The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-07
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT.
OUR BURLINGTON CORRESPONDENTS


OUR BURLINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
BURLINGTON, August 3, 1859.
Your correspondent arrived in this beautiful vii
lage day or two SINCE in time to attend the fifty.
fifth annual Commencement exercises of the Uni
versity of Vermont, now proceeding.
This village is justly considered the most beautj
full in New England, both as regards beauty of 10
cation and picturesque scenery about it. Its loca.
ton is certainly unsurpassed in beauty by any other
town that have seen.
It lies on the east shore Of Burlington bay,
looking toward Lake Champlan on the west, aud
occupies gentle declivity, descending to the
waters edge. The principal streets run east and
west being intersected at right angles with
numerous streets running north and south, on
which are many fine private edifces, that
the village is cut into regular squares. There ap
pears to be good deal of business done here, and
everything wears thrifty look
There is very fine town hall east of the square
which, in an architectural point of view reflects
great honor on the designer. There are also a
court house and custom house, both of which are
ornaments to the town. The University buildings
consist of four spacious edices, located upon the
summit of the hill, about mile from the lake.
They are in the eastern portion of the village AMI
stand some two hundred and fifty feet above the
surface of the water They command prospect OF
surprising loneliness. The view from the
dome Of the centre University building
embraces the village, with its streets and
squares thronged with people and wagons-the
lake, studded with rocky islands, covered to the
summit with stunted pines, and rejecting from its
glossy surface the skies and numerous sails its
steamboats, and -Winooski village beauti-
full hamlet-Winooski river, rushing and dashing
through deep chasms and rocky gorges, and then
peacefully winding through verdant meadows until
its waters flow into Lake Champlain. At the north,
and more remote, are hills, dales farms and wood
land, and finally the whole framed in by circuit of
lofty mountains, melting away in the distance, whose
shadOwy submits are s0ftened by clouds.
This grand outline renders the prospect one of the
most beautiful and interesting that the country
affords.
The Commencement exercises opened last Sun
day, July 81, by sermon, delivered before the
graduating class, by Rev. DR.. Calvin Pease, the
President of the institution. This production
alike evincng the doctors profound ability and
scholarly research On Sunday evening the Rev.
Thomas Hill, of Waltham, Mass, delivered beanti-
full discourse, taken from the text: Whom, there
fore, ye ignoranty worship, Him declare unto
you" (Acts xvii 23)
On Tuesday morning, August 2, the Rev. l.. P.
Hicock DID,, of Union College, delivered an ad-
mrable Grafton before the Phi Beta Kappa Society;
Hon. George P. Marsh, President of the society,
presided. DR.. Hicocks theme was: 1.-The Living
Activity of Thinking Men," which he treated in an
eminently clear and able manner. 1t was delivered
with great energy and emphasis:
This was followed by poem by William H. Bur-
leigh, ESQ.,, of Albany. He announced the title of
his poem as The Poets Mission: A Rhyming Med
ley.'' Mr.. Burleighs poem was, by turns, witty
and pathetic, sarcastic and eloquent, and was evi
IDENTIFY received with great favor by the unusually
Mr. George " .Ms auu'enoe -" lors' presided
az aul hAe q music. and al '"''''A'' ''' w
In the afternoon the annual celebration of the
| literary societies was held George w. Curtis, OF
New York. delivered an Grafton, selecting for his
subject 1.-The American Principle" Mr. Curtis ad-
vanced many new ideas, and his effort was consi.
dered as great success. I. B. .Aldrich, of New
York. followed, with his poem, entitled king and
the Clown" 1t was very beautiful efiusion, but
VAS somewhat marred by the delivery
The Junior exhibition came off in the evening.
The church in which it was held was crowded to
sufiocation The fair ones of Burlington were out
in full force, and sboweIed upon their favorites the
choicest bouquets. The heat was so great in the
church that did not remain long; but, from what
heard, may say that the oratorical display was
equal to that of any similar occasion In any college
of the land.
Wednesday the Sd, was Commencement day pro-
per. The weather was intensely hot and sultry
with hardly breath of air stirring to moilify the
extreme heat The town thrOnged with stran
gers, and the church in which the exercises were
held was crowded to suffocation the ladies forming
a majority of the audience. The following was the
order OF exercises
Growth OF Englsn Imaginative Ltera.ure-wm spald.
Ing 7au
Nations Literature its Bsst Memoral-Henry e
Barnard.
The Perfection of Social Progress-Cbares Crane
English Lite ature indebted TO the Greek-Joshus G.
Whitney.
The Educating Inauence OF Archi.ecture-T. " Hop
knc
The True Glory Of Nation--J. q Baxter
The Iini. OF our OblPss ors 10 hs Past-L Coburn.
The Thinker snd the worksr-M L. Tempieton.
Rdicuie-- Henry II Hammond
The Mooern Idea Of Juesce-wil.m @. Stacey
America as q Field for Eoquencs-C. D. Swasey.
The Nsjesty OF Law--Ed. Serrill.
The Promise OF Inc Nineteenth Century-Cbares E
Allen.
R.i!orsli.m Irratcnal-Afred 9. Ballard.
A Congress OF Naons-Frederiok ". rerrill
Political Integsny- William Narfs.
Philosophy Corrected by Common sense-J NJ Thacber.
Philanthropy, the True Test OF Progress-Edward Q.
Rate.
freedom in Ooedepce-John l. Gilbert
Aesthetic Cuture-Hnam H Hall
spn ID sS9 and rsaps astsrs
John Flanders
The respective speakers with one or two
exceptions, manifested good deal Of ability,
both as regards style and substance; ~ The de.
livery was faulty in many respects. There was
a noticeable lack of culture OF the voice, while
ihe gestures were angular and still The fol-
lowing degrees were conferred L. l.. d. (honora
ry) on Governor Hiland Hall of Vermont, and on
Edwin d. Sanborn, of Dartmouth College. ID.
Qonorary) on Rev. Sewell s. Cutting, of Roches-
ter College, and on Rev. Joseph Tracey, of Boston,
Mass The honorary degree of Master of Arts was
conferred on Orange Smith, of Chicago; benjamin.
s. Nichols, of Whitehall; John H. Graham, of Ca
NADIA East, and Charles Dana, of Boston, Five de-
grees Of A. NJ. lin course) were conferred on five
gentlemen those of NJ. d. Tin co1rse) on nineteen.
The annual corporation dinner was gotten up ut
the American Hotel by that first class caterer, l.. 5.
Drew. The speeches after dinner, made by Judge
Culver, of Brooklyn; President Hckock of Union
College, and others, were supremely dull and
profitable. The only element of success of the af
fair was the dinner proper, which was success
that would have reflected honor on Delmonico
himself
In the evening the Faculty held levee at the
college, which was well attended. The rooms were
lastly arranged and adorned with magnificent
bouquets and pyramids of rare and beautiful flow
ers. whose odor pervaded the room.
There was also ball at the American Hotel
under the auspices of the graduating class. There
were assembled in the ball room rare company
of beautiful women never met so many together
before, and am inclined to think that New Eng