The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-25
nprpI1r- August 2sd. 1ssI

it were, between the Two cOnlmoncomente
occurring on Wednesday, the day usually
set apart for the graduating exercises of the
college class, which are put over till Thurs
day. The last of these pleasant gatherings
occurred in 1850, and to-day, in its appoint
ed season, the Quinquennial again trans
pred. It would be difficult to imagine q
more suspicious time for such q meeting
than this, when from the trial and the toll
of war we have emerged into the calm light
of peace; when We have exchanged clouds
for clear sky, the cross for the crown ; When
our soldier-boys come home in thrOngs,
shoulder-strapped or cheveroned, bearing
the traces of glorious campaigns in bronzsd
faces, n sometimes in MANNED though
manly forms, and whom, everywhere,
Thanksgiving, joy and happiness have
driven out sorrow and care. Oh, happy,
happy land! Oh, happy boys that have
come marching hOmel Oh, hsppy homes
that welcome them Oh, happy day that
unites old friends together so joyeusly, and
brings back what men call the irrevocable
Past to all of us, only glorifed and viviAed
by the years, bs they few or many, that lie
between us and our college days
To q graduate, Alumni day is the great
est occasion of all college anniversaries or
epochs. Let him be what he may in the |
1thsr eighteen hundred odd days which
make upive round years,-sOldier or states.
man, minister or merchant, lawyer or lit
t~erGteHr, what you wilton this day his
chief pride and happiness is in being an
Alumni, and he comes back to Alma Mater
like q wandering son to his own mothers
hearth, greeted with glsdness by brethren
and joying with a joy that cannot be ut
tered to find himself again beneath the
ancestral roof-tree.
ADDRESS BEFORE THE u
Like a New England Sunday, Alumni
day seems to at unset the night
before. The Address before the Alumni
was delivered on Tuesday evening by the
Rev. C. C. S~tarbuek, at present teacher in
Hebrew in Union Theological Seminary.
His subject might be stated as: "The
Progress and Prospects of Christianity"
Elegant in diction, rich in thought, elAbO-
rate in ornament and a~llusion, it delighted
each individual of his audience in direct
proportion to his ability to appreciate and
understand the varied treasure offered
him.
CLASS MEETINGS.
The hours from eight to ten on Wednes-
day morning were occupied by Glass Re-
unions, held at the houses of resident
Alumni. Nearly all of the classes which
have been graduated held meetings, some
when only "two or three were gathered
together" others where the attendance
was large and the meeting merry. The
class of 5s gathered "a together, and the
class of 62, whose triennial reunion came
off to-day, assembled full forty. Many
we're the episodes, grave and gay, of these
pleasant gatherings, which cannot be
trsnsfxed and transferred to paper.
-u TsBoRInAL ADDnsss.
Athalf-after-nine, the capacious floor and
galleries of the first Congregational Church
~uIf1uvO,
awaiting the Historical Address by Profess
sor J. NJ. Ellis. The eloquent and OK
hAusIive address of Professor Fairchild, at
the Reunion of 1860, left Professor Ellis
comparatively little nthe way of exhum-
ing the records of 0berlin's birth and early
growth, and after q review of the connec-
ton of ODerlin with the question of slavery.
and the influence, through Iscturing, in
politics, and by her sDcial example, which
she had exerted sgainstit, he devoted most
of his lecture to a timely and most inter-
ssting statement of what Oberlin has done
in the war. sketching graphically the
wonderful scenes which followed the fall Of
Sumter, the anxiety and eagerness to Join
the service which was manifested among
the students, the prayerful and fearful arm
ing and sending forth of the student
company, Company C, 7Gh o. V. ~ and
its subsequent proud record, at Cross Lanes,
Winchester, Port Republic, Cedar Noun
tain, Antietam, the Wilderness, sBotsylya-
mia, Dumfries, Ringgold, and many g less
famous fray, paying a thrilling tribute to
some of its dead and its living, he passed
to a s~ucciDct history of Oberlin's subse-
quent contributions to the service, alludiuR
briefly and e~loquently to the career Of her |
more distinguished sons. A sketch of Gen
eral Cox's army record was greeted with
enthusiastic applause. The speaker esti- |
mated the total number of student soldiers !
furnished by oberlin at $50, among whom |
were 200 alumni, 100 college students, and
$50 preparatory students. Among the
alumni in the service, one was a Major
General, one a Brigadier General, and ten
Colonies. Out of 166 gentlemen who be-
longed to he College Department. at the
commencement of the war, 100 have since
been in the army. Perhaps no college in
the land can show a better record. As an
illustration Of the value of temperate and
careful habits, the speaker stated that out
Of $50 who hsd been members of Company
C, but three had died of disease, and two
of these in Southern prisons, while twenty
had fallen in battle, fifteen had been dis
charged on account of wounds, and fifteen
had been promoted to commissioned offices
in other regiments. The address closed
with a few eloquent words of welcome to
returned heroes, and of remembrance for
those who sleep in the bosom of a land
which they have redeemed.
At the conclusion of the address, the
Rev. - Hammond, of Chicago, who pre-
sided at the meeting. called for speeches
from several gentlemen, who responded in
q very interesting manner.
OTHER BRIEF ADDRESSES.
Professor ]. A. Thome, of Cleveland, the
of these speakers, took his hearers
back with him to the early days of Oberlin.
and paid q glowing tribute to the triangle
forces which gave life to the new enter
prise,-P. P. Stewart and Father shipperd,
who, in Oberlin, founded the colony, COM
the two great principles of manual
abOr and joint education of the sexes, who
the seed since ripened into so glo-
a hsrVest-Theodore D. Weld, who
ed the students of Lane Seminary in their
secession from that institution !
Vhen it forbade free discussion on the
Of slsVery-and Charles G. Fin J
icy, the revivalist of Central New York,
rho brought his wonderful spiritual and I
Mental power to the aid of the youthful .
ollege. The mention of each of these !
ames called out loud applause only .
by that which greeted a reference :