New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-30

was known, beforehand. We are not attomp.
ing to "argue with the nexorable," as Caipio
would say, or to grumble at the condi'ion'
which were freely accepted. We are only III
deed, reviewing what is past, as an encoui"e
ment for the future. Assuredly We nave ~
inclination even to hint any dispardgehien,
ma consummate, the supreme skill dlpiayeu "
tbe Oxford crew. Oxford has for many years
hack meyer appeared in a Thames roWihs,
match bnt TO conquer. 1t was the STRIFE oi
Dares and Eutellus over again-the long oApo.
euce. the splendid training, the complete inaS'oiy
of the veteran, told in the end over the greater
strength and sinew of the younger compe'i.or'
only that Harvard was certainly not ooa'on
badly and knocked out of time as Dares was
It may be frankly and readily admitteo WA!
in the science required for Thames rowing
Oxford was perfect, and That Harvard was not
perfect But we submit that very acknowl-
edgment only makes it the more clear that the
contest for superiority between Oxford and
Harvard has not yet been decided Ihere, on their
own waters, on their own conditions, with
every advantage that familiarity with the place,
the climate, and the system could give, the
finest crew ever selected from among the
finest oarsmen in England have only defeated
the newly arrived foreigners by length and
half. Taking the results of recent contests as
a guide, it is evident that had Cambridge, not
Oxford been the competitor, Harvard would
have won.
The moral of all this is that Oxford is bound
by the laws of chivalric contest to give us our
revenge. Let her pick out her best men-take
those who have thus defeated our champions,
for instance-and send them over here to COM
pete with our rowers, on our watesr ana on our
terms. as Harvard has just done on hers. We
can promise the Oxford men a genial welcome
and fair play-if they still win cordial ac-
acknowledgement of their superiority; if they lose,
a modest and unboastful resumption OF our lost
laurels. Let them come over and bring honest
and manly Tom Hughes with them if they can;
we shall be as ready to accept him for umpire
here as our champions were in England. With
out such trial the contest cannot be said to
have been finished at all. Indeed. it must
Just now be almost as unsatisfactory Tor the
Oxford men as for ours. They have proved
that they could conquer on the Thames they
have yet to prove themselves tho champion
oarsmen of the Anglo Saxon race. So far it is
but as the trial of arms between Saladin and
Richard, in which each claims to DO peerless
with his own weapon and his own way of
using it.
There is at least one feature of this compe-
tition on which both sides can look with equal
satisfaction Not the faintest hint or suspicion
of foul play can intrude itself into the retro
spect. Every one who is entitled to speak
bears emphatic testimony to the perfect fair
ness with which the race was conducted The
irregular and even disorderly proceedings
which have more than once married the con-
ditions of the annual struggle between Oxford
and Cambridge were unknown in the contest
of last Friday. Nothing, too, could be more
courteous and generous than the tone of the
London press and of the friends Of the win
ners No vulgar exultation, no ignoblo
growing over gallant antagonists. was any
where heard. 1t would BIO mean
and unworthy indeed on our side if we could
not bear defeat as magnanimously and equally
as our opponents have accepted victory. Sue
cess is very often a severer test of self-control
than failure; and we should be sorry to think
that we have been twice defeated-frst, in the
struggle itself, and next. in the manner of
accepting its issue. Cordially do We acknowl-
edge the skill, the science, tho manly ana
generous bearing of our opponents. But we
still say that Harvard does not strike her flag,
and will not, until Oxford has defeated her
upon our own waters and under our conditions.