The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-25
"OLD PRINCETON"
Commencement Naturalization Of the Chan.
cellor Green Library and Of the John c. Green
Scientific School-The Literary Grafton
The American Scholiasts Denounced
md Politics Exalted-The Address
4 William Cullen BRYANT.

William Cullen BRYANT
PRINCETON, N. j., June "a, 1873
A brilliant assemblage OF friends and patrons OF
the College OF New Jersey, the third in the disinc-
ton OF age OF the educational institutions OF
America, was gathered yesterday at Princeton,
the beautiful village SO famous in Revolutionary
annals as the scene Of one Of the most glorious
victories OF the War OF Independence Almost
every step which takes in or around the village
leads into the midst OF venerable AMI curious
memories Two miles distant is the Old bat lie ground
from which rebellious bullets found their way
as far as the old library OF the college and there
deflled the portrait OF the regning King George
the Third tearing it into pieces in their wild and
enraged course. The figure OF the stupid English
tyrant was after the war, replaced by order Of the
Congress- in whose halls sat many statesmen who
were children OF old Princeton herself, with full
and hie-sze painting of General Washington, which
may be seen at the present day proudly and carefully
preserved rs most sacred relic. The solid, sombre
nop.~z rnOI are scs.- ~-ra aone 'ne s,ree's also
Det6Sen the good providence OF the inhabitants Of
the olden times.
COMMENCEMENT WEEK
this year. began as usual on last Sunday when the
much beloved and venerable DR.. McCosh delivered
the Baccalaureate sermon. Yesterday, some
events Of very great interest took place. In the
morning the students under the direction of Pro-
lessor Golde gave fine exhibition of gymnastc
skill, and in the afternoon, the regular class day
exercises of the class Of 1873 were held. In the
evening a promenade concert was given In the
college campus, and towards midnight the inter-
esting and solemn ceremony Of the 'bural of the
ancentn was enacted with all the appropriate
vites.
YESTERDAYS EXERCISES
To-day the exercises have been still more impor-
tant in the interest which they possess than those
OF yesterday On the platform, among many
worthy and erudite professors and doctors OF.
learning, William Cullen Bryant occupied place
OF honor. Mr.. John g. Green was among the audi
ence. After the procession OF the literary societies
had formed at the college chapel and marched TO
the church under the shadow of the fine old trees
and Q large number Of umbrellas, DR.. McCosh, the
President. with few Introductory remarks pre-
scented to the audience Judge Henry P. Ross Of
Pennsylvania, q grad uate Of the class Of 1851 and
formerly noted among Princeton memories for the
elOQuence with which he delivered the valedictory
address at his graduation. On this occasion he
gave
BeEinning with the usual sentimental and poetic
reference to the past, the present and the future,
he then continued as follows:-
Those who in and of the world action must speak
Its thoughts The shell cast the shore must echo
sec
s WI
Ssi y s
american politics but While they aespss them they can
Rome study sritaiss the y which Psrisss
he fssds between Guelph and Shissiiine; but they
1se or n IN paeenang to ee mSininT
win accept foreign mission where they may muse in
The Of aa listen to
@
sss s. ssss
srmor Of the Knight the lance and sword have Yielded
the e our
1y
G sy u4 o s
paths Which they trod and are ''''" ''''
seeking in their thoughts emulate the philosophy OF
sach as hese p
ties has become synoynme for fraud. corruption and
s sS Sss
~ 4 a
sSey Of r6 hs h SSsss Past
appealed to the scholar to guard and complete the work
as naa sssH S
Constitutional liberty their legacy, be sold or
Who had thus lis
Sy S and hy Hn he sSss
DEDICATION OF THE GREEN LIBRARY.
Judge Ross Grafton was followed by the music
speech, introduced the scholar-pubcist Mr. Will
liam Cullen Bryant, who was to deliver the address
college, By John 0 GREEN New Yors ''
ADDRESS OF WILLIAM g. BRYANT.
His remarks were imprOmptu and rather RAM
So
MIN by DR.. McCosh, he felt almost ashamed to ap-
pear before them In rising TO address public
that was solid and venerable in the aspect OF the
place and in in its historical r associations at
gress and the mother Of learning, from which
had gone forth more statesmen than from any
other Of the colleges he e., iet inspired with
the assembly which he saw before him. But, mas
much as he could not detain them long, the dread
ferred in coneratulatory terms to the penedcence
OF Mr.. John Y. Green, who preferred the noblest
ward IN seeing how worthily it had performed the
errand upon which he had sent it forth.
tration, had largely Increased in its usefulness
new branches OF science had been added, new in
stltutons had been endowed, and now the means
OF wider and deeper research, in the form Of a
library, had become necessary.
THE VALUE OF BOOKS.
In order properly TO estimate the value OF books
1t was necessary TO imagine condition OF things
IN which all the books and manuscripts in the
WOTIu WOUiu De SUuueHly anu euJTelV destroyed.
All the records Of the past the lessons Of history,
the discoveries of science, the conclusions Of
philosophy and the songs OF poets would be as II
they had not been, except in that treacherOus de-
posltory OF knowledge, the human memory. In
considering such q state of things, one was re-
minded OF how much Is owed by 10 the past But
for the past we would still be nelpessly in savage
state Every record OF advance in society would
be oDlterated for ever. Turning directly TO the
present subject, the speaker said that an edidcc
had been erected by the college to be dedicated to
the great minds OF the past, "a
TEMPLE THOUSAND VENERABLE MRNORIFs
of those who had already passed the gates OF
death-the authors OF books or those whose lives
were recorded in books. Their dust was scattered
to the wind perhaps, but we had yet what remained
Of their higher Misunderstanding the impress OF the
living SOUL Might none enter into the precincts of
that temple without feeling OF gratitude for that
good Providence which had led one TO endow 1t a
monument through which to speak to his fellow
men through all succeeding time
President McCosh announced that the trustees