The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-18
THE MI SIGMA RHO AND PHILO-
LOGAN.
THE SALUTATORY ADDRESS BY
MR.. KINCANNON.
THE vALEDIcroRraN AND '"h
OLA TORS.
Inc Chapel Crowded so Sunocatio"-
phe Dtgnty Of Labor Dssc"sse"-
The Ladies' Enjoyed the ora
ton he GRAFTON Tonight.

celebration Of the literary societies.
Long before the hour for the com
mencemcnt Of the exercises arrived
multitude OF eager feet were pressing
into the College chapel until every
available seat in the spacious building
was filed.
DIR. w. w. Landfum. Of the Second
Baptist church, opened with ferven'
prayer, which was couched IN tone
half of thanksgiving and hall OF pe"'
ton.
Mr.. C. T. Kincannou. of Tennessee.
the president Of the Philologian Society
delivered the salutatory In an
exceedingly happy manner. ne
very minutely described the trIals
and the tribulations of the stu
dent in obtaining an education. Then III
n glorious manner he pictured the scho-
lasiic lows. In behalf Of the students
he extended TO the faculty. the trus'
tees and the people OF Richmond ms
most sincere thanks for their Kindness
and az a slight token of his gratitude
extended TO them a welcome TO their
homes aud hearts. =,
Mr.. Kincannon then introduced MT.
RI. Motley, of Virginia, the orator oil
the Mu Sigma Rho Society. Mr.. Motley
took for his subject the Dignity OF
Labor and delighted his audience,
with his eloquence and power OF
thought.
He opened his discourse by saying
that in the beginning God had com
manded that we should live by the
sweat Of our brow. No man can be-
content to spend his days In idleness'
When we speak Of labor we mean both
mental apd physical. II is often Thought
that labor Is confined TO the work Of
the hand. Not so: but mental as wei.
A legitimate business Is honorable
whether we pillow or whether we reign
as kings.
Who should labor? Only those who
strive to keep the wolf from their doors'
No. the man who is in good circum-
stances as well.
The speaker then referred 10 labor in
the physical world. The planets. none
of them remain in idleDess. but revolYe
in their orbit, doing their work day by
day. The earth and the mighty waters
of our land continue in the work.
The earth goes on with her mighty
changes. the mountains changing TO
valleys and the valleys TO mountains
thus reminding Us Of our duty that we
may Learn 10 labor and TO wait " and
work m any station in which we are
called.
It is true that we must have states
men to stand by the helm OF the Olo
Ship of State. but others to carry ON
the lower work but nevertheless impor-
tant.
When the speaker concluded he was
greatly applauded.
Dir. {. l.. Laws, OF Virginia, the ora
tor of the Philologian Society. was next
introduced. who came forward amid
great applause. His subject was, " was
Edgar Allen Poe Mailman -
While speaking he held the attention
of his entne audience. and was fire.
quently interrupted with outbursts OF
applause.
MIR. Laws began with a clear, forci
BILE. aud beautiful alluslon to the strange
and contradictory character Of Poe,
having combined in him the tender
ness of womanhood, the strength OF
manhood, and the spirit of a madden
ing passion which possessed his soul.
He then for five moments reviewed
his early life to the time when, being
peculiarly untitled for business enter
prises, the young poet finds himself
disinherited, and Is forced to contact
with the world, from which he so vIsi-
bly, shrinks.
lie then began his argument. claim
Ing that the most trustworthy account
of the peculiarities of man 5 mental
and moral predisposition can be traced
BY "a careful analytical study OF his
literary works. We need not a BIO
grapher TO tell us of the hooking, dis
solute devil which reigned supreme IN
the misantbropic Byron. We have his
autobiography delicately inscribed i'll
the products of his mastery pen; APP
plcation OF the above TO the inquiry
we are pursuing. TIE life and works
Of Poe stand inseparable. His poetry,
the outg rowth of his deep and ago
nizing introspection, the index of the
disauietude of his soul, ~ thrilling. yet
sad and mOurnful IN its melancholy as
its sweet, alliterative strains fall upon
the ear.
He dwelt in
"A wild, weird cline.
out of Space sut OF ume,'
and experienced the CONFUSION of the
soul.
He wrote OF these realms and these
scenes because he continually dwelt
in them. and in the moments when his
mind was clear and lucid, and there
was no longer "demon in the sky,
be could graphically paint the hideous-
ness and horrors Of the dark valleys
through which he had travelled and
the terrOrs which had come TO his soul
as he wrestled with the powers of dark
ness, and then he could lay aside his
pen. aud with clear consciousness of his
mental state say, as once he said,
my very soul has become a ruin"
As deeper and deeper would become
retrospection, darker and darker would
his mind become till the demon in him
conquered, and then with flashing eyes
aud the most appalling blasphemy he
would battle with the curse till his
physical strength was gone. and then
in trance would he again renew the
which later we received.
made less hideous by their gorgeous
drapery. This was the secret of Edgar
Allen Poe's inspiration, for his finished
literary productions were but the re-
suit OF his subjective experiences.
Now we reverse the order of our in
quiry by hypothesizing madness rs an
explanation OF the conflicting and con
Trajectory phases Of his life and char
acter.
Edgar Allan Poe's last poem is an
epitome of the history OF his woe and
sorrow. Ia SORROW and in sadness he
visits for tho last time the tomb of his
loved and lost. He stopped at the door
of the tomb and asked. What rs writ
ten. sweet sister, on the door Of this
legended tomby' His soul answers:
''Ulalume. Uialumc. tits the vault of
thy lost Ulalume. This was the last
visit Of his tortured soul TO the tomb OF
his lost Lenore. his beautiful Annabel |
Lee, and his dear. departed Ulalume.
Magnificent genius, but life wasted,
,oul in the hands of an angry God.
Mr.. j. W. Whitehead. Of Virginia, |
he president OF the Mu Sigma Rho So
,iety. next came forward and delivered /
ha valeJfctorv His discourse con