New-York tribune., 1867-04-30
THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.

side by side IN merit, Dut III respect Jo thc h-
tercst which they excite, and which is, though
springing from widely different causes, almost
the same among many hundreds OF thou-
sands of the same people, and of the best.
people i'm all classes of Great Britain. The
mania for hOrse-racing we may (and do) think
discreditable. The interest in rowing is al
most entirely free from the injurious
influences which cluster about the Grand Stand
at EPSON. There are some bets, but they are
mostly, We believe. small in amount, and do
not constitute, ~ in the case of the horse races.
the real occasion of the excitement. Rowing
is popular because it is q manly and healthful
sport while the University race concentrates
in itself every fascination which cngs about
the practice of this difficult and beautiful art.
The best blood and the best culture, as well
rs the best physical development of young
England go, frequently, if not always, to
the making of the two crews. The rivalry
of two great Universities is stimulated
by the contest. College tradition lends its
charm to the event of day which for twenty
years has almost annually recurred. And it is
true, as The Times says, that there IL no sport
in the world which affords a fairer trial oil the
finest qualities of manhood than q University
Boat Race. There must be marvellous skill,
patience, self-control. Above all, there must
be unlimited pluck and if there be one quality
in this world which an Englshman delights
in, which ne is proud to possess,
which he is eager to see displayed, it is pluck.
There is q profound respect for the capacity
and will to endure and there is probably no
way in the world in which so pitiless test of
pluck can be applied as in a great boat race.
The twenty minutes from Putney to M0rtlake
are seyerer strain upon the whole physical
strength OF sixteen men, upon every
muscle and fiber of every one OF them,
than any other competition or test, last
ing an equal length of time can possibly
demand victory in such a contest is thing
TO be proud Of. Many and many hundreds of
Oxford men would rather have rowed stroke
in the winning boat last Saturday fortnight
than be Senior Wrangler or First Classic. We
might say the same of the losers in this extra
ordinary race. Yesterday we printed full re-
port of il, and we do not see how anybody
can have read that narrative without keen
sympathy with the contestants or without
genuine respect for the dauntess courage with
which the beaten crew struggled on to the
end. 1t is about four miles and half from
bridge at Mortlake. The two boats were at no
moment during the race clear of each other
and Oxford finally won by about half Il
length. This will take its place with the mem
orable races of 1866 and 1860 when Cambridge
won by half length or that still more won
derful year in which Oxford won with seven
oars-a feat justly reckoned equivalent to half
dozen ordinary victories. You can scarcely
remind University man of an incident in En-
glish history which will stir him to create cx-
citement than this event elicts, and we remem-
Der to have heard one Of the most eminent men
in England more than half sincerely lament
how the not having rowed in University eight
had marred the completeness OF his life
We have not yet reached in America the
point to which English interest in rowing long
since attained Still less have our oarsmen
become the equals of the English in science.
When the scheme of sending an American
crew to the International Regatta at Paris was
started, we took the liberty To protest against
it, frankly assuring the gentlemen who planned
it that they had no chance of success Several
good friends and good oaIsmen objected TO
this and maintained, puckily enough, that
they were bound to go and try. The mistake
they made was in suppOsing they could come near
enough TO success TO excuse their attempt. We
felt bound to assure them that they could not
pull on anything like even terms with an
English University crew. As that is the truth,
it seemed better 10 tell it than TO encourage
false hopes for the sake of false sentiment
which would insist that because n thing is
American it is necessarily as good as anything
the Old World can produce. Our rowing men
ought 10 remember that in England this busi-
ness of pulling races has been sedalOusly pur-
sued BY college amateurs for forty years, while
in America tbs college ferattds aSc %tc Fun The
crude race pulled in 1863 on Lake WinipiseOgeein
New Hampshire, and that no serious effort was
made to improve either boats, OF the style of
rowing, or the training, lp many years after
that. All that is meritOriOus in our amateur
practice is hardly more than ter years old. Is
it reasonable to presume We have done as
pucb in ten yeats as the English in forty They
have experience, leisure, wealth, opportunity,
and an almost perfect knowledge Of
the theory and practice OF building and
rowing boats, as well as of training crews.
We cappOt compete with them in q
single one OF these particulars. We do not
even 60 70 work OD right system, but instead
of pro6ting BY the example and instruction
that could readily bs had from across the
water, onr clubs and colleges persist in follow
ing their own notions, and neglect the only
means by (which they ean hope to rival the
great Universities Of England. some day all
this will be changed. While il is not changed,
but exists and increases year after year, we
may stinulatS rivalry among our OVID crews,
each Of which may 9s said to enjoy
.ouAl diha 90 hut xrs nNnht mt to draaYh