Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-08-31
SUMMARY.

Lndffs'
Whole number OF Gent eHnen.----.-.---.---- ~ ~
Wac e number cf Laties-------.-..---.--- -
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After all, the education of the sexes together,
the equality, and the home influences the PeO-
pie of Oberlin as well as the Faculty and Teach
ers throw around the students, most Popularize
the institution with the masses. Wealth and
position are no passport to special favor. "Aet
well your part" is required of all. Virtue, in
dustry, application, and observance Of whole
some regulations, place all upon pleasant So
cial footing, and open the hearts as well as the
doors of the Oberlin community. Students inva-
nlby become attached to instructors and the IA
miles with whom they sOjOum, for the law Of
kindness begets affection. At the late Com
mencement Pres t FINNEY called attention to the
fact that both the graduating classes by their
correct department had aided much in the gen
eral government of the institution-that their
example had been faultess. Labor is also ac-
iunted honorable at Oberlin, and several of the
recent graduates sustained themselves entirely
through the course of studies by their own ef-
| forts The work dress is regarded as becoming
IS the College. Teaching is resOrtedto by many
in Winter, and the public schools Of Ohio draw
hugely from the Oberlin classes. Two of the
Ladies' graduating class, President F. stated,
had supported themselves while at the institu-
ton; and one, when aid was proffsred, disin-
tsrestedly expressed wish that it might be ap
propriated to the education of some sister whose
necessities were greater than her own
OberIin is 4 model town in other than educs-
tional aspects, Its morals have never been
contaminated by the curse of grogshops-there-
fore it is an orderly, quiet, sensible, well to do,
cheerful and happy town. The use of tobacco
in every form is restrained by College regula-
tions and by precept and eIamPle-therefore
the church, halls Of learning, dwellings, and
sidewalks are not flooded by tobacco juice, nor
the atmosphere poisoned with tobacco smoke.
As may well be inferred, the health of the oiti-
zens and students is remarkably good.
But we did not intend to say more than
word of OberIin when we took up our pen to
introduce the following spirited account of the
College Commencement by the Yale "a. b. of
the Herald 1t was his first visit to the Peo-
pies College, and he thus speaks of the Exer-
eises
The young gentlemen showed in their ora
lions that bOldneSs of thought which so Pecu-
liarly eharactcrizes the atmosphere around
Oberlin, and these sentiments found express
ion in strong and terse language. The deep
scaled Anti-Slavery sentiments and affections
would now and then come boldly to the surface,
and what BY some might be called political
bias-but which rather is the product Of this
Anti Slavery feeling-would crop out; and it
always met with sympathy from the great mass
Of the audience. The poem, "The Union,
after taking sweep at sycophantic Congress-
men and Place-seekers generally, gave Mr.. Bu-
ehanan such dressing as fits demagOgue-
This production was one of the rarest treats of
the occasion. One young lady-Miss Mary Ra-
ley-was of the College graduating class She
contributed an essay, "a Leaf from the First
Record" 4" but by some inscrutabIe rule OF the
Faculty, OF Trustees, or both, the female grad
yates of the College course are not allowed to
take part in the commencement exercises Of the
class The rule must be an arbitrary one, for
our search after good reason has been fruit
less This is Womans wrong which should
be redressed. Miss RAley, for instance, has
through the full course complied with the re-
quiTements OF the Institution, she has pursued
/ the full allotment Of study, she has "held her
own" in a race which does honor to her sex,
she has received the unanimous approval of
rigid board of censoFs, she was particularly CONF
pimented BY her Teachers, and IT was her
fright" to have had part and lot in the exhibi-
ton beyond merely the formal reception of the
parchment True Professor Monroe-an elegant
reader and the accomplished Professor of Bellies
Ietters-read her essay with admirable effect,
vet we wanted Miss Raley herself, for nOtwith-
Standing the white cloud of three hundred and
more girls Of the day before, the audience, like
Oliver Twist, asked for more. The Female De-
partment of Oberlin is its crowning glory, for
although 1t is true that the yopng men of our
land are to hold places of high responsibility in
the hereafter of this nation, hoE much more
true is it of the young women. This thought
needs no argument, the deeply treasured lessons
from mothers lips, the gentle but heart-seareh-
/ ing reprOof of sister, are all the argument we
ask on that point Then assuredly Oberlin is
bound TO respect the rights Of those of her lite
rary daughters who have creditably completed
] the College eourse-and one of those rights is
that she have all the privileges accorded TO the
male graduates on Commencement Day. After
the A B. degree was conferred, the second, or
Z A NJ. degree was conferred IN course, upon tne
/ following of the Alumni of the College, to wit
/ Edward Beecher, William W. Foot, Silas F.
/ AGIlikan, Smith Norton, William Parmenter,
/ johnson Wright; Miss Almeda Booth, Miss
Alley E Miner, Mrs. ROsanna Baldwin Walker.
/ In conierring this last degree President Finney
remarked that this was the extent to which that
I College went as it did not confer the degree Of
/ D. D. and lie trusted, that what Divinity any Of
them had would never need doetOTing.
After the literary exercises, the immense
throng was addressed, briefly, by Gov. Chase
and BY Gov. Bingham of Michigan. The plat
form was occupied not only by the College Fac
ulty and Trustees, but we noticed In addition 10
the two Governors, President Hitchcock, Rev
Mr.. Thome, Hon. A A. Bliss and Father Keep
4 the latter Of whom, although in the shade Of
seventy-thTee years, is as vigorous in his intel
leet and as fresh in his sympathies, as thilty
years ago. Father Keep graduated at Yale in
1902, and for the last quarter Of a century has
been one of the fast, selfsaerihcing friends and
officers at Oberlin-
After the literary exercises were concluded,
i large number Of invited guests accepted the
Invitation Of the Graduating Class, and partOok
of bountifnl collation. spread in the Library
and Society Rooms of the Theological Depart
ment The dessert of the feast consisted of
brief but opposite speeches-rather, for the
most part, touching "reminiscences Of the rough
Infancy of Oberlin-by Prof. Thome, VIM. L.
Parsons Of the Class Of '3s, who greeted the
rIass Of S52-Thos Rroxzn of the Class of t59