, 1865-08-29

/
| cor,3 s,, fr,c var-pcrsonn1 Sketches
! or F,nucy and 1feld-OberlIn and her
Cnlorcd Aiunlni-Thc Question OF the
Hour.
| Correspondence OF the Chicago Ttibunc.l
| OnERLiS, Ohio, Aug. IS 1865.
| have been spending week at that original
| fountain Of abolition, Obcrlin Collage. It has
I been commencement week, bein. the occa-
sion Of the reunion which occurs only once in
five years, when m unusual number Of alumni
md friends assemble, and being moreover the
first gathering since the end of the war, It
could not Ike but enthusiastic A faithful re-
port Of all The exercises, could one be made,
and you find space for 1t, would not Eail OF
exciting deep interest in thousands Of your
readers- I give You meagre outline.
Ar. Charles G. Finney, the world-renowned
Evangelist, now seventy y-four years old, Is still
President. He retains fresh countenancc, q
strong voice, q keen eye, young heart, and Il
lively interest In public ntfairs. His sermon to
the graduating classes, Sabbath afternoon, the
Goth, was an hour and twenty minutes long,
get The attention Of n large congregation was
held 10 its close.
Monday, a. n., Gen. ], D. Cox, the Repub-
lican candidate for Governor Of Ohio, son-in-
law Of President Finney, and Il graduate Of The
college, addressed the citizens, There was
great curiosity 10 hear him, as his recent Lei.
has disappointed sonc Of his best friends
He Is very easy and graceful speaker, with
---~t voice and winning manner. His
speech IVES the same -. 'se hfte1 uls
published letter, and not satisfactory to tbfs
audience generally. Yeta reply to question
by one Of the audience at the close, relieved
his position somewhat. He said TINT ii The
cd hy Itself, he should 6e ready to 60 as far
as The most radical In securing the colorcd
man all lis natural rights. Oberlin will vote
for him for the union Of the party, but vote
under protest.
Monday afternoon and the previous satur-
societies Of the college. Monday evening tho
oberlin Musical Union gave Haydn's 0ratorio
"1he Creation"
Tresdny o. m, the Concio nd C1o5an, was
delivered by Rev. Dr.. Fairfield, President OF
Anlsdale College. Michigan, an able and elo
Tuesday p. m, the public exercises of the
graduates Of the Ladies' Course were held.
II Was beautiful sight 10 sec procession OF
several hundred young ladies, aii dressed In
wliitc, marching TO the church. About thirty
graduated.
4AA4CAAk NtNAuet u 1Ea&OGu aQUFG3S WIS
given TO TIT Alumni, By Rev. c. c. stsrbuek,
OF New York city.
One Of the most Instructive and interesting,
addresses Of the week was the Historical Ad.
drese given "wednesday morning by Professor
J. u. Ellis. Of obcriin, detailing the part
through which the country has passed. Il Is
surprising that Greeley made no reference 10
Oher]in in his history. But If tlc Abolition
lists brought On the war, this Institution Ger
ta:nly hat n lnul in il. It was not originally
founded as IN anti-elavery school, but very
early in lts history Theodore D. Weld spoke
here for twenty nights in succession, md
stamped the anti-s1avery image on il forever.
The ca7ly students spent their winters in lee
turing against slavery, often encountering mob
violence.
Cultivated ladies' went to Cincinnati to teach
in colored schools, when they could find no
thai world board them. The teachers
Nho spread themselves over Ohio
and the adjoining States, all carried into tl1cir
school districts the lcaycu OF auti$Mvery. Al
least 10;C0 advocates Of The oppressed huyc
gone forth tron, the place. Tle Ministers
not men Of one idea, preached an arti-slavcTy
gospel
lie american Missionary Association-which
WIS ta ganizcd to prosecute missions without
tCupt.tttt WILL hlAfEfy-sluH u lAETG pfOE}0E-
,itn Of its missionaries.
Nor las Oberlin neglected political action.
She identified herself with the Liberty party
when Bnncy was tie leader. Holding the
balance Of power between two parties In the
county, she secured an nutlzlayery reprcscu-
t2tsvc il tle Slate Legislature, and tL.s Sc
cured the election Of Chase to tho L. 5. Sea.
ate.
