HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
Commencement Exercises——Theological Department.
REV. W. W. PATTON, D.D., WASHINGTON.
The educational year at Howard University, Washington, D. C., closed with the last week in May. It has been one of success in all respects. The students instructed in the various departments were 236. The concluding exercises were largely attended and of great interest. At the college commencement the audience overflowed all accommodations, large numbers being compelled to stand, and various members of Congress who attended went away expressing the highest gratification at all that they saw and heard. The recent appropriation by Congress of $10,000 towards the maintenance of the University in the academic departments, is a great relief and encouragement, it having received the support largely of both political parties. The thoughtful Democrats are becoming convinced that the University is well managed, and is doing a good work, which could easily be quadrupled with suitable aid. At the recent annual meeting of the trustees, Hon. Thomas J. Kirkpatrick, of Lynchburg, Va., appeared for the first time, and at the close made very impressive remarks as a representative of the old slave-holders. He was an officer in the Confederate army, and is an elder in the Southern Presbyterian church. He pledged a hearty co-operation in our work, and declared the negro race to be a noble race and deserving of all that could be done for it. This brought to his feet another trustee, Frederick Douglass, the famous colored orator, now marshal of the district, who responded with great eloquence and pathos, and as an ex-slave cordially welcomed the ex-slave-holder to the common work of sustaining Howard University as a grand instrumentality for elevating the oppressed negro race. The scene was touching in the extreme, and ended with a prayer of thanksgiving by Bishop Brown, of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Theological Department, which has been for the last two years largely supported by the Am. Miss’y Association, closed its educational year on the 30th ult. The theological students have numbered forty-two, being eleven more than the previous year. Their number would have been still further increased could we have aided sufficiently all who were desirous of coming. Endowed and annual scholarships are a sore need of this as of kindred institutions. The young men have come from seven denominations of Christians, into each of which the leaven of intelligence and purity is thus being introduced. They have applied themselves well, and show commendable improvement. The most of them, not having enjoyed a training in Greek and Latin, are fitted for usefulness among the Freedmen by a prolonged English course of study; others take the full course pursued in any theological seminary. This year a class of seven studied Hebrew, and acquitted themselves most creditably. The anniversary exercises were held in the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian church (colored), a new and tasteful edifice, which was filled with an interested audience of both races, including several clergymen and Judge Strong of the Supreme Court of the United States. Four young men who had completed their course of study delivered orations. A Bible was presented to each by the President of the District Bible Society, and an admirable closing address was made to the students by Rev. Mr. Dinwiddie, of Alexandria, Va. Three of the young men go immediately to the care of churches which await them.
The indications are of a still fuller theological class next fall, the term beginning September 10th.