The daily gazette., 1883-06-21
IRON YEsrERnAv
DELAWARE ooLLEeE.
Exercises at the Fifteenth Annual Com
mencement, This Morning.

LOOK place AZ eieNeu O'ClOCh bulS uoFuiuks |
Owing to the hot weather and the limited |
extent of the oratory, the exercises were
held on the campus, which was an entirely |
novel affair for Delaware College. A large
platform, facing the college, was erected on
the walk leading from the street to the
building, and on the back of the
platform was a large sounding-board
covered with an American flag.
The seating accommodation being sufficient
for all, there were at least 800 persons pres
emit at the exercises.
Seated on the stage were President Pur-
nell, DIR. Frost, Rev, ]. Polk, Rev. H. Kane,
Rev. j. L. Vallandigham, Rev. A. J. Sny-
der, Assistant State School superintendent
H. G. Carpenter, members of the faculty,
Board of Trustees, the speakers and Others
The exercises opened with with beauti-
full overture by the orchestra, alter which
Divine blessing was invoked by Rev W. q.
Ware, of Philadelphia, and was followed oy
music. Members of the graduating class
were introduced, and addressed the audi
ence, as follows:
JAMES BERNARD cUsH.
Subject, "Oratory." The speaker began
his excellent grafton by saying: whatever
has swayed the mind of man is a subject of
interest. 1t is for this we scrutinize the
pages of history. oratory stands high up in
the scale of these Influences, and it would
be impossible to estimate with any precision
the degree to which oratory has influenced
the great events in the worlds history; but,
it may safely be said that the triumphs
of the tongue have equalled, If
not surpassed those of the pen, as the pen
has been pronounced mightier than the
sword. Oratory, it is true, was more po-
tent factor in ancient than in modern times
but its power and effect were not so perma-
nent as at present. This may be accounted
for by the fact that the world is more en-
li0htened than it was ten centuries ago, and
q complete revolution has been made in the
style of oratory, and SO strangely marked
has been the change that many persons
have been led to believe that
oratory is lost art Not SO, how
ever, oratory has not declined, but, on
the contrary, has been purified and exalted
We could FAY, with more truth, that poetry,
painting, sculpture and music are lost arts.
True, oratory is not in later times charac-
terized by the fiery energy and direct per-
souality which give to Roman and Grecian
orators their life and beauty. True, we
have no oraLory SO embellished with fine
rhetorical phrases, as were the orRtions OF
Cicero, Demosthenes and Plato. But we
have an oratory far more suitable
to our time, an oratory wherein
orical phrases are minor consideration, a
more sublime orator than the world has
ever before produced. We live in an en-
lightened age, where appeals to the passions
and prejudices of men have lost much OF
their power The modern orator appeals to
the reason and understanding; he argues
and converses rather than declaims
and exhorts." The speaker cited
in a truly beautiful manner the great
achievements of oratory, and in speaking Of
our country said, sit was the clarion voice
of beardless boy-and adopted son-tbat
held with breathless interest large con
course OF the hardy sons OF New England
in appealing to them to fight for their liberty
and independence" In closing the Grafton
he said "Oratory is jewel rarely found
while the world has ever been filled with thu
sweet songs of the poet, and paint
ing and sculpture and music havi
been inherited by thousands. Uratory is th
outcrop of the combined results of tn
noblest and rarest faculties of man, an
consequently there are few orators. Orat or
is potent when its effect is only TO please tn
ear and to charm the senses, but when 1t
more than a trick, an art or a show {
words, when it has a higher aim than
tickle the ear or chain the imagins
ton, when it is armed with til
thupderbolt of powerful thought
and combined with lofty feeling, nobl
sentiments and deep emotion, when
deprives men of their independence AM
makes them subseryient to a strange AM
wonderful spells, then it becomes not ONLY
pleasure-a delight, but power mightie
than that OF kings, and princes and militar.
chieftains."
Mr.. Cush's speech was mastery effort
and was delivered in a most eloquent style
and won laundering applause from til
audience, who gave amazing attention
the young orator.
JAMES PORTER WARE.
Subject, "Social Responsibility" At tn
beginning the speaker said, "The order
relationships is seen wherever the knowleds
of man extends. There is no such thing q
absolute independence; there is an inter-d,
pendence, not only among the classes, al
individuals OF the three great kingdoms q
earth, but, also among three kingdom
themselves. To this relationship whe
there is no reasoning intelligence,
no responsibility attaches, but
created little lower than the angels an
crowned with glory and honor" He has
social nature that needs association to d
yelop it, and imposes strict accountable
Tor its use; he is therefore not his own ma
ter. The very idea of social life implies r
stratnt of private impulses; by the vel
necessity OF its existence it sets bounds
individual acton, and original
system of social ethics. The
is no such thing in the world, NJ such thin
possible as perfect individualism. No ms
stands alone or can stand disconnected fro
his fellows" Mr.. Ware followed his su
ject closely and logically;and it showed tn
much time had been spent upon IT., yet, n
without effect, and then closed his excelle
effort by saying, "There is in mans natu
desire for companionship, which desire
the foundation of all communities; the II
tural condition of man is not seclusion al
isolation from his fellows, but a desire
society. 1t devolves upon every true citlzt
to promote the welfare of the communi
in which he resides; by cultivating h
social nature so that mankind may beloI
more closely together, and the functions
society may be fully and more perfectly di
charged as they have been ordained by Il
creator"
JOHN G. GRAY.
Subject, Duties OF American Citize
ship" The speaker opened his Grafton
reviewing the establishment of our Cover
ment, telling of the pleasure, liberties al
freedom we have in this country, and co
trasting them with the hardships o
forefathers had under the rule oil Englau
He said that to-day the learned and Tespe,
able people of our country are ruled
blacklegs and politicians, and he attribut
this to the fact that the educated and la
abiding citizens do not take proper inter,
in the politics of the country
The Grafton was a splendid one, and I
speaker expressed the thought and leelin
that every American citizen should have
aulDu rod in his