More recently one Of its professors WIGS
prominent member Of the Legislature, and
now two Of its professors arc representing The
Government III foreign countriss-Brazil aud
Hayti. g..
LII K6nsas, Oleslin ministers largely aided
the cause OF freedom and shared the su1crines
uf the patriots. One Wits imprisoned In Mis-
sot.ri. OILERS were imprisoned and nobbcd
III Kentucky, and In Northern Ohio the Gov
vsn1nC,', seized upon an obeflin professor and
several citizens to show Its power and zeal in
executing the Fugitive Slave Law. Tic result
was a siSnal triumph Of freedom and tlore
Intense hatred Of that law than ever. The
place as always prominent station on the
uEdcrerc,znl railroad, wlsile tina. vas In opeE-
gi,iyes, but every art!Ee- Of warfare was Jrac-
Used and -. .rGss trsxs ftcs cdrrs<I back frcM
OGtstir TO his Jsa:tTs again
IN the wI1 10 College has proudcr
record At The azst call the ei,izens Of Obar-
went rom that small place Of about 5,U5 n
Labitan1s md its vicinity. Company Of thr
1th Ohio, made up entirely Of students, wns
known MS the praying company, and, to evinee
TIC raiuc Of ts.,srTerntc habits, intellectual
and moral culture, the list Of mortality Ii
that company shows that, out Of 10 members
which belonged 10 it first and last, only three
died fIum disease, And two OF them in prison
twenty eight fell in battle, II Is believed
tho; in all c full regiment Of students and
Alumni were in the .sar. Not less than Zen
per cent Of them fell in the service, but II Is
not known iilat single Oberlfn man failed to
maintai. md ho2or lbs principles.
Prof Ellis was followed br Rev. James A.
Thornc, Of Cleveland, Theodore D. Weed, and
:. VI. Lau.:Lton, colorcl lawyer Of Ober1in.
in remarks ii thrilling elooncuce-thc colored
speaker htisy not inferior to the Others In
1ntater or 1nanner.
An appeal Nns then made for funds to finish
paying for the new and elegant ladies' ball,
now 1itarly completed. $500 we're pledged,
when the audience retired 10 the hall for
collation.. The impromptu speeches at the
table were all spicy and appropriate, md $500
more were pledged for 4 monument to the
.al'en soldiers OF Oberiin,
ior address of Theodore D. Weld, before The
college societies. Thirty years ago probably
no man In America equalled hin in fascinating
eloquencc. 4 paralysis OF the vocal Organs has
Kept hin si!cut cnd in obscut1ty for most OF
Tic lime since-a sad loss to tie nntI-eiavery
N@A<I ALA ~ l4iG lOHI3AIS- AUu W0Cu lQlElT
it was known that he had partially rc.ained
his roice, tic casgtrEcsa 10 hear him again was
very great. lie Is now venerable-lool1ing
man Of sixty Or sixty five, with bald, shiny
head, snuW-wlite beard and moustache, bnt
will leer MS young in Its feelings as ever
His tLcnc was "Our Work, What ind How,'
coycrin: lhe state Of tie country and our du-
tics In thc crisis,
Thursday was the commencement proper.
Thiuy-tire rcrsous-thirty-two gentlemen and
thirteen ladies-graduatcd from the College,
two of the gentlemen and ono of the ladacs
being colorcd. eeven gentlemen graduated
from tie Theological Dcpartmenf-onc Of
ilc:n was colorcd. They Ind The usual
variety Of themes for their orations and
cssayE, and the usual variety In the measure
OF talent and skill displayed. The colored
graduates as well az the white, spoke and read,
and spoke ard read we'll. Indeed, in ali
the exercises OF the week there was sprinl-
ling Of colorcd persons, and the comparison
Of iheir efforts led to tie same conclusion.
THE SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVED.
Ol,crln claims to lave solved the social |
problem Of the nation-of the colorcd people. |
For Whole generation they lave enjoyed |
eqrnl rights and privileges ln all departments
Of tic Institution. About one.twcntIeth or |
tho graduates have been colored, They sit
side By side in the classes, the lecture rooms |
and tho public assemblies. The teachers as