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Commencement At Oberlin: For The Signal Of Liberty

Commencement At Oberlin: For The Signal Of Liberty image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
September
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Oberlin, Aug. 29, 1845. The commoncement exorcises were of thrilüng interest throughout, and presented nn intelleetual and moral treat tothe enchained andience. The yoang ladies on Tuesday read their pieces to a thronged house, though, Ihia not being the greal day, the house was n t crowded - nlthouph three thousand people were eeated in it. Tlie great difficully was for the audipnee to hear. Thfi ladies read well ond loud generally. The compositions, thoiigh diverse in characler, all presented a hiphly moral nnd religious aspect. uOur country tvorlh saving," by Miss Pratt, was cheoring to the heurt of the Abolitiouist. - But I must not parlicnlarizc, asl have no time to be crilical. Miss Everett's "Philosophy of fushion," was sprighlly. and rich in gnod huniored satiie. But it may seemj invidious to epecify when nl! were so excellent. Twelve young Indios recei ved tlieir diplomas who hnd papsed Ihrcngh the yöung ladies rourse, - six who hnd pursued tlie college coiirse. On VVednesday, nl 9 A. M., the large eimreh, whioh 6eats three thousand, wus crowded, aisles, lobby ond all, and before noon it was estimnted ihat there were more thon a tlionsnnd without. Provisión wns mnde in the afternoon for all strangers, tha inbabitante and 6tudents giviog wny. so that those from abroad obtained Beats. The college graduates spoke in the forenoon - or a part of them, in alphabetical order. The theological studenls occupied the afternoon. Most of the epeechC8 weremanly expressions of right senüments. They had an object and produced an effect. - There was very litlle of school boy declatnaiion 60 common on such occasions.Mr. Gurney's "dge of Frredom," was n thrilling pioce, and was cnlculatcd lo amuse every dormant faculty of the soul to cnrry out the spirit of the nge n its aepirations nfier liberty. Me pketched the peculiaritips of passed agres nnd characteriscd the present as ihe Age of Freedom. Tlio way hnving been prepared by Ihe Ruvolutionsry nge, which minediately preceded it for ihe eátnblislnnent of Liberty on right principies and on u solid basis. Miss Warren's Tales of the Wind," a poem, containcd genuine poetry, i-mi produced a decided seruut'on as read by Prof. Thome. Thcre wns Iruth, and deop pathos in the picture drawn of Slavery, which drow learsfioni many evos. ïjt etich a spirit be inspired by the womon of America, and how long could slavery live? But the dcepest and most general interest was excited by the speech of Mr. VVhitehorné, a colorod youtü from Jamaxa, VVest Tndies, which closeil ihe forencon exercises. Mis suhject was 'lntellectual Conflict.' His style was órnate even lo excess perliaps, bui his speech contained mnny powerful passages and produced a vivid impression as a vvliole. - He tinced manihrough hiscourse of improveinent from the naked savnetolhe lettered cliristian - and noted the vaiions ways in which his comba tivrness liad been exercised. In the dadly strife of battle - in the martial games of peace. Tn the tourney and passage of arinp of the davs of chivalry - and the vvordy war of the forum and Senate chamber, and the debat ing school. And this lost, the ntdlectual conflict, is to supercede allothen?. Al ready do the nations tnlk of bidriing farewell - a long farewell - "to the big wars that rnoke ambition virtne1' - and corifiuing thetr C'iniïicts to the "grand debate, the tart reply - the logic and the wisdom and the wit" ol' mental war. His descripción of the result of intcllectual collision was highly graphic. His figures tliough rather long drnwn out, were pictures que in a high degree. In one, he compared the combatants to two maddened torreiHs, dashing from opposing rocks, throwing aloft in their wild encounter a cloud of spray, on which the eua light of hcaven imprinted the ra boto of trulh. Mr. Whitehorn is ccrtainly a young man of verv handfome spenking lalcnts - and lie informcd me he should devote himself to the antislavery cause. May "Ileaven's blepsinp rest on his laborb" - and mny he find a brolher ond a friend in all wíio love the slave!Sevcral of the tbeologers spokc wcll, but I linvc no time for comments. In l!:e evening- the college societies were addressed hy Prof. Walker, Mr. Burrptt'a illness prevent - ing him from fulfilling his engagement. Thia was a grevious disappointment to many who longed to hear the learncd Blacksmiih. But Prof. W. gave an excellent address, though he had but a week or two, umid pressing lnbors, for preparation. His subject was "The characteristics, oud wants of the present age." He characterised this as the oge of Reform, and particularized the great moral reforrss of the dny, d welling more particvlarly on the Peace Reform, of' which he is a distinguished advocate. To show the progrees of peace principies, he contrasted the estimation in which the greatest living warrior is held by the massee, and Father Mathew, the advocate of Teniperance and Peöce. The one, the Duke of Wellington, who has received ten milüonsof money from his Gov ernment for fighting, is obliged to have iion window shutters to eave him from the fury of the people. The aposile of Temperonce and Peace is blessed by the million where ever he goes, and has his wants supplied and hia (lebtp paid by the spontaneous contributionsot the poor! Youre,J. M. B. The Oíd íáchool Presbjrteriun church n the United States iacreuBed four thoueand three hundred and eighty nmc the paet year.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News