The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-12
he Press and Banner.
w. a. LICE. IEGiCoI..
W ednesday, July IL, 1876
THE COMNENtENENwS At. DUE
NEST, ,

THE COMNENCENENTS At. DUE
NE&r, -
/ Attractive aud Successful Exhibitions
! The annual Commencement of tht
+ Male and Female Colleges ut Due
West came on on "Wednesday anl
Thursday of the past week and pre-
scntcd the usual intercstingand attrac
! tive features which characterize these
literary festivals, and make them the
object of eager anticipation and joyfu
retrospect. The number Of visitor:
from distance, owing we suppose tc
the pressure of the times, was smaller
than usual, and the crowd on Wednes
day was not so large, but Thursday
showed no diminution Of interest il
the eager, thronging masses of strug
Cling humanity who crowded every
seat, and filled rostrum and aisle anG
gallery to repletion.
VARIED AND BRILLIANT EXERCISES
The exercises themselves of the oc'
casion, we thought, were more varied
and attractive than usual and showed
that the colleges at Due West are abat'
ing none Of their zeal in the cause of ed
ucation, but are doing their full duty in
sending forth disciplined young men,
and cultivated women to assume the
responsibilities, and discharge the du'
! ties Of all active and useful life. We
! trust that the same success may attend
them in tire future as in the past, anC
that they may continue to be orna-
ments and blessings to Abbeville auG
to the whole country.
THE EXAMINATION
in the Female College commenced on
Tuesday of the preceding week, and
continued four days; that Of Erskine
College commenced on Thursday OF
the same week and closed OH Tuesday
of the following week. We learn thai
they were thorough and searching
and were eminently satisfactory. On
Saturday and Monday the classes in
the Theological Seminary were exam
ined in Hebrew by DR.. Grier and Rev
VIM. l.. Pressly, and in Systematic
Theology and Homolitics by DR.
Boyce. The examination is said tC
have been entirely satisfactory.
THE EUpHEMIAN AND PH1LOMATIIE'
AN EXERCISES.
Friday night witnessed the delivery
of the Society diplomas in the respcc.
tive halls of the Euphemian and Phi
lomatheam Societies, and other inter
esting exercises. In the Euphemian
Society the diplomas were delivered
by Mir. J. A. Johnson, and the response
on behalf of the graduating class by
Mr.. Horace Rabb; in the Philoma-
thean Society, the delivery was by Mr..
J. G.. Brice, of Fairfield, and the re-
sponse by Mr.. H. &. Fenncl.
Next followed a new and interesting
ceremony, the
DELIVERY OF THE SOCIETY MEDALS.
In the Euphcmian Society, medals
were distributed, one to the best deba-
tor of the Sophomore, and one to the
best declaimer Of the Freshman, be-
side an honor consisting in this case
of gold pen and case) to the member
in the Preparatory Department. excel
ling generally. The successful com
pctitors on this occasion were, Mess. J.
A. Johnston, Of the Junior Glass, d.
w. Wiseman, Of the Sophomore, l.. G..
Frierson, of the Freshman, and G..
Boyce H. Grier, of the Preparatory
Glass. These medals were of gold and
of the most beautiful finish and de-
sign. In the absence of the Rev.
Robert Latham, these medals were
distributed by the Rev. j. e. Pressly.
In the
PHILOMATHEAN SOCIETY,
medals were delivered by the Society
to the best speaker in the Freshman
and to the best writer in the Sopho-
more class. The former was taken by
Mr.. Willie McMorris, of Newberry,
and the latter by Mr.. John Chalmers,
of Steel Creek, n. G. The medals
were delivered by Prof. w. l.. Miller,
of the Williamson Academy, a late
graduate of Erskine College. The ad-
dresses were all excellent.
Then followed the
PHILOMATHEAN DEBATE.
DR.. Boyce was called to the chair
and four young men previously chosen
proceeded to discuss the following
Question: "Should the United States
tolerate all religions" Mr.. w. o.
Cochran and Mr.. w. w. Orr on the
affirmative, Mr.. J. E. Mcdonald and
Mr.. w. III. Millen OH the negative
The discussion was earnest, able and
thorough, lasting for an hour and q
half. At the close DR.. 3. compliment
eu all the speakers, and with some
hesitation gave the decision in favol
of the negative.
THE COMMENCEMENT SERMON.
On Sunday the Annual Sermon be.
fore the graduating classes was deliv-
cred by the Rev. J. e. Pressly, OF
North Carolina, and has been charac-
acteriZed as 4 mastery eftort-appro-
pirate, able, earnest and eloquent.
At nil ght an excellent address was
preached before the Theological Semi
nary, by Rev. J. P. Marion, of Ches-
ter.
MONDAY NIGHT.
Ou MOlluay DlSlll there were SplIII-
ed contests between the members Of the
Literary Societies of Erslline college
of which the following was the pro-
gramme:
CONTESTS
in Defamation and Essay Reading, between
SophOnOrcS and Juniors.
SOPHOMORE CREATIONS.
"Dcstiny of our Cuuntry."-James Boyce
Jr., Kings Mountain, \. e..
"Political Couscrvntlsm."-H w, Harris
pnevillc, n. &.
"ltcspcct the Foundation Of Nationa
FricndShip."-J. l.. McLin, Anderson, =. G.
"Cromwcll.'-W. n. Mathews, Wolfsvillt
NC.
JUNIOR ESSAYS.
Nature, in It's Gaycst RlOoE, is but Paint
cd Nanity--W. y. Cochran, Charlotte, n. {
Chiralry-its Origin and Spirit.-John a
Johnson, Due West. S. G..
Drcaming-not Achieving.-J. L. McDon
aid. IOngucsville, S: e.,
"TiS no Drcaln.-Ncil E. Pressly, Coddle
Creek, n. G.
Below we publish the names Of tho
successful competitors.
ON TUESDAY NIGHT
was the Junior Exhibition, which We
had the pleasure of attending. Th,
addresses of the young men were al
well written and we'll delivered and
gave promise of excellence at the mex
commencement. The following was
the programme:
Nothing Truly Interesting but tho I'm