New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-18
THE COMMENCEMENT SEASON.
ppOwN UNIVERSITY,

WKEK-PROGRESs IN TUE PAST YEAR Anu
PLANS FOR THK FUTURE.
lraoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUSE'l
PROVIDENCE, r. l., June 17.-West Point
Military Academy had Cadet Fhpper Brown University
has Inman Edward Page. The cadet was cut W
his feuow-pupiIs; the student at Brown received
by the vote of his classmates, one of the very hshes'
honors which 1t In their power to bestow' Botn arc
colorcd men, and the difference in the lives which they
have led at the institutions which they have received
their training wide difference between tue
spirit OF the young men of the two colleges fhpper
was forced drag out solitary and unfrehded DAYS "
West Point; Page. throughout his course mas peeh
all respects by his classmates as Thoroughly
one themselves and In the Senior year was CHOSEN
Class Day orator. = position which Is so much coVeteo
smon0 students ambitious for class honors that II
is ranked by many higher In favor than the sau
tatory and Valedictory orations Of Commencement
The young who has thus been put forward py lne
Class Of II, at Brown, as representative Oh
their culture and oratory, is from Washington
Although some white blood ia said TO flow In his Velhs
he could never be mistaken anything but what he a.
No one even at sight could possibly suppose nm 10
be a Spaniard or Cuban of unusually dark complexion
His and head show all the characteristics Oh Tue
negro type in lips nose. forehead and hair His eeVa
ton by voice OF his felowstudens TO the proud place
which he occupied Class Day-the greatest day OF inc
whole four years to the Class the day on which
they call all their relatives and friends to enjoy what
best and brightest Of life within university wais-iSht
not have been so remarkable In hedgng college eager
for everything new. startling, aud strange In BroWh
with its century of honorable history with It's stores OF
timehalowcd traditions with its preference Tor Tue
paths which use and have approved rather han
for untred and uncertain ways this event s certainly
mrprise great change, truly has come over tnls
University since the days before the war, when wild,
dashing hotblooded youths from the South forhleda
large part Of her undergraduate following.
The reasons Pages are somewhat complex
Though good writer and SPEAKER he by no means so
far oushone tie of the class as to make ms superior
fly unquestiOned In general ability as student he Is
well spoken OF by the members of the Faculty. hut he Is
surpassed in this by number of his fellows IL WIS tct
however by all that he would be credable representa-
tive Of the Glass OF II on the Glass DayiatOrm ana
want OF harmony among the members OF the college fra
terntes, which usually control Senior elections 0hs
want OF harmony sometimes results in the bterest us
srnsons those which caused the abandonment OF
Class Day at Harvard and other colleges This year.
and which at Brown in 1876 left nothing of the festival
Of the seniors except the promenade concert and the
'spreads made it impossible to elect any OF the ira
ternty candidates orator. Page was not member Oh
any one of the fratornites and Objectionable to none
Of them This fact, with the praise he had won ny inc
ESSAYS and speeches which form part OF the college
course and readiness in the ella to adopt an noVa-
ton which would attract much attention and give rise TO
mu, IA commentaries among the principal reasons
for Pages triumph.
The Glass Day exercises OF the Class OF II, which
were held last Friday. brilliant and attractive
June gavo it some OF her most valued fvors The heat
was not extreme the Dreezes were gratefully COOL ana
the evening could hardly have been better for the
r,romenade concert In tho morning old Manning Hall
was radiant with youthful and beauty-for Prov-
dence is exceptionally endowed with fair women. tAt
least so runncth the pr0ycrb which no ono VINO mas
spout four years here will gainsay) After some good
music Rathbouc Gardner President Of the Class made
a graceful address on The pleasures of Glass Day, the
annals of the Class and its gratitude to President Rob
nsun and The members Of the Faculty with whom It's
relations had always been OF the most pleasant ana
profitable kind Nj Pages grafton, ON the intellectual
Prospects Of America followed. HIS delivery ana
berns were impressive and he easily held The attention
OF Lis hearers Though his Grafton did not Indicate very
rare powers really profound mastery OF ms SUBJECT
IL was equal 70 il above the average OF Class Day
uftcrauees The poet Of the day Thomas L. Bartlett
Of Newburyport, Mass, and the thread with winch he
woavcd bis numbers the Ministry OF Beauty IN ts
afternoon the class planted with the accompa
nimcnt Of music; address on Academic Friendship
byJ H. Tyler Of Baltimore; an address on Planting,
BY H. Williams Oh FOXbOrO, Mass; witty ana pointed
remarks TO the undergraduates by W. f. Benjamin OF
Boston; some wise words OF counsel, with Jndcious
urise of the Glass Of ~ by President Robinson and the
sugug OF the class hyInu written by Clark H. johnson OF
Moosup valley, r. During the remainder OF the after
noon and evening students welcomed their treuds
10 delightful little spreads. One OF these undergrad
u.ue receptions however, very extensive aud ex
pcnsve affair. SIX students united In giving IT. Two
recaton-rooms aud an adjoining apartment were used
The decorations ndgs and flowers were profu and
elegant; the collation. was elaborate ana suihIfuOds
Five hundred most ornate invitations issued, and
altogether the affair the most noteworthy OF It's Knd
ever given al Brown. The charming grounds about the Old
college buildings were beautifully illuminated at niebt
and were thronged with those who were fortunate
enough TO hold the cards OF admission issued by the
students The melodies played by an excellent band
mace promenadug very agreeable. Outside the grounds
were many thousands Of people listening TO Tue
music ana strolling about, or looking at the
multitude within the nigh fences The University
Quartets songs formed important part of tne pleas
ures of the evening little before IL o'clock the pro
cessOn coegans formed TO escort the seniors TO
their class-supper, which the festivities, as usual
were prolonged until nearly dawn But tDe hours were
not spent in deep carousa, though they we're fulI OF
merrinent aud few throbbing headaches followed the
BANQUET The officers Of the elass-supper were julius
Palmer Of Providence, President; George Washington
Milford "a colored student whose face even blacker
tlan that Of Pagc) OF Washington, Historian; w. NJ
Knight OF London, y. H., Prophet C. i. Elder Of
New-Yorl, Odist.
The next event Of interest in Commencement week az
Brown was the preaching of the Baccalaureae sermon
By President Robinson, at o'clock this afternoon, III the
old First Baptist Westinghouse whose walls have
echoed the sounds OF many Baccalaureates as well as
the speeches Of many cOmmencemens-fort THIS veneer
able wooden edfce has been the chapel OF Brown On-
very such annual occasions for scores OF yeais-Dut
they have rarely resOunded with the words Of so cogent
clear and forcble speaker as Dr. Robinson, whose
analytical powers. able marshaling Of arguments and
lucid pres nation Of statements such as bent the
head OF college OF high reputation for SOUND earnng
and such as are needed teacher Of moral and mental
philosophy His text to-day Romans ii, 20; " The
form Of knowledge ana OF the truth in the law His
theme was Teachings from the Moral Nature OF Man.
and the principal divisions Of his discourse were as Io
I Of Divine is.