearing
sasheB Of white.
The orators and the Rev. DIR. Kelly were
then conducted upon the rostrum, and DIR.
Kelly opened the services with a most
touching and eloquent prayer.
The President, Mr. j. X. McClelland. In
few happy remarks, explained the idea
Of the Social Reunion, and closed bv re-
ierring beautifully to the crumbling walls
and blackened ruins Of the old Alma
Mater standing out in the darkness like
grim watchers DER the dead past.
He then introduced TO the audience Mr..
A. X. Robertson, one OF misrepresentation
of the Amasagassian Society, who spoke
about forty minutes aud was listened to with
great attention. lie closed with an excel
lent peroration addressed 20 the two socie-
ties
Mr.. Murray a Philomateian. was then
introduced, who spoke about half an hour,
and was very interesting
Mr.. Charles Head, of the Amasagassians.
came next, occupied about the same time
and was, too, very Interesting
Mr.. J. NJ. Beard a Philomathian came.
last, spoke forty Minutes and closed amid
the murmurs Of envy and the gratulations
Of applause.
The exercises for the evening were then
closed, by some well-timed and happy re-
marks Of DIR. Kelly.
A generous criticism is the spur 10 exer.
iion and the reins by which the chariot of
eloquence is guarded, and which loosed
would give unbridled license TO every
phTton charioteer. Il is the salt and COM
motion of the literary sea the pruning
knife to exuberant rankness: and the
winnowing Of the chaf from the wheat
Of composition.
Criticisms Of the press have never been
severe enough in this country. The lash Of
condemnation has never been applied with
sufficient vigOr i'm Chastisement of the
would-be literati. We carry our Republi-
can principles even to the court of letters;
and our Queen of Literature gives audience
20 the clouted boor with the same con-
decension "a she would the proven Knight
oE the Quill.
Unfortunately we have no Jeffreys, no
Wilson's, no Scottish Monthly, no Edinburg
Review, nor Quarterlies. The 81" Laus
Neneris of a Swinburne, is hooted from
the shores and press of England, with
howls of condemnation, but 20 find, like
every other convict a refuge in eur country,
II is the same or worse in oratory. How
easy i is for any young Cicero, so-called,
to string together arguments upon 4 sub
ject from Locke or Bacon, witicisms for
which he is indebted 20 his memory, scraps
Of old songs faded from age, and Caconics
from Cotton, call il an oration, ("Heaven
save the mark") deliver il in a Bombastes
EuriOso style and find himself like Byron.
in one short hour made a lion and an
orator. When, 20 the correct taste of the
man OF letters, the whole composition ap-
pears as tawdry as the tinsilled foppery Of
Meg Merrilies Away, we say, with such
hinlsy orafious--and oh, for somr Jefiry 10
cry out to these literary lions.
Thou Wearest alion'shide dof il Cor shame,
And hang eaGsE on those recrcDnt limbs
We do not wish to appear as applying
this language 10 the oratiOns now under
notice, for they DO not merit it, besides il
would exceed the spirit in which we wish
20 view the compositions :
As FIRST on the list We will notice the
oration Of Mr. Robertson. The style of
his delivery was at first inelegant One
Of the rules OF rhetoric concerning an in
troducticn is, LEI il be modest" The sub
r. IL Il
able on this point; the style Of his de-
livery was Il was vehement at once, as
IL intending 20 force his audience, and in
suitable to the succeeding parts. As to
the substance oi his exordium, il was fine,
but would have suited some other part ofhis
oration better. Il was an elevation Of style
which rJlisedt the anticipation Of fhisaudience
beyond fulfllment. II was what the stu
dents call a "curl" Prentice said OF
Brownlow that he was a pig with the
curl in his tail instead Of in his head
The curl of Mr.. Rs oration was in the eK-
ordium instead Of the peroration. Ii was
not only here this fault was diCoyerable in
Mr. Boards His was a curl from the be
ginning; and like Morris writings, cloyed
With sweemes5. Mr.. RS gesiculalion was
much finer ia the succeeding parts Of his
Grafton than ia the introduction bat his
pronunciation and emphasis did not greatly
improve Another feature might have
been noticed At the conclusion Of beau
tihll passage he would often appear 70 stop
which would seem 30 those uaacquainted
with his style OF speaking, ~ II he was
expecting applause a. if waiting for
Ladies % clap their hands with ioy,
Aud old men 30 cry out That's the boy
Some Of Mr. Boards pauses might have
been attributed hy the audience, 10 the
same thing. tie would sometimes stop
Tor q moment, when seeing the audience
could not see the point, he would bring his
hand down his face as if stroking his
beard But since lac j. the " heaFdless Mr..
Beard. the audience eould not see that
either
Not 60 dwell any longer here, We Nould
say, taken as a whole, the effort of Mr. K.
was very fair. As an essay, it was excel
lsnt-more ta-te6lily ornate and ihought-
mlls prepared than any of the Others.
The next was Mr. Murray. We wall 6r-i
saw We admire bis style Of composition very
much Ii wa that simple style - much
admired by Quintilian. and most perfect in
Addison. Mr.. RS was patterned after
Macaulay Mr.. NJ AFTER Hume. As
speech before a Jury, il wouid have been
l,ewerinlly impressive. Equally as care
mlly prepared as Mr. Rs, it was vet not
so severe a. th1t o( Mr. Head. In COM
pairing the love one feels for his country 10
l. II a. Z,