The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-21
A VISIT TO raE CIFYaP ELMs.

| hhoNSh - AOds
To tAe Editor of the National Era:
DEAR Sir A visit to the City Of Films" nigh
not, aud a college commencement could not, b.
such novelty to you as to your novice of cor
! respondent But any heart that has ever throbbe,
within the shadow of "old Yale will perhap
welcome a stray echo from her halls
As = prelude 70 our introduction TO this queer
Of New England colleges, We-nOt the eddoTi0
| I'VE, p but the heterogeneous WEI Of the rail
road cars-were jostled in most unceremoniou
style into the thick darkness Of the New Haver
station-house. A foreigner might suppose at frs
glance, that the New Haveners had retained 8,
much Of the conservatism Of the old "Blu,
LAws,n as to scorn the "modern innovation O
railroads, and that, thus disdaining all compan
ionshiu with the resistless steam giant they has
hewn his pathway beneath their feet, and givei
him his den in q " cave Of the EARTH The simpl
~ '~-~-y = ~ 49, AbxaNsh ~ st.
the bed Of an old and long since drsined canal
much to the comfort and safety Of all nervous
steeds and unwsry children-and Of course il,
landing-plsce must be on the same level Of infe
riority to the "upper eityn The sudden trans
ition from mid day to id-night was quite start
ling, and reminded one ludicrously Of the old
stories Of Eueas stumbling his way into Tar.
tarus, Dante descending into "LInferno," &c
The din Of direful sounds in this subterranean
receptacle rather served to confirm the associa-
ton Of fsncies. Whix, whistle, and shrek, from
the iron-throsted monster-shout scream, and
crash, from his human rivals, undistinguishable
amid the gloom, made up a most deafening, un-
earthly, or rather Us-earthly medley Of discords
Cropping our way out Of Mother Earth's en-
brace as best we could, we soon greeted the sun
again, where he smiled upon fair city-fairer
still in the radiance and beauty the imaginings Of
our youth had lent it.
1.-THE elms Of New Haven 7" | scarcely know
when first learned 10 dream Of tAem. Some one
says that Willis has immortS!ized themD They
will immortalize him. perhaps at least, they will
whisper his name as long as they rustic leaf to
the breeze But ! heard, also, Bryant's grave,
earnest voice repeat, "The groves were Gods
first templesn Surely that forest.hymnp must
have been breatbed into the aisles Of some such
cathedral Of green as this, where worship seems
to fall upon the soul with every waving leaf
shadow
Our first exploring tour was in the direction Of
the college-green, the nucleus Of attraction at
that hour for there, under the shadow of huge
umbrella-like tent, the grave and gay Alumni
were reviving the associations or student life
We turned aside for a brief, tsussiixirg glance
gIed with the Jewels Of geology. s-1sess nopeuess
look at the hard names" Of nay brilliant favor
ties Of the mineral race, too technical for any
|
rocks and hills The most striking-though the
most neutrality-suspicious. of the whole, 20 me, was
| a shapeless meteoric mass, weighing some hun.
dreds of pounds brought thither from Texas.
gazed on il with touch Of the same halfsuper.
stitious wonder with which, when child, used
10 look on a falling starr What secrets of the
universe could that dumb block ,ell, If life and
speech were breathed into its grim shapelessness
But the moments were flying, and | reluctantly
left, carrying away only confused, anonymous
impressions OF grandeur and beauty, Of the ON.
impotence of the Creator, and the enthusiastic in.
dustry of the beings He has created.
The tent Before we reached It's shade, we met
with many pleasant little Interruptions, for one Of
our party was a son Of "Yalen and his foster.
brethren clustered around him, as only collegiani
and boarding school girls can cluster. Oh II
does warm ones heart to catch the comical start
Of surprise to see the merry, perhaps the rough
hand shake and hear the wild, ringing peal Of
laughter to the suddenly awakened remembrance
of some cherished scrape, when "we were boys
together,n as these old friends meet and greet
One orator Of the morning had just seated him
self, amid shouts Of applause, as we reached the
outermost circle Of the dense crowd under canvass
The tumult was renewed In another moment, for
the laughter. breathing "Rchelieu,n Of the Tn.
bne was on his feet, and the multitude waited not
for his first witicsm to laugh Scarcely, indeed,
1 could an entire sentence be distinguished,
throughout his short, finland speech, for the
merriment which shook the tent As Robinson
bowed his last the call echoed from centre 10 cir.
cumference-" Mitchell, Mitchell!n Oh, to be
six feet tall for single second What woman,
with woman's curiosity, who has ever peeped into
{" Reveries of a Bachelor" would not run any
triAl3g risk for glimpse Of the fsnciful child.
hearted ok Marvel ~ But TX Marvel wai
dumb; perhaps he had absented himself before
his hour came, and we walked more contentedly
away, with the tones Of the greeting hymn
swelling on our ears.
"Three o'clockr ushered IN the theological
anniversary exercises, which deserve fuller de
scription than | can here give them. Besides thu
elaborated, abstruse dissertations upon subjects
A purely theological we had an animated essay com
| memorative Of Jesuit missions 70 the heather,
in which the jealous fraternity w<~e3agsd rathel
as a band OF enthusiasts ,shhn Of &fIJG lbeompro
msers with truth and duty, and most eloquen
harangue on most unexpected theme" TIL
Political Duties Of Christisnsp
ri would have thrilled your heart, II woul'
haze thrilled any true patriots heart with joy, Il
see true-souled SON Of "0ld Massachusetts
dare to rise up before the grave, gray-hesded mel
Of too conservative age, and modestly logically
j and warmly plead the Christians right TO heart
heard the speech applauded rs the gem Of th'
exercises by many who would deem its argu
ment mere fallacy; for the speaker coui4 not BIZ
be thrilling in his eloquence-it was the eioquenc
OF the trwh and Of the heart. One OF his ciosinl
appeals must try 10 transcribe m me sPirH, 81
though may not be successful IN recollecting TN
precise words Of the author. He had been com
, Mating the cry Of disunion," and wound Vi
thus:
!, "Tax every blade Of grass that grows upoi
our hills, tau every drop OF every stream ina
sparkles on our plains tax every whiriing spin
do that points up from our thousand msnuiaoto
ries and we will still cry, Union now and UHio'
!, foreuey :! but a tax upon the hfe-blood OF ou
; hearts our humanity HetsFip lsaw the benevo
: lent countenance Of one good Doctor OF Divini
Nv light up with approval and appreciation, an
! 4 could but thank God that the college ana 20
: church OF Connecticut have stu VOICE TOT I'd
\ Higher Law"
n This same Law presented Itself again 70 on
notice In the evening Discourse Oh Daniel Lore
q Esa, In quite a different light. ~Ine ruipi
4 and the Bar, In their Relations 70 society, va
; his theme. The society addressed Was the I'm
e Beta Kappa,n over whose mysterious Greek ona,
acters upon q watch-key used TO puzzle myse
soreiy. In little girlbood. The subject ana sly
were worthy Of an L. l. D.--the oratory MARE
a by the elevation OF the speakers paper 10 such
way as TO completely veil his face from his foste
' brethren Il could hardly be that he wa
!. ashamed Of certain episode, wherein he Midi.
n sravely. ard no doubt oonscientiously, rebuks
> the poor. belabored clergymen Of America (sur
!, az attack from conservatives and radicAls) II
!. hurling their united influence against the onl
- Al II. u. IhafF