The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-26

tlmed as an accompaniment 10 the merry
warbling Of the thousand songsters who
make the college woods their home. For
hours before the exercises began the grounds wore
all the appearance OF park. The students. In ho.
day attire, with their parents relatives and friends
thronged the walks and drives, saunterlng to the
delicious music OF the band which was
stationed on the shady sward in front
OF the main building The traditional
commencement tent was erected In front Of the
garden, midway between the church and the col
ege In this spot the tent is almost useless, as 1t
Is inclosed IN clump OF stately elms and oaks
which have stood there ever since the place was
discovered, and 1t is not unlikely that In
dams once smoked their calumet of peace
where yesterday there gathered q refined
audience. to listen to polished eloquence and in
spring music The orations OF the day were far
above the general run OF college speeches. They
were not the tumble OF sciolism, of plagerism both
In language and idea. that one is accustomed to
hear; they were learned, and displayed a nuency
OF speech and depth OF thought creditable alike to
the young men and their instructors.
The essay for the day was "Our Age" 1t was
divided in this way:-"lts History" John M. Dick
son; 'Its Science" George E. Quin "lts Poetry"
Thomas L. Walsh; ''lts Philosophy" John p.
Sweeney. All the young men in their essays dis
played a loyal Catholic spirit and everything was
shown by them to subserve to that grand dictator,
religion.
MR. J. NJ. DICKSON
IN his remarks deplored, as every Catholic must,
the absence or an impartial, not to say Catholic,
historian, who would do justice to Catholcity. her
history and her institutions. Lingard had done
muchand was liberal, but there many things he
had not done. Gibbon, Hume, Macauay and FrOude
can see nothing but blackness in Catholicism ana
spot they forthwith set to work to backen it with
their literary mud. He concluded by expressing
searchers after the truth, that this generation
might bring forth man of mind immense enough
to comprehend all tnat had past, see what the
ind and Irnr fVn rnnnAa Root
the future.
MR.. GEORGE q. oUIN.
otis Science"-the essay OF the young gentleman
whose name heads this paragraph-was, without
wishing to draw distinctions, the most erudite OF
ern philosophers truly astonishing, and sashed
right and left at the men who are loud in declara-
tions that revealed religion and science are
incompatible. The assurance with which Mr..
Quin spoke OF the chimeras of these modern
philosoPhists gave unmistakabIe evidence OF his
knowledge Of and faith In the high religious ground
on which he stood. He said that the word science
was misapplled in their regard or It's significance
domain spectators on phenomena, spiritual and
physical: Theories adverse to morality
spring from the tone and direction OF modern
scientific research" said he, cor, to formulate it
more precisely, in the misapplicaton OF the scen-
tlfc mode Of Investigation to the sciences them
it is not adapted. five admit the principles which
modern science, through its votaries, offers to us,
and morality upon which human Society was origin.
ally formed and upon which 1t virtually rests TO.
day. What would become OF us II we admit that
thought Is phOsphorOuS, soul complex nerves and
moral sense secretion OF sugar. 1t would be tC
remove all check to human passion and make
those senses imperative.
Mr.. THOMAS Il. LsH, to whom was assigned the
difficult though deilcate task Of treating our ages
poetry, showed himself not only an admirer but
critic OF modern verse. He said that poet should
be as much an instructor as an interester and
showed that who has
Human nature is naturally egotistlcal, and does
M 90 an inat ana
whose mission Is supposed to be to amuse He &C.
cepted Longfeow and Tennyson as the purest, il
BILE to ali. Bryant he thought was too philosophi-
cal to ever become popular, and besides this, such
doctrines as he promulgated in his "Thanatopsis'
MR.. JOHN p. SWEENEY.
The valedictoran had the heavy part OF the WORK
assigned to him-"Phlosophy'-bu he invested
his abstruse subject with an interest which made
It popular He tore the veil OF sophistry from the
principles which have been promulgated by Mill
and Comte and left them naked in all their absurdi
ties.
COMFORTING OF DEGREES
The orati0ns over, the band played an operatic
air, after which the degree OF A. M. was conferred
on the following gentlemen James F. Carey,
Cortland. N y; Philip 4. Meister, a. b. Sing Sing.
N.Y.; John a. Wagner, A. B, Philadelphia, Pa.
ceived the degree or A. B,:-wlham P: Denegre.
New Orleans, La; Joseph zwinge, New Brunswick,
New
Charles g. Marin, Albany, \. Y; Thomas :.
ADDRESS TO THE GRADUATES.
The Rev. Edward McGlynn, ID. d. delivered the
address to the graduating class. 1t was speech
fun OF pathetic illusions and friendly advice. He
said said that they were now on the threshold Of the
had climbed the rugged sides of Pegasus and now
viewed the world from its summit. ut is not
here all your life You were raised 10 this eminence
SO that you might look down into the valley Of
premature in the decision to the course you ara
going to pursue. Watch like the eagle rom
ss Be not take the which hS
several roads and see where they ena. That
servatlon, leads into the dark valley; while the
rugged difficult one leads up to the sun. You
the ss%e pea pleasant life 'o yoa have pen
WITHIN It's walls but to fight the good
fight. MY dear young friends, this is
an occasion of apprehensions well as rejoicing.
You are about to enter the arena OF active life.
You may come out victorious yoa may return de-
We have no fears regarding the sword which
has been placed in your hand by
armOs w wn DSr tne7 s n strength Invested
you 1t is all for you that approximations are
II you are loyal to the cause In which you have
been educated and faithful to the dictates Of the
conscience which has been moulded in the Catholic
form our fears VIII have been idle. But II, on the
other hand, you forget the sound moral
lessons which have been read to you our
fears will not have been SUCH but prophecies Be
not deuded by the golden bubbles which viii daz-
zle your eyes at every step you make, from this
day forward thrust them aside and pass unheed.
ingly. pressing forward to the goal you viewed
on your graduating day, and God will bless
your EFFORTS with success. Let the ends you
aim at be your Gods, your country's and truths.
am but the m0uthpiece Of the audience when
wish you happy journey through life and god
speed.
MEDALS.
The gold medal for the best biographical essay on
Roger b. fancy was awarded to John p. Sweeney,
Mr. George Quin being next In order OF merit Mr..
II. X. D0herty received the medal for rhetoric.
Charles N. Bulger carried OF the honors for bellies
lettres, and James p. Tagan for classics. The
medal Tor good conduct In the senior division was
won by Joseph H. Maher.
His Reverence the Archbishop witnessed the ex-
ercises together with large number OF the clergy
from New York and Brooklyn.
ANIMAL rYAMINATIAN AT gT TERESAIN