New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-08
HARVARD AND OXFORD.


boot roca which we have now received by man
arc nleasantor reading for Americans than inc
have and cold history of defeat which came
ten DAYS ago by telegraph. The veru'c" u
coursa upon the styles of the two crews is
still the same, and we cannot yet DeheVo '",''
Harvard rowed in good form, or was properly
trained. or properly coached. Far better now
ever than victory in contest where W. h"u
no right to expect anything but dc1ea'' Is Vio
assurance this race has brought us OIL warm
and chyalrous feeling between the TWO ha'ionS
which could spring from nothing except mutuai
esteem The gallantry which inspired our I'oS
n cross the Atlantic for the sake OF engaging
in a well nigh hopeless race, and 10 yieiu every
thing which their opponents demanded III oroer
TO make q match, was thoroughly appreciated
by the English people, and to many Oh Ihch
the defeat of the American rowers was some
thing of personal disappointment. W hat
&" will strike your says our correspondent, ".
w. S. in the English comments, is tSeir re-
"spectful and admiring tone toward the beaten
"crew.n Nor was This only the result OF
mscnanimous impulse. There was hearty
admiration for the HarvardS' performance
performance which, especially considering their
bad physical condition, certainly surprised an
who had watched them at practice we
publish to-day letter to our correspondent
from Mr. Charles Rcade. whose familiarity
with boating matters is well known 10 INC
readers of Every Hard Cash." IN which mover
there is one of the finest descriptions OF
rowing match ever written. Mr.. Reade was
careful observer of the crews from the first,
and lac tells us it could hardly be believed In
the United States to what an extent he SYM
pathized with our gallant representatives. lie
is full of admiration for their achievements,
and Goes so far AS to say that Harvard
"nulled the handsomer stroke of the two" and
kent the same form from the day they first
appearcd upon the Thames until the end'
which Oxford did not. Here Mr.. keade
ia Mt variance with our own correspond
ent and with the London press, but
the spirit which dictates his judgment will be
none the less gratefully appreciated. The ac-
acknowledgement of Mr. william of the Oxford
crew. that he had never rowed harder race
sccords with Mr.. Rcade's observation that
Oxford did not wait for their opponents" as
they sometimes do for Cambridge "but pulled
" all they knew from the first" and with the
acknowledgment of The Telegraph that the
Americans lOWCu IIe otteohCu an" ''''''''''
Ozark Blues such good match that only per-
feet oarsmen could have kept them in the
"rear at the winning post"
The frankness and good spirit of such re-
marks is of course most gratifying. and per-
haps it was well worth the voyage of the llar-
ward men merely to have called 1t out, ana To
draw from the English press the opinion that
"the university which numbers alumni like
chose four does not need the help Of cen
"turics TO become renowned Still, we
must remember that the purpose OF
the match was to test the merits
of the two national styles of rowing, and on
this point the vanquishcd crew arc slow to
accept the lesson of their defeat ii'io 'h.'o
il en- mucb attributable 20 bad steering, unta-
miIioritv with the course, the unaccustomcd en-
nloyment of coxswain influences OF strange
climate and the accidental ailments oil some
Of the men, it is natural that the liarvardS
should be 10th to ascribc their failure To
defects in the stroke and the training to
which they have 80 resolutely adhered Prob
ably the dispute will not be settled until the
race is repeated with reversed condltlons-that
is until the Oxfords try their oars In American
waters If we are beaten then, 1t VIII GER
tainly be high time for us TO change our style
and system At any rate, beaten or victorious
we shall be glad of an opportunity to return
the cordial hospitality which our young men
have received on the other side of the ocean.