The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-06-28
IFor the Dispatch.)

Ifor the Dispatch.1
.. commenccment OF the CosaeRes.
Nessrs. Editors,-My explanation OF tue
,,se If :. commencement Of literary institu-
,ions NAV not be philosophical" Yours
san scarce be true. think you overlook
the fact that these ceremonies are not held to
commemorate the anniversary oil the
foundation OF these institutions, but 10 oe. |
half of the yeung men who have finished
their scholastic life, and are about 70 COM
nence the active business Of their existence.
Among those who attend these commence
,nen;s who thinks of the time Of the tounda-
ton of tue COLLEGES and scnoolsy Suppose |
there was no graduating class, as mas
haf,pened from several causes, woud
the institutions celebrate their "anni'
ycrsaries"s Besides, these commence
nlcr:s" are not held IN many cases at times
corresponding to the time of the foundation
OF the institutions. The commencement"
are held uow very generally in the month of
June TO give tee scholars their vacation
during the heated term. Is it to be supposed
that they were all generally founded 10 the
month of June! The writer knows Of more
than one instance where the time OF "com.
mencement" has been changed 10 correspond
to the general usage in this respect, and 10
give their pupils vacation during the sum.
mcr months. For instance, the "com-
mencement" OF Hampdeu Sydney"
was formerly held in the m onth of Sep
tember-noW in the month of June. SO
the analogy Of the " birthday" cannot
hold. Tia. cannot be changed. a. NJ.
"a. NJ" doesn't see the point. He tells
US what we can see in WORCESTER'S diction-
ary-that commencement" is 'lo,o day
for comforting degrees. What we said was
that originally a commencement day was the
anniversary of the commencement Of the
College. We speak Of time when Oxford
and Cambridge were new or perhaps not
space to argue with man who asks such
questions as "a. d." asks, and supposes that
he is discussing the point at issue. But let
us see:
First. Nobody speaks or ever vas known
to speak of the commencement" Of the
students or graduates, but always of the com.
meRcement of such and such college.
Secondly. The word is in use in England,
and was there used before any of the col
leses that "a. NJ" speaks of were founded.
Now, at Oxford and Cambridge the degrees
are not conferred upon young men who are
about to commence life in the sense in
which " 4. NJ" uses the word. On the con-
trary, young men intended for the bar take
their degrees, and then go to the inns of
courts to finish their education" You may
see these words repeatedly used in Lord
CAMPBELL's LiueS Of the Chief Justices"
See, also, bis "Liues Of the Lord Chancei-
tors" at Harvard University there is acass
oi p0St.graduates. The young men do not
leave college because nor when they take
their degrees. At Cambridge Univer-
Sly, England, the degrees are con-
ferred as follows: L. A. after twelve
terms. ten Of which must be an
residence. Muster of Arts three yelrs after
hiking a. g.. Is. d. seven years or more after
A. ~, 3. d. after ten years, &C., DC. In
other words, the young men taking degrees
do not commence" life as our correspond
ent supposes, but e, some Of them to the
inns of courts to study law, and others go
on and study for the church or for other pro.
LESSONS. The some is true as to Oxford
University (both founded hundreds of years
before the discovery Of America). In 1856
the students or fellows were bound to life
of csllbacy, and after taking their degree in
arts "a. b. or A. NJ remained from seven to
twelve years to study theology, civil law, or
medicine. &c.,-ttat is, to prepare RI s. "o,n
amer obtaining A.
NJ. were required to teach in the University"
In 1860 "the foundations of the colleges
at Oxford supported 557 of these fellows"
young man graduates at Randolph Ma
con, where they have a commencement"
because he is about TO commence the
active business "of his existence" He takes
bis degree, and attends the Richmond Medi-
cil College two sessions, where they have
another commencement because he is
nyutn about to commence" the active bll-
sincss "of his existence"! That d,es'nt
strike US as very plausible theory.
In view OF these facts, and in view of the fact
that nobody was ever known to speak of
JoHS JoNEs's " commencement" we cannot
suppose that a college commencement meant
Originally anything but the anniversary of
the commencement of the college itself, which
anniversary was in tine utilized in the con-
ferriug Of degrees. The doctrine Of evolu-
tion teaches as that no such theory AS "a.
NJ" advances can be true. Nobody ever was
known TO speak Of JOHN SMlTH's or Tom
BRowN's" commencement" in the many hum
dreds Of years during which college COM
Inducements have been spoken of.
Editors Of The Dispatch Was there not
some mouths since certain prophecy"
published in your paper, published by you