The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-06

.vrrER SRoM LEXINGTON.
virginia Military Institute COM
ucucesment-klum Dinner.
=. ,.,rr.s,,,rd,nce Of tho Richmond Dispatch

LEXINGTON. A.. July 4, 1911.
We have tclcgraphcd you so full an ac-
,,,n.. NJ The commencement at the Virginia
,.litary Institute that hut little remains to
IT. ADDED.
rnc number Of strangers present was
.pfS large. especially when we consider
now difficult Of access our Athens is. We
d led amougthc Alumni present Col. J. NJ.
;rt,tnu. Col. T.. Pcndleton, Col. Walter Fl.
ray}rr. Major Ohenchain. commandant OF
,a corps OF cadets of the University OF
\.>h,lHc; MAJOR Fiowerce of Mississippi,
AMI others especially OF the younger
tmmui). ,
Nwouy the other visitors we noted Gene-
.. . V,r.c,n. al hlalaua MIR. Kirkland, of
., .,,.rtnrg Air. Robert Garrett, President
'"Irr Valley railroad: Major Randolph,
, t.Enr,ncer Of the Valley railroad !: Col.
y,fI.,ul II. Tcrrill, of Bath; Capt. Wilkes.
~ >n,,h Carolina. uhe distinguished naval
,.',.-,,ne,.lcr y Judge Farrar. OF Louisiana
,l,u \. T. johnson. OF Accomac county.
a.. Key. W. ". Williams the BOARD Oh
VISITORS Of the Virginia Military Institute,
.a.a many others. a. rst nf
& ste, the five first names on tl'e lS1 VI
Ca .d.l..fcs which sent YOU Ivy telegraph
49,. t.lfnwjn. cadets are reported to the
Governor OF Virginia rs especially diStih-
cui>hed: Gu,
Ul,n, ". ii. wilson, Il. Harris. I. L.
= y nv Clds<.-B.T. Crump, II. II .Crump,
!. II. Reynolds. J. ID. Lctchcr, W. wash
ingtou. wv
fniIth Case. d. Grandy, c. D. Hub
card. !. II. Wildly, ID. q. Sherrard, l.. !.
Cadet Frazier. of the first class, has re-
,rivrt no dcincrit for four years.
The following are the cadet officers just
appointed: ~ u,r.,;,s =
i. l:raty. !. Ii. Smith.
LiaHcn0n and -idtltant.-R. T. W..
N"rri~.
L,.nfcnGnt and QuartcrmaStcr.-M. L..
SHuti>Nood. v,
Ln,r.aon:s Of the CompGnics.--W. Il. $.
Na,i,. ". II. a:urrcll, y. Il. sullivan, w.
G.. Ma.rut!l, K. Il. Bell. VIII. Rucker, ".
4. ,ar!nau. :. Lawrason.
.srcr the exercises in the church were
otrr, and the corps of cadets marched
I,ark to barracks. the Alumni and their in
yirrd guests assembled in the mess hall
around the festive hoard. Colonel y. I'll. ID.
floss. president Of the Society OF Alumni.
presided After full justice had been done
10 HE dinner, the regular tOaSts were an
ana rCsponcd to as follows:
/. The Board OF Visitors of the Y. NJ. ::
r,., faithful Scntincls on the outer walls Of
ir school.
cot. I'd. Pcndlcton being called on to re-
,pn,ld, said that there was no special pro-
,,yI,.,! In calling on him: for while he was
:. uarr.rch among the Alumni, he was but
"a i;.piann in the board. He hoped that
they woud bring ont his venerable friend.
Gen. W. Il. Richardson, who had lived long
enough TO build and gaze upon his own
or his friend, Col. Patton, who
was Il sort OF Wandering jew" in that,
after having long been Il member of the
hoard, and disappointed from it, he had now
come back 10 his old hauntS.
rac venerable Gen. Richardson arose,
w. loudly appi.udr,l. and made an address
:, hich Was said hy those near him to have
l.. ci.a deeply interesting sketch Of some OF
hi- tailCr "reminiscences Of the NlrsI liia
Military Institute !; but your correspond
cnt WAS, unfortunately, unable to hear
what hc said.
Col. Patton facctiouSly excused himself
from speaking.
;. The Faculty Of the Virginia Military
Institute Trusting 10 the watchiulness Of
/ hr .'OutSidc Sclsat.Cis," they are true to
liz" inner work OF this institution.
Col. Preston, who had been expected to
RESPOND to this toast being absent, Col. j.
W. Ma-Sic WAS loudly called for, but gave
numerous reasons why he should not
speak. insisting that rs the rain had washed
away the speech which Col. Preston had
the Faculty ought to be excused
Il o!u >r"Hklng.
2. Lee and jackson: In memoridm.
Drank standing, and i'll silence.
I. WASHINGTON and Lee University: Our
,..,,,l,i,.r friend and cola bOrpr-
Loud calls being made for him, Professor
+. :. .Juync> responded. He said that alter
/ IL, toa>l which had just preceded, he felt
that the voice of Washington and Lee Uni
yrr>itv might we'll be silent upon the recol-
lection ot her great sorrow. But to the
generous sentiments which had prompted
ihi- toast be would not withhold a cordial
arhnoN lrGgmcnt. While he testified with
pleasure that between the two great InSll-
buttons that crowned this classic hill, though
there might he generous rivalry, there yet
existed only the most cordial friendship
and y mpathy, in which all--both professors
and cadets and students allke-partlclpateu.
He expressed his qualification at the high
character Of the exercises that had just
been witnessed, and remarked that though
he had attended great number OF
college commandments, they yet never
hi, interest and sympathies. On such Occa-
siuns hcrould mol /, sist he associations that
him across III interval or nearly
twenty wears, 10 another great Virginia in
-titutiun, beyond The summit OF those
mountains, amid the blue hills of Albc-
marie, where be had himself stood at the
head o!cOicgiltc tolls, youthful graduate,
enjoy ing the happicst and proudcst mo
urnt- OF his life. On such occasions these
memories crowded upon him, and his heart
went back TO Alma Mater III all the fresh
hess ui Youthful feeling, and in iult sympa-
thy with the Young men who now stood be-
tore him. And he was now reminded that
there sat hy his side to-day q gentleman
who. within the last too weeks, had wit
messed, within Il distance OF hundred
miles. The commandments OF all three OF
these great Virginia schools, In which he
had seen gathered over thousand
Young men from distant States, bring
!ur more than half million of dol
lgrs into tue State, and representing
.ul Influence of high culture and noble us
luratlul> Tor the whole South that no mo-
n,.y could estimate. lie Was proud, as =
Nlrrjulul. to reflect upon this, and proud
h. ppin, 10 this proof that Virginia, in the
tt.~l and noOlc-t sense, was reconstructed.
and that the ancient mother Of states anu
had entered upon her new career
- HE tut are mother OF schools and scholars
ipr thc whole south, through which III the
iulurc she would exert an influence upon
oHr southern people larger and higher than
,ry purely political influence possibly
.n, I'll DO.
A.. Concluded by saying that if he obeyed
.h,. Jic,,,'eS Of his own feelings he should
,.k the nr, ,"iirse of toasting his own Alma
Mater. but that he would leave the honor
II representing her to her distinguished
yoling graduate of the present session, VINO
Would reply to the next regular toast.
:. our Sister Institutions OF the State: