The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-08
From Our Special Reporter.
AxsUMNa DINNER,
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.
A AMI SPEECHES.


ToAsTs AND SPEECHES.
LEXINGTON, July 8, 1869.
Your correspondent was unfortunate!
absent from the commencement eXerclsesol
the Virginia Military Institute this year, pu'
returned in time for the
ALUMNI DINNER.
This came OF at 8 O'Clock p. u. the 30 In
slant in the sp.endid mess hall Of the Insti.
fufe. THE decorations Of the cadets ball.
which had occurred the night before, stilf
remained. and were certainly very pretty.
The evergreen trimming was done WIZ
great taste-ahere was a coat OF arms OF
ever southern State. painted, by Captain
Waddeli, The accomplished Assistant Pro-
fessor Of Drawing, and the portraits OF Lee,
jackson. General Smith, Rhodes, the Pat
tons Garland, %Crutchfeld, and Otey, were
trimmed very tastefully- Over Lees por-
trait was worked with evergreen "The
Hero; over Jacksons "our Marty
and ever General Smiths sour superin-
The tables were judiciously arranged ;
the dinner gotten up in Captain GibDss
best style /; and everything passed OF, none
the less pleasantly because sdecent!y ana
in Orders Colonel e. Pendleton, of Bote-
tourt, presided with that ease and grace
which characterize him.
The regular toasts of the evening were
read. and responded to as follows:
/. The Board of yisitors-Tbe fathers OF
our Alma Mater, whose Zeal is but COM
mensurate with their knowledge, and
who have devoted both zeal and X ioW-
ledge to the welfare of the Institute.
In response, Ex-Governor Letcher said
that the Board deserved no credit for the
prosperity Of the Virginia Military lnsti5
- Cr,s<6 1nc hoon Its F0l1nnpr.
architect. and tinisher. When the build
ines were in ruins, and no one else believed.
that there was the slightest prospect OF re-
establishing the school, Genera! smith had
boldly proclaimed that it should be done
and, better still, had gone vigorously 10
work to accomplish it. We are 1ndebted TO
him for it all. 49, I
plished. What has beendone has been done
we'll nigh without means, but we must now
rally around, and sustain the Superlntena-
emf so that he may make the Virginia
Military Institute an ornament indeed 10
Virginia and the South. In conclusion, he
gave: v.u;.;o
Military Institute man who Is q modelln
all that goes to make up the hlgh-tonea,
Christian gentleman, and the accomplished
director of the education of youth"
Colonel Pendleton said that the next regll-
lar toast was appropriately introduced by
the one Just offered.
.. The Superintendent =" Eeeglt monu-
mentum acre perennnuS."
After a few playful remarks, in which ne
told all amusing story of the cadet lite OF
the President Colonel Pendleton1 General
Smith said that he had brought to the pro-
motion of the interests Of the Virginia Mill
tary Institute all the will, energy, and talent,
that he possessed, and had done what he
could i; but that the toast did him more
honor than he deserved. He had been
only On agent. He paid glowing trl-
butes to the first Board of Visitors, who
organized the Instltute-the subsequent
Boards (all of whom had worked asiduous,
lv)-the Faculty, whom he had ever found
fast friends, safe counsellors, and efficient
workers-and the Alumni, who have ever
shown themselves. devoted to the interests
of the school. In conclusion, he paid an
eloquent tribute to the fallen Alumni, and
said that one motive which had strongly
urged him on in this work was that he could
not consent to leave in ashes the home OF
these fallen heroes. -s.. IA rsgJ re4s7s
4. The Ocean Pathfinder! Whose wind
and current charts are second only In
Importance to the mariners compass,
and whose fame is borne on every gale
that sweeps the stormy deep. .a .La-a0
Unfortunately, Commodore Maury was
detained by sickness, and not present to re-
spond to this toast. i. ID a-h s
}. Washington College - Our twin-sister
whom We are too proud to equal to de-
sire to excel. I'll. a1s9
Professor Joynes, being called out, said
that the College would gratefully accept
this tribute. That they heartily reciprocal
ted the sentiment recently expressed. by,
General Smith that the interests Of the two
institutions are bound up together. Ihey
are, indeed, "twin-sisters." He made u
beautiful allusion to the two commence
ments just:held by these two institutions,
and the brave words of faith and hope ut
tered at each. and e~loquently said that ali
is not lost while we have such young men,
and are true to them and they to us. gr
Virginia, by a new birth of her historic
womb. is now becoming the mother. of
scholars, and the sons of every State are
coming to drink at her pure fountains OF
learning. ai sHl .2t7 Rt7
And We have here the noblest opponents
of her sonS-On land or on sea-amonS the
living or the dead.
With beautiful classic illusions he elo-
auently enforced the idea that We are to
drive back the dark waves which threaten
us by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS u young men,
apd concluded by giving - ;,
SOUTH, da5 s
liz uUoIC II q HNSIy ~
this thrilling, eloquent speech. 33I3
Q, Eirginia-Her past, present, and fu-
ture. We have those amongst us who
have made her past famous, her present
sucred, and who will make her future
more than all. ..s.fSIt S.gSS
Hon. w. r. Staples made in response a
speech of rare eloquence and power, which
we regret that we have not space for even a
synopsis OF. 1lo.@ er& -
J. The Pictures around US! All tea.
I'VE have graves that cover mere Of glory,
Than ever filled traditions ancient story
Colonel j. w. Massie was called out and
made an eloquent and feeling response.
4. The first Board of Visitors Of the Virginia
Military Institute-The lofty superstrue.
ture with we now SO much admire, but
attests the strength Of the broad founda-
tions which they laid.
DIR. Alfred Ieyburn responded in an eX-
ceedingly Interesting narrative OF The early
history OF the Institute.
Another surviving member of that 'trst
Board is the venerable Hugh Barclay, to
whose earnest and judicious efforts the In
stltute is largely indebted, and who re-
ioices in his declining years ut the rich
of those early seed. t1s
Q. The Alumni" Hdec okm, memimisse
juUQ6tt." 4 ssEt&t gEg<
Colonel Pendleton made q very appro-
pirate response. l
After several impromptu toasts and
speeches, the company quietly dispersed,
feeling that we had enjoyed an exceedingly
pleasant rennion. LEXINGTON.
a WILD MAN CAPTURED IN THE WOODS.
The Ohio State Journal Of June 10Th says :
"'For some days there have been lurking
in the neighborhood Of Harrisburg, in this