New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-01
FESTIVAL OF THE ALUMNI OF CO
LUMBIA COLLEGE.


The snrus mce;irg snd festival Of The graduates Z
Couu bs college came of ys terday. AL er me Snnas'
meeting for The transaction OF business TIE annual
sddress was d.Iiveed in Hope cbspel BY Prof HENRY
| JANIS ASDTRsoy. he chose for bis subject, " me
college Urit, Alma Ns;eI et Alumni" TITS Ell ,n
did TIE speaker much honr for its orisidslity, ri
~ gerisl good feeirg. After clog TO the friendly
reIaious which have for 80 long time existed be-
| TWEEN the teaches and the taught, in tee hono'ed
| Institution which they all claimsd as dear
| parent, and retrirg with much feeling to
tie eyer.rescy wjLf GEES Of The sons TO overlook
any inequalities OF Discipline unntended part shaes
in their old collegiate mother lie procee ed % pay an
eloquent tribute to the merits and to make most hoo
orable meI ton of tbs la6ors of Professor Renwck ami
his associates. The whole address was eloquent and
heppy. end was received with much favor by the as
sembd sons Of old Columbia, but was too lengthy TO
us TO live even q condensation.
The poem was delivered by S. Weir Roosevelt esq
ard We afford by the following extracts fair sample
tf its uenohapt wit The poet chose for his subject,
The Age of Prose- sad with regard to the utiiit s-
isnism Of II age, disoourses as follows:
| Now saw-ns graf. in every fIest nook,
! Now spine 2 hum b. size each mountain brook
| Ibroueh vi Gin forests locomotives wall,
! Aud prsrie flowers ru-bei beleath the rail-
| Where ocean ruled 80 trackless once and free,
| The eye of prose STA ks forth aud maps the sea,
And the swift ligh'bipg-ouce celestial hfe-
| Does drudgery, In harness on wire
| W hiie pa'ents I'LL the air, bestride the wave,
! AID dog us from tie cradle 10 the gave;
| Machines that r OK asleep our infant cry,
| Machines that wait upon our latest Ssh.
| We wat by telegraph our loves young dream
! Live by machipeTy, and die by steam
TIE spirrsppnss also receive hit after the follow
ing style:
! T. osaic after desth, our spirits then
! Invent machinery to talk with men,
| An6, raj ping hom the world beyond disclose
| Nee depths OF dullss IS al eternal prose.
| No more the fairy queen, " in times of night,
| {" Is ull.d 10 flow ers wi b dances aud delight
| No elves by moonlight tread their dusky round,
And trsce green circles on the dew-dropped ground
No spooks haunt churchy ards, and no corpsslghls
No goblin checks the butter in the churn
| An0 young America DoS laughs to scorn
| Tie eooo old devil. with bis tail and horn
| Poetic folies OF younger age!
| We DE- al in 'acts, more prosy and less sage;
| For Shakespesres spirit yisits ear h to tell
liov be and Washington are very veil;
| And LiDdey Murray, from the body Free
! Can't make his verbs and DomiD atves agree;
| Ben FrsDs lin rars an idiotic dream.
| And Webster scrawls vile tvaddle by the rean;
| That splendid bnsve, Lord Bacon, hiss turned fso
| And PENIS great soul is busy keeping school;
| Well may the hring poet heave sigh
| To think his spirit, coping from the sky
wien he Is CedQ can rap III mortal eau
| Bad rhy mes end vretched metre on wall
| Well may the hero shudder ia d spar
| Whose soul can choose to anima @ a chair;
| And the great statesman sinking in the tomb
To rise and wheel table round room.
Who XII ows how we, too must Join these hosts
| OF sil dull, disreputAble ghosts
How soon our friends and relatives must shed
| Some decent tears, and cut our spirits dead
And who will work for character or fame,
| If his own ghost can ruin bis good name
Otherte ing hits at things Of the day we might
quote, but lack Of space foroids BY the kind atten
ton of Mr. Hewitt chairman of the committee of ar.
rasgements we are enabled to give an abstract of
the proceedings at the festival, which came off a.
| Peteilers saloon The toas's were:
l. Our Anna Ms'er.
| RESPONDED TO by President KING.
The surviving eI presidents Of Columbia college.
ExpreedeDt VIM. A. DUER responded 10 this IN q
| few happy and appropriate remarks
s. The alumni and thu ii influence upon the college"
Mr.. BEsJAMIs AYCRIGG, being called upon, said q
| few wor6s, after which he proposed
abe orator sno poet 1t an age of prose- but req1e
poet TO do il justice
MIR RosEyELT, the poet OF the evening replied.
The and faculty Of che college Assured OF the
support Of the alumni they bss1 sn deep the f1und
son' Ct learning ard make aims mater worthy of her end'"
Responded TO by Prof AND ERsoS, the orator of the
| night
| E. Tn. Learned Professions
| To the last sentiment Mr. RUSSELL responded in
| brief.
number Of volunteer toass were offered and some
| further spe eches were made. The anniversary
celebr ated with the eatest harmony, and all were
highly pleased with this annual reunion Of the Sons Of
! Old Columbia.
At tie business meeting preceding the festival, Mr.
Robert Kelly was reelected president.