Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-28
TUESDAYS EXERCISES.

AAGA II :
TUESDAYS EXERCISES.
Tuesday morning opened with a rain, but
before ten o'clock the clouds broke away
and left the air pure and cool. The great
tent was filed to OVERLOOKING long before
the exercises began, every seat being &C.
cupied and large numbers standing in the
eisles and about the outer borders.
AT ten o'clock the usual procession of the
members, active and honorary, of the coll
lege literary societies was formed in front of
South College and marched to meet the fac
ulty and trustees of the institution, escor-
ted by the Light Guard Band of Detroit.
The procession reached the spacious tent a
few minutes after ten O'Clock and the exer-
prominent men, friends, trustees, patrons
and alumni of the college, and the large au-
dience was ofthat refined and literary class
which the annual exercises Of an institu-
ton Of learning like this always brings out.
The opening prayer was offered by Rev.
DR.. Clark, of Buffalo.
The Latin Salutatory, the second honor,
was delivered by P. Adams, Wilbur, Huron.
1t was well written in classical Latin and
was pronounced with ease and auency, an6
for the most part correctly. Mr.. Wilbur's
style of delivery was excellent, very easy
and graceful, and yet not lacking in force
and expression.
The first English Grafton was delivered
by Heber Augustus Ketchum, Plymouth.
His subject was the "Martyrs of Liberty
The speaker managed a theme somewhat
trite and worn with much skill, and the
Grafton was very well received by the lis
teners.
"The Veto Power as a guarantee of Lib
erty,' was the subject of the Grafton
of James Henry Bolton, Cleveland.
As an argument in favor of the veto
power, the Grafton was clear, for
chile and conclusive. The points were
clearly made and expressed in language at
once choice and concise. In the opinion Of
the speaker there is a tendency in society
towards Democracy. All legislative bodies
are inclined to err on the side OF over-Iegis-
lation which tendency becomes dangerous
as factions and party strifes stir up preju-
dice and appeal to baser motives. To this
the veto power, as provided for in our Con-
stitution, when it is a conditional check
and not an absolute power, is a proper and
effective check. Mr.. Bottoms Grafton lost
some of its power by a slight hesitation in
the delivery, which was otherwise good.
George Field Fitch, Fremont, delivered
the next grafton. Subject: Life a Comedy to
Those who Think-A Tragedy TO Those who
Feel" As a literary production the ora
ton possessed much merit. The style was
easy and graceful and the thoughts happily
and often ~strikingly presented. Many of
the Illustrations were particularly well
chosen. The oft repeated story of the
laughing and weeping philosophers was
presented in a new light and brought out
very happily the thought of the speaker.
Mr.. FiIch's delivery was good and did not
have the fault of too rapid enunciation
which we noticed in many of the speakers.
Among the ~oratiOns which were noticeable
for strength rather than finish was that Of
J. Nesbit Wilson, of Salem, on the Service
which Fanatics render TO Society,"" The
speaker divided fanatics into three classes,
those who are only theorists, those who in
dealing with actual facts go beyond reason
in seeking ard applying remedies for social
evils, and those who are more properly in
.novators, men in advance of the age and
time, who discover tie headlauds and pro-
montories of great truths, while others are
cruising in outlying and unknown seas. No
revolution can take place without fanatics,
and those who are denounced and perse-
cuted as such in our generation are Landed
as heroes by the next. Mr.. Wilson's de-
livery was slightly ~monotonOus, but was
very fOrcible and energetic.
The Colloquy by G. F. Fitch, H. A. Ketch-
um and S. II Bolton was q - very creditable
performance. The subject "Woman's
Rights, has been handled too often to ad-
nit of the presentation or any new or fresh
but the acting was SO good that the
did not seem trite. The argumenta-
tive Judge, personated by Mr.. Ketchum,
s~ilences esquire Jones" who don't believe
in woman's rights, in the person of Mr..
Fitch, by a lucid argument in favor Of
woman the political equal Of man.
/" Square Jones' who was foolish enough to
to argus The case was Of course
Mr.. Bolton, who figures as e chen
husband, , was very ludicrous and
added much to the interest Of the exercises.
The Grafton Of T. A Wilbur, subject :
. Unwept and Unsung," was a fine literary
effort, finished and ornate without excess of
imsger,yand essentially poetical ia concep-
ton. The few lines which closed the ora
lion possessed great merit and made Us wish
that Mr.. Wilbur had given Us a poem in
stead of an Grafton:
But what though upknown, ys battlers for right, |
Ye pass to your rest in oblivion's night.
Your lives shall be registered, faithful aud true,
on h.aNen's high banner Ct white and Of blue.
the stars OF your gIory shah ns'er fade away
But shall simmer and CLEAN forever and aye.
In that glorious starlight, u~nending and blest,
Great souls shall look down firm their eternal
rest,
Cnbesding the cry, from human hearts vrung,
They lived and they died "unwept and unsuug."
The Philosophical Grafton, by Albert
Peter TAllmAn, of Bridgeport, on the "Infu-
snce of National Memorials was one of the