TALLADEGA COLLEGE, TALLADEGA, ALA.
BY PROF. GEO. N. ELLIS.
The prelude of our twelfth anniversary exercises came Friday night, June 9, in the form of a school exhibition by the lower departments, consisting of declamations, recitations, concert exercises, etc. This was something new and drew a large and appreciative audience. The participants came attended by a throng of relatives and admiring friends, and the programme passed off in a manner creditable to all.
In lieu of the usual baccalaureate sermon Sunday morning, Rev. Edward W. Bacon, of New London, Conn., delivered a missionary discourse. To his mind, a missionary was not a religious drummer nor a mere itinerant preacher. He was a settler, locating in a community, growing up with it, molding its moral, social and religious life. To the young colored men of America, educated and consecrated, no field offers grander opportunities for distinguishment, in these respects, than does long-neglected Africa. Mr. Bacon said his object was to induce some one to become a missionary. His able and practical sermon will not be barren of results; and when the call for workers shall come, Talladega will respond with her quota.
At night President De Forest gave one of his practical talks to the students about to go out for the summer. It was crowded with good advice, plainly put, and will not be forgotten.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday forenoons public examinations were held in the various departments. They seem to have passed off satisfactorily to examiners, examined and visitors. One of the latter who spent his whole time in seeing and hearing as much as possible said: “I have not been into an examination which does not reflect credit on teacher and scholar alike. Everything shows that most excellent work has been done.” Theology is still the high water mark of scholarship, but the “small Latin and less Greek” of the institution are gradually rising and are not to stop short of the line of a full college course. There is a good deal of “back-water” waiting to be turned into these channels as soon as they are properly enlarged.
Wednesday afternoon occurred the prize declamations and essays.
The evening entertainments for the week were, on Monday night, a scholarly and uplifting address by Rev. Mr. Bacon upon self-education; on Tuesday night exercises by the young people’s literary societies, which showed commendable efforts in the way of self-improvement; on Wednesday night, the usual church prayer-meeting, one of the most enjoyable of all our Commencement gatherings; and on Thursday night, a concert by the Musical Union who rendered the Cantata of Esther, the Beautiful Queen, to the satisfaction of a densely packed house and with an income to the Union of nearly fifty dollars which they pledged for a new piano.
Talladega sends out no graduates this year. Though according to previous standards, students were ready to receive their diplomas both in theology and normal studies, they voluntarily chose to spend another year in further preparation for life’s work. The exercises of Thursday morning consisted of eight orations by representatives (four each) from the college preparatory and theological departments. In discussing standard and current themes, they showed a grasp of thought, a clearness and vigor in presentation certainly far from discreditable to any public rostrum. We were proud of them. A little further mental discipline in mathematics and the classics and they will be well prepared leaders of their people.
At these various exercises more than the usual number of visitors were present. During some of the examinations in the chapel the room was fairly filled with listeners. Upon the platform were leading white citizens of the town, and some from abroad. Among the latter were Rev. O. W. Fay and Judge Buckley, of Montgomery, who spoke most warmly of what they saw and heard.
Talladega College looks back upon the year just closed as the most prosperous one in her history. It has seen new buildings reared, others repaired, greatly needed improvements made, and a fair beginning in the way of endowments; to the many friends throughout the North whose gifts have caused these things to be, we are unspeakably grateful. It has seen most thorough work done in all departments of study, more than a score of its pupils confess a newly-found Saviour, and much activity in mission and Sunday-school work on the part of the more advanced. Already many applications for another year are coming in.