The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-08
VIRGINIA NEWS.
FROM THE UNIVERSITY.

H ."t 0f the Virginia Military Institute
'u','V Woshinrton and Lee University, as
"'' t',,oJs nv the presence on the occasion OF
' ,,. ioi, commencement Of James D. David
'', -. :. trustee Of the latter university,
,. 81, also rcprescnted Hon. John Letcher.
mc nrr>idtnt of the Board OF Visitors OF
,"n Military Institute. have read with Pc
'.r,risr satisfaction the expressions OF regard
This University contained IL the remarks
80 49, Wr, Davidson, designed for the Society
- ,lumui, and now communicated to this
h,dy !: and heartily reciprocating the kindly
s,nttmrntS of respect and good WISHES
thrrc,m conveyed,
r,s.Ir,a That the chairman be requested
communicate Mr.. DavidSon's remarks to
-. w., i',,rn,Is of Richmond and Charlottcs-
,IIlr torcther With copy OF this entry,
am} 10 ask that the same may be published
a, part OF the proceedings OF the COM
mcuctmcnt.
JAMES +. HARRISON, nj. D.,
Professor School OF Medicine,
Acting Chairman.
Nm. Wcrtcnjdkcr, Secretary.
:, t,,c alumni dinner at the University of
,;,,,inia ON The 29:h June, the toast sour
1872 institutions Of learning: The for
,rr,.rs NJ once and sbrineS OF this our
,u,b,ro land" was responded to by Col.
YIN. Allan. OF Washington and Lee UNI
xrr,i;y. In commencing his reply he re-
erred 10 his venerable friend before him
+. y. Davidson, Esq., who had lawyers
,unuIlc in his head, In constant uSefor forty
yp;,is. to speak of the sister institutions VI
Lexington. ~ he was present as their rep
rescntallyc.
ty Court lawyers in Virginia." which had
,,ccn assigned to Mr.. Davidson, was read
~ hn tntn a
legged IL be excused by simply offering Il
toast to his absent friend. whose illness
prevented his presence at this festive
board, "John Letcher. of Rockbridgc."
Faithful and fearless as Il statesman, he
will he distinguished in the future from
his comIecrs Of the past by his name of
Honest John" Governor Letcher having
written 10 the association regrettlng his i'll
ability. from illness. 10 be present, and eX-
pressing his vcncratiun for its Alma Mater,
requested that he, rs the president Of the
Board Of the Virginia Military Institute,
should be represented by his friend Mr.
Davidson. trustee Of Washington and Lee
University, and considered rs present in
hl> person.
Several members of the association, know
inc something of what Mr.. Davidson would
have said bad he replied to the toust, have
lr,illested him TO write it out, which he has
done. and furnished it to them, as follows:
Gentlemen Alumni | must be allowed
10 make the excuse OF one not much &C
cIlstomcd to public speaking; for as the
Toast informs you, l hclongto tribe which
YOU know is silent craft Governor
Lclchcr, rs President Of the Virginia Mill
rary Institute Board, in hts letter TO you,
desires 10 tc represented here by me, i
trustee Of Washington and Lee University,
and 10 be considered as present in my per-
>on. This toast calls up many pleasant me-
mnIics for your Professor Minor and your
former Professor Holcombe commenced
lii with me as county court lawyers in
Botctourt and Rockbridge near fifty years
ago.
Whilst l am not one OF those who say
" the former days were better than these"
nor of those who "adhcre TO the traditions
oi men," and think it 4 duty TO run with
the IN, made by his grandfather, or to think
as his father Thought; yet l love those
former days Of the county court lawyers,
when we rode from county to county. Of
times on jgrY0,rei horses, advising the peO.
tile, aud receiving in return their hospltali-
lies and :. fifteen shillin.sH i'll silver. In
deed. our tribe in those days resembled the
Ir,s.. Langcrs-on Of the law On their cir
cults, Is described by that vile satirist, Dean
Swift:
"Ant now the active Young a,tHrntcs,
HHSk!y tr.Sct on trcir urn eS,
Lo, h: Z Big as a.y g!enas-
ga III horses # their clients -
In those days we were called the "sad-
dlr-hags men, But We hlda mission then
and now. Tncn we helped to make and
control public sentiment. We had the ear
and the good will of the people, and whilst
We seldom accumulated much in the way of
llthy lucre. we generally made out to
! "A; nd CT
at Appropriations Gen. Grant gracefully de
riincd 10 take the sword Of Gen. Lee, the
tribe Of the " Saddle-bags men" are COM
manded, like the prophet Amos, "to
prophe>y unto the people, and to slit the
iaud" of carpct-6dggcrS.
And so will the mission OF our tribe con-
tinuc unit! the end of time!
But am enjoined by Col. Allan, who is
pleased to say that l have the gilt Of CAB,
10 speak for your " sister institutions"
Coy. Letcher, as president of the Board
Of the Virginia Military Institute (present
here in my person., and i, as trustee OF
Washington and Lee University, are proud
OF our presence here by your invitation,
and in the names of those institutions ten.
der your Alma Mater the hand Of fellow
ship as co-laborers with her in the great
work of education. Gentlemen, your
Alma Mater is the oldest university in the
State, and / hope she will not be offended |
il tell her she is on the SHADY side of
Iort,," Tor can assure her that she is still
in the prime OF youth and beauty, and that
he older she gets the more beautiful she
will grow.
have been struck this evening more than
ever before with one beautiful and impress
>iyc feature in this assembly. The number
of alumni who, like myself, have passed
% a., hin of 1ln and InnEInp
down upon the river below, a touching eyi-
dencc of their clingiDg attachment to their
old mother. When the gladiators Of old
passed in procession before their Emperor, |
they clicd 'Hail, Emperor, dying men sa-
lutte you"
Many of YOU now passing before your
Alma Mater on this occasion may exclalm,
=. Hail, benign mother! Your dying sons
salute you!'
Gentlemen, your old mother commenced |
the work in Virginia of e universal educa-
,ion." Your si>ter-insttutiOns ut Licking
ton but follow her example by way Of ill.,
hcritaucc, and she may be proud that they
have like unto her grown up under the
mantle Of her own strength and beauty,
which she has spread out upon them until
they have become, with her, 1.-THE for
rcsses at once, and shrines of this, our
southern land" over which are lowering
.he immortal spirits Of Lee and Jackson.
Virginia and the South have been trod-
len down. Bent, but not broken, they will,
ike the giant OF old, rise with new strength
At every TALL. They bow with grace and
dignity, but "stoop to conquer" not with
um>, but with ant; not with bullets, but
With ballots. In the trials they have grown
wiser; for, "sweet are the uses OF adYer-
:ily." They now cease to fight, when fight
Il vk,nr
udoe has decided.
When the prnuhet Elijah stretched him