Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-01-30

Mr.. Editor-Thinking a few Lines
from this part of the '''Ole Dominion
might be acceptable to portion OF
your readers, / have concluded to give
you short sketch of the Sixth Annual
Celebration of the Demosthenean Liter.
ary Society.
The Society which claims to be sec
ond to nore in the State, is one of the
Literary Societies in connection with
Roanoke College, which also has the
reputation of being one of the first
schools in the South. On the evening
of the 10Th inst, (Gen. Lees birthday, }
the usually quiet town of Salem' was
thrown into ripple of excitement on
account of the exercises ofthis Society,
which were about to be held in the
Town Hall. The thronging crowds OF
persons that filled the streets, and :, the
mellow notes of the Salem CernetBand
which filled the air, all conspired to exs
cite the attention of your correspondent,
who of course was soon found in the
midst of the crowd vending his way to
the Town Hall.
On arriving there We found that large
and conveniently arranged edifice crow
ded almost to overfowing with the elite
of the town and county. The Rev. Dr.
J. w. Duffey, of the NJ. E. Church,
opened the exercises with an eloquent
prayer which was followed by the Ad-
dress of the President of the Society,
Mr.. S. E. Hausenfuck, of Woodstock,
Va. This production was listened to
with much interest, and served to put
in good humor, the already smiling au-
dience as we'll as to reward the speaker
with numerous floral offerings from the
"fair ones"
After choice selection of music by
the Salem Band, the President intro
duced Mr. II. II. Morehead, OF Pulaski
county, Va, as the first orator OF the
evening. Mr.. Morehead had chosen
for his subject "Silent Echoes" which
he treated in an eloquent and mastery
manner. He first referred to the I'M
pressions which We receive from Ian
guage as being the silent echoes of the
great poets and philosophers, who have
long since gone to the land from
whence no echo ever returns, and then
of nature as the source of echoes the
most eloquent and sublime. Lastly ne
spoke of historic localities such as
Thermopyla, Waterloo, and the blood
stained fields of our own land, as rev.
erberating echoes of valor and patriot
ism to every heart wherein these virtues
find dwelling place.
Next on programme was Mr.. G. A.
Brown, of Bluntville, Tenn, Essayist.
Subject There is Light Somewhere"
The author stated that in whatever con-
dition we view man we may always see
bright glimpses of light exciting him to
action, and leading him from the dim
twilight of the present to the meridian
splendor of the future, that tho world
has never been destitute Of light, not
even during the most gloomy period of
the sixteenth century, and that in the
destinies of nations light is TO be seen.
Spain, now trodden down by opposing
factions, with no dynasty but anarchy,
may yet realize her dream of brighter
day. He then referred to our own
country of which We might not only
say there is light somewhere but that
there is light everywhere-Intellectua
Political, and Religious light.
The question for debate was then
stated; Resolved, ''That the Effect Of
Controversy upon the Public is Benef-
cial." Mr.. S. E. Hatcher, of Loudoun
county, Va, appeared in the affirmative.
The speaker said that the question
would naturally resolve itself into three
heads of Political, Philosophical and Re
ligious controversy. He then went on
to prove that in Politics controversy
was beneficial in guarding against the
approach Of oppression and tyranny,
and by putting check upon political
frauds. In the next place that it was
beneficial in Philosophy by exploding
old and false systems. Finally he main
tanned that discussion was the bulwark
of truth in the religious world.
The negative was represented by
Mr.. w. J. Smith, of Boonsboro, Md,
who said he would accept the division
adopted by his opponent, and would
attempt to show that controversy is not
beneficial upon the public. Viewing
the subject in political aspect he stat
ed that controversy in a State was but
the precursor of Revolution, and that it
opposed the unity of government in
which was lodged a nations strength
and prosperity.
Under his second division he said
that controversy has never unfolded any
great truth in philosophy, since the
came things are disputed now that were
c,ntrU ,erted in the DAYS Of Plato and
Aristotle; but c2 the other hand had
evolved many false systems which are
antagonistic to religion, anu that in
stead Of maintaining truth it has been
the most powerful means of perversion.
In religion, controversy is concerning
essentials and non essentials. AS to
the essentials he said that they compre-
hended the mysteries of the
Bible which did not appeal to the
logical faculties of man, but required
spiritual light for their apprehension,
and therefore could not be beneficial.
Finally as to the non essentials he
maintained that controversy exposed
the church to ridicule, and caused
waste of mental and moral power which
if directed toward the propagation of