The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-19
JEFFERSON, HAMILTON, ADAMS.
TIE Entertainment OF the Eiktoil ISceu:si
In Odd Fellows Hall.

fined and interested audience, and the
meeting was not once disturbed by the
irrepressible "small boy" The stage was
occupied by Prof. VIM. NJ. Foulk, prcsi
| dent of the association, and one of the
handsome and finely toned organs fol
which Mr.. John Wilkinson, of this town,
is agent. The programme Of the evening
was opened at 80 O'clock with an over
ture by the talented orchestra under the
leadership of Prof. Cad. Garrett. The
music was greatly enjoyed by the audi
ence, and the musicians are due great
credit for their excellcIt programme. At
the conclusion of the overture Mr.. Harry
c. Hurn read selection from the earlier
works of Mark Twain, which in its we'll
rendered manner received a volume of
applause. Miss Lizzie J. Merritt next
entertaiped the audience with vocal
solo, pleasingly rendered; after which
Miss Annie J. Smith read IA charming
poem descriptive of Christmas time.
Music by the orchestra followed next as
an Introduction to the feature OF the
evening" debate upon the relative mer
its of Thomas Jefferson, Alexander II M
ilton and John Adams, as formators and
perpetrators of the American govern
ment. Messrs. George X. Ash, Charles
+. Hinchlitfe and F. Mckinsey argued
the subject for their candidates in the
order named above. The five gentlemen
chosen as a judicial board to decide upon
the merits of the argument were: VIM.
II. Eder, Harry Clever, George Evans,
Charles Smith and n. p Manly. At the
conclusion of the debate the decision of
the judges was awaited with interest, and
was made in favor of Thomas Jefferson,
three votes being cast for him and two
for Alexander Hamilton. The orchestra
rendered another tasteful selection at
this point, and then the audience was
treated to vocal solo by Mr.. Frank
Harvey, accompanied by Mr.. Asher A.
Scott on the organ. During the course
of the evening collection was taken up
to defray the expenses of the society
ifyingly successful, the sum of the coli
lection amounting to the quantity re-
quired for expenses. In every point the
meeting was pleasing success, and en-
courages the members of the Lyceum to
announce that another of the kind, at
which time an interesting topic will be
discussed, will again be held in the hall
during the month of January. No yer
batim notes Of the arguments of Messrs.
Ash, Hinchliffe and Mckinsey were taken
by The VINES reporter, but we f4e able
from memory to give a brief resume of
the addresses: Mr.. Ash opened the ar
gument in favor of Thomas Jefferson.
lie gave brief sketch of the remarkable
career of that statesman, commencing
with his early Virginia life, when he fig
ured so conspicuously as lawmaker;
claiming that as the author of the Decla
ration of Independence he was the four
der of the government, and that the Com
stitution was founded upon the Declara-
tion of Independence. His services to his
country as minister TO France, as Sacrc-
tary of State, as Vice President and as
President for eight years. Mr.. Ash dwclt
upon the shrewd diplomacy which was
shown by Jefferson in negotiating for tie
purchase Of Louisiana, and quoting from
James G. Blaine's Twenty Years in
Congress-" iE which Mr.. Blaine speaks
OF Jefferson as ''the great phiIosophic
statesman, who laid so broad and sure
the foundation Of his country's growth
and grandeur" In rebnttal Mr. Ash
merely defended Jefferson from the Wig
orous attacks of his opponents without
making any counter attacks.
Charles F. Hinchlifie, who appeared in
behalf of Hamilton, acknowledged that
the statesman whose claims he presented
was less known, to others than students
of American history, than either of the
other two under consideration. There
were several reasons for this, the most
important one being that Hamilton, ur-
like the others, failed to reach the posi-
tion of President. Instances were given
to show that the men best fitted to be
Chief Magistrate have rarely attained to
that office. If Hamilton, like Jefferson,
had sough after public applause and
courted popular favor, instead of regard
less of the multitude, doing what hs
thought proper, he too might have re
sided in the presidential mansion. The
speaker related Hamilton's efforts to
bring about the Declaration of Indepen-
dence; how on the platform and by his
writings he labored for the cause 1t
was not only in the "war of words" that
he distinguished himself, but when it
became matter for action he was cne Of
the first to take up the sword. lie took
command of small company early in
177d, and served gallsutly throughout the
war. Washington in III gave him
position on his staff. His brave career
in the war was compared with the con
duct of Jefferson, who was stay at home
patriot. Hamilton's share in the forma-
tion and adoption of the Constitution was
greater than that of any other man. HIS
work in the convention at Annapolis, also
his measures as Secretary of the Treas
ury under Washington were each spoken
of briefly. These and many other vali
GUS services the speaker thought showed
that Hamilton did more towards the for
nation and perpatuation of our govern
ment than either of the others.
To +. Mckinsey fell the lot of uphold
ing the most difficult subject of the even
ing. Unfortunately for his popularity
with the judges and the audience, he is
always compelled to read his addresses
from the manuscript, thereby losil &
much force iu the delivery, although on
Monday night many passages of his es
sly (Which has been purchased for pub
lication by prominent journal
at Washington were read with power
He claimed the precedence of Adams
upon several standpoints, those in the
main being the share he took in the ac-
tive element of the Declaration after its
emission from the hands of Jefferson. .and
his untiring patriotism and energy and
activity in formulating and strengthen
ing the American nation fcr it's future. lie
argued that the perpetuatio of the II: m
of Jefferson hangs upon bit of patriotic.