New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-18
COMMENCEMENT At AMHERST.

nsoaE.xns ~ Holyoke, Tom, Norwotsuck snd Sugar
L>sf the views from which hardly surpassed by
any otker IN .bs country, certainly not in variety and
axtis.ic beauty. The view Of the whole Connecticut
valley for number oe miles either way, is almost IN
Sescnbsile, while the meadows on the hps between
Northampton and Hsdley resemble rich tspestried
cspst vsregs.ed in color and beautiful at this season
THE year, when fresh and new. The drives around
Anbsrst are very attractive and the richness OF the
ssensrv makes il 10 strangers full of fascination. This
year quite number from the cities have been spend
ing week two here visiting t places OF interest,
hat party excursions have been quite numerous
We opl peed here accommodations and well kept
hotel r. rnske Amherst place Of considerable Sum-
er resort We have two hotels at present, out both
are Old and only second.cass houses, incapable OF
affoyaing peassnt and attractive coIanodatoDs; aud
NATL larger spirit Of enterprise is evoked, we will
never attain this great desdera.um. What was for
nsrly the common ia being laid out into hand
some park, With fountain in 1T, and II PROMISES
when finished 10 add much to the beauty OF the place.
The Commencement Exercises this year began, as s
customary, with the Bsccslsureate Sermon by Pfesl-
dent Stesrns The day Was all thst could be desired
clear, yet not uncomfortably hot, while the steady
breeze of pure mountain air made every one feel
we'll. The sermon this year was almost universally
conceded to be the best the President ever preached
On such an occasion His text in I'd Peter, i, 81
add 10 your faith, virtue" He exhibited the full
meaning Of the word virtue, here used, showing
9Ay should be cultivated and by what means attain
cd II sbouDded in copous illustration and was aten-
Jecy to the grad uatng class earnest practical and
appropriate. AL were pleased with the Sermon while
the students thought still more Of their Increasingly
popular President On Monday evening came the prlze
declsmatOns of the Freshmen and Sophomore Glasses
Five from each Of these classes spoke and evinced
unusual amount Of discipline and merit. The pieces
this year were too many OF them OF tragic charac'
Ger, exhibiting greater dramatic power than real
t0rca force. The selection OF pieces the only thing
have TO find fault with. 1t in this respect that
some Of the speakers this year failed while, per-
addition 0ba0rVAbe
growing taste for the dramatic In preference to the
esTnest and unpretendng, yet nevertheless superior
style Of prose defamation. The awarding OF the
prizes was not altogether satisfactory as seldom s
This 10 owing to the difficulty of comparing the der.
snt kinds Of defamation before referred to- On Tues.
dsy evening, the Rev. Professor Phelps, d. ID. Of
Andover delivered the address before the Society OF
Inquiry. His subject The Law OF Decay IN Hu-
man Affairs. 1t was an able, scholarly address, and
uell adapted to the occasion But our time forbids
apy extended notice of the production. On Wednes |
day morning Wendell Philips esq, of Boston, ad- |
dressed the literary societies The church was densey
crowded and every svailsble space for standing occu'
ned His subject was, The Education o. the Peo- |
pIe." For more than an hour he held the immense
audience in the closest attention As he delivered the
sse address in other places, We fobesr 10 make any
thing like report of II, 10 the afternoon, Dr. Nshe'
miab Adams delivered the Grafton before the PIN Beta
Kappa Society HE theme "The Family OF States
Il wa quite tame and common-pia address
Neither the subject nor the treatment OF u was new
while failed interest the listeners we heo en-
pected something entirely diierent and Tor cergyInen
when addrs ssng literary societies, 1t ls a"ays the
best policy 70 give purely literary address, aud not
attempt 70 get of literary ora,OG ~,sa ,ona u
concord The orator lebored under some dis-
advantage by succeeding the address OF sucn speaker
as PHILIPPE. The commencement concert 10 lhs even
ing by Dodworth's Band was an unusually goou one
Th e. after all one OF the most attractive exercises
Of the week Ii Is item of Importance to the grad
ustng class that the concert should be pecuhaIy as
veal an uuscsl success and this year they certainly
Altar the concert the Secret SOClcDeb
had their annual reunions, with the customary en-
thrAiasm and no where do the Alumni, on reVisithS
THAR Alma Mater find heartier welcome or more
congenial time. The Delta Kappa Epsilon Society
dedicated their rev hall, which has Just been com
pleted Hon. Mr.. BuIiingsme, an old member OF lhe
fraternity was present. as was afo ms eAcen1nuy uot
BankA. The occasion was one OF unusus ln.eIest
both TO the Alumni of the Society and TO the acting
members. The Society has been rapi1y gaeine
ground the last three years ana now oLS Cs, u se
argest and Abest though the Youngest OF our College
Secrs. fraternes. On Thursday the exercises OF tis
graduating class took place. The day commenced
with heavy fall Of rain, with promise OF storm,
but it cleared of about O'Clock, rendering the sf
cooler, but the walking quite muddy
The church was crowded to its utmost. Inc eAsr-
oises passed OF wen and many Of the pieces hsd
high order of merit. The one on Mystery, by jas.
