The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-07
From Our Special Reporter.
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.
THE LITERARY SOCIETIES.

LEXINGTON, Va, July /, 1869.
| The final celebrations Of the two literary
| societies Of the Institute came oil last night
and tonight in the new mess hall of the In
stitute--list night, the celebration OF the
Dialectic Society; tonight, that OF the So
ciety Of Cadets.
In the Dialectic. Society the speakers were
| Cadet r: B! Clark; of alabama, president
Cadet ". r. fuller, of Alabal!ia! orator !;
clailner; and Cadet Charles J. Anderson,
of Virginia, valcdictorian.
| The President gracefully and with quiet
self.confdence introduced Mr.. fuller, who,
after few preliminary rei1tarksj announced
that he would discuss the question. !" Which
incentive eXerts the most powerful influence
in keeping up the never-ceasing movement
| in life, the expectation of reward or the fear
of punishment 2" This question he dis
cussed clearly and fairly, awarding the prize
| to the expectation Of reward, illustrating
and contirtf1ing His atstinents::.. from the
well-known sway of ambition: The speech
was very good and sensible one, but with
the same old fault-too long.
Mr.. Jayne acclaimed with Inc elect
''The Ruins Of Time"
The President awarded, in the name of the
Society, diplomas to the following members,
GRADUATES Of this years c. D. Walker, Vir-
ginia {. E. Tackett Virginia; W: Pow
ell, Maryland Thomas Fairfax, Virginia !;
Bradford Marvin, Florida; L. S. Jeryey,
South Carolina Clay Stacker, Tennessee !;
J. E. Heath, Virginia !; Thomas Withers,
Virginia c. 0. Handkerchief, Virginia.
And to Cadet G.. Anderson, OF Richmond,
he presented the complimentary diploma
awarded by the Society to its most useful
member in the graduating class.
10 fhor irtro67Ipp6 Cadet, e.. l. AnGor-
son, who delivered the valedictory on the
part of the graduating class to the Society.
MIR. Anders0n's duty-a sad one-was per-
formed admirably. He spoke of the ties
that bind cadets as being stronger than those
usual among coliege-mates, from the fact
that we live together almost Ike one large
family. He said parting words that we
know found echo in more than one heart,
as evinced by the saddened faces Of several OF
his classmates.
Altogether, che celebration passed off adj
mirably, the speeches being good and OF
reasonable length, and the audience being
enliyened by the beautiful music discoursed
by Schart's brass band.
Tonight, in the Society Of Cadets, Cadet
n. B. Randolph, of Virginia, was president
r. Semple, Of Mississippi, valedictorlan ;
W. P. Bachelor, of Virginia, orator. MIR:
SempIe's speech, though long, was so we'll
| delivered that the interest OF the audience
did not flag, as it is apt to on such occasions.
He bid farewell, not only to his Society, but
! to the ladies of Lexington, and that 10 such
way as evinced an extraordinary interest
in them. Mr.. Bachelors remarks were
rather political, q contrast OF time past and
time present, and contained some whole
some advice; and wholesome advice is never
relished. The President presented diplo.
mas to the graduates: Cadets {. w. An
derson, Georgia; j. L.. Ford, Virginia; S
Fl. Letcher, Virginia; 7. III. Wilkinson
Virginia; J. G. Iongstreet, Louisiana; P
L. Harris, Virginia Edward Mosby, Ten
nessee. Mr.. h. Sempie, of Mississippi
received the complimentary diploma,
The exercises were closed by n very eX
cellent address to the Society by Captain A
Marshall, an assistant professor in the Insti
tute. !" The power and effect Of persisten
effort, his theme, was thoro ughly and prac
tically handled, and highly reflective of th,
spirit of the school yet, utterly devoid o
particle of bigotry, what he said showed
a thorough knowledge of every subject h
introduced--an erudition highly creditabl
| to himself, his Society, and his school. TIL
. effect Of persistent effort, not only o,
ones self, but on the world, was shoWnto b
so powerful, SO excellent, that it could no
fail to make deep impression on his au
dienee. " f,esz sa,y ~ )
The music this evening was by scharf'
string band, and was at times exceedingly