The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-06-17
THE PHILOMATHEAN SOCIETY.


serves more than q casual notice from the in
telligent minds of our community. This or
gapization, although in existence only three
years, has proven of such solid worth and in.
trinsic excellence that it is now regarded o.
permanent institution, credi.able alike to the
members of the Society and to the appreciative
people of New Orleans.
It is Society that needs no glare of foot. :,
lights and no CLOSE of tinsel to tattracs it's ad-
mirers. Genius, grace, and eloquence are the
only lures which drew the admiring throng
that filled the Hall that Monday night. No
hint of dancing and suggestion of dainty
| food attracted the light-heeled and giddy-
headed gentry; the treat offered was "the
| feast of reason and the flow of soul )" and the
| courses served were of the most enjoyable kind.
The evenings entertainment was opened by
the President, Mr.. Spearing, who in an adj
dress replete with eloquence and earnestness,
gave brief sketch of the origin, growth, and
purposes Of the organization. The figure ola
seeding, spripging up into vigorous tree,
bearing first o graceful foliage, then an
abundant fruitage, and ahording shade and
| refreshment to all who drew near, was rhetor-
ically correct and beautiful.
Mr.. Claiborne's defamation upon the Sim
mortality of Fame" displayed much research
and true appreciation of heroic thought and
action. The delivery, however. was some
| what low and monotonous, and resulted in o
loss to the audience, of many of the more hu-
morous portions of his discourse. One omission
| in his delineation of heroic women Of the
| Bible struck us as remarkable. As q student
of history and q reader of scripture, Mr.. Clai-
borne could not have been ignorant of that
heroic woman whose fame, predicted by her.
self on the pages of inspired Writ. "aH genera.
tons shall call me blessed" continues to widen
and deepen the years go on. Why did the
gentleman, the scholar, the Christian, forget
to name with honor, Her, who has been in all
ages the inspiration of the knight, the hero
and the Saint 7
The poem by Mr.. c. Florance was beauti-
fol moral lesson, told in language 80 simple
, that it's meaning went straight from the
, heart of the poet into that of his listeners.
, This gentleman is one of the few poets whose
, writings always contain q thought. They are
T never vapid, and his inspiration is never
, drawn from sickly timentality-misnamed
love. He deals with human nature in its
, many phases, and can soar above the plane of
broken hearts, and hopes, into the brighter
realms of trust in God, and faith in human
kind.
3 The grand feature of the evening, the debate
0 upon the question "Should a man uphold his
: country, be she right or wrong :" was enthu-
4 siastically opened by Mr. w. Keplinger, who,
: on short notice, had taken Mr.. Duflho's place,
= that eutleman being ill. On the affirmative
were Messrs. G. Santini and w. Keplinger On
the negative Messrs. E. Ftofanee- and Z.
: F. Heney. The arguments were strong and
Q eloquent on both sides and if the affirmative
+ won the decision think it was more
Q throu III the vehemence of their eloquence
D.. than because of the force of their argument.
t The very close vote was deserved tribute to
= the skill of both parties and a pretty good
proof that the dispntsnts' admirers were about
evenly divided.
In regard to the debsters themselves, it
Il would be hard to say which of the four ex-
J. celled the other three, in beauty of languages
70 grace of action, and eloquence of thought MT.
o Santn, however, seemed to know that he was
X . favorite and that he had but to dazsls by
o his rhetoric in order to convince his bearers.
g Mr.. Florance was certainly the most analytical
J. of the debaters, Mr.. Honey the most entertain
ing, Mr.. sautini the most howery, and Mr..
Keplinger the most eloquent. All were ex-
cellent in repartee, profuse in figures of speech,
Q and graceful in thought and utterance. In
deed, the whole debate was model of style,
g and would afford many choice selections for
= the youth of our day in the way of patriotic
n enthusiasm and literary merit.
J. MT. T. J. O'Sullivan's recitation, 1.-THE Emf
grants" was given with proper emphasis and
T feeling, but his enunciation was 30 indistinct
er and his delivery SO feeble-a proceeding very
" unusual in the case of this gifted young Irish
t, man-that we were not surprised to learn that
re he was suffering from great debility, and was
p at his post only through sense of duty.
e. Altogether, the entertainment offered was
Sc welt worthy of the large audience that bad
II assembled to enjoy it, and as it was given IN
ss commemoration of the third anniversary OF
y the Society, conclude with the hope that
of every succeeding year may increase its re-
q ining influence, extend its intellectual enjoy
rs ments, aud enlarge the circle of its friends
" and Rdmrera,