Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-12
THE HAPPIEST DAYS.
Continuance Of Commencement Week at
the University.
SOCIETIES.
THE LITERARY
Address of Mr.. Peck-A New Nation
The Jefferson Final Celebration
uoL. and Other Installations of
I-a.n,nx-sweet Girl Graduates

Learn ng-SWcet VIII
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. June H.
fSpeciaI.)-The celebration or the WASH
inpton and jefferson Literary societies
of the University of Virginia took pace
AT II o'clock to-day. shower at the
appointed hour Kept many persons iroi''
attending. Nevertheless, the gifted orator
Of the occasion, the Hon. George *. Peek
Of Chicago, was greeted by large an"
cultivated audience. Mr.. Peck COM
penced his GRAFTON by saying II was
bappy privilege to stand within tire walls
Of the time henored university. Inc days
of June were ever In harmony with oc-
casions such as this. The heids anu
farms were glad. and all the meadows
had pat on the deepening colors OF the
carly summer. 1t was the month OF
golden promise: the fitting time for high
resolves and solemn vows. He brought
from more rigorous Cline the tribute
which age delights to pay to youth. Born
and reared under other skies, he felt II
a pleasure he could not ftly express In
greeting the students of an institution
which in its history and In its aims, was
40 noble a type OF this great and venera-
BILE Commonwealth.
FRANKHEsS OF SPEECH.
Continuing. Mr. Peck said;
'''rhe occasion Invites TO fiankness oi
sneech. You are students OF a southern
coI,e~e Most OF you are OF southern
birth; while my blood courses from men
vho were born under the light OF the
northern star But you asked me I'd come
here, and in the asking gave me yoer
hands in brave honest, cbvairic wei
come. | give you mtae with my heart
in it, This day | have your warrant TO
claim kinship with Virginia. The worid
IL not 80 large as some would make II.
We might be nearer IL we tried, and III
we were nesr,r perhaps We should lind
we ought never to have been apart. one
of the great masterpieces of EnShSh lite
nature tehs the story of two young VIZ
ginianS-George and Henry Warrington
and Thackeray. i'm the opening chapter
of the book relates how, I'M the ReVoiu-
tlouary war, these brothers. natives or
America, and children of the Old DO
minion found themselves engaged on dif-
ferent sides In the quarrel coming home
peacably at it's conclusion, AZ brethren
should their love never having materially
diminished however argriiy their cont s't
divided them In such a spirit we meet
to-day. The past is gathered 10 the past
Washington and JEFF -rson, whose names
are linked with all who at any time
have been connected with the University
OF Virginia, are not. l hspe, yours alone
but belong to all VINO bear the American
name and uphold American honor
IT is UNJUST.
ut has been said that the South is
governed by feeling; the North by in
tereet. The statement is unjust, almost
insulting, to both. The truth Is that I'm
all things which have profoundly az
fected them, each has been guided by
sentiment, without seeing how closely IL
was connected with interest. Who can
trace the vague and shad0wy line that
separates duty and honor from selfishness
and pride? SO great is the mystery OF
human life that We can seldom truly know
TO what extent emotions which seen.
holy and beautiful have their basis in sell
fishness. Every one who reads history
knows how the love of glory conceals
hatred and lust. But IL is to the credit
of human nature that Ii needs an impulse
from the heart before 1t can reach its
greatest height.
10Th HAD FaAIRFAX'S.
TT was, believe. a brave, hearty
American sailor, WAC said: Blood Is
thicker than water Bat who can trace
the currents which, uniting in American
veins. make us all members of the same
family? 1t is of slight avail TO talk of
Puritan and Cavalier Did you not have
Fairfax who was the friend of Wash
ington, and whose name Is a part OF Nir-
g.nLl history? And did not the Purtans
have a Fairfax, too. who fought with
Cromwell and his Roundheads? In those
old days and In that old land, which is
the mother Of us all, you, who were
Cavaliers. thought we, who were Puri-
tans, wore our hair too short; and we
solemnly declared that you wore yours
too long You named your children Mar
maduke and Rupert, whte we called ours
praise-God and Perseverance. But the |
quarrel righted itself al last and If there |
were some scars. civil liberty went on |
its way unfettered. The truth Is there |
was never much difference in our blood. |
but there was a difference i'm creed, in |
forms. and in theories OF government. |
Believe me. these things. If they had been |
rightly understood. would have counted |
for little then as they count for nothing |
now. when a wider knowledge has taught |
us that men may differ and yet agree. |
NV sympathies are with the Purtans. |
yours with the Cavaiiers-but what snail |
we say of ourselves? a quarrel which |
has been silent so long need not trouble \
us We are always overlooking the dra-
matte unites. We make little things |
seem great and meanwhile miss the |
beauty Of scenes which will live forever"
A NEW NATION.
Mr.. Peck made reference TO many dis
tngushed Americans from both the South
and the North, and in conclusion said;
Gentlemen, / have seen the New South;
but | saw il not by the Potomac nor
by the Cumberland. / saw 1t by the
shores Of that great, peaceful lake, whose
waters are broad enough TO carry the
fleets Of the world and deep enough to
bury in its bosom all the hatred and all
the sorrows Of the past. / saw the New
South with her helmet on, bowling 10 the
august Present. She had not forgotten
the past. but was braveIy looking TO the
welcoming future. There Is IN
the West a great city known
over all the earth as the type OF
eager restless business activity; city
which has been called coarse ana vulgar
because it is young and brave; city
that has been sneered at as uttely given
over to the service of mammon. Behold.
On that day every shop and store and
factory were closed. The wheels that
carry the commerce OF a continent were
stopped; the hum of trade was hushed
the pulse of traffic ceased TO beat. And
all this-need L say it?-was because Chi
cago. gathering her own dead 10 her
heart, found room for yours. Longstreet
and Lee and Hampton sat at our hearths
while the bugle and the drum proclaimed
the everlasting peace. The monument
which marks the tomb OF the Confede-
rate dead at Oakwoods was raised almost
entirely by those who fought against
them. When II was dedicated North and
South marched together on the streets
thrCnged, not with enemies. but friends.
Remembering our own heroic dead. we
reverently uncovered while you gave tears
and flowers TO yours. The New South
stood In line with the New North: and
above them both lowered form, brave,
puisant. serene. and free. 1t was the
New Nation"
A PROMINENT LAWYER.
Mr.. Peck is the general solicitor of the