Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-06-09

teer State. He considered each
grand division separately, pointing
out the advantages and beauties OF
scenery that each possess. In West
Tennessee, Desota had discovered
the great Father of Waters. The
speaker described in very good
style a thunderstorm as viewed
from an East Tennessee mountain
peak. Up to recent date the State
had fine record and the Legisla-
ture should guard her honor. He
then spoke of the various cities of
the State. He had formed great
| attachment for GAINESVILLE. This
city was the Garden of Eden with
no snakes in it. Memphis is the
David of Tennessee cities. The
youngest and destined to be the
greatest. Like David she had suf-
fered greatly but had passed through
her numerous troubles and was at
the dawn of a glorious future. The
tendency to reputation was stain
on the escutcheon of the State. God
forbid the time should ever come
when Tennessee should reludiate
her honest debt! The young men
must correct this evil and sustain
the honor of the State.
Mr.. Mason's speech possessed an
element of superiority that his fell
low students probably didn't rec
OgniZe as much as some of his older
auditors. Barring his thunder
storm he was less sophomore than
any of his competitors, except
Cavitt, Richardson and Fay, but
these three were inferior to him
in delivery, and the last was below
hisgrade in practicability of thought.
There is much more in the history
and prospects of Tennessee than
Mr.. Mason brought out and his
grafton would have been improved
by more thorough discussion of
the subject.
Mr.. j. A. Smiser was the last
speaker of the first evening. His
subject was "We Are Our Own
Fate" He adhered TO the literal
teaching of the old proverb which
says that men are the architects of
their own fortunes. All men of
distinction, soldiers, statesmen and
philosophers made their own great
ness. Martin Luther, Bonaparte
and Columbus were cited as exam
piles. Young men had their fate
in their own hands and could rise
to greatness or sink into obscurity
according to their own determine
ton.
After this followed the presenta-
ton of the medals annually awarded
by the two societies to the best
debater i'm each. Mr.. l.. j. irwin
of Grand Junction, Tenn, received
the Washington Irving medal, pre-
scented by Rev. w. L. Alexander of
Mississippi. The Stewart medal
was conferred on Mr.. G. w. Ira
wick, of Chrystal Springs, Miss, in
an impressive speech by Rev. G. R.
Hemphill, of Columbia, S. C.
A number of Amateur singers
then treated the audience to a de-
lightful chorus with piano and or.
gan accomplishments and the eX-
ercises for the first evening were
closed.
TUESDAY EVENING
at at early hour Stewart Cabinet
Hall was again fled with large and
cultivated audience. Five young
gentlemen of the graduating class
spoke on this occasion and made
out the nine orators who competed
for the Speakers medal.
Mr.. L. III. Richardson was the
first speaker. His subject was
Education" Mr.. Richardson had
more ideas and less words than
some of the other speakers. He
handled his subject practically and
logically but he possesses little of
that personal magnetism necessary
to the orator and like the first
speaker on the previous evening
was evidently embarrassed. He
thought that as man progressed in
life he must progress in education.
Education had four distinct advan-
tages. First. The knowledge it
gave. BY education we become |
familiar with history, science, art
and language. We learn with the
antiquarian of those wonderful
of the ancient East that |
battle the skill of modern engineer
ing. We caught faint gliinpses of
arts that must have been superior
to anything known now but were
lost because the people of those days
were not familiar with the art pre-.
printing. Second. Edu-
cation was valuable for the disci-
pline it gave the mind. Intellectual
culture was superior to mere col
lection of facts. The scientist of
to-day are in the possession of more
facts than their ancient prototypes
but their minds are no greater. The
want of prOgressiveness in literature
was another evidence of this fact.
Homer is greater than Tennyson.
Third. The morality that educa-
ton brought was great advantage.
He made fine illustration of the
want of moral perception by COM
pairing it to color blindness. Chi
nese civilization is more ancient
than that of Europe, but has been
less progressive and effective be-
cause the Chinese as people lack
Fourth. The pleasure
t affords was Il great advantage
If education. In concluding the
speaker asserted that the education
ii status of an individual or a peo-
Die couldn't remain on a stand STILL.
There must be progress or retrogra- (
ion.
Mr.. Richardson's speech would
read better in print than l
my of the nine orations delivered. S