New-York tribune., 1871-07-15
THE NEV DEPARTURE AT YALE.

election of Noah Porter, clergyman, professor,
author, and doctor of divinity and of laws
"My policy is the same as that advocated by
President Woolsey," said the new President
in his first public speech after election. AT
the Alumni meeting on Wednesday, the row
of digntaries on the platform, whose sOlemnity
impressed the assembly as a carrlage-load
of the veterans of the War of 1872
does holiday procession, raised no
hopes in the minds of the spectators
less than one hundred years old; nor was
there much in the speeches to show that IN
passing from the neurology record, as the
chairman remarked, to hear from the living,
the audience had gained anything in liveli-
ness. Young Yale had come up to Commence
ment expecting sOmo lively discussion of ways
and means, and fired with good deal of en-
thuSiaSm for the welfare of the College; but
Old Yale told its old stories, and cracked its
feeble jokes and consumed the hours in
trivial speeches, as if Judgment Day
were thing in the past. One facetious
person exhibited a jack-knife that ho had
carried sixty years a great credit to him, to
be sure, but not bearing very directly upon the
future of Yale, unless he intends to present
it to the museum. Another venerable man
offered resolution of thanks to Prof. Morse
for his telegraphic invention, and, considering
the place of the inventors education, proposed
TO call the machine the Yale Morse Tele-
crapb. AS many of those present had
heard of the magnetic telegraph, and more
had heard of Prof. Morse, he being an
old man, the resolution met with great
favor, and the name was changed. There
is something pathetic about these Commence
ment Jokes, which are elaborated at the rate
of one year, brought great distance, are
fred off with il-suppressed merriment on the
part of the artillerist; the most cynical could
not refuse to laugh at them. And the young
and judicous did laugh a hollow, CHASTITY
laugh and shuddered lest all this should get
into print and go to the country which was
waiting to hear what earnest and weighty
words the Alumni had for their changed and
changing College.
But at the Alumni dinner affairs took another
turn. Living men spoke to living issues. Old
and Young Yale stood face to face and talked
it out with cordialty and enthusiasm. The
outgoing and the incoming President addressed
themselves directly to the topics of the hour,
and in both speeches there was a most hope
full recognition of the year 1871. Couture and
" discipline are the two great aims of collegiate
education" said President Woolsey. "But
"wOuld crowd as much of the discipline as
"possible into the first two years of
"the COURSE" added President Porter,
thereby showing that he has heard the
accusation against Yale of want of
culture, especially literary culture, in her
Nn1n mn fnruar1 throuOb
Mr.. Twichell of the Glass of 1859, with
practical proposition for Iraising among the
Alumni WoOlsey Fund of half million
dollars, for the unrestricted use of the Col
lege. This was Young Yale's first response to
the proposal to give the general Alumni
representation of six in the Corporation Board.
1t shed such a glow over the future that those
present forgot for the hour whether they were
young or DID, and the College barometer in
dicated an enthusiasm for Alma Mater that
left the vernier, set the day before, in a
ridiculous position.
What are the relations of the new President
to the College and to Young Yale, and what
has the institution to expect from his manage
ment7 To give sketch of the character of
President Porter would not be an answer to
luC Idlltl putbIlOH. n poOu many tlCnltuJS
are at work at Yale. There was a pretty
widespread feeling that there was need of
new blood, perhaps outside blood, in the man.
agement. Young Yale was dissatisfied and
wanted to see things move a little faster; yet
when the question was squarely put to it, on
its legs after dinner, "What do you want ~
it never could say exactly. Unable itself to
hit upon candidate for President, it spared
itself any great effort, for it knew
that the corporation, constituted as it
is. would elect no one who is not thoroughly
identified with the traditions of the Academic
department of the College The election of
Prof Porter has been for long time fore
gone conclusion No one doubted his fitness
for the office, so far as learning and discipline
and academic culture were concerned, and
equal fellowship with the best scholars of the
age. His genial manner, his kind heart, and
his accessibility had also drawn to him the
love of the graduates, and he was a popular
man. The question was whether his
conservatism and his known adherence to
old methods would stand in the way
of the progress of the College. In answering
this question, it becomes necessary to say that
while DR.. Porter is conservative, and has
great tcnacty OF purpose and will, he has also
another quality in common with st. Paul, and
that is adaptabity. He lives with his win
doWs open. lie edited WehsteI's new Diction-