Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-21

CLEVELAND, May goth, 1859.
Mn. EpIroR Properly to appreciate the /
value Of an individual's. manhood, Il is often
necessary to understand something of his pa
reptage and early history
Asin individuals, so in communities and so
ceties The character, principles, and habits
Of our Puritan and Revolutionary Fathers,
would teach nation of strangers that a love Of
political, moral aud religious freedom, would
be deep seated in the character Of the children
Of such sires
1t happened that in my younger days l be-
came somewhat acquainted with the parentage
and infancy Of Oberlin. It was, think, in the
year 1888 or '34 that while student in the
High School in Elyria was fortunate enough
to be a member Of the family Of Rev. j. J.
Shipherd then pastor of tine Presbyterian
Church, in that place. He was a man Of good
speaker But more than all, he was man Of
deep, earnest piety a man of prayer, most en-
phdticdLiy man Of prayer. During the tune
! 1 lived with him, there occurred one OF the
most interesting and powerful reylyals OF
religion / ever witnessed one that is
still remembered by the older inhabitants Of
! Elyria with peculiar interest. 1t was during
that revival of religion, when the spirit of
prayer was rife in the church, and when the
| Pastor in all his intercourses with the people
/ with his church. and with his family, seemed
| TO know nothing save Christ and him crucihed,
that the first idea of ObeGlin dawned upon his
mind Then when God was peculiarly near,
those principles Of justice and equality towards
an oppressed race claimed consideration in
his mind Here was the beginning OF Obern,
in the mind Of the Rev. J. J. Shipherd, its
founder.
Mr. Editor, have no language adequate to
de cribe the feelings Of thrilling interest and
pleasure with which remember q e experience
of the next five months in the family of that
beloved Pastor
As the ideal of the new institution began to
unfold itself to his mind, he became more and
more interested IN its proportions IL formed
the constant theme Of his prayers both in his
family and in his closet | well remember the
first time he impaired TO me his views on that
subject He closed the conversation by saying
that "he believed that this was the way in
which God designed him to perform his part
in preaching the gospel to every creature. -
Then came the duty OF selecting a name.
All who have read the life of that earnest man
OF God, Oberlin will not wonder that the new
institution received his name. Soon after this
Mr. Shipherd resigned his charge as pastor o.
the church in Elyria, and devoted the remain
ing few years of his life to the labOTious bust
ness of laying the foundation and doing some
thing towards rearing the superstructure oI
Oberin. 1t has seemed to me that the time
now come when these foundations are to bC
tested
) For cne, havl no fears Of their stability, fol
they are founded upon a Rock. Against tina
q Rock the brief authority which has within th'
last few years eliminated in the Fugitive Slave
law and the Dred Scott decision, is as power
c less now as it was in the Court of Pontius Pl
d late eighteen hundred years ago. B.