The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-13
GRADUATES At SHAW
The End of One of its Most
Successful Years.
FIVE TAKE DIPLOMAS
INTERESTING EXERCISES AND
ABLE ADDRESSES.
The POWERS THAT OUGHT TO BE"
Subject of Annual Address by Rev, John E.
White Letter from Gen. Carington--
Increase Of $40, 900 TO Uniyers
sitY,s Endowment Fund.

session.
This is the largest high grade institu-
ton for the education of colored men
and women in the South and yesterday
witnessed the end of one of the most
successful years in its history.
Twenty one students have graduated
from the various departments of Shaw
University the current year. lApplica-
tions are already coming i'll from all ovel
the South and some sections of the North
for admission next year, and the indic;t-
ti0ns now are that next year viii he
even more successful than the past one.
The graduates yesterday We're:
Normal course-Anna james Bethel.
Degree Of A. B.--Joshua Leyister and
james Wesley Robinson.
Degree of Il. S.-Walter Henry
Graves.
Honorary degrees Prof. T. f. Cape
hart, A. Nj; Rev. ]. I'll. Holmes, y. d.,
Rev. G. G. Somerville, A. b.; Rev 9.
H. Williamson, A. Nj.
The programme Of exercises was rs
follows:
Invocation. M
Vocal solo-"Still as the Night :
tRohm1, Miss Anna Harper.
Isssay'A Study OF Hawthorne's
Scarlet Letter" Anna ]. Bethel.
Oration-"The Knighthood of To-day
Joshua Leyister.
Waltz in Alb. Chopin, Miss Mary
Cardwell.
Grafton "Exaltation Thro' Change, "
J. W Johnson.
Violin Selection-Seeond Mazurka
(Wieniawsldl.
Annual nddress-Hev. John e. White,
secretary Baptist State Convention
presentation Of prizes President Jras.
IT. Meserve.
Presentation of diplomas-Rey. ]. A.
Whitfield
Vocal duet-"trhe Wanderers Night
Song" (Rubinstein), Misses Douglass ana
Irice.
Benediction.
The address of Rev. John Il. White
was a remarkable oneclear in Thought
eloquent in diction, fitted to the needs
and condition OF those for whom it was
intended.
Mr.. Whites subject was "The Pow
ers That Ought to Be- He began by
quoting from Charles Rea, Not day
passes over the earth, but men ana we.
men OF no note do great deeds, speak
great words. and suffer noble sorrows
OF these obscure heroes, philosophers
and martyrs, the greater part will never
lie known until that hour when many
that were great shall be small, and the
small great: but of others the worlds
knowledge may be said to sleep. their
lives and characters lie hidden from the
nations in the annals that record them
The general reader cannot feel them
they are presented so CURLY and cOldly;
they are not like breathing stories APP
pealing to- his heart. but little historic
haiIstones striking him. but TO glance
off his bosom: nor can be understand
them, for epitolnes are not narratives
rs skeletons are not human figures.
He referred to the bravery and hero
ism or men whose names have not been
great in history, who do their work
quietly and without human applause
men of low station but great hearts.
Told the story of the man who heaved
the coal in the stoke hole of the Olympia
at Manila and then referred to the death
Of Ensign Bagley, of which the audi
enee had not heard. as the first contri-
button of the blood of America to the
eausc of liberty in Cuba. The audience
was melted to tears as he referred to
the death of this young man doing his
duty, whose home was but Il few steps
from Shaw University.
North Carolina has given the first
blood for Cuban freedom. he said.
WHO is Ensign Bagley? Only an Off
Ger in the American navy. What are
the Cubans to him? Nothing personally.
and vet he has given his life for hui
manity's sake. for freedoms cause"
Mr.. White then proceeded to give
many illustrations of heroic but unrec-
ognized valor; the blacksmith at his
forge making the great chain which
holds the anchor and saves the ship in
the storm. of the patient shoemaker inn
mortalized by James Whitcomb Riley;
the description Of q railroad wreck and
the newspaper report, Only a fireman
killed." brought the audience into full
sympathy with the speaker and into
sympathy with these under current forces
Of our national life.
who thinks of the blacksmith who
YIELDS the anchor chains that save the
ship in the terrible storm? And yet his
work was well done Blow on blow he
built the chain. Day by day link was
added. Then the ship one fine day rode
out of port amid cheers of the popuIace
and waving flags. Later the winds
blew, the lightning flashed and the storm
demon rode the deep. The great ship
lugged ut the mighty chain. 1t seems
now as if it'must snap. How it strains
and groans A faulty link means wreck.
means DEATH But the winds blow in
vain and the hungry waves are cheated
of their prey. Who, next day, as the sun
laughs along the quiet waters, thinks Of
the blacksmith who forged that chain?
''There was n wreck of a railway train
Tt was an awful crash, say the news
papers. but only a fireman was killed
We thus read and think not Of the hero
ism that bound that humble man to his
post
Tho speaker paid tribute to the toiIers
the nndermen of this world-the far
mer, the shoemaker. the laborer: men
who are not nor ever can be famous.
The great problem Of the world he
said, is that Of the common people--the