The New York herald., 1875-07-15
rhe regatta at saratoga.

cess Oh the University crew In the great race
yesterday. Last year Columbia carried off
the prize contrary to the expectations Of every
body, while the Freshman race went to Prince
ton. An accident between the boats of Yale
and Harvard made the victory of Columbia
less satisfactory than it otherwise would have
been, and the crews of the two older universi-
ties were confident of success this year. Har-
ward had the prestige of long experience and
many well-won victories Yale was not far
behind either in prestige or prowess. With
the betting men, and even with amateurs OF
the soundest discrimination, they were the
fayorites in the regatta just ended, and had it
been predicted that the one would be only third
in the race while the other should be as far
down as sixth in the list the suggestion would
have been regarded as improbable. 1t was an
occasion which called for the best efforts OF
both, as well to settle the controversy OF last
year as to fix them in the position which they
claimed at the head of the college crews.
Their failure settles both questions as ehectu-
ally as their success could have done. BY the
unexpected victory of Cornell Columbia re-
cedes only to the second place, while the
others take their places IN the rear, Yale even
behind Dartmouth and Wesleyan. There
were no accidents or mishaps of any kind TO
mar the fair fruits of victory, and though the
battle on both days went to the youngest of
the universities the result is to be attributed
only to the excellence of the training and
practice Of these young musclemen from
Cayuga Lake. Nobody, not even those who
are most disappointed in the result, will deny
to the young scholars of Cornell the full
merits of their victory, and it is especially
gratifying that there are to be no cavilings
over the means adopted to gain the results
achieved by the unexpected winners.
1t would be pardonable perhaps, should we
indulge in little State pride over the results
of yesterdays race. The winning crew comes
from Western New York, while the second hon.
ors go to the noted crew from the East Last
year the Hudson sent its message of victory
to the lakes, and now the lakes respond to the
river with voice even more exultant. 1t is
a consolation to Columbia, however, for being
compelled to yield the palm to her younger
rival that victory still remains at home, and
that none except Cornell was able to pluck a
leaf from the laurel with which our favorItes
were crowned year ago. Thus it Is in one
sense double victory, not alone for Cornell,
but for the State-the backbone of the Con-
tinent against the Continent ITSELF 1t is a
pretty idea that the victors over the youths of
all the land-these laurel-crowned lads of
Young America-should come from that old
America which Agassiz has shown US was first
to appear above the waters of the great
deep Coming down to the historical
period we find the Iroquois as the head of the
Six Nations, the arbiters of the destiny Of the
Continent among the aborigines. 1t is only
natural that the sons of the successors of the
natives should, in their turn, be the arbiters Of
the pluck and courage of the new people and
the new civilization. These are what won on
Saratoga Lake yesterday against the prestige
and skill of the older universities, and as the
Hudson was the break between that old
America whose story the scientist has re-
vealed to us, SO the Hudson crew stands be-
tween these arbiters of pluck and courage and
the culture Of the East In all this there is
scope for the grandest philosophy. The
same spirit which animated the crews from
Western and Eastern New York is the spirit
which made this State the Empire State of
the Union and this city the metropolis of
America. 1t is the spirit that joined the
great lakes with the father of rivers which
rolls by our doors. De Witt Clinton pos
sessed 1t when he built the Erie Canal 1t has
made our valleys and even our hill
and mountain sides, from the Cats
kills to the Falls, the garden Of the
Continent and New York Bay the outlet to
and the inlet from all the world. 1t is alleged
that Cornell learned the lesson, Of which she
presented such beautiful illustration yester-
day, from the rude boatmen of Cayuga Lake.
Whence, then, did Columbia, city born and
Bred derive her teachings2 Certainly not
/ from any mere muscular example. These
\ glories were inbred in the blood, in the cli-
mate, in the soil, and the University victory
was only one Of their outward manifestations.
In other spheres Of life we see the same spirit
all around u.s. and if we take the aquatic sue
cesses OF this year and the last as matters of
the greatest significance it is because they are
sign that the elements which enabled our
fathers TO make the city and State great and
prosperous still survive in their children and
children's children and are a new promise
for the future. These considerations make
State pride and even sectional vanity pardon
able and give to these simple victories of the
college youths an importance that would not
/ otherwise attach to them.
Such an event, so significant in all its as
pects is worthy of being commemorated in
something more vivid than sounding rhetoric
and more lasting even than the poets song
IL deserves to be picture to the eye as well
as a story to the ear. A universal want will
be felt to-day to know every position of every
boat from the beginning to the end OF the con-
test The HERALD has endeayored to aptici-