Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-06-03

that very reason we feel constrained to
subject it to stringent criticism, for we
consider his conclusions not only err
roneous but erring in such way as to
be dangerous in their tendency. Ed
gar A. Poe was morally and physically
very different man from what would
be inferred from Mr.. Turley's address.
dis irregularities so often alluded to
were not the exceptional frailties of a
nature otherwise good and noble, they
We're not in fact irregularities at all,
but the consistent developments of
character at once cold -blooded and
sensual, selfish and insensible to kind
ness; the few who loved him in spite
of his obliquities reaped nothing from
their love but sorrow and wretched-
ness; that he was above all men most
miserable might challenge at least
compassion, though the misery was the
inevitable result of his own life and
conduct, if it were not made the sub
ject of constant querulous moaning
as if he were the victim of persistent
persecution instead of the victim of
his own lusts and evil passions. And
as his life was so were his literary
works. He was unquestionably con-
summate master of the rythmical ca
liabilities of the English language, but
this simply furnished him an instru-
ment equally capable of being used
for good or for evil. We have failed
to find single enno5ling sentiment, a
single aspiration after moral or spir-
itual elevation, single throb of SYM
pathy with any suffering except his
own, it is all moral waste, loveless
and goddess and cold as an iceberg
We trust that we shall never hear
Edgar A. Poe held up except as a
warning to the students of our uni
versity.
Mr.. J. Fl. WEAVER, Vanity of HUI
man Desires.
An excellent discourse formed on
the model of Ecclesiastes the desire
of knowledge, the aspirations of po-
litical ambition exemplifed in Wolsey,
military ambition in Alexander, Sci
entiic achievement in Pliny, Elo-
quence in Cicero and Demosthenes, all
are tried and found wanting as means
of happiness, and dismissed with the
preachers condemnation, Fall is vanity
and vexation of spirit"
Mr. T. V. MOORE, TazedictOry.
The subject on which Mr.. Moore
specially descanted was selfshness
which was the subjectof some excellent
sentiments we'll expressed; but there
is prescribed series of topics which
the occasion of valedictory not only
suggests but even demands, and no
valedictorian can escape them; Mr..
Moore was right in not trying to DO
so, and We can only say that he carried
out his routine with grace and feeling.
After the diplomas had been pre-
sented by President Shearer with due
commentator and admonition, at his
earnest request, the Rev. DIR. Palmer
rose to give the graduates few words
of parting counsel. He forcibly COM
batted the idolatry of mere success so
prevalent in these days-''it is not es-
sential" he said shat you or | or any
of us should be great, it is most mo-
mentous that we should be honest
men," Duty was the one word he
selected as epitomising all he had to
say to them and it is wonderful with
what force and freshness he made this
lesson so often spoken as telling and
as striking as if it had never been said
before.
This ended the exercises of four
hours durationsduring which the at
tention and interest of very large
audience never tagged for moment.