New-York tribune., 1871-06-30
COMMENCEMENT SEASON
HARVARD COLLEGE.
THE PHI BRTA KAPPA FRATERNITY-ORArION
nv ppop NOAH PORTER. AND POEM BY

THE PHI BETA KAPPA FRATERNITf-ORArlON
BY PROF. NOAH PORTER, AND POEM bl
BRET HARTE.
BosroN. June eo.--The annual meeting and
festival Of the Phi Beta Kappa Fraternity Chapter OF
Massachusetts took place at Cambridge to-day, about
200 members graduates OF Harvard and other colleges
being In attendance First the programme came the
annual business meeting In University Hall. Mr.. X H.
Dana jr presided in the absence Of Prof James Rus
sell Lowell and the following officers were elected:
President R. H. Dana r v.sPr.sdent Bdrsd Everett Hsei
wss f5:do S Peril S e. n. g. sSSs D.
Roach % @ ss7s nY Us ,d noi s s'Ts T1ss. 4 T. w.a Nj
R toe % sI So cSGy ssS' ud Prof william H. Dali
The meeting closed at noon, when q procession was
formed with President Eliot Prof Porter of Yale Col
lege the orator. Mr. F. Bret Harte the poet; and the
officers OF the organization In the advance, whch pro
ceeded to the church. The attendance on tnese eAer
has been exceedingly small OF late years put tse
announcement OF n poem by Bret Harte caused very
large attendance Of spectators, Who with the Society
filed the church every part Mr HarIe was the non
Of the OCCASION and received very hearty greeng rs
dd also the orator After prayer by the Rev Dr. Pea
body and music by Gilnores Bahu MI DANA
The subject OF this grafton was "Te Science OF Nature
va The Science OF Man" After very appropriate IN
production Prof Porter said he brought e Pa Dr o 40
science OF man, not as against nature Dut a. ~
the sciences OF nature, in which man must Dc
and furnish certain elements that will be more usthc
as science advances This was onefeu III & .no ana a
peace and not TO promote strife. LOT hature anu ,nai
never be at variance. Inc hGBhlntut
on by an analysts OF the conception Of science; 2) IT
was urged that the history OF the sciences Oh
nature illustrates their near relation 10 tns
science OF man (8 the position is still further confirmed
by the defects in this regard OF some O te recent p
sre defetye hcase f science OF man is too
to furnish solid basis for any sclehce OF nature
The positive philosophy OF COmto was said to he
metaphysical philosophy in spite OF protestaons TO the
contrary. 1t defective because he undertakes 10 r
nish philosophy OF the science OF nature wch leaVe
out of view the prime OF science the nature Of
knowledge explained by the nature OF man STUART
Mil recognizes the defects OF COnte, ana yet
he has failed in four essential particu-
lars: D He has not given satisfactory
philosophy OF the mind OF man; ~ nor OF matter or ma
ture; 3 nor of the process OF induction O nor OF inc
axOms OF Induction. The cerebral or Draln nigsophes
OF Alexander Balm were next considered For this phy-
sological psychology 1t is claimed t9at IT FURNISHES
solid basis for the science OF the soul IL Is not ofoaa
the processes of knowledge by which Newton discovered
gravaton for the OF induction "a described
processes TO be and more profound ana comprehesye
than any OF the preceding classes He recognizes the
this respect he offsets by Introducing netaphysica
hypothesis concerning the laws of evolution As eX-
pressed the terms of this law vague and uncertain
Man, according to his descnpuonl Is himself evoNe1
from less complex type 91 being Even t9S & nNioo m % ="
man continues In being in his present form we may
have science OF nature trust But at the next
set aside the principles OF science acknowledged
To this il will be replied that Spencer assumes that there
be evolution In the power to know which docs not
correspond with some exterior relation in fact ia the
UNIVERSE but what authority does he as
are themselves evolved The foundation on
which these axioms rest IL untrnstworthy.
In conclusion he did not urge that formal recognition
of system OF metaphy sizes Is necessary TO STUDY OF the
sciences of nature but when these principles are qur
toned they liable TO be- then they can only DO
defended by thorough study Of man; the student or
man can learn much from the sciences OF nature; the
study of man necessarily the study OF psychology,
as man made manifest in history, phloOgy literature,
art politics. ethics and theology and 1t s therefore the
study of the humadities Man by thought j. KING OF the
universe and let him be crowned king by science.
Let 10 one dispute his right 10 rule Let him never Tor
get that il modelled by the right which Thought as
sumes over things has nature other king The
suggestions Tered in this discussion would estabsh the
conclusion that the study OF the sciences OF nature Weh
viewed in it's fundamental philosophy does not necess
rily lead to atheism.
Mr. Dana, in introducing Mr. Harte stated that the
Committee had secured him one from other fields OF
thought and other gons Of educton he would read
a selection he not having had time TO prepare poem
Mr Harte in coming forward. remarked that the Chair
man might also have added that it had not the slightest
relation to the occasion. The reading Of his poem occu
piled about Is minutes. II was entitled The Lost
Beauty; a Philosophical Narrative"
After the exercises in the church, the annual dinner
was served in Massachusetts, Hall. About 225 persons
were present r presided and called out various
speakers the first whom Prof. Noah Porter, who
Mr. e then n a5po s Z tfs heft OF
Woosey. Remarks made made by President Eliot
Josiah Quincy, jr Prof. Pars0n the Rev Mr. JersOn,
C. H. Brigham of Ana Arbor, and others. poem was
read by MIR. VIM. Everett. The speaking was unusually
good and lasted until after O'Clock. THIS closed the
festivities Of the day.