The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-07-11
Wednesday,, July II, 1877.
Interesting Exercises of the Due
West Commencement.

little over two hours we arrived in sight
OF the College buildings whose domcs
and spires CLEAN out in the sunlight
above the trees of the shaded groves, and
ere we had had enough of our delightful
drive we were landed upon the classic
ground. with which to the young, no less
than to the old, are SO many pleasant
rccollections associated. From early
childhood, with few exceptions, we have
attended the annual festival Of letters at
:l;rskipc College, where old loves and old
t%rieudShips were renewed and new at
1lchments formed. Hero it is on these
occasions that cloves young dream has
50 often based a hope for the realization
of youths brightest picture of future
D,appincss. Here it is that the young
lover has mapped out for his journey
down lifc's way, i path hcInmed with the
most delightful flowers, with never a
serpent lurking beneath. And it is here
that the student has graduated and start
ed on this journey with so many high
hopes ana commcndable aspirations.
How many Of these contemplated
pleasures and honors have been realized
is not for us to say.
Since we went to Due West, as printers
devil, in the spring of 1851, at the tender
age OF twelve years, many have been the
changes that have occurred. Then there
were but few houses in the town. The
rubbish incident to the recent o II
struction of Lindsay Hall had not yet
been removed; the Literary Halls i'll the
College campus had not then thought of;
thc modest little village church of that
time has been superseded by q larger
cdifice of more modern structure the Fe-
male College is the birth Of q later
thought; tho village school was then
taught on the lot and in the building now
owned and occupied by Mrs Kennedy,
while perhaps threc-fourths of the
present dwelling houses have been put
up since the days when we were the "car-
ricr boy for the Erskine Miscellany,
then edited by the Rev. j. 0. Lindsay.
While the contemplation of the growth
of the town, and the erection Of so many
much pleasure, Time and the Great
Reaper have not been idle, We have
been borne down by the resistless tide far
from our moorings. A number Of the
older men of that day have passed away
to that '..city which hath foundations
whose maker and builder is Ood,' and
the boys of that date are now in the
vigor of manhood, holding the most i'm
portant positions in tho community, the
church, and the Colleges, Time has
touched the remaining manly forms Of
that day, and they arc notnow as huoyant
and do not stand as erect as then, while
"thcir ~hyacinthine locks are turned to
gray" But enough of this.
The exercises Of the day took place in
Lindsay Hall, and besides music, consist
ed of the following bill Of fare;
Morning Exercises.
oRATIoNs.
Shall our I.aurcls Wither:-John c. S,
Drice, Winsboro, ). Z.
Literature OF tho Nineteenth Century,
Robert {. Rrownlee, Due West, >. G..
The Eastern Question.-Robert &. Davis,
Popery on a Tottcring Thronc.-william B.
Douglass, Winnsboro, 5. c..
Moral COuraSe.-Walter >. Haddon, Tenn
4 Plea for National ylrtue.-James F. Nc
Donald. YoungcSyille. SC.
Libcrty-The Child OF Oppression.-Charles
r. Mcdonald, SolngcSvillc. = [.
Ny Bark Is Launched, but where, is the
Shore ?-Erskinc +. Patterson, Louisville,
Youth-Thc Poetry Of ExiStencc.-John J..
BE Humble to To-day, and cast your Pride
~Away.-hobcrt II. Stevenson, Youngesy!lle,
Afternoon Exercises.
Anniversary Adlress.-Eon T.. j. Mackcy,
CL ester, So I.
Wednesday Evening, 7 l-2 p. NJ.
Alumni Address,. ]. Darlington, a. NJ.
Washington, u. T..
Alumn9 Essay.-Miss Laura Gauldin, New
berry, :. {.
The Bacealaurcatc Address of Dr..
Gricr, was delivered in his best style,
with fine effect. We give the following
very brief synopsis:
The child, the savage, the unlcttcred
peasant selected as typical-no true con-
ception of their relationship need of
one the need of all. They must be edit
cnted-this term used in its GroddeSt
sense to include all thai process of devel-
opment which imprcsScs the conviction
that man is something more than an in
dividual who is TO live to himself and for
himself.
This process Of training has been slow.
Incidence and interest often combine in
their opposition to truth. So long as
men can use the ignorant in the perpctu-
alton and enlargement Of their influence,
just so long will they resist free discus
sion, bold and fearless inquiry.
The differences which divide men arc
often Of the most trivial cllaracter-illus-
trated by q case taken from "Greyson
Letters" about the two kings who went
TO war OH account Of the "blue pig with
the black tail" etc.
These divisions find a place not only in
the State-not only in politics, but also
in religion. One contends for a certain
form of church government, another for
the mode of an ordinance, another for q
ritual service, etc, The contention in
most cases impetuouS and uncompromis-,
ing. 1t is the mission of liberal ChristianH
culture to subordinate those differences
to give them their true position.
Lend your influence, young men, to
whatever will promote the well-being of
Nott tllo" -Hidi, "llatCNCi NO llS purity,
his sect or the circle in which he moves.
Fight for the truth, fight for it manfully
but never make the mistake Of putting
the merely incidental and Don-essential
Tor that which is vital and essential.
In presenting these diplomas I cannot
fail TO mention The fact hat aname which
for near 40 years has appeared on every
diploma awarded by Erskine College,
appears there no longer. Bnt I mention
the name Of DR.. Pressly not to pay a tri-
butte to his memory, however we'll de-
served, but to say that / know no better
exemplitication of the lesson l have tried
to present than the life which he lived
loving the truth with the devotion of a
martyr, he WAS the most charitable OF
men.
Rev. DIR. Grier tho President of the
Faculty of Erskine College, is man of
the highest intellectual gifts, and Of the
rarcst scholarly attainmonts. He pos.