Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-06-25
Hon, A. Ne WaddclI.

1 OF the w wesleyan F0maIe OoiieSo al
Murfreesboro, we copy from the cor
respondence of the Norfolk Tf1yiHtn3a
the following in regard to his addresses
on the 18th inst:
At IL A. NJ, in the Methodist
Church, the annual address before the
Wesleyan Female Csllege was deliver
ed by Hon. A. M. Waddell, OF Nll-
mington, N. @. A large and brilliant
audience listened attentlvely to the
eloquent speaker. He commenced by
| alluding to the magnetic needle, that
living iron, under the guidance OF
| whose unerring instinct men had Tor
| centuries threaded the maynard seas
| in safety. There was another influence,
| equally magnetic and 1mperlous, winch
| led the grand old gardener of Eden II
| compliant slave to his beauteous queen.
| In obedience to this same influence thu
speaker had come at the call OF the
ladies to address them.
Mr.. Waddell congratulated his au-
| ditors on the happy prospect Of a re
stored national fraternity, IN the re-
yiyal of the memories Of one hundred
wears ago as expressed il the late cen
tennial observances at Concord and
Charlotte. There WIS nothing Ike
these appeals to the traditions Of
common patriotism to lead us into the
old paths of peace and brotherhood Ill
which our fathers walked hand III
hand. All this was by way of intro
duction.
The subject of the address was
| ssAmerica before Columbus. The
topic was suggested by a remarkable
passage in Humboldt's Cosmos, and
in pursuing the investigation thus in
duced the speaker had laid under con-
tribution every source of information,
and now gave, condensed in brief, the
result of long, patient and exhaustive
study Columbus was, comparatively
a modern navigator. Before him, by
500 years, and even anterior to the
discoveries of Eric the Red on tie
northern coast of the Continent, the
southern coast between Virginia and
Florida had been not only visited bat
settled by the intelligen tand intrepid
Irish race. This settlement was IN the
Carolinas. The Islandic annals, whose
his torical value has never been prop
erly recognized, furnish full proof Of
this. The outlying islands, which
Christopher Columbus found by accl-
dent. were the threshold of a great
Continent which had been found and
settled ages before. and that, too, by
Europeans. Hence it was that Sir
Water Raleigh, when he ground his
heels in the shallow waters about
Roanoke Island, found the Tuscarolas
talking Gaelic, and with blue eyes,
fair faces and auburn hair. A strong
argument, fortified by many proofs,
was made in support Of the theory
that the "Great Ireland" mentioned
not only by Icelandic chronicles, bat
even by an Arabian geographer, was
no other than the country south OF the
chesapeake bay, aud that it was, III
fact, peopled by Irishmen thousand
years ago. The lecture was too volu-
minous and full of detail to transfer
bodily to your columns, while it Is so
tersely written, so cOmpactly con-
densed that | am conscious [ do MIR.
WaddeH great injustice by attempt
ing, as I set out to do, to give any
thing like synopsis of it. The learn
ed gentleman Will doubtless repeat
this instructive and interesting pro-
duction at various points in the differ
ent States. | advise all to hear it il
they have the chance.
Tonight the college chapel was again
a scene of life and light and beauty.
The annual celebration of tie Theta
Delta Literary Society was the occa-
sion. The appointed orator, Mr.. Arm
istead, failed to appear. Hon. Mr..
Waddell, however, allowed himself to
be pressed into the service, and he
amply filed the bill. He was intro
duced by the accomplished President
of the Society, Miss Maggie Brooks,
who presided with modest grace and
dignity. Commencing with a very
among other things, humorous allu-
o1UHs To Inc anUIents and to the press,
he announced as his subject that the
theme of poets and philosophers, ever
since time began, "The Great Deep"
A glowing tribute was paid to Commo-
dore Maury, who has done so much to
explain the mysteries of its currents,
and to teach man how to master
them. The eternal rivers cease
lessly for ages pour into the sea their
volumes of fresh water; yet its salt
ness is the same. By tie attrition OF
its pillows the contour of continents
is changed. The crust of the earth
has been pounded into shape by tie
action of its waters. There is not g
round pebble on the globe that has
not been its sport. And then its i'm
preceptable but mighty processes
Like those of geology and astronomy
they are quiet, noiseless, but potent. |
Reference was made to the great prin- |
clple of compensation which the ocean !
SO notably illustrates, and to the eli !
matte Influences and commercial value |
of the Gulf Stream. The modifying
effect of this great oceanic river upon |
the climate of North Carolina, run |
ming, as it does, very close to it's coast,
is very great, making it cool
er in Summer and warmer in
winter. The wonders and beau
ties of the sea, down even it its I'M
fathomed depths, were finely portray
ed. The sea shell is an epitome of the
ocean. The little coral insect builds
the base of islands; the sea fowl seeks
them, bringing seeds, and they be-
come oasis of verdure and fertility
But the ocean has it's deserts, too
What an image of utter solitude and
magnificent desolation is the great,
open Polar sea
The address was sandwiched in mu-
sic, instrumental and vocal. Miss
Laura Scott acquitted herself admira-
bly, III solo. The concluding chorus
was fine piece of melody, worthy of
the beautiful lips which uttered it
After this Miss Brooks gracefully dis
missed the audience; but they linger-
ed long, as If 10th to leave the scene.