Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-06-10
THE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES at THE
SOUTHWESTERN PRESBYTERIAN
UNIVERSITY
A Large Attendance and Some Brilliant ora


Large Attendance and Some Brilliant Ora
tons.
The annual commencement exer-
cises of this meteorological and
most excellent institution for the
education of young men, took place
during Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday, of this week, and were
attended by the friends and patrons
of the University more largely and
with greater degree of interest
than perhaps ever before.
The weather was clear, cool,
pleasant and in every way auspic-
ious for the occasion. The large
and commodiously arranged hall of
the Stewart Cabinet building, in
which the closing exercises are al
ways held, was more deliberately
and beautifully decorated by the
kind, tasty hands of the fair friends
OF the young men, than we remem-
Der to have ever seen it before on any
similar occasion.
The rostrum was not too profusely
adorned with floral decorations,
consisting of rare blooming plants,
cut flowers, festoOns of evergreens,
and notices of the Literary Socie-
ties, while the walls were hung
with paintings and portraits of dis
tinguished friends of the Institu-
ton.
The large audiences were compOs-
ed, in great part, of the gentle sex,
whose happy faces, exquisite white
null and lace costumes and floral
offerings were fit accompaniment
to all the other pleasant surround
ings and lent an enchantment and
inspiration to the exercises which is
indeed impossible to describe.
A travelling Italian band was on
hand and filled up the intervals
with the most delicious strains of
music.
The faculty, and many of the dis
tinguished directors of the Univer-
sity from distance, filled the chairs
on the rostrum.
SOCIETY ANNIVERSARIES.
The first event of the week was
the annual oratiOns of the repre-
sentative speakers of the two Liter
airy Societies, on Monday evening.
A large, fashionable and highly APP
preciative assembly of the young
friends of these two societies was
present and showed by the closest
attention and discriminative APP
plause how much interest they felt
in their very creditable efforts. The
young orators and their subjects. we
give: T. w. Gregory, of Miss, of
the Stewart SOciety-"Pdtriotism."
G. w. Thompson, Tenn, of Wash
ington Irving Society-"He who
would Search for Pearls must Dive
below" Z. Bailey, Ga., of Stewart
Society-"Man's Career" M. NJ.
Hooper, Miss, of Washington Irv-
ing Society-"Festina Lente."
The late arrival of the reporter at
the hall and an unfavorable seat
prevents a synopsis of these adj
dresses, but the very high encOmi-
ums passed upon them by those
fortunate enough to hear them, is
sufficient guarantee of their excel
lence and assures us that the here
tOfOre high standard of thought and
subiect-matter contained in the adj
dresses of the young representatives
of these societies was iuliy upheld
on this occasion.
At the close of these OratiOnS, the
presentation of medals to the two
students who in their respective
societies had made the greatest i'm
Improvement in the various eXer-
cises and duties of defamation,
reading and debate during the ses-
sion, took place. The medal of the
Washington Irving Society was
awarded to Mr.. w. G. Killebrew,
by Rev. Mr.. WitherspoOn, of Jack
son, Tenn, in IL brief speech, replete
with happy conceptions and
clothed in beautiful language and
classical illusions. That OF the
Stewart Society was presented to
Mr.. r. NJ. Kennedy, by DIR.
Palmer, in his usual felicitous style
and the evening closed leaving a
most delightful impression upon
the minds of all who were present.
ALUMNI GRAFTON BEFORE THE
SOCIETIES.
This event took place Tuesday
evening and ejustly merited fame
of the distinguished orator, Judge
Henry Craft, of Memphis, served
to bring together a large and deeply
interested audience. His speech
was peculiarly appropriate to the
occasion, being an eloquent and
graphic delineatiOn of the "Charac-
teristics, Responsibilities and Des-
tiny of the Young Man." Judge
Craft, after reviewing in a cursOry
Renaissance his own college life,
entered upon his subject and claim
ed the close attention of his youth !
full hearers with the broad, thought
full query, "W hat doest thou here,
young man? Have you ever pro-
pounded it to yourselves? Have |
you comprehended the meaning of
college life? Are you learning to |
think, learning to understand your
selves, learning the alphabet of life"
He elOquently spoke of how the
future course and destiny of their
lives had already begun to be shap-
ed from the time they had entered
college, of the great sacrifices which
had been made from time to time by
fond parents. What and how much
they could never know until they
had paid the debt or become de-
faulting debtors. May the con-
the realizing sense of