The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-03-13

Mr.. EDIToR:-In your notice OF the School
Exhibition held at the Court House on the
evening of the LIST instant, there are some
things to which have to call your attention.
Upon the performances Of the young men
on that occasion you seem to bestow
unmngled censure. Surely that old and ap.
propriate and oft repeated Injunction
"Dont view me with critics eye,"
must have been ignored in forming such a
Judgment. If the two young men in CUES,
ton committed an error in the selection of
topics for portion Of their performances, it
surely ought no, to be considered an un
pardonable one. In a community in which
al,-mcn. women, and chiidren-talk and
read politics, where there are fifteen political
meetings for ono of a literary or scientific ma
ture; and whars there are forty political
papers read f'r one ola purely literary char
acter, it is not strange that young men in
their teens, in their first attempts at literary
performances, shonld light upon themes not
wholly separated from governmental and
Political affairs. For fifteen years of my life
| have been connected, as a student or other
wise, with Literary Institutions Of various
grades. have been present at some scores
of literary exhibitions. Again and again and
again, have I heard ora,ions and essays on
such occasions d'saussinr governmental and
political affairs. They were never consider
ed by good judges as in the best OF taste
Other themes would be more suitable. But
they were always to some extent tolerated.
Never did | know Of an instance in which
the conductors Of institutions were held re.
sponsihle for he sentiments offered on such
occasions, or in which such illusions were
deemed worthy Of RECITATION in the ca,un nus
of public journal
Perhaps I ought here to say, that was
on the point of stating at the close Of the
exhibition, that the article in the young
mems paper to which, chiefly, exceptions
have been taken, together with those adver-
tisements in which the names of two Of our
citizens were used, had not been submitted
to my inspection. They seem to have been
added to the paper at late date, and after it
and all the other performances had been sub
mtted for review.
1fIunderstani your language, Mr. Editor,
you seem to find fault with the culture
received in our Seminary, and intimate that
the Objectionable political sentiments uttered
by the young men is due to tie training
there found, | need scarcely remind you
how unjust and ungcnerous such insinua-
tons are, if really so intended. One who
knows the facts would not hazard such an
assertion, and one who does not know the
facts should not. Ihave not supposed that
as teachers we have anything to do whatever
with the political sentiments Of our pupils
1t is no part Of our business to give shape to
their opinions on SIC, subjects. To pursue
any other course would be both suicidal in
policy and wrong in principle. No one is
more DESTROYS than am that the asperities
of partisan feeling be soothed IA Their than ir-
ritated, and no one is more opposed, both in
principle and practice 10 the introduction of
political topics where they do not belong.
... j. NJ. McELRoY.
Ott1mva March II 1871