Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-30
HIGH SCHOOLS COMMENCEMENT.
Programme of observation-disclosures of
Graduates-Omcers of the Board Of
Education Presidents Address-Re-
union.

day afternoon in Central High School Hall,
beginning at 2 o'clock.
The hall is large and was well filed
lust so as to be comfortable-with an audi
tory composed of friends of the graduating
class and citizens at large. The exercises
were of very unusual interest, and the es-
saws of much greater literary merit than
the majority of such compositions. Every
body seemed highly gratiied with the after
Moons exercises and were profuse in their
praises.
Rarely has a more aPpreeiative audience
assembled upon a more suspicious occasion
commencement. Commencement, when
the freshman becomes sophomore; the So
phomOre, junior; the junior, senior; and
the senior commences the active duties of
life bidding farewell to ALMA MATER forever
We append the programme of the exer-
cises graduating class:
~Prayer-Rev. DR.. Wolcott.
Music-Leland's Band.
Oration-"sself Reliance. ........John S. Bshrer.
Esssy-"Impulses - .... Miss Lotre Z. Caukling.
Music-Loland's Band.
E~ssay-"Froth and Foo" Miss Julia II. Heisel.
Essay-"Patchwork' .............Mis MinDie Long
Essay-"Good Fruit .......-Mi Mary L. Russell.
Essay-"suns and Moons Miss Annie NJ Sauborn
Musie-"Fsutasia de- Ia Norma" Mr.. John Chas.
Steinbrecher.
Essay-"Happy Faces Miss Julia D. Sturtevant
Essay-"Direotion - Miss Marguerite E. Tiiden.
Essay-"Letter Writing" Miss Emily A. Vial.
Music-Leland's Rand
49, 3D.. W, II nr5-n r..
Presentation Of Diplomas.
Doxology.
Benediction.
1t is almost impossible to individualize
the excellencies of the essays where all
were of such superior merit.
The Grafton by Mr.. Buhrer was very fine,
and evinced careful composition, keen
thought and q mind of no ordinary capa-
bilities. Miss Brewster read with exceed
ing good taste and style, but the essay Of
Miss Caukling though of high literary mer-
it, was marred by a little too low reading.
Miss Heiseps essay was well read, pretty in
| sentiment and of finished composition.
patch Work" by Miss Long was humor-
Gus, pithy and very ingeniously applied.
| Miss Russell's disquisition on fruit was
interesting and we'll delivered. Miss San
born read her essay on "Suns and Moons"
very finely. "Happy Faces" by Miss
Sturtevant was a thing Of beauty. She, at
least, wore a happy face. Direction" by
Miss Tilden evinced much thought and was
read with charming ease and grace. "Let-
ter Writing" by Miss Vial was character
isGc and sensible, replete with truth and
well read. In fact the whole exercises
were of the very highest order. The adj
dress by the President of the Board, Mr..
Price, will be read with much interest.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN If there be any
one thing Of which our people have a right
to be proud, it is our noble system of popu-
lar education. II was clearly seen by the
fathers that the success of an attempt to
found institutions upon the consent of the
| governed, must depend upon & wide and
general diffusion of information and that
this could only be accomplished by educa-
ting the people. Acting upon this convic-
ton, the earliest legislation of the country,
both State and National, favored general
education. In all the States north of Mason
anu DAAtl > 4ALt slEAlA4o y G5A1B4louAuE
the common school in every neighborhood
were devised and carried into effect, and
to-day, travel where you Will, through
out the eastern, middle, and north
western States, and you will find
the common charlottesville college
of the people. Wherever the pioneer set
tier has gone in search of a home. he has
reared in the sight of his W humble cabin
a building for the education Of his children,
For one, l may say, that in my travels,
wherever ! 60, the scLo3l house, however
plain, is the most interesting object that
greets my eye; for, in it, I find an assur-
ance that the the educator has been there,
and that the farmers and artizans of that
community can read and think for them
selves.
And to-day, I think, we have cause for
devout thankfulness to Almighty God that
in the early years of our country, He did
put it into the hearts of the founders of the
Republic to favor the education of the
people. An educated, reading, in
telligent people cannot be disloy-
al TO free institutions and rebellion against
good government could arise only in that
part OF our country where the common
school has never been successful. The late
civil war was really carried on by the
ignorant masses at the Sonth, and the en-
liE4AGICus GuuG1teu masses IL the NOTLl-
1t IS not too much to say that free institu-
tons in North America were saved by think
ing bayOnets, educated in the common school
houses Of the North.
Ladies and gentlemen-You cannot be too
deeply interested in our public schools
YOU cannot be too deeply anxious for their
improvement and success; you cannot be
too willing to be taxed for the building of
more and larger school houses, for it is well
known to you that our population has out
grown our educational faeilities-that Cleve-
land has not to-day schOol-room for her
children. The people of Cleveland must
choose between building more school houses
and building more p~risOns-between en-
Ploying more teachers, INC employing more
policemen. "Uneducated mind is unedu-
Gated vice. Our city has acknowledgement
an improved system OF police This is well;
but I hope our wise men viii not forget that
school houses are more important than po-
lice stations, and a corps of faithful teach
ers more useful than an army of the best
police.
But turning from these general remarks,
let US come 10 that which is immediate.
The class which has just completed the
appointed course of study, in our High
Schools is unusually small and it may be
proper that a few words should be said in
ACiOAOnCE ~ kuA5 AdCL.
There has always been much irregularity
in the size of the classes annually entering
our High Schools. That which entered the
Central High School September I, 1861,
numbered 81 that of September /, 1862,
p that of September l, 1868, II; that of
September, 1864, 1l3; that Of September
l, 1855, %.
1t will be noted that those who have lust
graduated composed a part of the class of
1862, which was much the smallest of the
i've classes Just mentioned. I am not able
TO give you IN detail the causes which have
depleted the class of 1862, and left us but
the small number which has appeared be
fore you to-day. But if YOU will turn to
the Report of the Principal of the Cen
tral High School, just published in con-
nection with the 25th Annual Report of our
Superintendent ofInstruction, you will find
q statement Of the process of disintegration,
as illustrated in the history Of the class of
1864 for one year. That class numbered at
the beginning of the school year I13. There
remained Of this class at the opening of the
school year September l, 1865, 60. The
number withdrawn was 81 l had died, 2
had married, 3 had outgrown the school,
being, in their w opinion at least, too old
to attend school any longer 4 had with
drawn to attend other schools Z on account
of i'll health; 5 because their parents had
left the city II to go into business, and Is
because they had failed IN scholarship.
1t is but simple justice to the principal
and teachers of this High School to state
that but for a technical difficulty, this class