The New York herald., 1869-08-28
The Great International Boat Racs-Ths
Result.

The great international boat race between
the crews OF the two oldest universities in
England and America came Of up to time
and strictly according to the programme yes
terdsy. Oxford can boast Of the victory by
just four boats lengths, in q race Of four miles
and two furlonzs, her representative oarsmen
winning by about six seconds time In run
which lasted only twenty-five minutes, forty
and half seconds. For the first two
miles and half Harvard had the lead-that is
TO say, from Putnsy to Chlswlck, taking the
Middlesex side of the stream. Our dispatches
say that Oxford then came to q level and
gradually gained upon the Harvard boat,
and kept her place ahead until the post
at Mortlake was reached, thus winning the
race, after close and hard fought contest.
The enthusiasm, We are told, was immense 10
London. We know that the excitement here
was accelerated almost 10 fever heat.
The race was regarded ss On international
affair, rather than a trial OF skill between the
universities of Oxford and Harvard, although
they are both the representatives Of the most
ancient collegiate Institutions In the two coun-
tries-Oxford being the growth, probably, of
the monastic schools of Alfred the Great, but
certainly founded In the reign of Edward the
Confessor, as far back as o thousand years
after Christ while Harvard was endowed six
hundred years later, namely, in 1859. The
friendly rivalry out Of which sprung the race
on the Thames, however, assumed an interna-
tonal shape from Its very ipcipiency, when
young Harvard flung down the glove, which
young Oxford gracefully and gallantly picked
up-thus accepting the challenge from young
America to contend with young England for
the championship Of the oar.
We have had many international contentious
with England before-some on the sea be-
tween our yachts, with varlus success some
in the prize ring, the lJter not so agree.
able nor so credtable to either nation but
there has been none which concentrated 90
much interest within II as this honorable strug-
| gle for ascendancy between the students of the
two colleges, not indeed In classic lore, but In
| the athletic arena-not contended for amid
''the dust Of the schools, but in the manly
strife Of the gymnasis. We may liken IL, per.
chance, TO the contest Of the Oxford Horstii
and the Harvard Curatii, except In one sense.
1t was bloodless aud not bloody conflict.
1t was not short swords, but long oars, that
tried the courage Of the contestants and de.
cided the victory. The Horatii came out the
victors, as they did In the Roman story. We
are not despondent at the result. The Ameri-
can crew fought gallant fight. They never
lost the pluck, from the FIRST stroke
pulled in their earliest practice on
strange waters to tho last stroke which
brought them in to the winning pos, almost
upon the stern Of their opponeuts-the pluck
which led them to challenge the finest oarsmen
perhaps in the world to trial Of skill upon
their adversary's own ground, with a know
ledge that all the advantages were on his side,
and that nothing but almost superhuman excel
lence on their own part could secure them the
victory. If they have not achieved success
they have done better-they have deserved II.
Let this be their consolation, sustained as II is
by the applause Of their countrymen, ond as Il
must be by the generous recognition by the
whole British people OF their gallantry in
entering into an apparently unequal contest,
and the splendid manner Ia which they
acquitted themselves under the inspiration Of
national pride in order to do honor to the
country they represented. ''Ihe race Is moi
always to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong"
There is now open an opportunity for the
chivalry Of Oxford to show ITSELF Our gallant
boys of Harvard--all honor 10 them-weni
over unnvited to contest with the crack crew
of England for the supremacy Of the Thames
Now let Oxford try the mettle of our Ameri.
can crew next year on the Charles river, or,
which would be better still, upon the un.
rufiled waters Of Lake Quinsigamond, nea
Worcester, in the old Bay State. There the
rival crews will be free from interruption Of
crowds. They will have smooth surface {,
work in, and the Harvard mon will be q
much at home there as the Oxonlans wer,
yesterday on the Thames. ''FaIr play is
, jewel" We hope the successful English crcv
will give Harvard University fair chsnc
upon its own course.
8 The race yesterday after all, cannot be con
: sidered So much test of strength or muscle
as Of what Is called style In Craftsmanship
The English press so regarded 1t, and In
measure prepared the way for the possible
contingency Of an Oxonian defeat, upon tb
idea that it was a contest OF intcrnationa
"style" rather than international manhood
The Harvards certainly verified this Idea b,
putting in an entirely American style and In al
American boat. BY this resolve they decide
that they would make the race, as far as the.
were concerned, in handling the oar and oh
seryiag their own rules, purely aud inaeXibl