The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-24
8nl1ntoltd 4ispatrh.
MONDAY. ..,",..:J ...... JANUARY "a, 1870.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE " DISPATCH"
Is LARGER THAN THE coMsINED C1RcU-
hAT1oN Or ALL THE oTHER Dk1LYNEws-
PAPERS OF THIS CITY. not - ~. se,-...
VIRGINIA NEWS.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.
Grnham's PhfImnthropic Society
. "A

GrnhaR's PhfIanthroptc Society
Anniversary. @...e.i' !.
LEXINGTON, Va, January 20, 1870.
A large and brilliant audience assem-
bled last evening Id the chapel of Wash
ington College. The occasion was the sixty
first anniversary celebration of the Gra-
ham Philanthropic Society. While the
crowd gathered, the band of the Virginia
Military Institute discoursed sweet music.
The hour having arrived, Mr.. Lucius De-
sha, OF Kentucky, "epened the exercises -
in a neat and appropriate address after
which the orator of the evening, Mr.. A.
H. Hamilton, of West Virginia, was intro
duced. =, - 'i~ q . ~,
1t is so common to exhaust superlatives
in describing what deserves only faint
praise, that your readers may suppose no.
thing special is intended when we speak of
the grafton and the debate which followed
as much above what is usually listened to
in college halls. Know all men by these
presents that both address and debate pos
sessed more than ordinary merit, Mr..
Hamilton's theme, ,"Party Spirit" Was
discussed with ability. While some bene-
fits were conceded to flow from it, the mani
fold and great evils to the State, and espe-
cially to the individual, were clearly and
forcibly depicted. The closing appeal to
the members of the Society to shut out the
spirit of party from their halls was timely,
well conceived, and admirably expressed.
After the Grafton the question for debate
was. announced "a Was the Execution of
Maximilian JustifableN' The debate was
opened by Mr.. e. G.. Logan, of Kentucky,
in the Affirmative, and Mr. J.. B. Hobson, of
Virginia, in the negative. These were fol-
lowed by Mr.. D. L. Wilson, Of Virginia,
and Mr.. r. J. Richey, of Texas. The ques-
tion was decided in the negative by vote
of 23 in the affirmative and As in the mega
tive. Accustomed to hear defamation, it
was refreshing to listen to a discussion in
which evidences of careful examination OF
the history Of the case, and such palms.
taking preparation in oil respects were
manifest. If this had been o r" sure
enough - debate on another arena, and with
mature persons as the disputants, it would
have been characterized by the word
cable" ---.--- 49, 49,
1t is conceded by all that no similar cele-
bration in Lexington since the slate gene
raj disturbance has quite equalled that
of the sixty-6rst anniversary of the Graham.
Your correspondent has heard but one voice,
and this voice of praise. At 10 o'clock
the crowd slowly left the chapel, satisfied
that the promise of the programme had
been fulfilled. Rev. r: A. Holland is to
address the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation of the Virginia Military Institute
Thursday. February 10th. A rich treat is
anticipated. Those who heard Mr.. II. last
summer desire to hear him again; and
those who have not desire to hear him for
themselves, that they may know what is the
witchery of Mr.. II. that justifes such high
wrought eulogy. : ~. IRVING.