Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-06-06
Monday Night.

The anniversary celebration of the
Literary Societies took place in Stew
arr Cabinet Hall. The exercises con-
sisted of four orltions, two speakers
being chosen from each society, and
the awarding of medals. The hall was
handsomely decorated for the occasion
with flowers and festoons of green.
The banner of each society hung over
the rostrum, and the Latin notices,
"Per Ardua all Alta" and "Surgam"
upon the wall.
There were six ushers, or marshals,
they called themselves, very pleasant,
smiling and accommodating young
gentlemen, gayly decorated with SASH
es and carrying batons bearing the
colOrs OF their respective societies.
Their names were, Stanley Wiser, S.
B. Hume and P. e. West, who acted
ON behalf of the Stewart Society, and
J. r. Herndon, w. +. Tins and w.
b. White Tor the Washington Irving
Society. A string band furnished
music FOR the occasion.
The exercises for the evening were
opened with prayer by DIR. Wilson.
The first speaker introduced by
Chancellor Waddell was
MR.. e. NJ. HICKS,
Of Shreveport. La His subject was
The Eternity of Life" He spoke on
behalf of the Washington Irving Soci-
ETY.. So far as we could gather the
ideas from the profusion of fowery
language with which Mr. Hicks orra-
his Grafton, we think he begun
by asserting that the stamp of decay
and death is set on all things physical,
but within the form of man exists the
spark of Immortality. He said this,
however, in a much more elaborate
style than we indicate Amid his
curling periods we caught such SEN
fences and phrases as the following :
Death reigns supreme" Vernal rays"
swelling buds" ain coming tide" !
placid water" "spring-time," and the |
whole stock and store of those very |
pretty things which the sweet girl |
graduate and the sophomore student /
have 1een drawing On for ages. We |
lon't condemn Mr.. Hicks for this in
diligence any more than we would |
condemn duck for taking to water.
It was natural, and to a large portion
Of his audience, it was probably pleas
ng. The girls all liked it, and even
;ome of the older ladies said at WAS
perfectly beautiful" His speech was
oy no means barren of ideas. He |
lwelt on the Immortality of thought
which he said linked men to the
.hrone of God. Neutral we cannot be
living we act, dead we speak" Mr..
Hicks delivery was very good, but he,
had to be prompted
,nce.
MR.. ]. II. PATTON,
II Sumner county, Tenn, representing
he Stewart Society, spoke next. Mr..
'atton's speech was even more objec-
ionable for its sophomore tendencies
han that of his predecessor, Mr..
Hicks, and less excusable because he
5 Il much older man, or at least APP
Years to be. He took well worn
ext from Longfellow, Behind the
LIQUIDS is the Sun still Shining" and
reated it in the mingled manner of
ermon and a commencement essay.
The first part of his speech was kind
f revised edition OF the opening
HAPPIER of Genesis, but he enlarged on
doses to such an extent that it was
if1icult to recognize the fact. He
ilEed about "chaotic night" "long
ges Of death-like stiffness between
he beginning and the first created
ay," "the golden gates ajar," sowing
he earth with orient pearls" &c.
in this torrent of fustian
nd grandiloquent sentences he COM
ared the sun and moon to "waXen
lobes." Leaving the creation, he
anne to Martin Luther, the great sun
{ the Reformation that burst from
ehind the clouds of religious dark
ess. When we caught up with him
gain he was touching on the recon-
truction period in the Southern
tates and showing up the benign
of your uncle Sam Til =
EN-, as a sun that Cor Il little while
eeped from behind the clouds. This !.
lminary was quickly obscured, he
aid, and the mists were not again
oiled away until the Democratic vic
Dry of the last election. In telling
ow Grover got there, he pleased the l
official sentiment of his audience /,
nd was generously applauded. His
peech was concluded with a very
owery peroration in which he said,
On the pansys delicate brow, softly
Ills the butterfys wing" or words to
bat effect. On taking his seat he was
eluged with floral tributes to his elo- 9
uisnce. Probably some of the donors s
raned him 70 demonstrate what part '
4 a pansy constitutes its delicate e
row." 7
Mr.. II. b. PRICE,
4 this city, spoke next He is MEM 8
IN, of the Washington Irving Society. a
dr. Price i quite young man and I
/ 40 modest mein that we would a
eel a hesitarey in criticising him e