The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-29
qm HIehy Interesting Closing Exercises
There Yesterday.
GOVERNOR O'FERRALL'S ADDRESS,
.-,,o,s. snd Degrees Conferrcd-oh'ors
Yiceted for Next scssion-lhe Fl ""'
Bal Last Night.

.r STAN, ana Sat"'N
Governor O'Ferrah. .,.-,..o
-.. commencement exercises look pace
,,.ss nam and was opened with prayer
ban. g. r. Cook NJ D., class o. Inc
,t,,orv address was delivered by
Nc..., Captain II. \. wise
rHE GtApvA1Es.
- s.stt Ship delivered diplomas and
o., Graduates and medals to the
i' .e., five we're announced as dis
U.S. t,e... Virginia; c. Z. Knbourne.
I'll 81. .,...uln.a. n. T.. nyatt. Nir-
1." D. paughtrcy, Virginia. {. +.
Illinois. IA. r.. Bi,coe. District
.l.a. e.. .. RiXey virginia ). II.
G. ohio. b. l.. Griggs. Virginia,
st. Virginia, q. y. wise. Nir-
W ID Iangnorne. District OF Co
d. Cohen, Arkansas. IA. A..
81. York u. II. Smith. Virginia,
.fr-rau Pennsylvania. ". G. Wall.
s.s William Bryant, Virginia II.
Alabama, G.. Y. Morton. Nir-
Moore. Virginia; NJ. ;. Dickt
Nest Virginia. II. ". Reynolds
.-... s.. n. Henderson. Texas. {.
..... Virginia, j. W. Wilson VIZ
S. 81 Corbin. Virginia; J. u. =
t.,e Mary and; Il. St G.. Cooke, Nlr-
t. .-r.rccrs-W. III. Cooke. Virginia;
o. B. N.nourne. District OF Columbia
~ j. Uaaehirey. Virginia.
v.-.n..-. First JacksOn-Hope Medal
"a d Coke. Virginia. second Jackson
1. medal. {. l.. Kilbourne, District OF
C.ut-
LECTION OF ALUMNI oFFICFEs.
The mni Association elected the FOL
l..r- tcers for the year. q. -. l., .Oll.
.f.uft " T. Shields treasurer D
rW Nichols. secretary.
.rnl Associations will be organized
n the principal cities Of the state;
D.. association appropriated 500 OF the
New Market monument fund 10 JdchSOi
. Memorial Hall fund.
-te anal ball took place tonight ana
was grand social gathering. ..
After the degrees were announced, Gov
s1.r O'Ferran was introduced and spoke
l' follows.
The G3yERNoR's ADD1rss.
gentlemen: The duty just assigned me
o. the distinguished superintendent OF
Ills noble institution Of learning gives
u. indeed. peculiar pleasure. lie has
commanded me TO present 10 you the
Jackson Hope medals. l assume Oh
course. that you are familiar with the
history Of these emblemS OF honor thal
you know their origin and the memories
that cluster around the fund dedicated
o. their procurement.
You occupy to-day most cnViable poe
stfi0n. You stand upon pinnacle above
the heads Of all your fellows. You are
the two most distinguished graduates oil
tie Virginia Military Institute
] congratulate you most heartily upon
your success, and trust IL is but the fore
runner Of far greater successes IN life.
am sure you found the road which
you have Travelled in reaching the goal
ruEged and rough and your voyage beset
with many difficulties. Your progress
was slow. step by step. This Is the way
10 knowledge, wisdom, distinction, fame,
and glory.
Frequently. no doubt. in the burden
and heat Of the day. your spirits waned
and your hopes weakened; this has been
the experience OF every pedestrian up the
steep. But your hearts were brave and
your courage failed not. you struggled
onward and upward and you found your
strength increasing and the ascent be-
coming easlc- and your burden hgh er as
you climbed, and now. having reached the
height upon which your eager eye so
long gazed and upon which the desire OF
your anxious soul so long dweit, you
can look back with bosOms swelling with
manly pride and cXclaim in the language
OF great man, Victories that are easy
are cheap Those only are worth having
which came as the result Of hard fight
ing
AN INSPIRATION.
But gentlemen. while without these
medals you would leave these walls with
the distinctions YOU have won. and wear
them through life as Inspirations TO noble
action and high purpose, II seems to
rc that as the posscsSor Of these me-
UentOes, you would find In them an in
Ceutve 10 emulate the example of the
illstrious Nirgnian whose name IS cary
ed on them. What an ocean of thought
does that name supply to the mind Of
me student. 10 is the synonym Of fdel-
ity 20 duty, adherence to right and deVO-
ton 10 principle A halo Of glory en-
circles IL. II has been said. Fame like
the river is naTrowest where il is bed
and brOadcst afar OF" Not so with the
fame Of this man of renOwn. All lands
proclaim his greatness. all clmes cXtOI
his virtues. all people chant his praises
the world claims him as a contribution
OF omnlpotence 10 the mighty galaxy
OF stars that shine throughout the uni
verse OF civilization. but right here on
his native heath. here I'm his kirkland
and homeland. here amid the scenes of
his youth, here along the PATHWAYS of
his daily life, here within the walls of ~.
institution wherein he labored here up0u
the fields OF his victories and here around
his tomb, his deathless fame & proclaim
al trumpet-like, and incense TO his men,
Org is burning upon the affairs erected
ly his own proud and grateful country
men, while here and there his form sub.
lime has been perpetuated In enduring
o. mite. His character is indeed without
is counterpart in history. Amid humble
surroundings and without ADVANTAGES
Of high family, station. wealth, or IN
iIeuce. he was born. There was no her
al io look after his pedigree. his rights
ana privileges Of nobility or armorial
Earrings There were no genealogical
tables with which he could label him
Self no ancestral line 10 give him n
pa port B.t early in life he display
ei inose quahties which bring the great
'7t result common sense. courage, self
reliance. perseverance. and morality lie
ha1 ite ,arulty Of discerning the way 10
a. ming and then the will 10 do it
lN' resolution 70 perform what his judg-
'''Ai taught him was right.
NOTHING D,UNTTD HIN.
Whenever he determined upon his
'-e there was no such word in his
lexicon AS fail-nO Alpine height appalled,
in. no yawning chasm deferred him;
One must be crossed, the other must
irlreI. No enemy daunted him. no
frightened him. but the more dan
.. the task. the greater his resCu-
the more hazardous the undertake
ile hrmer his purpose
'.ipNn IN youth upon his own re-
90, and buffeted by the surgings OF
q selfish world he learned 70 rely upon
III form his own conclusions. act
them and abide the consequences;
GU Ihis was surely one or his browning
'-it .terlstics. He was his own adVi-
.,i his own counsellor and when re-
'l'HtiDNiucs were cast upon him he
.hmlned with his own thoughts. held
s l.ncils within the chambers OF his
o"n mind and was as secret as the grave,
ming 20 feel with Cotton that secrecy
81 Nie soul Of all great designs" or with
,peare that two may keep counsel.
lhg one away" To all these attri-
''rs ~ his character he added that
"aliiul circun spection in his daily
,h mat even before ne had embraced
D' 'nristian religion. made him the very
',ho iment OF manly rectitude.
hpi gentlemen, why Should / attempt
L.. h..