COMMENC EiMENT-WEE K. 



283 



Annual Address. — Circumstances beyond his control, prevented the 

 presence of Rev. Dr. Cheever, of New York, the eminent gentleman se- 

 lected to deliver the Annual Oration before the Literary Societies of 

 the College. So high and so sanguine were the anticipations of the pop- 

 idar mind, that the disappointment was no ordinary one, and would 

 have been still more deeply felt, had it not been for the grateful relief 

 furnished in the high interest of the other exercises of the week. 



Commencement. — Thursday morning ushered in, the great event of 

 the week. At 9 oVlock Chri.st's church was thronged with a crowd, 

 where mingled youth and manhood and old age, the beautiful, the intel- 

 ligent, the manly, and the venerable; all eager to secure an audience of 

 the approaching exercises. And as the morning advanced, and one after 

 another of the performers came forth, flushed with hope, yet doubting 

 of success, and retired with the grateful boon of the silent applause of 

 a thousand faces eloquent of pleasure, others, and yet others came crowd- 

 ing until there was no more room for them. But to the exercizes. — 

 Prayer for the blessing of heaven, was offered up by Rev. Prof. Smith, 

 of Hartwick, formerly a Professor of this Institution. The members of 

 the graduating class then successively appeared in the different perform- 

 ances allotted them. A Latin salutary was delivered by Wm. Baum, of 

 Reading; a Greek oration, by John A. Houck, of Gettysburg ; a German 

 oration by A. C. Wedekind, of York, Pa. These performances, in the 

 accuracy of their preparation, and in their distinct, animated and ap- 

 propriate enunciation, merited and gained for the yonng gentlemen high 

 commendation. Orations, were delivered by Chas. A. Brougher, of I\liss. 

 ■ — subject, " Oliver Cromwell ; '"' J. G. Martz, of Frederick Co. Md. — ■ 

 subject, " the Connexions of the physical sciences ; " Chas. Keyser, 

 of Baltimore — theme, "Enthusiasm;" Wm. H. Stevenson, of Gettys- 

 burg — subject, " Fall of the Roman Empire ; " J. P. Smeltzer, of Car- 

 roll Co. Md. — theme, "The Influence of the English Language;" J. 

 Edward Herbst, of Gettysburg — subject, " American Orators;" and H. 

 C. Eckert, of Adams Co. — subject, "Curiosity." Between the merits of 

 the orators, it would be invidious here to discriminate. All their ef- 

 forts were praiseworthy, exhibiting a diversity of talents, taste and pow- 

 er. They furnished a literary entertainment, pleasing in variety, felici- 

 tous in the presentation, and rich in thought and imagery, — in fine, 

 characterized by a high order of excellence. After the conferring of 

 the Degrees, the Valedictory was pronounced by J. Marshall Clement, 

 of North Carolina. Chaste, polished and elevated, in thought and dic- 

 tion ; and earnest and heart-felt in delivery, few were they but felt the 

 eloqueut sentiments of the •• farewell words" stirring within them the 



