The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-06-29

|
th' nuaI Address, New President
! Lice: t--Per>Onals. &c., &C.
taft Cor. STATE CHRoNIcLEl
rs far back as 1870, six years before the
State University had been Incorporated as
part of the Constitution of the State: fifty
TWO years before the Baptists at Rives'
| Chapel selected site for what is now
Wake Forest College; fifty eight years be
| fore the beg ginning of the school which
grew into Trinity College had its birth, or
before there was any sign of a system of
public education in North Carolina, the
Scotch Irish Presbyterians of Mecklenburg
county secured a charter for a coll, ge to
be known as Queens Museum, and although
Queens Museum afterwards failed, it was
the germ of the successful college which
now llourShes, an honor not only to the
Presbyterians and North Carolina, but to
the whole Southland. 1t was not how
ever. until 1S3S-the year that Trinity
began as an ordinary school under DR..
York, four years after Wake Fore st
opened with "a students and forty three
years after the doors of the University had
been opened-that Davidson began its
work under the name Of Davidson Col
lege. From the first, although its curri-
culum was not as high as to-day, it did
| good work and in sense had cause
|
| parted.
The first twenty five years of Davidson S
existence, it passed through the same ex-
| perience that other denominational collie
| ges We're called upon to endure. The early
! days were those of earnest endeavor. But
| in its days of adversely, 1t learned lessons
| that easy sailing would not have taught
| The first legacy to the college amounted
to quarter OF a million of dollars and
was left by Maxwell Chambers, of Sails
bury. Ths Trustees, with this money in
hand, proceeded at once to enlarge the
facilities of the institution. New build
! ings, professorships, &c., were added. A
bright future seemed to be dawning, their
efforts We're to be crowned, but the war
came; its doors were closed, the faculty
and students took up the sword for the
pen and fought for their country.
| When the smoke Of the battle field clear
ed away, steps were taken to reopen the
| institution; so, 900 Of the securities were
safe. and the buildings and apparatus in
! good condition.
Since that time the college has been
marching forward. Every year. its roll
has been large. Boys from all over the
South have b en fitted for life. 1t is an
undisputed fact that the Presbyterians
| Davidson is a denominatlonal college in
the sense that it belongs to the Synod and
is officered t,y Presbyterians In every
other SENSE it Is nou -Sectarian. Boys of
all creeds and beliefs are educated here.
1t gives broad culture and endeavOrS to
make broad men, and to cast back the eye
| over the names of the alumni, who have
| added lustrt and fame to the different
vocations, is a proof that it has succeeded.
| Their Alma Mater is Justly proud of them
| and vice versa.
y few days ago heard some gentlemen
| discussing the church relations of the State
| officers, and expressing surprise that, with
IA small membership in the State, the Pres
| byterians had SO many men in official
| position. 1t is no surprise to me. Pres
| byterianS are usually we'll educated. and
educated men will always be called to high
| position.
DAVIDSON TODAY.
have taken a brief review of the past. .
Let us look now at its present and future.
! The college is beautifully situated on a
branch road of the Richmond n Danville,
half way between Statesville and Char
| lotte The town Of Davidson College is a
| beautiful little village of SOC people. The
! large and stately brick college buildings
! are centrally situated III a beautiful, green
campus. There are two society halls,
| Pnilanthropic and Eumenean. Both are
elegantly and tastefuly furnished. Re-
| Gently, the two societies. combined their
libraries with the college library and now
the one large library is very complete
| The fraternities here are not sub rosa as
| at some institutions. The three fraterni-
| ties have most beautifully and artistIcally
furnished halls. The boys are proud of
| them.
There has been a rumor aflOat for several
months that there was a probability Of the
college being moved to Charlotte There
is no truth in it. To put it in the words
of one of the professors: There Is no
more probability of its being moved than
| there is OF its getting up and walking
| down, alone" Every year, brings with it
new improvements, aud new hopes for
| Davidson.
The jIst Commencement.
| Reference was made in last week s
| CHRONICLE to the preliminary proceedings.
! Commence ment proper is Wednesday and
| Thursday. These are the days for the
crowds. They come Iii from every section
| \ more cultured or better looking crowd
never gathers in State The young ladies
are beautiful and charming. They en-
courage the youthful orators With their
| presence, and When the OfatlOnS are made,
the fair ones please them with beautiful
| bOquetS.
On Wednesday, the annual address was
delivered by Hon. X. P. Battle, IL.
ID. lie was introduced by Col. W. J.
Martin. | am glad t at President Battle
made the address. For there to be such
union and harmony between two leading
colleges Of the State, is no bad omen. He
began his address by showing the bonds
which unite the University and Davidson
through the Interchange of graduates in
their several faculties and boards Of trus-
tees He showed there were 5000 boys
who could go to college in North Carolina
aud only 800 IN college, hence no need OF
mutual contention. StagIatiOn is the great
difficulty to be overcome and all ought t.
unite in trying to overcome it in order to
get higher educational development in the
State.
The subject of his address was, "The
History Of North Caroilna's Constitution:
Law" | will make no synopsis, but VII
say that the address was one that nothing
but a thinking man and a lawyer coulC
make. DR.. Battles address Was the re-
suit of years of study and carefnl investi
cation. | doubt if there is another mar
in North Carolina who could have made it
President Battle made a good impression
and added many friends.
On Thursday the last and most imDOIt