The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-03
From our Special Reporter.
"GoMmENCEMENT DAY"
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
Brief speech OF Governor stevenson.
OF Neutrality-suspicious. Of William
9. Rives, Esq, before the Asunins---
poem by Iohn n Thompson. Esq.---
brilliant Alumni Dinner.
UNIVERSITY or yERaIsIA,

July /, 1869. *
sGCommencemen Day" at the Uniyefstty
of Virginia has been so often described IN
its general features that we need not again
attsmpt the task. The procession, the
music, the dense crowd. the CONFUSION OF
tongues, the array Of beauty, the assem- ~ !.
bly, Of learning, merit, and mannooa' t the
delivery of diplomas and other honors, tne
anniause and cheers with which the success
FIJI asuirants are greeted-all these are re-
peated from year to. year. -. cont
The names of the graduates have sent
YOU, ANY one who win take the pans 10
compare this list with the catalogue VIII zee
that the number is very small IN propore a.ni
to the number Of students in the seYerai
schools. and this Is rendered the more
striking from the fact that many OF these
students come here with diplomas from
some of the best colleges in the country,
or with preparation, obtained OF some OF
our best schools, equal to thai lndlcateu
bv a college diploma. An aiumnns Oh the
University recently threw down the gaunt-
LET in northern paper, and challenged any
university or college on the continent to eX-
hibit a standard of graduation SO high as that
of the University Of Virginia. There mas not
been. and cannot be, 4 response LOT our
grand old mother is without peer, ana hcr
honors, so sparingly bestowed. are unrl-
vailed. ~
We will only say OIL the coinli ap...
ment" to-day, that it was IN all respect, oais
of the most brilliant we have ever had.
Among the distinguished men present-Dec
sides members of the Faculty and Board OF
Yisitors-we noticed Governor Patton OF
Alabama. Rev. DR.. Mitchell Of Alabama,
Governor Stevenson Of Kentucky, Colonei
John Morris of Kentucky, Judge LUCK
of MARYLAND, Colonel Yancey oil georgia,
Bishop Doggett Of Riehmon p;,, Dr poers Of
of Louisville. Professor pike lovers Oh
Virginia, Judge Coleman OF Virginia, non.
J. IS. Holcombe Of Virginia, Hon. John b.
Baldwin OF staunton, William G. RlYes,
ESQ. of Boston, John r. Thompson, Esq,
of New York, Judge William y. Robertson,
Judge Riyes, and many others too hume
rous to mention.
Alter the delivery of the diplomas DR..
Maupin, chairman Of the Faculty, mace an
exceedingly chaste and appropriate Vale-
dctory, which was loudly arplaudea.
Loud and repeated calls We're then maze
for "Steyenson," in response to Which TO-
vernon Stevenson, of Kentucky--a noble
looking specimen of the statesman and
scholaf-came forward, and was greeted
with deafening cheers.
He thanked the young men for their fiat
tering call, but they must excuse him from
a speech. His heart was too full for utter
ance. After thirty-four years, absence ne
y
this festive day, and his heart was filled
with mingled emotions of joy and sadness.
Joy at beholding the present prosperity OF
his Alma Mater. Sadness ut the loss OF so
MANY of her SONS. Joy at seeing so many oil
the sons of his fellow-students bearing of
the honors Of the University. Though he
had been so long absent from virginia, he
was still VirgHian. His heart still cllngs
with tilial affection to Virginia and her noble
University.
He eloouently eXhorted the young men
to be true to the University and the princi-
pes of jefferson, and took his seat amidst
laundering applause.
We now had most sensible intermiSsion
of an hour, during which time the ice-crcam
and lemonade vendors drove BRISK trade.
ADDRESS AND POEM BEFORE THE ALUMNI.
At the expiration of the hour the Alumni
formed on the lawn, and marched into the
hall to hear their chosen orator and poet.
In introducing the chosen representative OF
the Alumni, Mr.. Barbour said
The present meeting OF the SOCIETY," OF
Alumni is attended by unusual, mi gllt al
most say pathetic, interest. Whatever may
be Thought of the veXed question of the
RIGHT of repatriation, it is one which no
Virsinian has ever claimed. However dis
tant. the voice of the mother has always
been to her children potent spell To-
day two of her sons, exiles in person, but
with untrayelled hearts, needing her call,
have come to lay their tributes OF duty ana
affection at her feet-the one bringing the
rich fruit of ripe thought and studious
wears the other in touching yerseto mourn
the dead and animate the llving-and both
to enforce and illustrate the glorious truth
that Virginia is not dead; that her soul,
though sad, is not subdued, and that there
is not power on earth to quench her memo,
ries or repress her glorious hopes. And
now beg leave to introduce MIR: William
Cabell Rives, Of Boston, and OF Virginia.
Mr.. Rives begun with delicate and APP
propriate allusion to his lamented father
and the honor which the Alumni had been
wont to show him, and easily and gracefully
introduced as his theme s. The relation OF
recent changes to the interests and the du-
ties of the people of Virginia."
He was aware that q topic so easily
brought within the sphere of party politics,
though by no means necessarily belonging
to it, should be treated with reserve, espe-
cially ora day dedicated to a renewal OF the
pleasing associations Of academic life and
knowing this, it should be his aim to give
no cause of offence to any political conyic-
tions. while Mt the same time he should en-.
deayor to follow the light of that cheerful
and hopeful philosophy that BELTS the occa-
sion, and without whose guidance it will be
impossible to sIlrmount the sorrows OF the
past or overcome the trials OF the future.
Nor was the consideration OF the interests
of Virginia matter Of indifference to any
present, from whatever State they came.
Virginia still has potent influence abroad,
and in every State there are her sons to do
her homage. A recent change would render
it necessary for him to define what he meant
by the term 90 Virginia" For the purposes
Of to-day, let there be no East and no West
Virginia. ,..,.g,.,.,... $
eral expressions. He deemed it more I'M
nortant that we should be properly organ
Ted in our State government than that we
sbnuld have q voice in Federal politics. The
long time we had been deprived OF this lat
ter had enured to our benefit, in that it had
turned our talents necessarily to home de-
yelopment. SIN her isolation and retire
1nent Virginia shall not be forgotten, ana
her image, like the unseen images OF the
Roman patriots, shall be the more lustrous
because Withdrawn from observation" He
yiyidly sketched the loss of property which
resulted from the war, and portrayed the
changes which had thus taken place. And
vet from the impoveFishment of the State
NAV soon be developed the fruit Of .
hitherto unknown prosperity. y - i
The greatest loss sustained by Virginia
had been in losing the very hover OF ner
!, youth. He did not propose to discuss the
ksthey fought; but there is a justiee-there is
b a tribute-to the dead that. their generous
adyersarles will not withhold. lie here
paid q most eloquent tribute to our fallen
heroes-thus concluding They shall sleep
In scattered and, 1t may be, in unmarked
graves, but they shall not sleep o prey to
foreetfulness. THE rivers of Virginia, in
ceaseless flow, shall murmur their requiem ;
her everlasting bills shall awake the remem-
1.s.. % n, ait ,,nco shnacs their davnfinn