New-York tribune., 1876-01-11
TIE PRINCETON SECRET SOCIETIES.

THR REV. DIR. vINCENT's LETTER-INJURY DONE To
CHARACTER by BREAKING PLEDGEs-wERE THE
LITERARY SOCIETIES INJUREDf
To the Editor or The Tribune.
SIR: The letter of the Rev. DR.. Vincent,
printed in your edition OF Jan 8, concerning the " Sc
Societies in Princeton College," furnishes another
example OF the disadvantages under which the most
Intelligent and benevolent outsider labors when he In
terecs himself into family controversy"
The Rev. Dr. Vincent has misunderstood the whole
ISSUE and OF his mistakes exceedingly amusing
both OF the parties in the contest do not propose to
engage In newspaper controversy on this subject, but
as DR.. Vincent has referred to mo by name, cannot
In Justice to myself refrain from setting him right on one
or two points
In the first place, neither Mr. Elgar nor have ever
minated that the pledge exacted Of students at mac-
ulation not to ion societies not binding On
the other hand the whole point OF our argument was
that the pledge Is binding, and that the student
who violates 1t does injury to his moral
nature which sOphisTy can cure. 1t ap-
pears, however, after trial OF 20 years, that
the students have always found some sophistica
course of reasoning which has seemed to open way for
an evasion OF their dlty in this respect, but which has
really led violation OF tneir plodgo This being the
faet-however lamentabo One-and tho pledge having
proved utterly for the purpose of extermnntng
the secret societies. contend that the pledge should
moi be exacted and thus that the element Of student
eloquent words OF the Rev. Dr. vincent, should Dc
eliminated from The American college system az soon
possible" Take away the pledge aud there can be no
lying In the Then let the college authorities zeal
with the societies as they deal with all other incidents TO
student life.
But It Is with the second Of the points Of the Rev Dr.
Vincent that the fun comes IN" li0 says; " e aic
told college which at period IL Was practically
impossible for q student 20 remain without beng con
nccted with secret society; and further, that AT
that the college IN most nourishing cOndi-
ton !" from which the Rev. d.. Vincent concludes
tHat air. Cole has certainly FURNISHED ms adFtt'ailes
with handle" Now all Princeton men VIII be IN danger
OF the fate Of the servant Dr. Holiness Funny Man"
when they learn tdat what really said ia answer 10
the that Greek letter societies inquired Cp anu
Whig Halls was in these words: In the class OF 800
that time the Halls never more nJurishlnS' dd
Wa. practically ipOss bic fOr man to remain IN college
without connecting himself with or other Oi thtul
Then began the crusade against the Greek letter soc
eics with the result hHt there are at present 90 men IN
the college who do not belong to either or the Hal@
Now, tbe Rev. DE- Vincent was not aware thht the
grand argument against tio Greek letter societies III
Princeton College has always been that they tended To
destroy tie Hdi and ti,at all parties VIC WIN cd'i
other IN their vcAcration and love for these grand
Old institutions, and look uIon any cause WIN
dl.trl.t and dislike which tents toward keeping
even one single student Of Nassau Han wlthoIl
their yrnerafcd precincts. Hence my opening remark
concerning family lars" Neither Mr.. Edgar nor nave
auy atf iltiDn win Greek letter society now ot
,cly existing IN Princeton College, nor has either OF IL
ever taken this plcig, but We more AMI more con
Nuccd that the pledge IA crying evil which ten Is 10 tc
drh4ucnng Of The con,ccnccs Of our youth ana ought u
be forever erased from the college statute BOOKS
HUGH J.. COLE.
Union club Neic- York. Jan. 70. 1876.