The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-24

pretty maids and gallant young men VINO
were ltefyre: him. There were also many
worthless of the Methodist Church present;
Among them we noticed Bishops Early and
Doprett, the Rcvs. Drs. Duncan OF the Coi,
.leee. Hall of Petersburg Granbery, ana
poisscll and Roszell of Baltimore.
The, audience being gathered, bishop
Docgett was introduced, and offered an cio-
quent prayer. to- y. -,,,.et,-,.
John Lyon, Esq, tho speaker before the
Alumni, was next, introduced, and delivered
an address, of which We give synopsis
below -, " ~ a1as !, ..l1ai,' -
= Mr.,Lyon opened hisspeech by referring
to the fact that in 1914 he became IN alum
nus of Randolph Macon College, and
stating that no small part of the motive
which induced him to accept their invita-.
ton was the wish to commune with his Old
comrades about the events which had trans
p;rcd and things they had seen and heard
during the quarter of century that had
elapsed. We had lived in strange and
.eyentful times, and as we would cast the
ewes OF our memories over the developed
scale of the panorama of our personal oD-
seryation NC would find startling pictures
of fierce realities for contemplation.
comparison of our back sights with our
fore sights as we had travelled upon the
rough road would make us wiser and better,
especially if we made that comparison IN
the spirit of patience, tolerance, ana KIND
ness. ..., ..-
With this Introduction the speaker went
into detail of the social and political
changes that had-been wrought IN the last
quarter of a.century, III general terms, ana
quoted the astronomical discoveries OF Lie
Vcnicr and the great invention of Morse IN
tclcgraphing as examples Of the TACT that
new facts were often fatal to old theories.
He next referred to the cases OF China
and Japan, in which the walls OF separa-
ton, which for ages had secluded the Won
derful people Of those countries, had been
broken down, and we had seen their solemn
embassies seeking to exchange courtesles,
and make treaties with people whom they
had despised. Under the. combined infu-
ence of force and interest and reason the
PEOPLE had made vast and painful sacrifices
of preiudices and opinions, feelings ana
habits, and the end of this had not como
vet, for it had scarcely ever occurred to any
ono that the Oriental would become domi-
cillcd in the West 1t had been supposed
that his ideas by travel would have become
enlarged but, contrary to expectation,
they had come by scores and thousands ana
demanded labor in our different enter
priscs so that their presence was deemed
necessary if not desirable.
Mr.. Lyon then spoke of the foothold the
Chinese were gaining in California, and
cited the events lately occurring there in
PROOF Of what he urged; that the emigra-
ton from China and Japan would hence
forth embrace superior grade o. popula-
ton. Then glancing over these results and
their probable conclusions, the speaker said
that the boys Of to-day would sec in the
next twenty-five years things which he had
not seen in the last quarter of a century.
They would learn, as he feared he had not
learned, humility, patience, and liberation,
in matters of opinion.
Next, the speaker followed up MS pa
rallcl instances the histories of Hindostan,
where the faith of sultanism had been abo-
lishcd, and of Australia, which had been
known within the last twenty-five years as
the site of Botany Bay "a British penitcn-
tiary), and whose future was just dawning.
In succession Mr. Lyon then reviewed the
changes in Europe rs marked by the events
in England, Russia, Austria, and PRUSSIA,
aud finally, in America. In regard to the
latter country, he pointed out its cxtraor-
binary Development everywhere save in
Virginia. She, alas had been shorn of
onc-thirG Of her dominion. We had seen
o confedcracy of States converted into
!, consolidated empire. Whether right or
wrong, it WAS protitlcss Ut present to
but it was not to be denied by any
intelligent observer that the whole power OF
the nation had passed into the hands OF
Conrrcgs. The Constitution as 1t was had
become an impossibility cvcrmorc. But the
mast could not be undone, and earnest pa
triots had now no hope except III the cndca-
yor n make our new form OF government
rs tolcrahlc as possible, to adapt it to the
wants of ourcxtcndcd and diversified popu-
lotion. and make it conform to justice and
truth and the teachings Of humanity. Who
could say infallibly that the result Of this
revolution would not be good? AS God had
admired his work of creation on the evening
of the sixth day, would not we on our poll
teal Sabbath, our day of peace and rest
as come it surely would, admire and love
the finished work, and pronounce it good?
The speaker next alluded to the improve
mcnts each day i'll progress on this con-
tinent, and the sweeping tide Of emf
grafton which would dissolve all paper
barriers that night be constructed to con-
serve local interests and promote narrow
policies. Paradoxical as it might seem,
the people of the United States were more
compact and closer together to-day than
they were ever before; and as expansion
and contraction Of mass of iron under
the influence Of heat Was absolutely ire
sistible, so it was impossible that the form
of government should remain whole while
the society it envelsped Mas undergoing
such mighty changes.
He then referred to the matter Of slavery,
and after tracing the events in regard to it
since 1918, he expressed the opinion that
on this point all of us had "swung round
the circle"
Next he entered briefly upon the diyi-
sion OF the Methodist Church, and stated
that he was never able to get rid of the
impression that this was to great extent
the efficient cause OF many of the great
events that had happened since 1874. In
concluding upon this subject, he said
II cannot WITHHOLD the expression Oh the
hope that grace will abound; that charity
will not fail and that unity will soon be
restored. II surely will il we are only as
Jealous to come together us we were to 90
apart" ....... ......
Then, finally, said Mr.. Lyon:
OF these "reminiscences, thus rudely
groupedtogether, shall tend to moderate our
self-estcem, to teach us to see ourselves as
others see us, and to recognize our gricfs