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Public Debate of the Maury Literary Society

gray-jacket-s1-v2-n3-p03.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Public Debate of the Maury Literary Society

Subject

Maury Society, Debate, Maury Literary Society

Creator

[Unknown]

Source

http://addison.vt.edu/record=b1775388~S1

Publisher

The entity responsible for making the resource available in its present form, such as a publishing house, a university department, or a corporate entity. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Date

October 1876

Contributor

Zak Risha, Natalie Richoux

Rights

Permission to publish images from The Gray Jacket must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Format

Text

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

LD5655.V8 L4, ser.1, v.2, no.3 (October 1876), p.4

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

Public Debate of the Maury Literary Society

The Public Debate of the Maury Literary Society, which took place on the night of September 9th, was as we expected a brilliant affair, and we are happy that it was our good fortune to be in attendance. The exercises of the evening were opened with prayer by the Chaplain J. R. Haw; next in order was the salutatory address of the President, who happened to be no less a personage than our esteemed brother editor S. P. Withers. Our friend concluded his speech with "welcome ladies, welcome gentlemen of the Lee Society, welcome Rats, thrice welcome all, "to our feast of reason and flow of soul." Mr. Withers was followed by Messrs. Dreury and Bryant in their Declamation entitled, "shall we give up the Union," and "eulogy on LaFayette," and it is but due these gentlemen, to say that they did full justice to themselves and to the occasion. Mr. F. B. Roberts followed in an oration subject, "work of Nature," which subject he well nigh exhausted, indeed, the only fault that could have been found, was, that he spoke too badly of the fair sex, as was manifested by the many blushes of those present, it being enough to daunt a less bold speaker than our Captain. Next in order as announced by the President, was the debate, "Which has been of better service to the world, the man of action or the man of thought," Mr. A. R. Heflin, as being first on the affirmative, proceeded to open the debate, his speech was one of the prettiest it was ever our good fortune to listen to, and proud the Maury Society should be of such a speaker. Mr. J. R. Haw followed on the negative side of the question, and right eloquently did he defend it with his good, sound, practical sense. Mr. Haw was followed by Mr. C. B. Anderson, on the affirmative, and every argument that had been left unsaid by Mr. Heflin was advanced by Mr. Anderson in as pretty a stump speech as was ever listened to. Mr. C. C. Cocke was the second speaker on the negative side of the question. This was the first time we have heard Mr. Cocke speak, and judging from the success we know it will not be the last. The question was then put to the house, and decided in favor of the affirmative by a fine majority.

Ahltough[sic] many of the brightest Maury Cadets have left College, we are glad to see, as their ranks begin to grow thicker and thicker, that those who help to swell them are both able and willing to bear the weight and responsibility which must rest upon every true society member. The Society returns thanks the Blacksburg Band for their sweet music on that occasion.