New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-01
THE COLLEGES.
THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

ITHACA, June 30.-The heated term 0rowa
heated and our Ithaca is tropical WA ever
that other where Ulysses ruled and Penelope WOW.
Wednesday opened tOrridly, and not a few OF tia
strangers in town sought the moist depths mstyrs
OF the neighboring gens where, within the nu
enoe OF fOamng cascade. existence was toeraba
The University grounds and buildings open 70 visit
ors during the morning, but not greatly hroneed
The laboratories, with their furnaces and sandbatba
aggravatng symbols Of the season. and even the
bones and Of the looked a. they were
suffering from the effects Of the fierce temperature
In the afternoon at 0, Professor Goodwin Smith adj
dressed the literary societies of the University His sub
ject was "The Present Political Condition Of Europe.
Each OF the prominent states was taken up in turn
The speaker opened by saying that in his University lee
he always stopped short Of the in which wa
ve not wishing TO introduce, in bis teaching subecs
which involved differences Of political opinion and
excited party feelings but II might be allowable on thu
present occasion to take summary and far az pos
sibe impartial view Of the recent European events OF
most interest and importance. History had making
itself rapidly Of late and ell things betokened the ap
proach Of Humanity TO a crisis, compared with which
even the great crisis Of the Reformation itself might
prove TO have been superficial He regarded the eonyo
cation OF the General Council at Rome the central
event Of the whole II showed that the forces OF Au
thorty the hand and Of Reason the other
arrayng themselves for the decisive conflict. tho
time OF the Reformation, the Protestant churches had
stopped half way asserting against the Church
OF Rome, but asserting authority over their
bers and against dsseners from their creed but Rea
son had set up her banner in defiance Of all au-
thOrity, and advancing TO the battle with science
and all the forces Of modern civilization her side
The General Council might be the immediate work OF
the Jesuts and their party; but it the inevitable
elimination Of two natural tendences-he tendency 10
push the utmost church authority In antagonsm
The advance Of RatiOnalism and the tendency in the
of
OF power in the hands Of the Pope. While the great
monarcbies OF Europe were Catholic and the Papaey
rested securely their support there had been good
deal Of independent spirit IN the national churches
France had asserted Gacan liberties and spain
had repealed the interference OF the Pope the Internal
affairs Of her Church But since the Church had lost tho
support of the temporal powers it had been forced 10
fa hack for support upon its center and 10 Increase the
power Of the Pope Though Reason might be victorious
not vet developed positive side and those VINO could
not bear doubt-a class including many Of the best
OF mankind-will take refuge In complete sub
mission TO church authority. Rationasm also gave
cause Of alarm by shaking the moral foundations
OF society The lecturer quoted In Illustration Of
this passage Of Mr.. Lesky on the subject OF mar
rage. such passages, he said would make them
tolerant OF reaconary tendencies, and show hom that
IL they took any part In the movements Of their tme
they would have not only TO secure free way Tor truth
but at the same time to guard the fgndaInenta pTinel-
pies OF society against the subyersiye tendencies Of
revolutionary era The present un.ettlement OF tho
human mind on the deepest questions relating 70
humanity the cause OF the feebleness OF political
by the plebtscnn1 had passed upon herself again inc
doom OF despotsm she was exhansted and reduced 70
apathy by abOrtiVe REVOLUTIONS. Inc
were passed in review spain, where dynasue govern
had literally become eete Italy, occupied with
in their character and never before united Austria
struggling with the difficulty OF holding together CON
was gone Germany bent completing her work Of con-
sodation while she ieaously watched by France.
ever seated in power, since Mr.. Gladstone had CON
ciliated the nistrustful members Of his party
University Tests and BY accepting the secular principle
Of education The School Of and A%e5 hS
amid all temporary chickering's and disputes the great
her great colony the greatest all boons The Irish
policy Of the Government would, the Lecturer believed
time in spite OF the present disturbances The speaker
concluded by referring to the two University years which
GUS progress spite of all difficulties for the Uniyer
sity, and certainly OF happiness Tor himself lie looked
forward II his life spared 10 remaining happily en-
poyed in assisting far he could 70 build up great
and useful institution. He spoke with satisfaction and
gratitude of his intercourse with his pupils; and
pressed his hope that those who were leaving the Uni
versy would do her credit by rising In life, but above all
things that they would do her credit by keeping the path
The loud paudts which the closing remarks OF Prof
Goodwin Smith elected proved that the students OF tho
University recprocated his good Wishes The good In
uences welded by such scholar fresh from the
highest culture of EurOpe-ean hardly be oyerestmaed
and Of all the attractions which the Cornell University
offers equals that OF the presence and teachings OF
An audience which filed every foot Of standing space
present in the evening The Hon Horatlo Seymour
History Of New-YOfE Considered in Reference to It's
Topography and Geography" He said that educated
many Of the latter while it greatly needed more q the
former. There never a country where knowledge
OF nstSry anu sGionee , ws oao v h acg
processes did ours to-day Our population Is growing
during each hour OF time which passes over heads.
Three hundred thousand OF these annually conquer
from other lands These are often OF another lineage
speak another language and familiar with other ys
TENS OF society than own They are 10000 prisoners
Of peace, not mutilated unwilling. but coming OF
heir VIVA bring spoil, making
conquest a double victory. With this constant
To o" understand the history Of other nations is
in our case, crime amounting almost 10
Ses, every added man, aided as he is BY machinery,
tells so powerfully upon our development that we ought
so much light Yet there is In this country general
popular intelligence even with regard 10 our own MS
event connected with our early annals. Our independ
ence to come, sooner or later as matter or
The a & ma a no the I principal nS
The chief thing his character and the influence which
eapv times more intimately Connected with the we'll.
being OF the nation than the war of Some
Of the Spanish Succession had greater influence upon
than 1t did upon Spain Marlborough when he fought
at Blenheim fought that America might be English and
not French. Eugene, when he swept the French nom
Italy, waging the same battle. II the ambitious
scheme sof Louis the Fourteenth had succeeded all this
broad continent OF would have been Gallo, not
British In colonial America the home policy OF the Two
yersed. England sent us her most unworthy men ss
Governors From Queen Anne We received such man
Lord Cornbuy The French rulers on this side OF the
WERE the contrary men of great SKILL and they
aided in their efforts to Gaicse America by that
Church which has survived so many centuries To ek
plain these early OF life are still In want OF
well written history. Many erroneous ideas aretpreya
lent. These especially vague and erroneous In the
case Of the Pilgrims Of NewEngland. They were men
gios convictions and did their duty because
they felt that what they believed was right But they
have been eXHavagantly Praised IRON the rOstrum
and the pulpit that much OF what has been uttered in
audation OF their acts sounds like the Ihey
narrow minded With their notions OF religion tolers
ton covenant with hell. According TO Their creed
no man had any rights unless he Chrlstan-no not
unless he was particular kind OF Christian They were
earnest because they regarded themselves as the only