The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-25
THE CHARLESTON COLLEGE.
ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT At THE
ACADEMY OF MUSIC

Graduates.
The annual commencement of the College
of Charleston was celebrated last evening at
the Academy of Music, and attracted, as
usual, crowded and fashionable audience.
The doors of The Academy were thrown open
at seven O'Clock, and from that time untll the
commencement of the exercises the young
gentlemen of the junior class, who had as
sumed the posts of ushers, were kept busy IN
providing seats for the throngs of ladies with
their attendant cavaliers, who came posrlng
In to add the grace of their presence 10 the
success of the occasion. The parquet.e ana
orchestra were coon filed with bright faces,
and The audience then overhowed Into the
dress circle and the family circle until, at tne
hour announced for the opening of the exer'
cises, there was not vacant seat In the whole
building. The amateur ushers were uoiqult-
GUS and lndeiatgable, however, in their en-
deavors 10 accommodate the guests of the
college, as the auditors on this occasion might
fairly be termed, and the vast audience was
as comfortably seated as could possibly be ex-
pected. ,,
The stage was occupied by the faculty Of The
college, consisting of the president, Profess
sor Middleton, and Professors GbbeR, Por-
cher, Capera, Bruins, Frampton and McCrady;
Messrs. Lesesue, Ravenel, White and Ufer.
hardt, of the board of trustees; the Rev c. G.
Pinckney, Judge Bryan, j. D. Pope, Esq, OF
Columbia, and the members of the graduating
class of the college. In the audience were
most of the reeident alumni Of the Institution
and the friends and relatives of the present
students, as we'll as large number oil others
who, while possessing lass direct and per-
soual interest In the exercises, had been at
tracted BY the prestige Of the college and the
auticlpatlons OF the pleasure which its annual
commencement would afford.
At precisely eight o'clock prelude from
Muller's band, which constituted the orches
ira, announced the beginning OF tbs exer-
cises. which were then opened with prayer by
the Rev. G. G. PlnckDey. who oflciated In the
unavoidable absence of the Rev. L. Muller,
who had been announced TO deliver the open
Ing prayer.
The addresses of the graduates were then
begun, after another interval Of music by the
orchestra, which agreeably alternated with
the oraliens during the rest OF the evening,
by the salutatory adAress delivered by MT.
Robert Atmar Smith. This consisted Oh the
usual expressions OF gratitude and respect 10
the faculty of the college and an address Oh
cordial and apprecislive welcome to the audi
ence. which was cordially received and warm
ly applauded.
The first Grafton was by the same young
gentleman. and was entitled Thinkers and
Doers." The orator reviewed the varied IN
auences wrought upon the progress oil Inc
world by those who had distinguished them
selyes in the ,alms OF thought, as we'll as by
those who had seized upon the conceptions Of
the thinkers and wrought them out In endur-
ipg monuments OF skill. or the great thinkers
of history he adduced as examples Calico
Copernicus, Newton and Morse, and he
traced the effects of their immortal
discoveries upon the history of man
kind. To each OF these had been
found host of busy workers who had utilized
their discoveries, and, guided by their intel
lect, had produced the modern vehicles Oh
thought and progress; but to the thinkers, the
saarchers In the mysterious arcana OF Nature
was awarded the palm OF royalty, While 10
,bose who faithfully followed the teachings oil
their Intellect was given the need OIL praise
belonging TO the intelligent and loyal subjects
of the kings of thought.
The next oration was by Mr.. Normaud NJ
Porter, Jr., upon "Poslhumous Fame" This
was a thoughtful and finished essay, convey
Ing the moral that while the love OF lame was
a universal and an instructive possession oil
tne human soul, O careful discrimination should
be drawn between the thirst for minimizing
popular applause and the honest and honor
able desire of leaving behind us record oil
life which should furnish au incentive 10
efforts in the direction OF pure, vlrtuous and
noble achievements on the part of coming
generations.
Mr.. 8. HERSHEY Blackman followed with an
Grafton entitled "Cbatterlon," In which the
brief sad story of that brilliant life was told
10 such way as to excite the sympathies Of
the audience to The highest degree In the
brief neteoric career and sad, nutlmely fate
of the young poet. This address was fire.
ouently interrupted by applause, and, at It's
close, two handsome bouquets were thrown
upon the stage by the friends OF the graduate.
The next address was by Mr. Francis L.
McHugh upon the subject Of "Seli-Made Men,"
The examples of Cromwell, Napoleon aud
other heroes who had carved their unalded
paths to fortune and renown were skrtcaed by
the orator, and the lessons of sturdy self
reliance and invlncible determination Illus
trated in their lives were enforced by appro-
pirate comments.
The last OF the orations was by Matthew
Fitzslmmons TIghe, upon the subject OF THE
French Revolution This subject WIS skill
fully handled, and the lights and shadows of
that terrible period In the history of France,
when human passions were enkindled to the
utmost Intensity, were graphically portrayed.
The diploma of bachelor OF arts was then
presented by the president to each of the five
graduates above named, and, after graceful
valedIctory address by Mr. Matthew Fllzsim-
mons Tighe, the exercises were concluded by
benedictIon by the Rev. Mr.. Pnckney, and
the audience retired we'll pleased with the
exercises of the evening and the promise
afforded both by the graduates and their
alma mater of a prosperous and honorable
future career.