The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-01-10

college who knew him, stands the
monument to his memory. erected III
the middle Of the campus by the socie-
ty for which I have the honor to
| speak this evening.
! Literary Soclefcs.
Since the days of~the iyceunl at
Athens. wherein Aristotle taught his
peripatetic philosophy, all systems or
great institutions Of learning have in
! cluded associations for promoting free
| Interchange Of thought and unfettered
exercise Of intellectual powers. Follow
ing the example of the universities or
Europe and earlier established colleges
in this country, the first students Of the
South Carolina college organized such
an association under the name, "Philo-
mathic Literary Society,"" OF this or
ganiZation there is no complete record.
| The historian Of the college says, This
was sufficient for all the wants of the
infant institution. but as the number
Of students increased, the policy Of dl-
viding it into two became apparent an
accordingly in February, 1906. the Clari-
osophic and the Euphradian societies
were organized"
The manner Of their separation is an
interesting incident in college history.
In the Philomathic society were two
brothers. James and Joseph Lowry OF
Chester. who were selected by their
associates to be leaders in the scheme
of division. All the students assem-
bied on the campus, where the Lowry
brothers threw head and tails for first
choice" and by alternate selection made
up the rolls Of the Clariosophic and Eu-
phradian societies. The fraternal spirit
of that parting, unbroken by years OF
generous rivalry, tonight marks their
joint centennial jubilee.
Mr.. President: If I were asked Wnat
feature of college life I consider of
paramount Importance to the average
student, T should unhesitatingly reply,
active membership in a Well-conducted
literary society. In the class room, ne
may learn the truths Of history, the
dogmas Of philosophy. the theories OF
science, the principles of mathematics
and the etymology of languages. In
the library, he may open a StorehouSe
Of literature and a treasury of art. IN
the laboratory, he may unfold nature S
secrets and learn the laws of their COM
bination. In the gymnasium, he may
develop a vigorous body, the necessary
concomitant of a strong mind. But IN
the literary society he finds a great
arena for mental athletics, where the
training Of all departments is subject
ed to the strain of impartial test. There
the student first learns to measure his
fellow man and comes the--better TO
know himself There his genius is
fired by the flame Of honorable COM
petition and he realizes that mere
possession of scientific truth is for its
own sake valueleSs; and education IS
only education is as much as it at once
determines and enables the student 10
educate himself"
Man, who man would be,
Must rule the empire Of himself-ln IT
Must be supreme, establishing MS
! throne
Of vanquished will, quelling the an
Of hopes and fears, being himself
alone
The Joint history Of the Clarlosophic
and the Euphradian societies in large
measure constitutes the history of the
college. It is divided by stirring events
into three periods.
During the first period. covering an
uninterrupted, span of nearly three
score years. the administrations of
Presidents MaXcy, Barnwell, Preston
and Thornwell gave growth, strength
and stability to the college. Barnwell,
Preston, Thornwell! What succession
Of great names! Barnwell- himself
the counsellor Of presidents, and the
trusted friend of heroes. To the State
his counsel was the voice Of wisdom.
To his pupils his praise was honor, his
+! appreciation was strength, his SYM
pathy was life and hope" Preston-the
popular idol, the powerful orator, the
profound scholar. It was Of him that
! Bishop Elliott said: my tongue can
not express the charm which has al
| ways hung around the name of Pres
| ton, the charm to the young, the charm
| to the people, the charm to admiring
senates. It demands his own felicitous
language. None but the swan can sing
! his own dying note" Thornwell-the
| eloquent divine, the eminent theolo-
gian, the exemplary teacher. His deep
! religious conviction, warm and earnest
nature, magnetism Of speech and great
! learning make him a leader in the
! church, his influence a power for good
! in the world and his life a benediction
! to the college. Monuments of stone and
marble may decay and tablets of
| bronze and brass may perish, but
neither the forces of nature nor any
act of man can destroy such a great
example Of public and private virtue.
| From IS students at the beginning of
| 1906 the attendance Increased until the
enrolment under Mr.. Preston exceed
! ed 200. But the course was not all
! clear. The administration of DR.. Coop
er, the second president, was rock
! Of danger, threatening wreck to the in
stitution. Despite his almost entranc-
| ing personality, wonderful intellectual
attachments, unstained moral char
acter and unquestioned patriot
! ism, the people feared his theories and
shrank from his irreligious teachings
! Patronage was Withdrawn from the
college until the number Of students
| was reduced to 90. For time the very
/! life of the institution was in danger.
But DR.. Cooper retired, and, under the
wise administration Of his successors,
! confidence was restored and threatened
ruin averted. A career Of progress
was resumed to be interrupted only by
| the dark shadow of civil war, when in
response to their country's call, profes-
aors and students deserted the class
| room for the tented field. All exercises
! were stopped and for four years the
| college buildings were converted into
a hospital for sick, wounded an dying
soldiers.
Reconstruction Period.
| With the ending of that struggle. the
State, though impoverished by the de-
vastating hand of war, fastened to
give of what remained, sufficient to re-
| open the college. a bill Ito establish
! the University of South Carolina was
introduced by the late Honorable Char
! les H. Sironton, then a member of the
! legislature, and passed December 10
| 1865 Mr.. Barnwell was again elected
president and under his wise and cor
tho