The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-09-06
Correspondence OF the Telegraph.
0berlin and It's Commencement,
OBERLIN, Aug. 20, 1866.

OBERLIN, Aug. 20, 1866.
MEssRs. EDITORS =
The commencement exercises, the great Gull
mination of college life, came off during the
past week with its attendant throng of people.
Previous to the graduating exercises, were the
anniversaries of the Phi Delta and Psi Kappa
literary societies. The orations were of very
tolerable average, though some were rather
crude and strained, while few were on sub
jects alien to the wants of the present hour
Unqualifedly the best grafton of the whole
in matter and manner was that of a Mr.. Geery.
formerly of Kenosha, Co. His subject was
"How shall the Scholar Secure Influence ?' 1t
was mastery discussion of the method and
philosophy which deep scholars must use to
populariZe their learning and reach the masses
and move them. 1t was simply and elegantly
composed, and delivered in that self possessed
manner which at once engages the absorbing
attention of an audience
During the forenoon of the next day Rev.
E. H. Fairchild delivered the Concio adj Clar-
UNI or Address to the Learned, on the doctrine
of Conscience. In this clear and able discourse
he put forth some ideas which slightly conflict
with those ofsome other writers on this theme
He also took occasion to overturn principle
contained in DR.. Wayland's Moral Philosophy
The Society voted that the discourse should
be printed in prominent quarterly, and on
the whole received it as orthodox
The commencement in the Ladies' Depart
ment in the afternoon is admitted to equal any
that have preceded it. 1t is a traditionary Gus
tom for all the ladies of the institution to ar
ray themselves in white on this occasion and
| form into procession at the college chapel,
and then, escorted by band, to march to the
church, about forty rods distant, where the ex-
| ercises are held. 1t was beautiful scene, the
continuous white being frequently relieved by
| dark faces, which attested to the principles
here held. The church is very large one, with
| galleries extending entirely around the room
except at one end, where is large organ. Two
of the entrances to the gallery are by the sides
| of the organ, and as these ladies came fiocking
down to the lower part of it ON either side, it
| looked very much like some pictures of ia
cob's Ladder we used to see in the primer,
only they hadn't wings.
| The essays were carefully composed, and
some of them were quite original. One of them
on Speaking ones Mind" by Miss Foote OF
Detroit was pointed and popular Miss Hun
ter OF Oberlin spoke OF the unwarrantable lib
critics taken with authors private papers after
| their decease, referring to 'Hawthornes Note
! Book" in the Atlantic.
| There were twenty-one in this class who
graduated.
In the evening, j. NJ. Langston, Esq. the
|
lecture before the Alumni on, "Reconstruc.
tom He handled this difficult subject in a
mastery way. He has an unusually strong
voice which easily filled the large church. II
was somewhat tedious to listen to, however
because of so little variation, or rather an at.
tempt to render all his words emphatic, which
resulted in really emphasizing none of them
He also committed the sad improperly of ges-
turing while looking on his manuscript.
On the next day the gentlemen held their
Commencement. The class numbered sixteen,
which is much smaller than usual Three OF
these were ladies, that is, they had completed
the studies of the gentlemen's course. One
| lady was quite mature, being forty-thre years
old. Her essay on "Why do we Study ?'' was
the best presentation of the subject one often
hears. A daughter of DR.. Morgan of this place
read an essay on "How we Find our Way
which was perfect gem of beauty 1t was
read in very clear tone and with delicately
varied meditation which held the audience in
spell bound attention.
Mr.. Burrell in his grafton on "Our Windows
bit off perhaps as happy thought as any who
spoke. His object was to delineate the colors
which our moods give to things around, and
when he said ''We feel brotherly towards all
the race on returning home in the evening from
visiting lady," he struck chord in the heart
common to all youthful humanity.
| One of the most finished orations, was by q
Mr. Piles, a colored man, on Literary evils
He decried the desire of a national literature
as one of the prospective evils of the land
His periods were finely rounded, and his deliv
cry was very elegant and self-composed, while
his logic carried conviction.
The closing grafton arise, and let us &C
hence" by Mr.. Walsh of N. Y. City, was the
masterpiece of the occasion in many respects
1t was indeed eloquent as the showers of bo
Iquets practically attested. The want of prop
Ter cadence which some evinced, he happily
Supplied.
I. The Inauguration of the new President Prof
IJas. II. Fairchild, was, perhaps, the most i'm
lpresslve event of the whole. 1t is seldom thai
la change OF president has been made, the pres
Tent one being only the third since the founda
ton of the institution. The venerable expires
Ildent Finney, whose precarious health and in
creasing years rendered the labors of the pos
too burdensome, resigned sometime ago, but
filled the office nominally till some worth,
substitute could be elected Prof FairchilC
was at last determined upon as the most fitting
choice that could be made And it is quite
certain that no better person could be chosen
for that office, since he has been identified will
the college as student and teacher from his anC
its earliest youth. No one could be better fit
ted by education, endowments, or reputation
to assume the duties of this more than us ual
ly responsible position. All are well satisfied
| He is of the old Puritan stock. In his you'll
| he was always studous, though of delicate
health. He was at the very inception of The
| first Freshman class in the college, and had tt
depend mainly on himself for support Aftel
completing Theology he became tutor in tn,
college, from which he rose to be one of it
most eminent professors. A scholar by nature
and habit, he has been too modest to ente
prominently into political reformatorN
movements, but his liberal sentiments and rad
zeal ideas have always been openly expressed
lie has very benignant mien and dignifeG
bearing which is tempered by most gracious
and pleasing manner to all.
1t would be useless to comment on his inau
gural, since TO illustrate it by any extracts
would be like that man-we read of, who, hav
ing house for sale, carried brick in his peck
| ct as a specimen. j. L.