The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-02
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, !
-:Sa-y,l Io-t (

liant audience. The ladies attend these cell
ebrations in party costume, and it would be
simply impossible to find brighter array of
beauty or more tasteful adornments than
one looks out upon here. The beauty of
the University, Charlottesville, and Virginia
is largely reinforced by that Of other States,
and SOME of the toilets are superb.
1t is pleasant TO note, while the prelimi-
nary arrangements are being made, the au-
dience, and the different faces, costumes, and
pastures, as bellies and beauX chat merrily of
| the pleasures Of the past or the authorizations
| OF the future.
But soon the committee and marshals es-
cort in and upon the platform the Board OF
Visitors, the faculty, and the orators, and
the exercises begin.
After prayer by Rev. s. A. Steel, chaplain
of the University, the President OF the So
ciety, Mr. L. F. Reese, of Baltimore, intro
duced
| YR. NAT W. RANSOM, JR.,
| Of Weldon. y. c., as the chosen orator o. thc
occasion. Mr.. Ransom begun his address ny
remarking on the very great difficulties
which surround final orator IN the scltc-
| ton and discussion Of his subject. lie must
please the "grave and reverend se;gnCr5" OF
the Board of Visitors and the faculty, he
must win the appreciation Of this Society and
| his fellow students, and he must by all
means win the smiles of the array Of beauty
gathered to greet him.
| For his part he was entirely willing to sac
rifice The good opinion of the faculty and
the Board of Visitors, and the appreciation
of his felow-students, in order to win the
smiles OF these fair ladies. But nnfortu-
nately he had found it a most difficult task
10 win the smiles of one, even when moon.
lit walks or shady bowers and rustic seats
aided his efforts, and he utterly despaired of
succeeding in an effort to wreath in smiles
| the bright galaxy Of beauty gathered before
| him. IN. Is. They did smile, and the crowd
applsuded most vocferousIy.] He would
| therefore abandon the vain effort, and an
nounce as his theme The Career Of Napo-
poIeon Bondpdrte," proposing to illustrate
the power Of his will by examples drawn
from bis history. He gave a vivid descrip-
ton of the horrors Of the French revolution
and the terrible condition of France when
Napoleon stepped ON the stage, and without
prestige Of birth, representing no principle,
aided by no fanatlcism, and no religious
zeal, carved his way to greatness by bis Own
ind0mitable courage and uneOnquerablew will.
The speaker illustrated the force Of his
will by vivid description Of the passage Of
the Bridge of Lodi, when. after his brayest
men had been cut down or driven back by
the terrific fire Of the enemy, he won the
day by throwing himself into the breach
with those magic words, "FollOW your Cen
cral !" lie gave vivid and detailed de-
scription or how he crossed tue Mediterra-
mean. conquered the SimoonS Of an African
desert and, amid their Intense suferings,
won the enthusiastic love OF his soldiers
aud oycrcame all the difficulties of crossing
the Alps-a feat that had never been per-
formed before save by Hannibal, anu never
since until advancing science tt!nic!.ed Mont
Cents. LIE described the devotion OF IA
poleon TO Josephine, and deemed it grand
| triumph OF his stern will Khen he burst The
holy bonds of matrimony "for the good Of
France" and showed himself the slave OF
his own will.
lie sketched his career as he marched vic
torious over Europe until he found at Mos
COW will more stubborn than his Own-at
Waterloo a rock against which even his Old
Guard beat in raiu--and at ST. Helena
rock TO which, like Prometheus, he was
chained, and with no Hercules to burst The
chain asunder. And yet, even in his death,
his iron will obtained his wish that his body
might rest ia the soil Of his loved France.
AS leSSOuS ilUul llllS ShclSu VI tuC SalSCi VI
the man of destiny, the speaker exhorted
his comrades to be unwearied in will and
energy, and to shirk no work-that they
should not depend on genius, but on will.
energy, and perseverance--that they should
strive to be more worthy, and that if their
hopes were blighled they should strive
again with persevering energy until the diff
| ficuties are mastered.
IIo oopolplad with on paronct acnpo1 tn
| his feloW.students to let genius be attended
| with trust in God, energy, and perseverance,,
and then your memory will be green as long
as history lasts and your country has name.
Mr.. Ransom was frequently interrupted by
| applause and took bis seat amid rapturous
applause by bis comrades and the approving
smiles and flowers of his fair auditors.
The president OR. Reese then explained
that the medal is conferred by the votes OF
the Jefferson Society on her best debater,"
and that this is considered the highest honor
within the gift Of the Society. 1t had been
conferred this year upon
| Mr.. JAMES y. POWELL,
of Missouri, as token of friendship and q
recognition of merit, and be felt assured that
any differences OF opinion which might have
arisen out of the generous contest had all
| been recOnciled, and that he uttered the
| unanimous voice of the Jefferson Society
| when he pronounced Mir. Powell their best
| debater," 1t was . medal of g0ld-a precious
| metal, for which men have toiled, and suf.
fered, aRd died, and is of intrinsic value.
| But he would scorn to represent bis Society
il he brought mere piece Of merchandise
whose value can be determined by scales and
weights. He brought something more pre-
cious than the glittering particles Of the most
l valuable metal-a token Of the verdict OF the
4 Society that the recipient was its best de-
batter and an assurance that be possessed their
| warm friendship and high esteem. he ex.
i horted him to accept the medal in that spirit,
and to prove himself worthy of the high
honor conferred. L ..
Mr.. Reese's presentation speech was very
neat, and in exceeding good taste.
Dir. Powell made a very graceful response,
] In which he said that be could not better eX-
press his feelings than by the simple words
~ thank you 1.-THE 6ttest dressing of the
thoughts that gushed from his. mind and
heart as he received this splendid prize. lie
then passed TO discuss at some length = The
Republic of Letters" insisting thakiit is a
theocracy, democracy, an aristocracy, and
amonarcby; and celebrating and illustra-
ting each point into q Well.written and very
| Well-delvered Grafton. @.s,-.....
| / have been very much gratified to notice
a vast Improvement this year in the order
observed by the audience. have had occa-
sion in previous years 10 speak in my re-
ports of these commandments OF the fact that
| the speakers could not be heard for the clat-
ter of bellies and. beaux, and 1t is pleasure
to chronicle vast improvement In this re.
spect. Last night and tonight the audience