D.Wlscp, Possessed more than ordinary msrlt. " The
Suggestive" by Joseph Clark, and Symbols, by h.
T. Gardner, were also very hne. The Ssiutatory was
well delivered, and quite witty, but, being in Latin,
could hardly be appreciated except by the students
The Vaedic,ory Grafton possessed an unusual mert OF
thought and good taste. II was decided improve
nent on those usually given. There was however, IN
these orstious too much sameness-not enough of va
rety and life. There nothing witty, nothing even
TO provoke q smile, except the Sautstory This s the
trouble with all commencemsnts, and Is parity at
trbutabe 10 our system of College rank, by which
not the best speakers ana writers get appointments
for the siagebu only the best scholars Inus the very
dryes and most uninteresting Of speakers come on,
because by faculty books they have marked high This
closed the exercises Of commencement for 1888 The
two new Halls Of the public societies, Athenis
and Alexandria attracted much after .Tae former Is
elegantly papered in French style In imstion of oak,
and the ceiling IN frescoe colors, while the hall ls
wanscoted and grained like oak 1t is finished in
great taste and elegance. The other hall is merely
Coarsely frescoed with the most gaudy coors for
the ceiling. Both Societies are waiting nos for their
Alumni 70 aid them the furnishing Of the halls, and
when finished they promise to be surpassed by none,
except those at Yale. The attendance OF Alumni was
not yerv large. was resolved TO complete the Lii
brary fund before July 1859. This has been the bug
hear 10 ol Alumni for q number OF years, and nov
We hope the amount needed Will oe reslLeo. lne
Rev. DR.. K ID. Hitchcock OF New York wa: chosen
Oresor for next commencement and Prof. +. A. March
Of Esston Ps., substitute. The Rev. Juhus III.
Essle, has been appointed Professor Of Intellectual
and hrrl Philosophy IN place OF Prot haven VINO
has resigned. Mr.. Seeley accepts the appointment,
md viii sntsr ON As duties next term Nearly all the
,tudents re pleased with his appointment and much
Ia expecte<t from him, especially by the senior class,
who viii fna ENJOY his Instructions The Lsnn Pro;
Ssssorship-ar 20 many years vac eant-hss been filed
Nv the sppoi. tment Of Mr.. +. L. Crowen, formerly
tutor here. TIE appointment Was perhaps the best
tbs, could be iasde under the circumstance but II
vouA have bsen more judicicus TO have appointed
some one older an more experienced, and who would
brig 70 the college considerable reputation The
faculty is already too full OF young professors,
aams OF those older and more eIpsnenced
The degree OF Doctor Of Divinity was conferred
a the Rev Jo.athsn Bryce of Milford Conn, the
Rev. Robert D4wen Of Enfield, the Rev. Ezekiel
Ras..ll Of Est Randolph. The Hon. Wm. B. Cal
Acun cf eprns6ed received the decree Of Doctor OF