The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-26

fyou once more for your kind presence and
attention, l take my seat, promising you a
feast Of reason gotten up by an entirely New
Bill OF fare, followed by a flow Of soul nm
iported from the sunny South by one Eager
TO speak; and then, before we separate, a
parting word from that tongue always the
delight of the ladies, a yaledictory from the
i French. s.e--z:..-..''. -. IL,
| At the conclusion of the salutatory ad-
dress Hr. Wildman was well-nigh 9over-
Whelmed with the beautiful bouquets and
magnoiias that were sbowered upon him by
a number of the fair ones, who thus sgnifed
Their appreciation of his effort, and whileshe
fstooped to secure the floral offering he9band
played Good d-bye, Sweetheart"
! ORATOR OF THE AU SIGMA RHO.
I Mr.. p. 81. Eager, of Clinton, Miss, was
then introduced as the orator of the Mu
Sigma Rho Society. Mr. Eager has also had
the honor of being awarded the Woods
Emedal as the best declaimer in the college,
and the medal will be presented to him at
| the Second Baptist church tonight. The
theme of his grafton was Success .
and right gracefully and eloquentIy did
he handle the subject. With feelings of
peculiar satisfaction he saw before him
SO many indies and gentlemen to cheer
and encourage his representation with
their presence. He had no "Musen to in
spire his pen or tune bis tongue, and he
therefore hoped bis audience would not ex-
pect words of such thrilling eloquence and
NOR he thought bis attentive listeners bad
already heard sufficient, and he therefore in
yited their attention to very plain and
l q euid no ho1
Success as bis theme success which we all
covets on which applause waits, around
which cluster our fondest hopes.
! There are certain elements of success, said
the speaker, 1iutous which one will inevi.
| tably fail, but ,oih which he is sure to wear
| the wreath of victory. First. Siugleness of
| aim, unity of purpose, is necessary to sue
| cess. BY this he meant devotion to one
grand, all-absorbing object in distinction
| from division of time and effort among Sc
veral. Mans mental powers are not suffi.
| cient to justify him in scattering them over
too broad space. Concentration of thought
and action is needed. There is power in
union. The rays of the sun when scattered
over the earth's surface have but feeble
effect; but when drawn to focus, when con-
centrated at single point, fire is produced.
The Roman fleet is said to have been set on
fire once simply by the collected rays of the
sun. So it is with the human mind when
directed to numerous objects, nothing is ac-
complshed; but When.centred on single
one, wonders are performed. Would you
succeed in life, Jir your mind upon single
purpose; let one grand, noble object absorb
all your thoughts, awaken all your energies !!
The greatest men in all ages have devoted
their lives to the attainment Of q single
purpose. Thus the timid, faltering youth
of Athens became the master-Spirit OF Gre
cin eloquence. Demosthenes was sur
rounded by the most adverse circumstances,
and labored under many disadvantages. His
mark was set to become the first orator in
| Greece.
| Strong resolution is also most important
element of success. The will is to the man
what steam is to the locomotive. Without
| it, it is vast, useless mass of expensive ma
| terial and complicated machinery. With it,
it is a mighty power, moving through the
land like a flaming thunderbolt. A man
must be conscious Of power to do; nc
must have that selfreliant spirit which feels
| its ability to perform. He must make high
resolves and noble aims. ".
The speaker next illustrated his subject by
graceful alIusion to the great men of the
4
mination accomplished what they set out to
do-such as Alexander, Cromwell, Napo.
leon, Hannibal, Regulns, Pompey,, Luther,
and others.
| Young gentlemen, said Mr.. Eager, the
possession of this quality is intimately con-
nected with the success of our future ca
rcers. We are nowin the preparatory stage
Of life soon to enter the broad arena OF
action and take our respective parts in the
issues of the day; but without this strong
resolution, without determination to pro-
duce some effect in the world, it is vain for
us to begin In whatever profession or busi-
ness you shall enter you may expect opposl-
ton. We only need courage to face difficulty
| TO battle with it hand to hand. We must
firmly resolve TO surmount every obstacle,
and allow no human interference to turn us
aside. ..F -. .....t ..s.E (
Show me man who, having once entered
! upon career with the full conviction that
iC is right, and has the resolution to pursue il
in calm defiance of all opposition, and will
show YOU one who will work miracles in bis
dav, and whose influence will be felt in long
succeeding generations. ,..,
Lastly, the speaker said that constant and
earnest effort is indispensable to success. One
ofthe most distinguished scholars ofthe cont.
| nent took as the motto of his life the, picture
| of man at the foot Of a lofty mountain with
coat and hat laid aside, and q pick-axe in bis
hand diligently levelipg the mountain with
the valley, and as he struck his shining steel
against the fiinty soil he uttered these words;
.'Little by Rttle." j..
The men who have ascended highest the
mount of fame, who have exerted the great
est influence in the world, have been men
like this, and not the mighty genauses which
l1heworld has seen. .----..----..---.- -.
| 6 The heights by great men reached and kept
| ~ Were not attained by sudden flight, Z +"
] But they. while their companions Stegt, -!
! . Were toili1lg nptoard In the ntght'"
| And we find that the boy who enjoys the
most advantages is not always the one who
makes the greatest man. +;
! Man needs opposition. He must ind thai
| he has to ,ctn the crown before he can aoed'
it. Then be can look at opposition in its true
/ light, realizing that the more is conquered
| the more is gained With his plan marked
out, his resolution formed, and bis heart
| burning with earnestness, he cai1 summon
Fall his energies against the opposing foe
! And it is no less than constant effort thai
will tnatre success. Many a promising youth
being persuaded by his repeated successe:
that he was genius, has utterly Jdiled IL
life because he has ceased to labor All
fatal delusion. Gepiusesl !. Oh how few
there are. Newton was called a genius aftel
spending a lifetime in the most intense
study. Bacon was called genius after pass
ing through the same rigid course Of menta
discipline. Newton, Bacon, Henry, all ira
velled the same highway to greatness, Iand
its name is Labor. 81" f1 -s
! The speaker concluded by applying biz
|subject practically II. we possess the quail
ties already named we should cherish them
| cultivate them give them exercise ,anC