Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-02-28

ested audience, among which were many Of
the relatives and friends Of the graduates.
On the platform were seated General o. o.
Howard, L. L. D., president Of the UnIyer-
sIty, Prof John NJ. Langston, A. NJ, Dean
Law Faculty. A. q. Riddle, esq, Hon. John
A. Bingham, Hon. Horace Maynard, Hon.
Mr.. Ralney, OF South Carolina; Senator
Pomeroy, DR.. c. c. Cor, J. y. johnson, aud
Others.
Tue exercises opened with singing and
prayer, after which Prof. Langston said that
on tho S0th day Of last June, -Messrs. W.
Moore, john II. Smith aud ID. A. Straker
graduated with the class of that date, aud
were admitted to the bar. They, however
preferred to remain with the class, and
passed through the last examination. This
being the case he thought Il only Just that
their names should be Included In the list Of
graduates. ....s
The exercises were then commenced, and
consisted OF essays and oratlons by several OF
the members Of the graduating class, com
posed exclusively Of cOlored students They
showed careful preparation, ability and tai
cnt, and were listened to with interest and
attention by the audience.
TuE SssATs
The speakers, with their subjects, were as
follows THE Civil Law" 4. X. Belcher;
"Chancery," Charlotte K. Ray; ''Constltu.
lions" q. n. Gardiner "I.ctt the Jury Respond
To the Fact" J. &. Napier; abolition Of
Trial by Jury In CIvll Gases, J. y. Quarles;
Public International Law" d. Augusta
straker; Capital Punishment" NJ. NJ. Hol-
land; Law, a science" George W. Mitchell
Miss Charlotte f. Ray, young lady Of
about twenty years, In her essay on chancery,
showed that her subject hal been closely
studied, aud Judging from the superior man
uer In which II was handled the lady bids
fair TO become al able practitioner.
Nhs.. combination nN Nhs. 1alltartnfr If ~
oratlons Gen. Howard conferred the degree
Of Bachelor OF Arts on the following
NAMES or GRADUATES.
T.. II. Belcher, Ga; Edwin Belchor, Ga
c. II. Gardner, Mass; NJ. NJ. Holland, Texas;
George ". Mitchell, Va; Moses wcnslcydale
Moore, N. e.; J. NJ. Murphy, Tenn, j. G.
Napier, Tenn; John +. Qnlflss, Ga; Char
lotto 4. Ray, n. Y; John II. Smyth, Pa; ID.
Augustus Straker, n.y.; O. s. b. Wall, ID. @.
The name OF Miss Charlotte 4. Ray was
received with applause by the large au-
dence, and the comforting Of the degree on
her by President Howard appeared to be done
tleeable with the others. After the graduates
had received their diplomas,
oRs. HOWARD
addressed them and said; At an Institution OF
learning young man who has very little OF
this worlds goods Is apt to be sadly troubled
concerning his future, particularly II at his
graduation he has scarcely means sufficient
TO meet the final charges. He reasons that
had he gone into active business he might
not only have gained support but have
been laying by competency. From thla
standpoint every moment that has not been
devoted directly TO the practical object he
aims at In lie Is regretted and counted Rs
time lost. Every student keeps starting cir
Giles Of reputation each time he speaks Of a
ella and that aNinFa II fNaRaRall.
pretty nearly correct.
The estimate of instructors and executors
of discipline Ia even more discriminating and
Just from their widerexperieuee. This thought
grows upon graduate with the years. The
third element OF this power Il ones estimate
OF himself. Tue constant attrition Of a stu
dents life, the mlTth aud the sorrow, the
word aud the repartee, the kindness and the
self-assertlon, the cOmmendatlon aud the
criticism, the lifting up aud the falling down,
all have an effect upon the firInest character.
Higher still In the scale OF accumulation of
power Is the positive knowledge that the
student has gained. He has learned much.
lie may have not looked through every book.
yet he may have learned where TO search aud
systematlze the method. "Myyoung friends"
tue speaker continued, "Our hearts 20 with
you US you 20 10 try tue weapon Of warfare,
and prove the armor In which you are clad"
HON. HORACE MAYNARD
WINS tut rltahtI1 huu hhlu lnhl uuutF
the government Of laws there will be q body
OF men who will make the study OF laws their
business. II was told of Peter the Great that
after listening to the lawyers In Westminster
hall he said there was but one lawyer In bis
domains, and on returning home he should
be put TO death. He who aspires 10 rank
as a wise and learned counsellor needs train
Ing and study not required by any other
pursuit The student must acqualnt himself
with al the most important languages of the
present age. He should not only have them
10 aid his studies, but 10 assist him In after
life, to give him prominent standing among
men. Ho must study the laws OF earlier
times and other lands rejecting on their
actions, manners and modes Of life. They
must also read the works OF the great jurists.
The opinions OF the courts In tue cases adj
judged would DO foundation on which Il
was quite safe to build.
IL sometimes occurs that the memory Is dis
paraged and unworthy Of power. The man
OF memory holds but second place In the
worlds powers, and the result Is very little
scholarship, but mass Of loose thinking
The rules OF evidence, pleading aud prac-
tlce should be studied again and again until
they could be recalled without error or mis-
take.
To the lawyer no knowledge OF any kind
would come amlss. Keep l. nine years, aud
II Won d be found useful. Many cause has
the leader Of some existing statute.
The repertory OF the lawyer was pleasant
on the exterior, but contains much that Il
hideous and grotesque.
To the lawyer more than any other man
knowledge was emphatlcally power. A
great student might not be q great lawyer,
Tut great lawyer would undoubtedly be
great student. All OF these must be kept In
the memory.
The chief end Of the true LAWYER was to up
hold and sustain the law; whether good or
bad, Just or unjust, itwE his duty To maintain
and sustain II as IL was mo matter how much
no might think to the contrary. A lawyer
seldom suffers fgom being too faithful to his
client no matter how much he may DO abused.
EKtortion and oyercharHe Is the temptation
that Ia not often resisted by the leaders Of the
bar. He congratulated the graduates on
their choice Of q career, and said they would
ind II not without labor, bat, attended with
honor, the race OF life must be according to
their individual speed. He bid them go on
aud prosper.
HON. JOHN A. BINGHAM
followed, saying II afforded him pleasure to
be present aud witness the progress that had
been made Ia the Howard Universally by men
who few years ago were slaves. The grad
yates gave promise that they would reflect
no dlscredit on their alma mater. He bid
them go hence Into the great world and be
ever mindful that there was no greatness
without great labor, out OF which cOmes the
strength VI nations and the greatness OF men
II had been well enough suggested that who
ever would attain to be a lawyer must give TO
Il his days and nights and learn TO scom
labor.
He had good hope that the day would
come when II might be said OF our law col
leges that they were the noblost nurseries Of
the republic. As an American, proud OF his
country, he would say II were best that an
American should be ignorant OF English,
Roman or American common law. He
would say II were better that he should 10
ignorant Of the Roman and English laws
than those Of his own country.
Hon. Mr.. Hoar was then introduced, and
made few remArksi after which the dox-
ology was sung, benedlctlOn pronounced, and
the audience dispersed.
POLITICAL.