Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-12
Yale College.


Several causes transpire to render the interest
in the Yale commencement greater this year
than for a long time before, if ever. In the first
place, the two great college festivals, presenta-
ton day, corresponding with class day at
Harvard, and commencement, instead of being
separated by an interval of several weeks, are
by a new arrangement of the calendar, brought
into the same week The former has for many
years been the day of greatest attractions for
young people, Undergraduates and their
friends made it the principal event of
the college year; its exercises were of
a peculiar and interesting character, con-
trasting pleasantly in the eyes Of the stu
dents and their younger friends with the com
paratively formal and digniied proceedings of
commencement day. As a consequence, the lat
ter occasion lost much of It's attractiveness; the
undergraduates felt little interest in it, and
when it came it found the college buildings de-
serted by nearly all their usual inmates, But
this year all this is changed; the presentation
ceremonies were observed yesterday, tomorrow
is commencement, and the other college events
OF annual occurrence are distributed through
the days of this week so that each may have
its special attraction.
Another reason for unusual interest is, that
now President Woolsey, perhaps the most emf
nent and most deservedly honored OF American
scholars, retires from the office he has held for
twenty-five years with constantly increasing
credit to himself and usefulness to the college.
The retirement of a president at Yale is an event
of more significance than at other American col
leges, not only because her presidents have been
men of mark, but also because each has held
the Office so long. There have been but three in
the present century. 1t has been supposed
that the corporation would this week an
nounce their choice of President Woolsey's
successor, but it is now suggested that
the Office may be allowed TO remain vacant
for the present, perhaps until the alumni next
year exercise their newly acquired right to
choose from among their number six members
of the corporation. The candidates most fire.
Quently mentioned for the vacant place are Pro
fessors Porter, Timothy Dwight and Daniel c..
Gilman. Professor Porter would be preferred
by the faculty, and it is believed that he Is the
choice of the majority of the corporation. Pro-
fessor Gilman is the candidate who finds most
favor with the young Yale" element, who say
that he would give to the college similar
stimulus to that which Harvard has received
from President Eliot. A correspondent
of the Boston Advertiser mentions a rumor
current yesterday in New Haven, that purpose
is entertained of establishing university organ
ization, the head of which would be called chan
cellor of the university, and would have as
subordinates, heads of the several undergrad
uate and professional schools, each Of whom
would be restricted to his own department.
William NJ. Evarts, of New York, is mentioned
as the probable first chancellor by those with
whom this rumor finds credit. But this vision
is not likely to be realized at present.
Col. T. W. HIGGNsON will be well prepared
to do good service in the next lecture season.
He has thorough literary culture, with no mean
attainments in some departments of science.
Therefore, unlike many who are announced as
lecturers" he has something to say on the
topics he undertakes to discuss. Wehave taken
some pains to get the following brief account of
four lectures which he will be prepared to deliver
when the season shall open:
|. "The Aristocracy of the Dollar" The aim
of this lecture is to point out the strong and
weak points of the prevalent aristocraey of
wealth, and to show that, as compared with
hereditary aristocracy, that based on wealth is a
step forward not backward, absurd as many of
its follies and excuses are.
II. Literature in Republic" This lecture
compares the position of literature under re-
publican and monarchical form of government,
showing by Illustration the advantages and dis
advantages of each. The conclusion is, that
though a republic may afford TO literature a
slower growth, yet its future is far more secure.
LII. "The Nations debt to the Soldiers"
". Thinking Animals; popular lecture on
natural history. This last is the new one, and
it is this subject that we hope TO be the more
taking one with lyceums. If it were more gen
orally known how well posted in natural history
the colonel is, we think that this lecture would be
greatly called for.
great many people are preparing to enter
the field as lecturers next fall and winter Some
of them are people who like Colonel Higginson,
have something to say, but, much larger num-
Der have never acquired systematic knowledge
of anything, and their operations tend only to
bring the business of lecturing into disrepute.
To hear them is waste of time, for their minds
are not thoroughly trained on any important
subject within the sphere of literature science,
or speculative philosophy. To make sure of 4
successful lecture season, each lyceum commit
tee should resolve TO engage no man as Iectur-
er, who has not taken pains to train himself
carefully in some department of knowledge
When the lecture system shall become chiefly an
agency to promote shallow and superficial GU.
ture, it will deserve to abolished Whenever its
chief business shall be TO destroy interest in
knowledge and reflection, let it disappear, for it
will then be nuisance.
If we are to believe dispatch from San Fran.
cisco yesterday, the Australians, not the be-
nighted aborigines Of that island, but the Brit
foh aoln mic IL