New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-06

By authority. The one rs no more voluntary 'h'i" '
other In all these the man is required 70 tahe c
pledge Or forego privilege NO student II oouhu "
enter college, and no parent is bound TO send HIM &c
sides il Is new principle In morals that pledge
ia not binding because imposed by authority are ho'
our baptlsnal aud eucharisc vows binding al'hough
imposed by the highest conceivable authority 10 NOV
every man bound to render due allegiance 10 dis native
eountryi Can he commit treason with inpunltyf
witness called into court is bound by his OATH although
his only alternative is take the oath OF go 10 prison.
This IL not question which admits Of debate The pro-
rrety OF eYacng pledge OF students on entering col
lege is universally recognized. Nearly all colleges re-
oure pledge of obedience to their laws Ana II 'hls
general pledge recognized proper there can DO no
objection on principle to specific pledge II ior any rea
son it be deemed expedient The special reason Ioi
pledge in opposition this distinguished from oIer
ev IA the secrecy which fortnes and belonSs to its
essence.
Q The second objection TO the pledge In question 49,
that it Is imperative If this be true 1t ID Nei! Eau
truth Nothing disparagiDg can be SAID oil any SCI
OF young men than that solemn promise hot W III" !"
certain thing has no effect in preventing their doing H.
This objection however. is nulbhed by those VINO uh'
it, sying that the effect of the pledge to prevent con
scetous students from joining the secret societies. anu
bs throwing them into the hands OF the least desnaDe
class of men, We have heard both these o'9e'ohS iIo
the same pair OF lips at interval OF not more 'h TWO
minutes II said however that the pledge mas poei III
oDcratiOu in Princeton COlcSt iOi ~ y''hH'
secret socieies stil exist Suppose they DO Does the
h,,.ic;ap confne himself TO the Of infalbe sre-
cincs Must moral reformers fold their hands and make
no effort until they discover the means to aasoueN OK
pate the evils of society," Ii is enough that means Is
useful for the accomplishment of an important end 10
make its obligatory. II is great mistake however
TO assume that the pledge is imperative IL has proved
itself 10 be by far the ecacOus means Tor suppress
ing the evil in question yet devised distinguished
olurnuus stated that when he was student the
majority OF the best scholars in the coiege
were members OF secret society bu'
as soon "a the pledge was required they met
tatar and dishnded and that he took the list OF me
~, In Inc then Pre-. dent OF The college and assured bin
az ne dissolution Of their society. Since that h
&os hen ksrt in check 80 that it never attained te
L"aday in Princeton that it had before, and now has IN
many other of our colleges and has become 80 long s
set "ocefy il allowed TO enter either the Wing
or Clio Iall ana yet OF the AIS stdelis III ~ -.
I.narfment nil but between 20 and 80 are members oI
those halls and Of that number many decline applying
for membership from motives OF economy Iht ICrI3
expenses OF the halls for light iue iutl'u sGSVIW
,ous for paners magazines reylewS, ana IOr INC PII
chase OF new books FOR the library are 30 heV rs 90 W.
q serious burden 20 studeais OF restricted means, -
sqlcd by those who have the hest oppntuhiJ 20 hhON
that not more than Onc.teenh OF me stH1thle WIZ
recent discipnc The most decisive evidence OF the en-
cacy of the pledge is furnished 10y the recent cHpsitce
OF ths college. The tdcdlfy haa V'iiu,HI , ay
evidence regard TO fifteen students oi thel re ~
with secret societies ard they "Sfr ,,SIc
leon IMPRESSION i'm The college and out % H. Ic cos-
gUfuee was that some sixteen OlGtl r'i,'7 ni''4i
came forward an1 admitted that trey had o'th con
peered with uoh societies, but ASSURANCE ~ u't
rIeats signed by Themselves (nd hY jholr CON-
r1dc-) that those GsaoeiaIl"tS slrun az" ~ 49,
.Dng as tie pledge continued IN loi'e. Ihis N'IN oiei
aUour tbe conditions on which ,he Faculty consented 20
Inc return oil those Who had been dismissed ine SFI IS
therefore tOr the present ~ las' suppe>aoi az" IL -
not likely g. be revived -, A.. .. ,t
pledge n. assumed tCWUTaii1mS etcti j. auhtch
io It obligatory II ia admitted that Ns VOCATION j.
Serious moral oHehse aud permanent injury. - Iva, wa
fOTcbiy said thBt, however - !CHh. i'Il, ia, 80
l1slf for tiuJ. mo thinking that ire lf'lcc " u'
binding he L. sure IN after lie 20 repent o W 'otio'
unless ind ed. lc gets into ats'" IN WLti I TN -
~ nothing" Parents naturally shrink from having thr
sons exposed 10 such calamity. ms o'9ec' ~ S.''
bears against all pledges 10 bears oSah,i me pets
which they are constantly tempted 70 usoocy. IL
bears against the pledge required before all4Ia-
sion hto WINS OF Clio Han; asaih.t lAe PIeUs5
tahen 10y the trustees ana lFtl,, .liI
oo.iust MI Official pledge. witness called before
,rt Of Justice Is often under the strong a. p'salDe
teupf.t.0n to violate bis oath; why then shouu ne pc
subjected 10 dagger OF coniM;,i.ns P,il"f J of
thr ubhc good requires it, IN hke manner INC tOd ~
cIre, REQUIRES tlat is students snOuid be required 10
obey its laws Unnecessary pledges are an cNil' put
tbcye can DO no valid oict 20 requiring oi snreht
reason man y promise ia ne Will w "''' o'''
This - What We AL have TO do =, -,.
The authorities OF the College have done tieF uutF,
e great body OF the friends OF I'll, aud OF other sar
institutions r. is OF the last impo9ance thar tii p4ibes
anuld consider tue matter, 50 fal - tfhct'l j. con
cerued Finally settled. The Judgment 81 &c fftmg
tcly.. 10 them "a committed tAe government %. t.t
COLLEGE. This trust hch caunot he Ceit%dtrd III
mast be- executed according 20 the CONSCIENTIOUS 'o'o
mons Of chose whom u ias been couhdfd Ihtre can
re no security Tor good government whether IN the
family the coli, ge the state. Tie church, mless tios
a authority controlled by The fear OF Cod ana nos
10y the fear o. the people. ChAiLhS AOD"A'
I1incei0a n. j., Dec. 30, 1870.
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