The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-02
COMMENCEMENT.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
SPEECH OF EX-GOVERNOR LOWE, OF
MARYLAND.
APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN NORTH AND
SOUTH. >
From our Special Reporter.

" III. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.,
June 80, 1869.
Tonight had been set apart for the de-
livery of the address Of Ex-Governor Lowe,
of Maryland, before the Literary Societies.
When the cars arrived, and the orator failed
to come, it was supposed that the societies
would have no address before them tonight,
and the propriety Of getting John r. Thomp-
son, ESQ, to read his poem was being dis
cussed when it was made known that Go
vernon Lowe was detained by serious sick,
ness, but had sent on his MSS, which would
be read by Mr.. Mckinney, the final orator
of the Washington Society last year.
In spite of the rain the hall was, comfort
ably filed tonight, and there was (espe-
cially the first part of the evening" less
talking and more attention than usual
After prayer By Rev. Mr.. Tinsley, the
President of the Society (Mr. S. Barclay,
of Missouri expressed regret at the alb
sence of the orator, and gracefully intro
duced as reader of the address Mr.. McKin-
ney. Mr.. Mckinney labored under q double
Interchangeable the difficulty of read
ing OF any time the production Of another,
he had had very little time to familiarize
himself with the manuscript. And yet he
acquitted himself admirably. He did not
hesitate on o single word. His voice is an
unusually fine one, his enunciation is very
distinct, and his appreciation and render
ing Of the spirit of the speech seemed well
nigh faultless. Indeed, We feel sure that
the speech suffered nothing by being in the
hands of this young orator.
-FOUR reporter furnished US with q long
account Of Mr.. loves speech, Which we are
compelled to omit !,
The distinguished gentleman here gave
a review Of the formation of the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and showed that
neither the southern or the northern States
would have adopted it except withsthe dis
tinct ideatbat it embodied the doctrine of
Estates, Rights He had given this re-
view simply to show that this doctrine of
the South was not a new one, but had been
held by the Fathers both North and South.
And though the war has settled the ques-
ton 80 far as. any attempt to put the doc
trine into practice is concerned, it lis I'M
q~uestionably true that nearly the whole OF
the southern people held it, firmly in'61.
They were not "misled by politicians -
but fully understood the nature and magni-
sude of their undertaking. 81 take the
position that these ten millions of southern
freemen did what, before God, they honestly
thought that they had q clear right to do in
full view of the Federal compact, and that
whatever may be the opinion Of the people
Of Che North as to the merits OF the contro-
versy, they can neyer Justly impugn the
personal integrity of ten millions of people
acting through the organized authority OF
their States. l deny, therefore, that these
ten. millions 0 fpeople were, in any legal OF
moral sense whatever, inSu7rectioniStss,f
ssre5els,' or traitors Notwithstanding
mechanics, Iaborers, planters, lawyers, ply.
sicians, and earnest ministers of the gos
pei, were all guilty Of the greatest felony
known to the criminal code! When Thomas
Jefferson issued his declaration, and Georg,
Washington drew his sword to defend it
they were both srebels' By the laws 0
England, about the. construction of which
there was no dispute |" He ably .arguet
that:the, pSnnle of the South occupied still
higher ground, and that "the North has t
come to this plain proposition--tbe South
acting in good faith upon her convictions Q
eighty years, was no rebel, or Jtreitor,
or 'perjnTed Jelon, in law or morals, nfae
ortheory, when she drew the sword to assel
the doctrine of the sovereignty and indie
pendenoe of the States, and that therefor
she ia now simply in the position of
weaker, subjected to the control of
stronger power by superior forces and th
tickle fortunes of war" He freely %
mitted, however, that the South should nc
cept the necessary results Of such o wa,
and eloquently appealed to the facts Of til
! past four years to show that she aGs don