The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-25
LETTER FROM CONNECTICUT.
MIDDLETowN, CT, august 3, 1853.

|
men are gathered here to celebrate the ami
versary exercises of one of those noble institu-
tons, of which New England boasts so many.
For more than twenty years, the Wesleyan
University has b>nnDe4 successful operation,
and has sent forth its proportion Of improving
| influences on the world. IL is under the pa
| tronage las its name imports) Of the Methodist
| Episcopal Church, and is their only college in
the Eastern States The institution sustained
a severe loss, two years since, in the death of
its distinguished president DIR. DIN. The con-
| dition of the College is now very hopeful, I'M
der the charge of DIR. Smith, formerly professor
of mathematics and astronomy. He is an &C
complished scholar, a thorough gentleman,
judicous officer and disciplinarian Under his
| popular administration the affairs Of the insti-
ton are assuming more promising aspect
than before for many years.
| have spoken of Middletown as beauti-
full city, and so it is. The place is small, and
seems to have reached its little maturity years
ago. There is not very much business carried
on in the city, nor is there so much of that
thrifty, growing appearance, which character
ICES many another place up and down this val
| ley. There is an air Of repose in its fine old
establishments-its dwellings, empowered in
dense groves of trees, and it's deeply shaded
streets, which make one think of literary
leisure, learned retirement, and academic re-
treat Indeed, this city in the forest is the
most delightful spot for seat of learning that
can well be conceived Of Would that could
say 80 much for the moral beauty of their re-
gOn Their land of steady habits seems
| to make good its name only in steadily stand
| ing still, ~ far as social reformation is con-
cerned On temperance and almost all other
great reforms, Connecticut seems TO be far be-
hind all the rest of New England perhaps of
the whole country. Coming from Massachu-
setts one is struck with the change in the sem
timents and moral aspects of the community.
The people evidently inquire for the old
| paths" but to say they "tcalk in them" would
be palpably wrong; the most that can be said
is, that they stand in them.
New Hampshire is regarded as the most
wicked state of our six; but Connecticut seems
politically and morally the most inert. Still
there are great hopes for Connecticut Her
tone of public sentiment is gradually sofsening
and becoming more liberal. her elections
show it and she may now begin to rank her
self within hailing distance of her sisters in
her votes for prohbtory liquor law, and
her expressed opinions on human freedom. Ii
takes time to wake up the people but when
you get them thoroughly aroused think they
will not easily drop asleep again. There are
not 50 many prominent men devoted to the
cause of human rights, as in Massachusetts !;
but the few who have taken this high position
may be relied on for every emergency, and for
any length of time They cannot he bought
nor sold. Such men as Gillette, and Boyd and
Baldwin, deserve the thanks Of the present
and will doubtless receive that Of the future.
| The anniversary exercises of the College
commenced on Sunday, with Baccalaureate
sermon, by Bishop Simpson. This was said, by
those who heard it, to be an eloquent and pow
erful production Monday evening, the lite
rary societies were addressed by f. P. Whip
pie, Esq, of Boston, and listened to poem by
Mr.. Shurber Of Worcester. 70 those acquaint-
ed with Mr.. Whipple either personally or by
his well-earned reputation, a. the first essayist
and lecturer in the country, there needs no
commentator Of the Grafton On this occasion
He spoke without notes for more than an hour
on tho Means and Conditions OF intellectual
Success" II was more elaborate and compac
than any previous address J have had thu
pleasure Of listening to from the same speaker
OF course it was less acceptable to lazy think
ers 1t was slightly metaphysical ain spots,
but, think, will not read less richly than any
4
obstacles to intellectual success were declared
to be incidence, conceit, and fear. To each OF
these the speaker administered tremendous
application of sarcasm, invective, and sound
common sense--bringing his artillery to bear
in very merciless manner. With admirable
irony he exposed the sympathy bestowed on
students who are always "killlng themselves
with too much study, but who are in no great
/ Aar from, Ton
cient man who can throw girdle of general.
cation around the universe in few moment b
of time, and who scorns the slow process OF
toilsome investigation by which other men
reach the truth, was appropriately noticed He
was not content to leave untouched the trivial
man who fears to venture out beyond what il
already known and familiarised When speak.
ing of progress in social aud political science,
he pretty distinctly limited possibility that
| Young America might hereafter drive Old Fo-
gydom to utter the cry so long condemned by
| the latter" Am ! not man and a brother p'
Mr.. Shurber is great man, physically; his
poem was great in the same way. But, not
wthstanding the length, it was we'll received,
and abounded in bright thoughts and sparkling
witticisms--some OF them capital hits. HIS
subject was Freedom" and very freely did he
i
reminds me of remark made yesterday by a
clerical friend, in describing one recently de-
livered in New York He said the subject was
"Susquehanna River" and the poem "was the
whole length of the stream"
Last evening Prof +. o. Haven, of Mcbi-
gan University, delivered the quadrennial ad
dress before the Eclectic Fraternity 1t was a
| fine, practical, and manly discussion, on the
l &C 81 Ioo al Act NIT NJ ha
Present Agc.O There were many new, and
some rather startling thoughts in it. The
speaker evidently believed in "good time
coming" like most other men Of the present
day; but he assured us that though the predi-
| lection IL now 70 common, yet II can hardly be
| found in all the vaccinations OF men previous
to two hundred years ago. Their good time,
| their golden age, was always in the past, With
the exception Of virgips polio" there is
| scarcely prophecy in classical antiquity Of
| such a future earthly condition. The orator
deemed this general conviction the prominent
| characteristic Of the present age He was in
favor Of "Young America" but would have
him well disciplined, and kept under bit and
bride.
The regular Commencement exercises have
taken place to-day The performances Of the
graduating class were highly creditabie to
those taking part There were, as usual, some
good, strong, earnest thoughts put forth, and
fewer foolish things than usual were said
The Baccalaureste degree was conferred on
twenty one members Of the graduating class.
The following members Of the class Of 1850 re-
ceived the degree of M. A. in course J. b.
Brooks N. J. Burton, l. Chase, T. b. Chandler,
A. J. Edgerton, B. F. Larrabce, w. Lawrence,
f. s. Lyon, T. b. Pearson, w. b. SLIDER, @. M.
Steele, w. s Studley, G. Stlman, j. B. Van
Petten, and J. Nj, Van Week. The honorary de-
gree of A. M. was conferred on Rev w. Rice,
Of Massachusetts,, and on several others; that
Of d. ID. on Rev. l.. Clark, MiddIctown, Conn.
Rev. Mr.. Frazer, New York, and Rev q. Web
Der, Maine. The Faculty Of the University
was increased by the election OF two new ad.
junct pr0fesors-A. y. Hand, Of the class OF