The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-17
re OBGRIIH ANNIVERSARIES.
Exhibition Of the Senior Preparatory
class,
oBEE11s, August Is, 1865,

glories of the Senior Prep. Class, let me
first explain TO the uninitiated who Senior
Props are. The term is applied to the grad
uating class of the A~sademical department,
who have completed the course preparatory
to college, and will constitute, (those of
them whose rank is sufficiently high,) st
Commencement, the incoming Freshman
cless. This class has certain traditional
peculiarities incident to its situation,
among which are q zeal for forensic dispu-
ton, induced no doubt by excessive ab-
s~orption of Marcus Tullius Cicero,) and q
firm belief in each and every sentiment
contained in the poem beginning:
"Ten me not in m1urnful numbers"
Add TO these intense ssgregstiveness and
a wholesome " noli me ~tGngere" toward all
outsiders, and one has q tOlersble idea Of
the generic Senior Prep.
Tuesday, of Examination-week1 is the
day always devoted to the special glory Of
this class, and accordingly the public gath
cred to listen to the usual exhibition, pre-
sided over by Principal E. H. Fsirchild,
and conducted according to the following
Order of Exercises:
MUSIC. PRAYER. MUSIC
'SAIutatory,....---.-..H. r.. Clark. Cleveland
Oration-Act Well Your Part, E g. stickel, Deca-
tur, Ill.
orarioa"our victory and Our Debt, B. ". HOl
Iiday, Springfield, Pa.
Music.
~OratiOD-Example q Great Teacher, H. d.
Stra ght, Charlotte, n. J.
Essay-NuIum Tul Eegotium, Jeanette Warren,
st. Petersburg, Russia.
Charlotte, III.
0ration-R Reason an Insufficient Guide, A.E Al
Fss,y-out at the Elbows, NJ. J.MsCleery, Bszetta.
OrAtion-sept. 22d--Yaledictory, h. B. Ohitten
den, Genesee, Mich.
MusicJ
Benediction:
We cannot remark on these exercises so
particularly as we should like, but will give
an abstract.
The salutatory by Mr.. Clark deserved
high praise-nOt SO much from any striking
thoughts, as from its elegance and ease Of
diction, and the forcible c~lesrness with
which every idea was brought out. It
might serve as a model in this respect for
many a more ~pretentious composition. Mr..
| Clark bide welcome to the audience, the
College, the new teachers, the great minds
of ancient and modern times whose &C
quaintance the class expected to form, I'm
ally to the joys and sorroWs of college. The
whole could hardly have been better adapt
cd to the circumstances.
Mr.. Stickel's theme was hackneyed, but
he managed to make it interesting. Mr..
Mitchell's Grafton was in some sort its COM
plement, the two presenting opposite views
of the same subject, and adding interest to
each other.
Mr.. Holiday makes q good appearance
on the stage, and his manner is impressive,
His Grafton was a well-worded eulogy on
the soldiers of the National armies, and 8
recognition of their important services.
The title of Mrs. straight's composition
sufficiently explains its import. 1t was q
new and clear exposition of an old idea.
Miss Warren's essay abounded in finely
pointed hints on that wofully common
weakness of humanity, a weakness belong
ing IF we may credit Miss WIS startling
statement) to the descendants of adam as
well as of EUe, curiosity. We are at q loss
whether to praise most the wit of the pro-
d~uction, the elegant English in which il
was couched, or the rare ~cleaHness with
which that English wal enunciated.
A good poem is 8 rarity, but Mr.. Bliss
gave us one. His theme, the sentinel who
wal buried at his post by the ashes of We
suvius centuries ago, was skilfully wrought
up; his description vigorous, and his ver-
sifcation faultless. Mr.. Bliss bids fair to
excel in this line.
Mr.. Allaben show edcareful thought, but
he uses the word treason" in the loose
popular sense of the unwashed skeptics
The reason which he holds to bs so unrelia-
BILE is no reason at all, but q hodge-podge o.
hslf-sustained inductions and metaphysical
puerilities.
So far he is right, but true reason (Which
should not bs COMPOUNDED with reasoning,
is not insufficient, but final and infallible
in matters which come within it's province
Only this pseudo-reason should be included
in Mr.. Allaben's title.
Miss McCleery's essay was pleasant, and
sgreesbly relieved the monotony.
In the ValedictOry which followed, Mr.
Chittenden, after a discourse on the princi-
pal anniversaries of the world, claimed
| equal Importance for the anniversary O.
emancipation in this land. His transition
from this subject to the farewell address wal
rather abrupt. In delivery Mr.. C. is some
times more forcible than graceful. With
these exceptions, his ValedictOry was more
han unexceptionable.
We do not recollect TO have attended re.
Gently any exercise which reflected so much
credit on the performers. Great profundity
of thought or accuracy of scholarship is no
expected at this stage of the course, but il
respect of what native talent and careful
preparation can do, to-dsy's exercises woulC
rank above the average.
EThe entering class is q small one, mum
bering but %. As I write they are enjoying
their farewell evening at the house of th'
Principal of the Department.