The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-02-26
INDIANA AssURY USIFERsAfI.
22d Of FebFuary-COBtest Perform.
ance Of the enthusiastically
Fesented-Number In Attend
anCe-Ladies I'm College.
lGREENcAsTLE, February Q

Editors Journal:
One hundred and thirty-six years
ago this country gave birth to It's
father. Such a physiological contra
diction may be avoided on the suppo-
sition that George was an adopted
child; of the details, however, his
tory has not spoken. We know his
mind was mathematical and philoso-
phical, and this may account for the
deep interest taken in the celebration
of his birth day by our institutions of
learning.
1t has been the custom, since As
bury was established, to celebrate the
22d of February in manner in har-
mony with the associations which sur
round it, and to-day it is our pride
that in the heat of this political con-
test, we are able to fall back to this
old landmark In our country's histo-
~. 1t is well to do this, for we have
thus broad lesson Of patriotism, IN
tainted with prejudice, and have pre-
sented for our model a faultless char
acter.
As the twenty second came on Sat
urday, the Faculty gave Friday as
holiday, and the action met with no
opposition on the part Of the stu
dents. Saturday morning chapel was
dismissed with the announcement that
in the afternoon the twenty second
: Grafton would be delivered, and at
might a contest performance of the
two literary societies would be held.
THE GRAFTON.
Early in the afternoon the crowd was
gathering, and before the appointed
timeIthe hall was filed. Citizens and
students were there, and above the
smiling faces of the Props it was
evident there had been many wretch.
ed attempts at bair-parting. But
upon the entrance of the speaker
there was silence, and each one wait
g ed eagerly, like as a mighty alder
man, when, at corporation feast, the
first spoonful of turtle soup salutes
his palate, feels his appetite but ten
fold quiekened, and redoubles his
vigorous attacks upon the tureen.
while his projecting eyes roll greedi Y
round, devouring everything on the
table"
The exercises were opened by the
g reading of Washington's Farewell
Address, by Mr.. j. w. Webb, of
Warriek County. After this the ora
tor of the day, Mr.. F. NJ. Dice. of
Chambersburg, delivered the Grafton.
He acquitted himself very creditably.
considering his was an old and back
neyed subject. The Beautiful" oc-
cupied a very important position in
the Grafton, and, assisted by the brass
band, the audience all felt the enthu-
siasm; and when the exercises were
9 over, each one thoughtfully wendell
his way homeward, bordering upon
the philosophy of eloquence, wonder
ing at the difficulty of ACCOMPLISHING
so easy task. The following is the
programme:
Washington s Farewell Address
: j Nv. Webb, Greencastle, Ind.
i Orahon--W ashingtO and his Coun-
/. try Frank NJ. Dice, Chambersburg,
Ind. .a,.
The exercises occupied about an
hour and a quarter. A short respite
was allowed, when the audience again
assembled to witness the contest ner-
Torrance of the two Societies. The
e. following is a copy of the programme.
The first, third, sixth, seventh and
ninth performers were from Plato.
The rest were from Philo:
Defamation - George G. Thomas.
Petersburgh. Indiana; Defamation
Dan. Elder, Valparaiso, Indiana; Es-
say-C. H. Kirkhoff, New Palestine
+ Indiana; Essay-D. t. DOwney. Ris,
ngSun, Indiana; Discussion: Ought
Military Men be Rewarded with Civil
Honors Y'-Afirmative, III. FL. Whit |
comb, Shelbyville, Indiana; negative.
j. Il. Westerfeld, Greencastle. In
diana; Grafton Graduation John r..
Miller, Greencastle, Indiana; Grafton
Contentment-W. L. Johnston
Evansville, Indiana Discussion
Does Wealth Weld as Great an In
huenee upon Nation as Literature?" |
Affirmative, w. S. Swengle, Red |
dington, Indiana; negative, G. G.
DeBruler, Evansville, Indiana.
The performances were none of |
them poor, yet we may mention some |
In particular. The second declama-
ton and first essay were we'll deliver |
ed. The second Grafton was an arts |
tic affair, and without detriment to |
his colleague, we may pronounee Mr. I
johnson Grafton the first Grafton in |
the contest.
Evansville closed the performance
In debate of which her Friends were /
proud. Mr.. ID. masked his battery /
and with onslaughts of argument aud |
sarcasm, presented in a natural and |
very attractive address, placed his op-
ponent In the background. Your
rival city on the river had no repre-
sentatlon, and in this, as IL every con-
test she was inferior RI I've nsvilIa