The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-07-01
ADDRESS.
LEXINGTON, Va, June Is, 1868.

LEXINGTON, Y A., y uliC 1O3 AOOo.
TO day ushered in the most brilliant
aCommsncement Day" ever witnessed at
this ,ime.honored Institution: Long be,
forc 4he arpointed hour the church yard
wFas rro Wded with clamoring applicants
for admission, and when the doors were
opened, The honse was at once filled 70 It's
utmost capacity, while many had TO 20
away. As soon Us the procession, com
nosed of the board>of trustees, faculties
ef the college and institute. distinguished
visifors. students and cadetsmafched into
their places. quiet was restored, and the
erercises, begun with a fervent, approprl-
a,e PRAYER by the venerable DR.. White.
General Lee presided, and conducted the
exercises with that Qniet dignity ana
,rr,.,.e 40 characteristic. of the man.
Of cou,se the great event OF the day
was the speech of General Wade Hamp,
Ton. OF South Carolina. Being introduced
bv- General Lee, he was greeted with I'M
mcnse applause, and began his address 's
follows:
Gentlemen In compliance with the IN
yita,;on your societies have done me tue
honor TO extend TO me, have come to
,srtiri,,ate in the agreeable ceremonies OF
thjs:occasion-a,,o occasion which, tranght
az it must be to you with the highest III
tsrest, is scarcely less interesting to my
self. To you these commemorative DAYS
ct your honored Alma Mater mark impor-
tunt epnc;,s in your lives, Cor each one III
its annual recurrence brings you one step
nearer to that goal to which youth looks
r,itL so much impaticncc and with such
bright hopos-an crtrunce into the great |
wtjrld. On, caci, anniversary OF this cay
= >art OF your number leave these "lis
forever to assume, with the loga nNlluS OF
,nanho,J, the grave duties aud rcsloasl-
biiities of tile cll;z"n These clrcunstan'
,ns cannot ail';o lend to this scene ab-
sorbing interest Tor you, while IN my
learl il waliciiS li,any and decpcm"Uois.
Looking on yoor briSht aud l"y"0S faces
] recall t"o<e OF your klh,mah-mN
bro,zed and bA,lie.slaincd comrades "i
Virginia. Contemplating this grateful
sceue, over whici, peace a"d learning
combine to tilrow their soilcnlng ;.hd be-
pio4. influence. l contrast 1t with that
wien. cinb..tilcd hosts cnn'ropted each
other on this soil, and remembering who
il is that u1w direct, your steps along tire
,.atlls OF virtue aud knowledge, memory
Lril,ys back the time when | toe, had the
honor to serve under the same sg'cai
st.i~f. Stirred by theSe mcmorlcs-'tahd-
ing in this presence once again, OF the
ground OF TIL. grand old Commonwealth
&yruupd h,ltoWed hy as precious blood
ms was ever lonred out ior liberty on
,l,.tti,.fidd or ScuGull-srrroanGeG h} tie
brave soHs OF Virginia and fc,; fair dan@h-
ters--nred Tell you how dccp All inter
est this scene possesses for me. or low
willingly I~ol,scrved | yonr call hitler.
Had any other induccncnt been needed
10 bring me here. it would have been
found in the opportunity thus offered t"
me Of mante.ling my profound respect
and yenuraliou for your liiiS'roas i,rcei-
dent. Yhose deeds in war have Shed i'm
p.rishAb!e lustre on his country, and
whose conduct in peace has showM that
s.peace hath her victories no less rcnowl'-
ed than war" You may readily under
stand then how great Il pleasure 1t gives
me to respond to your fattering invita-
tion, and how earnest is my soiiritndc,
not only to show my appreciation OF 1t,
bu. to mako the occasion as agreeable TO
YOU ia it is to myself Let me hope too,
my Young friends, that the same kind
ness which prompted the invitation may
indnce YOU TO accept the counsel ! give
in the same spirit with which it is offered.
The associations connected with this oc-
casion have naturally called up the past
great history of Virginia, and it has struck
me as Il significant fact, one well worthy
of YOUR consideration, that the men who
made that history so glorious did SO not
more bv the greatness of their actions
than by the high principles which prompt
ed them. 1t seems to me, therefore That
20 theme could. be more appropriate or
more instructive, on such an occasion as
this, and to such I'M audience, than one
. which seeks to impress on our young
men, by The great lessons and examples
Of the past, that to achieve true great
ness. or to secure lasting happiness, they
must ADOPT as the principle to govern
their lives firm, constant and unrom-
promising devotion to duty.
Yon. who arc gathered here from all
sections of tho country to acquire knowl-
edue, to seek truth, and to learn virtue,
as disciples of old, attracted by the fame
of it's teachers. fockcd to the school OF
Athens, to listen to the words OF Socrates,
of Plato and Aristotle, are soon to have
committed to your charge the fame, the
honor, the welfare Of your native land,
and YOU will be held accountable through
all succeeding time. for tho manner in
-l;,.b ,nu fulfil this =mOmentOuS trust.
You ereertupon the great arena of life at
a time of fearful peril to the country and
nndcr circumstances Of most anomalous
charoctcr Short as have been your lives,
you have been spectators of mighty
events. Yoa have seen ancient and time
..;.,,;ons syent away by the