The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-06-16
MONDAY EVENING. JUNE 1e. 1873.


MONDAY EVENING. JUNE IT,. 1873
Hampton Normal and Agricultural Tn.
stitute-Interesting Commencement
Exercises-Layfng the Cornerstone
n sst Msw ss",r ,ss
North and south. l9 i.@ - y 4
Commencement day at The Hampton
school for freedmen has been unusually in
teresting this year. An institution to
which the state has entrusted a third Of our
( agricultural college landscrip must be
watched with peculiar interest by all cit-
zens who are interested in educational adj
vancemcnts, and it is not too much to say
that all such would have been intensely
gratified, could they have witnessed the eX-
ercises of last Thursday. They were wit
messed by distinguished party of guests
from both the south and the north, and a
more brilliant collection Of speeches could
seldom be reported upon any single occa-
sion.
Among the visitors present, besides the
speakers who will be mentioned hereafter,
were Rev. 4. X. Fessenden, Of Connecti-
cut, Hon. Alexander Hyde, of Massachu-
sets, Colonel Robert G. Ogden, of
Brooklyn, Colonel VIM. N. Armstrong,
New York, Mrs. Professor Youlnans, New
York. Hon. III. N. Doggett, Massachusetts,,
George Dixon and wife, England, DR..
Coan, of the New York Independent, Miss
Magic, New York, ). Boyd, Philadelphia !,
Misses Smith, Connecticut, Samuel Holmes,
Brooklyn, Mrs. and Miss Sanford, New
York, Miss McCost, daughter of President
McCosh Of Princeton College, Wellington
Smith and wife, Connecticut, j B..
Bradle and wife, Brooklyn, E. d. Eldrdge,
Connecticut, Miss Luddon, New York,
Mrs. Giddings, New York, Mss
Ogden, Brooklyn.
The morning was spent by the visitors
in attending the examination of classes, and
inspecting the various departments of the
the school and farm and industrial rooms,
the printing office, and reading room, and
the little camp where the young men have
endured the hardships of winter in tents
for the sake OF an education. The thorough
and vigorous manner in which the recita.
tons were conducted showed the substan-
tial improvement Of the pupils in q very
gratifying manner, but the chief point of
interest to all was evidently the distinguish
ing feature in the plan of the institution,
the union Of manual labor with academic
instruction. To some novelty, and to
IudHy VI tic aDIe tulukcIS pIcSciit u IdfOE-
able hope for the education of the future.
After an ample lunch, which was appreci-
ated as handsome lunches should be by peo-
Pile of intellect for is not dining fine art /?
the afternoon was devoted to the closing
exercises of the school until four o'clock.
The Rotations and readings, and original
orations, by members Of the graduating
class, were equal to say the very least, to
messed in any school south or north. There
was marked absence oil affectation and self
conceit which was indeed refreshing to see.
The diplomas ofthe institution were presen.
ted by General Armstrong, its president,
and Rev. George Whipple, president of its
board Of trustees, to fourteen boys and
four girls, all Of whom, we understand, are
to 60 out, as all its graduates have. to
teach their own people in the south.
These closing exercises were supplement-
ed by number of able and eloquent adj
dresses by Rev. DIR. Vim. Taylor, from
Scotland, now pastor of one of the largest
churches in New York Colonel Thomas
Tabb, an able and wel-lnown lawyer Of
Virginia Rev. DR.. Bellows, whose i'm
partial services to humanity at the head of
the United States sanitary commission have
endeared his name to the whole country
DR.. VIM. Fl. Ruffner, president of the
board Of education of Virginia; the Rev.
DR.. Adams, of Hampton Rev. DR.. Bud
dington, of Brooklyn; General Eaton, U.
s. commissioner Of education at Washing
ton, and Miss Mary Carpenter, the distin-
guished philanthropist and writer upon pri-
son discipline, who has come from Eng
land to visit our shores.
hnt, a. 81 I,,1
addresses, would require more space than
we have at our disposal. The audience was
held enchanted for two or three hours, and
their combined effect was to thrill all
hearts with seIse of the common brother
hood of all classes and sections represented,
'sThat cut deep down the middle,
Shows a heart within bood-linctured with
veined humanity"
We cannot help making one quotation
in confirmation Of this from DR.. Ruffner's
speech. He said:
vt is easy to see that a school might
have been planted here which would have
been simply hateful, but am proud to say
that this is one | thoroughly approve.
can testify that no act of the Virginia legis-
ature has been received with more univer-
sal favor than that which bestowed one
third Of the state agricultural college
fund upon this college. | believe it has a
great future, and all the elements of a
growing prosperity and permanent iniu
ence.n
After these interesting closing exercises
all adjourned to witness the laying Of the
corner stone of the new building which the
growth of the school has made imperatively
necessary, for the accommodation of the
girls. 1t will be a handsome brick struc-
ture, with front of 104 feet, and room for
800 students, and will be appropriately
named Virginia Hall.
After prayer, by Rev. George Whipple,
and hymn, beautifully sung by the school
choir, an Grafton followed by one OF the
next years senior class--a fine, manly
speech, well delivered, and unassumingly
excellent in tone. The corner stone, con-
tanning records of the institution, file of
the journal it publishes, the Southern
Workman, and other objects of interest,
was then laid by Rev. DR.. Roswell ID.
Hitchcock, president of the New York
theological seminary, with very eloquent
address, which we would like to report in
full. He said:
SIN all my life have never beenlso
deeply and varously moved as have been
to-day. The sub-soil pillow has gone too
deeply through my feelings for me to easily
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