Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-07-07
First Annual Celebration of the Edge
heId Sunday school.


Last Saturday, the 4th of July, the occasion
of this celebration. The school has been in Ope-
ration little more than year, and numbers about
one hundred pupils; those provided with an eff
cient corps of teachers. The whole superintendent
and controlled by our worthy fellOw-citizen DR..
Herman.
The place selected for the celebration, was one
peculiarly adapted to the purpose. 1t is situated
the centre of Blood's Addition to Edgefeld, in
the midst of a beautiful grove of trees, and on an
elevated spot. The seats provided for the accom-
mediation of the visitors were in a cool shade du-
ring the whole of the proceedings.
There were present on the OCCASION two other
schools besides the Edgefeld school: that of Hob
sons Chapel, and that of Andrew Charge; and
besides the members of the schools there was quito
a large number of persons present as spectators.
Estimating the children and grown persons We think
there were about one thousand persons present.
About half-past 10 o'clock, the exercises Of the
day commenced by prayer, suited to the occasion
and the object of the meeting by DR.. Hamilton, a-
ter which devotional exercise followed the speech
es Dialogues, &c, OF the little girls and boys. We
only regret that all the pupils did not speak loud
enough to be heard by all present, for We were well
pleased with the pieces able to understand.
We cannot Just here forbear to notice two strK-
ing pecuharties connected with this celebration.
The first was that the director of the exercises
q beautiful little GIRL presume of about eight
summers, the daughter of our friend Mr.. Ii. Peach,
Of Edsefeld. Alice is her name-who presided
with grace and dignity remarkable for one so
young. The second, is the wonderful proficiency
of little boy four and half years old, in geogra-
ply aud American history. He is the son of DR..
Herman
At the conclusion of the exercises Of the school,
the children were entertained in a very happy and
instructive address by Rev. DR.. A. L. p Green, a.
, ter which dinner was announced, the sumptuous
collation. served up, and the audience again invi-
ted to the stand, when the Declaration Of indie
pendence, prefaced with appropriate Introductory
remark- was read in a forcible, clear earnest, and
impressive manner, by Mr.. A. +. Estes, which was
succeeded by songs from the schools. Thereupon,
Col w. G. Brien was introduced by DR.. Herman,
and addressed the audience in speech, which for
elegance and concseness of dictOn, extent and ac-
curacy of research, graceiulness and Witchery OF
imagery, power and briIliancy of eoquence, was
pronounced by persons who could not be carried
away by momentary excitement and whose knOwl-
edge and experience rendered them in every de-
gree capable of judging OF the merits of an address,
So have been a master piece of oratory-perfectly
magnificent. The BIBLE was his appropriate theme
and il it were possible for living being to do JUS
tice to a subject grand and exalted, Col. Brien
certainly did it, We regret we have not time to
notice it IN ertsnSo for we unhesitatnely declare
that for greatness and versatility of genius he has
but few, il any equal of his age, in the State.
This was an appropriate conclusion of the eIer.
cises of the day. ..