The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-06-21

j. A. Powers, King William county, Va. !;
j. 3r. Simms, Culpeper county, Va; Paul
Y. Tupper, Richmond, Va; c. w. War
{ ren, Surry county, Va; 7. S. Wilbur,
South Carolina r. L. Woodward, Rich
mond, va. @
School of Phiosophy-Frank z. Ander-
son, Richmond, Va; Edward Bartenstein,
tWarrenton. Va; j. William Boyd, Blu
| chanan, Va; Charles w. Coleman, Jr., Han
over county, Va; Frank T. Davis, Clarke
Icounty, Va; Armistead r. Long, Pennsyf +
vania; George w. Riggan, Isle OF Wight
county, Va. ~.
,r' BACHELORS OF Law.
Howard r. Bayne, Richmond, Va. Sol.
Cutchins, Nansemond county, Va; o. H.
P. Garrett, Texas; George j. Hooper,
Richmond, Va; James Lyons, Richmond,
Va; L. NJ. Nance, Charles City county,
Va; F. T. West, Louisa county, Va; Har-
yey Wilson, Richmond, Va.
BACHELORS OF ARTS.
r. f. Glover, Richmond, Va; NJ. A.
Turner, Richmond, Va.
| MASTERS OF ARTS.
Edward II. Bartenstein, Warrenton, Va. !;
Charles w. Coleman, Hanover county, Va. |;
William T. Harris, New Kent county, Va. !;
Armstead X. Long, Pennsylvania; George
w. Riggan, Isle Of Wight, Va.
Mr.. RoYALL's REMARKS.
W. L. Royal, Esq, in presenting to Mr..
F. P. Robertson the "Woods medal :"
bounded by Hiram Woods, Esq, OF Balti-
more, and awarded to the "best declaim-
er''), said to the recipient that he had
won the prize in an art which had always
moved the world from the days in which
| CT o1 hy oil 10
or Cicero controlled the Romans down to
the time when our own Webster ruled the
world. He spoke earnestly Of the power Of
the art OF. speaking, vlvidly pointed ont and
warned against its dangers, and closed with
graceful and well-put word OF advice to
the recipient.
Dir. Royal was loudly applaudcd, and
when lie took bis seat was presented by " a
Friend OF the College" with a magnificent
bouquet OF magnolias.
AS the graduates went forward for their
diplomas they were greeted with loud ap-
pause, and most OF them had fair friends in
the audience, whose floral tributes were
perhaps even more priced by them.
..... REV. T. t. EATON
made presentation address, which was en-
Enthusiastically received, and is well worthy OF
full report. zig
| He said, in substance Standing here, in
such brilliant presence, with SO many bright
and beautiful eyes flashing their lustre
around me; with these learned professors
sitting solemnly and awtully behind me !;
with these distinguished gentlemen ranged
around, who for days past have been richly
RECALLED by the gifted men who have ad-
dressed them; with these students looking
at me, whose hearts leap high for Joy at the
glad thought OF being released for season
from the thraldom Of Greek roots, asym-
plotes, and the polarity OF atoms; in this
building, whose very walls and atmosphere
are redolent Of the dative case, it is fitting
that I should begin with Latin quotation.
Endeavoring to do this, | can only get hold
Of chic tabor, hoe opus cSt"-which may
be freely translated, "thiS is q very tight
place for dull man to get into" There
are many present who will bear me out in
the statement that college professors are Pc
culiarly gifted in the art OF getting fellows
into tight places. Your scientific professor,
in his investigations, ascertaned that it was
my purpose to be present on this occasion,
and, selling on that fact, maliciously ar
ranged his appa, ltuS so as to place me
in the trying position / now occupy.
1t was the more unkind Of him because he
knew, or might have known, in what NOR
tai terror l stood Of offending man who
was in league with the thunder, and the
lightning, and the volcanoes, and the
comets, and all the terrible things in ma
ture I have made up my mind not to for
give him for it, either. You think that i
an unchristiun utterancc? / tell you nay,
for. as Cosmus the Duke OF Florence used
to say, " You read that we a.e commanded
to forgive our enemies, but you never read
that we are commanded TO forgive oul
friends"
A medal for the nest reader! | doubt il
q wiser investment OF like amount o
money could be made. There was danger
that reading would become one Of the loS
arts. its cultivation having been WcllniSl
limited to the narrow area OF the stage
and there corrupted by the uses to which Il
was put. Good readers were scarce ant
becoming scarcer, when the founder o.
this medal wisely resolved that in Rich
mond College, at least, reading should bt
cultivated, and already the good results o
bis liberality are showing themselves. The
Importance Of reading has long been recog
niZed, theoretically at least, for, you re
member, it has ever ranked first amons
the famous "Thrcc R's.'' And by
as much as there is anything il
all literature worth understanding, by
so much is it important to bt
able 10 read well. The school-boy who
read "Hanni-bat and Skip-pi-o, tl1o ia
mouse competitors, lcagged acar in Al fri
ca" neither got an idea from the text him.
sell nor did he convey an idea to the mind:
of those who heard him. They little
thought the writer meant to say "Han
nibal and Scipio, two famous competitors
waeed war in Africa" II it be'a crime Il
murder English, then DR.. George B. Stee
deserves high honor at the haI ds OF th'
I" Society for the Suppression OF Vice.
and also from another society, whose for
nation l suggest, to be styled the "Socletl
for the Prevention OF Cruelty TO Sen
tences."
1t would be an ensult to the intelligence
OF those before me were l to bring ar9u
ments to show The value and Importance o
good reading. / had as well attempt to re
fute in your hearing the claims Of Buddhism
on your allegiance. Indeed, speech iron
me-were I capable. OF making one On thi
subject-would be as thoroughly and su
peratiycly useless as Il question that wa
once asked. The Siamcse twins were OF
exhibition, and MAJ who had an eye To-
the wonderful went to see them. Aie
surveying them intentIy for awhile, h
eraveIy inquired whether they were bro
theirs.
In reference to your reading, sir, woul(
offer q remark or two before closing. Ant
first, as was so grandly told us last Monda,
nioht. be sure to "take aim." Do not reat
without definite end in view. Lord Lyt
ton saws ..readine without purpose is saun
tering and not exercise" lndiscrlminat
reading will give you desultory habits .
lo,, in a