The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-03
Public Debate at Hampden-Sidney.
HAMPDEN.SIDsEY COLLEGE, VA.,3

| enough 10 De mucn injured. BORDER.
Public Debate at Hampden-sidney.
| HAMpDEN SIDNEY COLLEGE, yA.,1
April l, 1876.
| Editors Dispatch: A large and intelligent
audience was highly entertained last night
| by the public exercises known at our college
as thest public debate" The speakers were
chosen from the junior, sophomore, and
| freshman classes.
Colonel Del. Kemper, professor of mathe.
MATES, with his usual parliamentary grace
and dignity, introduced Mr.. e. W. Speed, Of
Alabama, as declaimer from the PhiIanthro-
pic Society. The subject was most excel,
lent piece" My Country, my Mother, my
God" 1t was very well delivered. The Junior
orator of the same Society, Mr.. r. 6. Klnnier,
| then gave Us very fine Grafton on the subject
OF "The Vanity of Human Greatness, "show-
ing how vain and fee,ing are all things; how
shifting are human joys and pleasures; how
men rise, like bubbles on lfe's ocesn, shine
awhile with radiant glory, and then pass
away forever. How often do we see men
rise from the vale of adversely and scenes Of
despair to the highest positions of honor and
fame! And these, the noblest and greatest
| heroes Of our race, have seen and show to
/
! Next came an interesting discussion of the
all important question, "ShouId the South
| Encourage the Centennial Exhibition at
| Philadelphia" Mr.. F. T. HARDWOOD, of
Texas, and Mr.. William E. Owen, OF Vir-
GINA, were aspirants for the affirmative,
while Mr.. r. S. Forbes, of Virginia. and Mr..
G. j. Preston. son of Colonel Preston, of
the Virginia Military Institute, defended The
negative. They were all very good, logical
speeches, and delivered with such force and
flow OF elequence as IL the fact that the South
should certainly take an active part in the
Centennial depended entirely upon their
speeches. While both sides Of the question
were well discussed, if we may be allowed
to express our humble opinion, we think toe
aspirants OF the ffirmatiYe "got away with -"
those of the negative rather badly.
We cannot see why the South should not
take part in its Centennial, aud that, too,
very active and honorable part. Let the
South wake herself up. When the people
of our nation are coming together from The
four quarters Of our land, and with united
hands are building great temple Of peace
and reconciIiatiOn-When with united voices
and hearts they are singing the old songs of
brotherly loye-With united torches are
lighting the pipe of peace-sha our our
hands, feeble though they are, not aid IN
rearing this lofty temple to the same blue.
sky that spans the North and the South?
Shall not our voice add TO the melody OF that
sweet song of "peace and goodwill to-
ward menu" Let the answer be that
we will aid with our hands; we, peo
pie of the sunny South, will sing the
old song; we will puff the blessed
old pipe of peace. Has the sword Of our
enemy so scared our hands that We cannot.
use them in the erection of this great tenn
pie? Has the blood OF our brave fathers
and elder brothers SO stained our hearts that
they can never be reconclled in peace! Have
irOn. clad oaths and constitutions, made by
Radicals, scalawags, and carpet-baggers,
been 80 long forced down our tbroats that
We can no more sing those beautiful songs!
Have our nostrils been 80 polluted with foul
fumes from nationsl corruption-the curse
of our Government-which rise high
above our country and are waited by
its winds to the four euds of the
esrth-do they so choke and stife
us that we cannot give utterance to the
better feelings of our nature, and tune our
voices to sing our nations hymn? Has the
old pipe of peace been so contaminated with
dirty mouths, it's nicotine so bitter, made
more bitter sill by the blood OF our loved
and our lost-has its once lovely form been
so mutilated by the iron hoof OF tyranny
have its once Isno w.while walls been SO
stained and covered with ashes, the bone
dust of our dear dead fathers and brothers,
that we could not, would not, puff another
Whit? Echo answers. Is it so! The true
answer is, No. I" &:. -
Cannot we raise our feeble band? Cannot
our sad hearts Sing? Cannot our sore
l \ ,tril,
more melodious voice? Let US try. "Let
the North and the South be united" Let
us twist lighter the silver cord that has been
loosed. Let US mend the "solden bowl"
that has been :. broken at the fountain "and
the wheel that has been "brokes at the els
tern" But let US return to our subject.
Your pardon, please, dor thus deyiating so
far from1t.
Mr. A. G. Stuart, sou Of the Hon. Il. ii.
Stuart, OF Virgins, with becoming grace and
uratorical demeanor, gave US what may GER
tainly be called the speech Of the night. Ar.
Stuart isa coed writer and very graceful
speaker. He did credit 10 himself and honor
to his Society, the Union. and gave pleasure
to the audience. HIS subject Was "The
Growth of Hypocrisy Its invasion into
politics, education, religion, and morals, as
the cause of the great corruptions which
charac erize the present age.
Mr.. A. 81. F. .MeCurdy, of Texas, was
then introduced. He acclaimed The RUNS
Maniac" very we'll indeed. Nay he continue
to, succeed ia his orsrorical efforts. just
here we we're interrupted by the charming
and beautiful young lady whose escort We
had the pleasure to be tonight, 80 We do not
remember the rest of the programme. The
audience then assembled TO the literary hall
to promenade, and all to take advantage of
leap.year except the one whom We bad the
honor TO accompany. The party disbanded
after spending some time 10 gayety, all seem.
ingly highly pessed with each other-and
especially themselves. rzs
Hanpdep-Sidney will be represented at
the Convention a. LynchbuSg for the pur-
pose of framing constitution for the State
intercollegiate Association. The delegates
are Messrs. VIC. Campbell and n. G. Man
son. two very fine fellows.
The old students and friends of Hsmpden-
Sidney College are looking forward to next
June, sthe centennial commencement. with.
much pleasure. AS Hampden.Sidney has
very near the largest alumni OF any college,
Ia the State, and IS so very many Of them
have occupied and are now holding the most
useful and honorable positions In the State,
we have no doubt but that these noble and
honored sons will catch the spirit of the age,
and with proud hearts return to their old
Alma Mater Ia her hundredth year, TO
make union of hearts 80 long sepa-
rated, and once more amid the Class
sic sbads OF old Hampaen.Sidney College
partake of a glorious = feast OF reason and
| fo. Of. SOUL Let the old students OF this
noble old college, who have done her honor
Il I. - - 4 l. k-AA N~a