The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-13
II correspondence of the Richmond o'spa''''i
uuuu,ien Sitl.ley College.

mt at the disposal of the Society. ana "'l'
bc published at The opening OF mex! session..
The trustees and The Society Of Alumni
both held long sessions. \ plan was ADOPT
cd for the celebration OF the
CENTENNIAL
next June. The Societies are requested 10
combine their hitherto separate celebrations,
which will lake place on Tuesday niSut OF
the second week of June.
At different times there will be ccnffn'
nisl Grafton, Il historical Grafton. and an ora
ton before the Society OF Alumni. On
"Wednesday night Will he made an attempt
TO organize the latter society more pei ma
nen'iy ut a public meeting OF II, when hu-
mcrous gentlemen will he invited TO SPEAK.
y grand collation., free 10 all, will be sprcad
on Wednesday and THURSDAY.
At the usual alumni supper on Thursday
evening there viii he the additional feature
of a pocm. Committees Of arrangement &c,
are APPOINTED from both the trustees ana the
alumni. A vast crowd will hc invited. ard
accommodations are pledged TO all. A plan
is on foot IN the nciehborhood 10 establish a
itampten Sidney high school at Wor>ham
fold courhouse), near here. 1t VIII he a
d.s,inc, institution, with different trustees.
COMMENCEMENT pAy-ADDREsSES OF THE
GRADUATES.
Or. Hrge opened the exercises of the day
at II o'clock with pra.c or.
The Latin SlIuiatory by Mr.. c. F. Riekc,
of Kentucky (hird honor, was attcntvely
list, ned TO by the whole audience.
MIR. Charles Ghsclin, of Norfolk Second
honoI). gave us tue speech Of the occasion
nf |
,uie." We regret We can give only IN out
line: Man lies bel Hccn t"0 Ctcrultlr>-the
p,>t and the fl,uTc-wiiich he Is ever strlr-
my to unite. l.: the pyramids, &c.. does ne
attempt 10 bear biuSci! down to the future.
TO read the uncut pages OF The future from
the mls,y records Of the past Is the design
OF .lhc PHILOSOPHY Ct hiS;ory.' His o'jrct
was to >now the proper system of so doing
,Srtty rciulirg the system the tiali>t pro-
passed, ne Gi>ct, SD at lragth the positive
system. or sociology of ilill. He showed
Tat they couiouudtd the laws OF matter
with those Of mind; that the first were abSo-
ll,e and unconditional the second uncertain
and conditional; that leaving out Christian.
icy aud di>rcsar ding mans free agency, they
luff Unknown quantity important TO The
solution of their pi cblem; that the doctrine
dation for this philosophy.
5ir John ". H2hney, OF Hanover, deliver
ed in an excellent manner Il wcll.compo>ed
speech on the subject -" The Proper study
oil MansinCi is Man" Juvcnal had slid the
maxim know lhysclf' cau,c from Heaven.
In our coniinusl earthly coitei. Man is
tue statliary, ulau'. the chise, mans tic lnar-
bic" Therefore. lc urged the words Of
Pope
know then, thvSc,f pr sumr not God to scan.
The proper stuuy ot mankind is nan.
Mr.. James Il. Bridges showed that the
" Reputation Of the State Debt would be
ruinor> 10 the "iempolal and spiritual "
welfare Of the State.
To illustrate his theme, 1.-THE Warfare Of
Truth" Mr.. ". Seymour Green, wildly
described L battle ia iiS--St. Bartholomew.
Error was ever Wakcful and watcDtu',
lrcacherou> aud cunning. More hardhood
VAS required to maintain error than truth.
Luther contends successfully with tie whole
Catholic world.
Mr. Chase w. Johnson was TO Lave spoken
mex, but The sickness Of a friend had called
him away.
Mr.. Gcodrdec a. Wilson, of Marion.
Va, Geii, cred his excellent speech with con.
force. He had once heard Il scion
of ariSlocracy, q" walking advertisement Of
bis tailor and boot.maker." say OF a me-
chalilc. that he was only a carpenter /"
Starting from this he proved the dignity OF
honorable labor.
The yaledctory address Of Mr.. Harrison
K. Thornton, of Hampden Sidney, was
spoken in Il very pleasant manner. Abiding
to the endowment plan. he expressed the
q. -,,l,- Il fI,.,. lttt aI
The usual addresses and iarewcllS were
nade TO the Faculty, classmates, FELLOWSHIP
dents. and the people Of the hill.
That excellent band--kcssnicl's, OF Rich
mond-la> been present during the whole
time, and interspersed The speeches with
inc music.
immediately after the delivery Of the diplo-
mas by the President
THE ALUMNI GRAFTON
was PRONOUNCED by Colonel Charles }. Neh-
able. Lib, Of the University OF Virginia.
He is Il native Of Prince Edward, an alumnus
of Hampdcn Sidney, son OF distinguished
trustee, and once Il professor III thls college.
He began with "reminiscences of the col
Iepe. the old church on commencement oc-
caSion. and of Trustees Anderson, Berkeley,
Morton, and Maxwell.
Among his classmates was Colonel John 5.
Thornton, whose son graduated to-day. TO
him he paid Il most touching tribute. He
parted from him, aller he was cut down, on
the deadly field Of Sharpsburg.
Twenty Years have passed 4 great war
and cunvulsion has interviewed; the Old lrus-
tees are gone; many Of the alumni are in
bloody graves; but here still is Hampden
Sidney with trustees successors TO the old
IL, r~,l IL.
same CAUSE of religion and sound culture.
The wants Of the times are too urgent for
side topics. Mems minds cannot be turned
away from these wants 10 impractical themes.
Hence lie proposed 10 consider
The Dangers threatening True Education
and Civilization in the South.
The speaker defined his country as Nir-
| gnia--not the United States that was too
ideal.
The dangers TO true culture and ciyilizi-
ton in Virginia are:
1st. The results of the four years war
its distractions and the slaughter OF cult
waited men, precious to the State.
I'd. The collapse of Scnools under terrible
wrongs of our conquerors. These dangers
zee cannot help. Look, for instance, to the
University of South Carolina. MaXey, Pres
ton, Elliot, and Thoruwell once graced it.
1t gave to the South such alumni as Nc
Duffle, Hampton, Kershaw, &c. Now it is
polluted by the fetish Of New England phi
lanthropy.
3D.. Ten years oppression, bringing power
ty and depression, threatening every day
fated ruin.
4'h. Meanwhile, while we are going back
education generally has gone forward. add
this, and what has been our loss?
The question is, Can this decadence be