Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-07-08

has yielded an abundant harvest. Corn bids falr
to do we'll And cotton, the much favored staple,
although retarded and in some places destroyed BY
the long and cold spring, now influenced by the
ardent sun promises growth hardly expected y
! Forthe Yorkvllle Enquirer.
DAVIDSON COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT.
Mr.. Editor There are, doubtless, many Of
your readers who feel lively interest in the con-
diticn and prospects Of Davidson College. The
College is under the joint care and control Of Con-
cord Bethel and Fayetteville Presbyteries-the
Board of Trustees being distributed inthe follow
ing proportion: 80 from Concord, IL ffomsBethel,
and 4 from Fayetteville. Although the College
shared, to some extent, in the pecuniary losses
consequent upon the war, by which many of the
literary institutions of the South were completely
overwhelmed, its splendid endowment, under a
kind overruing Providence, was so far secured, as
that it still possesses means sufficient to place its
continuance and perpetuity beyond the range Of
reasonable apprehension. The exercises Of the
College, which had been suspended during the
war, were resumed under auspices which could
hardly be considered very promising; the number
of students being very small, and the funds of the
College unavailable for its support But under
the wise management Of the Board of Trustees,
and the efficient control of an able Faculty, and
above all, the fostering care of that Providence
which has watched over the College through oil
the changes Of the past, Davidson has not only
maintained its ground, but has steadily advanced
in prosperity until to- day it stands, as of yore the
pride of it's friends, as well as the object of their
warnest solicitude. In 1861 there were in the
different classes 26 students--in 1868, the
number was So, and in 1869, there were l2l.
And now, that all, or nearly all, the State Uniyer
sites of our Southern land have become, and are
becoming radicalzed, and Davidson having proved
itself worthy of the confidence and patronage Of all
who desire sound and thorough education for
their SONS, there is good reason to- hope that the
number of students will again be doubled the COM
ing term.
It vas our privilege to attend the late Commence
ment and we will not soon forget that pleasant
season. The weather was propitious; there was
light shower of rain on Tuesday-not sufficient
to interrupt the exercises, or to disturb the pleas
ure of visitors, but enough to allay the dust and
cool the atmosphere. We heard but one opinion
expressed in regard to all the exercises of Com
mepcement week-and that was, that they were
highly creditable to the performers and very gra-
tifying indeed to the large audience in attendance
The number of persons present was said. to be
larger than at any preceding Commencement
since the war; and perhaps as large as was ever
there on similar occasion
Having been, by accident, delayed on the way,
we did not reach the College in time to bear the
missionary Sermon" on Wednesday forenoon,
by Rev. R. S. Moran, of Tarboro, n. c., but we
presume Mr. NJ sustained his reputation We
enjoyed the pleasure of hearing the annual Ora
ton before the, Philanthropic and Eumenean
Societies, by Seaton Gales, Esq, of Raleigh, on
Wednesday afternoon This speech elected many
enconiums- the matter and manner of it were
very good indeed. At night the representatives
of the two societies-three from each entertained
the audience with original speeches, which called
forth from the crowd that filed the large hall Of
the College,: repeated and prolonged applause
These speeehes were all good-very good-but we
were especially pleased with the one by W. j.
Mckay, of n C.-Subject, "a word to the sons
of the Old North State ~; and the one by Will
H. Stewart, of our own county-Subect, "Chris-
tianity the soul of Liberty; and the one by Ed
win W. Kerr, Of N C.-Subject, ''Tbe South. :"
Thursday was Commencement day. At an ear
ly hour the throng began to assemble, and con-
tinued to crowd into the ''temple of science
until there was no vacancy left in the hall, which,
% we were informed, will accommodate comfort
ably 200 persons; and then there were on this
occasion a good many ''outsiders. The object Of
the multitude was to hear the graduating speech
es of the Senior Glass, and to witness the ceremo
nv of "conferring Degrees" Of the II members
of this class, 7 are North Carolinians, and are
South Carolinians. A member of the Faculty ex-
pressed to me the opinion that better class had
never gone from Davidson. And after the speech
es were delivered, gentleman who had for many
years occupied distinguished position in sister
College, remarked that he had never known a
class of equal size acquit themselves more credita-
blv in any College. These speeches evinced clear
ly both the talent and industry Of the young men
themselves, and the ability and fidelity Of the Fac
ulty under whose care and instruction they had
passed through their College course.
Whilst We were able, very heartily, to accord the
lneeQ Ol WeH uOue, W eFety one VI tho Sooe,
there were eight of the speeches which, in our
judgment, possessed special merit. But it might
seem invidious to partcularize. There is one fact
in connection with this Glass; which We do not re-
member to have known with reference to any other,
and which perhaps may not occur in a double de-
eade again. Six of the graduating class-just one
half the entire number-tooA first honor grade.
The Valedctory addresses we're delivered by MIR.
John W. Davis, Of Salisbury, N. G., and the Sal
utatory by Mr.. Paul P. Winn, Of fLancastervile, S.
%. Of this class we believe seven are candidates
for the gospel ministry May the great Head Of
the Church make them polished shafts in His
quiver, and through their instrumentality turn
many sinners unto Righteousness.
The festivities of the occasion were in some
r,ooe,,ro y,orrnd hu tho I'll han1th of mamhara of