The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-31


my mind went back instantly 10 the most momeu ton s
crisis through which this College has ever passed,
| within the memory Of the Oldest graduate now
| living. III was the year lSi7--the year in which
Pres dent Dwight died Never, except in the
ease of the death Of Washington, has any
event smote npon the heart Of the com munity
| like the death of that great man. Aud for
myself must say that felt as if must come in
stanty upon this ground, and stand IA would over
the corpse of my own father. As as it could
be, the whole cery Of this State assembled, and we
stood around the remains of that great man, then
/ placid in death, and feeling, every one OF us,
my father, my father. the chariot OF Israel
| and the horseman thereof; and we saw hlm
no more" But the great question in every
| heart was, who shall take bis place; upon
whom shall the mantle descend Rut Pro Videnee,
| who watched over the institution provided, n Dr.
Adams beautifully alluded, head for the IN
stuiion, and for thirty years VIC walked under ms
serene light. But, sir, there was Vacancy to DO
| filed. The fame of Dr.. Dwight hal been chiefly
Chapel, now the Lyoeum.) Professor sillimau,
| you remember that a letter OF coincidence was
addressed here, by gentleman Of the South
| ern States, and it contained the advice to
publish in the papers that the College should not be
closed, and that we would try to 90 on although Or.
Dwight dead. Such was the feeling Of this time.
| And now his place was to be filled, and some one
to 60 through that crcut of theology after him
| The corporation choose young man twenty seven
| years Of age, difident even to bashfuness and
wonder how he ever came to accept, except that he
| was too difdent to decline. (Laughtcr) Oh there
is one day which no other prOfe ssiona man knows
Of, and that is the day Of his ordination well re-
member that day, when the Moderator Of the Coun.
ell said to me, "Now you are to stand still. and let
| ,is lay mountain upon your heart" AMI then,
eighteen months after Icame with the other corgV Of
the State, to lay mountain upon the heart OF Or.
Fitch; and would not for the universe feel the bit
terhess, and terror. and anxiety of that man. He
sunk under it SO, that for months he entirely gus
pended his duties, but at last resumed them. And
remember well that he told me til en- thing, which
ia hp Kew q
President Edwards life, 81 remember that be said,
be had no talent for conversation or social inter
course; his whole talent lay in working out trains
Of thought with his PEN" Fitch said that il was
cmphaicaliy true, that if be was ever 6o servo the
College, that must be his way; he could do no more
We might use the language of Bnrke, OF hi,n' "He
God who quarrels with the imperteetons Of
man You could not expect more of this ~ In
10 the FIRST place, no was an eminent biblical
scholar; be studied under Professor Stuart Mt time
when be infused 81 the ardor and enthusiasm of his
mind into his pupils. liz used to be- said, if you
want TO buy Hebrew bible remarkably cheap, APP
ply TO a young man three years cut Of the seminary
Dr. Fitch did eel bis Hebrew bible, and If you
ask me now where is a man who VIII grappe WITH
an obscure passage, and read out its moaning,
poin'you Eleazor L. Fitch, And be is preacher.
Dir Fitch mites two qualities OF mind, that of the
philosopher, and that of the poet. His philosophy
is that OF abstract relations, quality Of ahse he
carried the whole force into theology. He mad ex-
| noidirary ncutepess and wonderful taot in dis
| covering fallaces, that enabled him TO lay
hold of train Of thought and pursue ii
| to rs fmthcrest analysis without loosing its
extraordinary address in the abstraotionns Of
| logic. He had luminous method that brought
the whole current of his ideas to bear upon
his subject and TINT was the GROWING excellence
| indeed, of his genius. Every effort of his was
closed with beautiful oratorcal, poetical thought.
giving force and mpressiveness to whatever he hnd
established. The younger classes could not always
60 with; him but there a conviction that there
was ability, ard that he had proven what he
undertook to ascertain.
Hisstylc was SO simple, clear and pointed, that
it had the terseness Of Junius, and the beautiful
| flow Of Addison. perfect model for
| preacher ] know not; cannot but believe tina.
that absence Of pomp and show in the productions Of
our students is in no small degree TO be ascrbed to
| the Unconscious influence of DR.. Fitch. We know
! the wanderers of vice. In 1923, in that lit
| tie chapel, gunpOwder was placed under the
Professors seat; and at midnight toe chapel
was blown to pieces. All the front part was blown
down, and the windows blown ont. 1t is the prin-
! cple here never to give up the ship. Next morn
ing was the Sabbath, and the College assembled
in the chapel, at o'clock, to prayers; and at 10
O'Clock, we were seated, with our families, in the
| bleak exposure. When the text came out, Have
fellowship with the unfrutful works of darkness,
| hut rather reprove them" we and the blows came
our preacher and proud of College. Now,
have not been pronouncing enlogy; have been
simply stating facts. have wished, since his in
creasiDg ipfrmities have compelled him to decline,
1
| connection may not be entirely discontinued; and
| the corporation have requested the same. They
have requested him to deliver that course Of ho-
milectics, Of which may say that n distinguished
President Of another College has, after examining
it, with view to pr epare his own, pronounced per-
feet, and has adopted its plan
Professor Goodrich continued this admirable
| speech to n further extent than you will permit
me to report, and made solemn statement Of the
necessity of the enlargement Of the salaries Of
the professors-how could they ask man for ST. lao
| year to fill the place Of DIR. Dwight!
The fourth resolution was one of welcome to gra-
duates Of other colleges, and Professor Silliman,
always sparkling, responded, giving various Incl.
dents in his recollection during fonr Presdencies Of
the College, and during oil the Presidencies OF the
United States. He mentioned that it was his deli
berate conviction, after . former and a recent ex-
animation Of the University Of Oxford, that this
College required more than Oxford to make Bache-
DR.. Thornwall, President of the College Of South
Carolina, and DR. Sturtcvant, President Of Illinois
| College, both made interesting speeches, and the
the meeting adjourned, after 1t had held for three
and half hours.
OF tho other proceedings of the day, Nv will, give
you an account in my next. VIAToR.
NEW HAVEN, July %, 1852.
Commencement Day in Ncsr Harc,
We have as fine day as the graduating class
could wish, if they were even more anxious to
graduate auspiciously. The Dir has been cooled by
rain, ana gentle WIND Stlrs the fohage OF the no.
bic trees that overshadov this house, and give me
"dissoving views Of the beautiful picture Of the
green before, with its churches, and the State
House glttering in the sun, and thrown into relief
by the wall oftrees behind it, which stand in the
college yard, and almost conceal that Of brick
parallelograms. ] confess my partality for rural
elegance, even in hotel, and perhaps it was be-
GAUGE was SO pleasantly placed that have en-
joyed Commencement. week so much. The long
| procession has just marched into the church.
| At the head Of 1t were the lower Glasses in
college. then the graduating class, which was fol-
lowed by Dodworth's cornet band; next Game the
President in his scholars robes, supported by the
| Lieut.. Gov. Of the State. and the Sheriff OF New
| Haven, md then followed line of venerable men,
| who graduated more than fifty years ago, and go
down to those who had graduated only last year.
The church was not so crowded as il hos been in
Il L l.. -