Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-06-16
Western Reserve Eclectic Institute.

attending. in person, The commencement
OF the Eclectic institute at Hiram, at GU
request, a friend whose judgement and
taste is far better til an our own, has kind
ly furnished the following notice of the
exercises on thai occasion.
The Exercises at the eighth com
mencement of the w. r. Eclectic lnsti.
tuie, at Hiram, Portage Co. Ohio, on the
10Th inst. were of a very superior
character. Notwithstanding the heavy
dash of raia in The morning, and coca.
sional showers during the day. an i'm.
mense audience assembled from various
parts if the country-atf5rding very graf
flying evidence of the widespread inter
est that is cherished in behalf of the
Eclectic. The capaious Tent, under
which 1900 can be seated, was dcnscly
packed, and many hundreds were Enabled
to gain admit.ance.
Without the least desire 10 speak fiat
leringly, we take pleasure in saying that
The exercises of The day furnished evil
dence of great f~aithfulness on the. Pari
of The Teach rs, as well as Of great dill
gence on the part of the Students. In
he department of elocuiion and oratory,
a high order of excellence has been gain
ed. Listening with a purpose to criii-
cizes severely, We were generally
charmed out eff the purpose and the pow
err 10 DO so, as the essysts and orators pro-
cecded with their performances. Young
ladies read their essays SO as to be heard
distinctly by 1900 auditors, even during
the storm, when the rushing Of the wind
the Tapping Of the canvass, and the
beating Of the rain, were sufficient TO
have defeated the efforts of many praciis.
ed speakers. We are pleased to notice a
great Improvement in the management of
the voice, and we think that, in This re-
gard, the Eclectic deserves the attention
Of all who desire to have their children
trained in an easy and graceful elocution.
The essays and speeches were mnch
more manly and dignifed in tone, han
have generally found them at such
exhibitions. There wasless vcrbosity-
less patriotic fudgs-much less of the
high-falution style of sonorous g-asseness
md pompons defamation, than we ex-
Dect to be salutcd with, generally, at the
commencement of schools ard colleges.
The essays which lost any thing il
gave US cOmpcnsationin p;qu lncy
ND genuine wit, or in elegant satire, or
manly drives and capital hits a, prevail
ne follics. The argnmeuiatIva and Grill,
al essays evinccd a knowledgeofhi>tory,
md general literature, and a nice dis
elimination, which won'd Do honor 10
lder heads and more experienced pens:
While the hOmiletic and estteheal papers
free from cant, and correct in sen
The poem on the Ocean, by q
.oung lady of seventeen, read with a
harming combination of dignity and
lodesiy, was really beau.iful-and its
auIhoress should feei encouraged
, cultivate her powers in that di9se:ion.
We would like TO make mention Of some
our or five ofthe productions as peculiarly
ycelleut, bu, fear 10 do 50, lest others
'hich were really highly ~meritorious,
seem to be deprecated.
Let it snfice 10 say, therefore, that
hile there were marked difference in the
Ierits of the numerous compositions and
srformances, there was not a failure
nong them all, and scarcely one that cid
ot rank above mediocri!y, Ofat least |
lie half of them, we are free to say that l
ey were too ripe for the years Of The !
and speakers. Had Wa noi poss- !
'sed the best means of knowing to The '
we should have strongly sus-
scted that older heads had been busily {
work on many of the pieces. :
On the whole, we have never found 50 :
-
UGH 10 approve, or little TO condemn, on
~ similar occasion. We are sure l
at the Principal and Teachers must
I've been, not only laborious, but highly {
'mPetent 10 their tasks; ard hat the
ldents must have had both capacity {
ID industry, 10 have realized results 50 c
aiifying. C