New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-01
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
HARVARD PHI BETA KAPPA.
CELEBRATING ITS CENTENNIAL.


CELEBRATING ITS CENTENNIAL.
GRAFTON by WENDELL PHILLIPS AND POEM ny
CHARLES q. .LELAND-ArrER-pISNER SPEECHES
BY JOSEPH ii. CuoATE GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS
AND Pr sIDRNr EIIoT-PoEM PROM OLIVER
WENDELL HOLMES
lBr TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUSE.I
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, June 30.--One hundred
years ago next September the meeting OF the Phi
Beta Kappa Society Of Harvard College was held al Cam
bridge the Alpha Chapter at the College of william and
Mary In Virginia having granted years 20 the
students at Harvard permission organize chapter
Inc anniversary of this celebrated to-day in
royal STYLE the exercises being marked by more than
ordinary interest. In honor of the day dele
gates TO the number OF forty fifty present
the Ai.ha Chapters OF eleven different States, Brown.
bowdoin, Hamilton, New-York University Dartmouth
and Wesleyan being among the colleges represented
In the morning the delegates these Alpha Chapters
ned meeting, the most important result Of which
the appointment of committee eleven one delegate
from each Chapter, which is to arrange for "A National
council which Is to be held NewYork ON October ls
This connc will consider the expcdency OF securing -
greater uniformity in the charters different Chap
tiers OF tie Phi Beta Kappa fraternity through
out the country, in the hope that the Chap
ters may thus be bound more strongly
together, ana may exert greater influence
upon the world of letters promises TO be an snpr-
ant meeting. The Harvard Chapter held a business
meeting in the morning, Joseph H. Choate OF NcwYork
president, in the chair The following officers were re-
elected for the ensuing year President, Joseph III.
Choate Yiccprcsident. Theodore Lyman of Brookliue
corresponding secretary, Professor William G. Hale,
Cornell University Five honorary members elected
as follows General III. L. Abbott, Martin Brimmer e
W. Hooper, w. p. p. Lonsfelow, and II. ID. MIett. A.
communication read from the Harvard Club OF
New York. rereting the resip nation OF the Rev DIR Pea
body.
LITERARY ExRRCIsTs AT SANDERS THEATRE
After unnportant routine business the was
formed for the march Sanders Theatre. where tho
literary exercises took place The theatre filed
with brilliant audience. Among those the platform
and in the audience were: oliver Wendell Holmes,
President Gilman Of Johns Hopkins University George
william Curtis Richard Grant White, President Eliot
the Rcverends Messrs Freeman Clarke Edward Everett
Hale and Phillips Brooks, and many OF the members
of the faculty. After music and prayer by
| DIR. Peabody, the president called the
| bly, to order, and graceful speech welcomed
| the delegates from the other colleges. He
viewed in pleasant and dro vein the history Of the
society since Ii founded and then introduced the
Of the day, Wendell Philips of s3l
Mr.. Phillips was warmly received ana his Grafton
greatly enjoyed. Of his remarks ably when he
said " Tremble If your neighbor keeps journal Tt
adds n terror TO DEATH" provoked great applause
and laughter. Mr.. Philips in good voice and his
efforts highly appreciated
| GRAFTON WENDELL PHILLIPS.
Mr.. Phillips said In part No matter what the
origin what the object of society. IL it had
any special both long since forgotten We stand
now simpy representative of free brave, American
scholarship. I emphasize American scholarship. Cur
society dcut 20 some extent protest against
years ago the atmosphere was black with sermons and
where religious speculation beat useessy against tho
narr"wes limits. The first generation OF Pur1tans-
though lowell docs let Cromwell cali them "a small
not . few worthy walk Roger Williams and
s S All Se smoke ss IN s da
| and equal TO any in practical statesinansfip
being ererwalIed The streets Of Wonder cy~T do
or Or os ham ncwn & yane mes S % an
arrows night above e all and his touch eonsecratec
g 70 Of s @ 8r We %n n
Plat" the d ie % 't %rcne re for two s soo a.
two hundred and hfy years Of Americap civilization
coined him e the Academy and F oelo2 kneeled win
nnot , e IL" organzed VcSry o and Milton pae beore
him in the stainlcssness Of his record.
memories the mantle Of charity and eScnse. But vanes
enology and in thought he stands abreast IL the age
like iglre intellect. belongs to all time.
heedng Young y, men close yonr Byron nam and % cpep
scrd sav Young my men close yonr on Winthrop
ana Washington, vomr jefferson and Webster and open
vanc who 10 Alma Mater for a seal the SIM
the narrowness and poverty Of colonial life
starved ont this element Harvard was rededicated.
nry free Thought in religion meant Charles chauncy and
all this hundred years ago there wers pnrits that
q What sasa iisSif IsssaasS; Psas,Sy ,S ana
growth, the law Of their natures English common
Sense and those municipal institutions horn OF the
common law, and which had saved and sheltered II.
dependence. AID allowed IL to drop off naturally as
the chick does when she e ready There was no change
noselcss growth the seed bursting into the flower,
infancy becoming manhood II was life In its onmipo-
tcncc, rendng whatever dead matter confined IL.
But when the veil withdrawn what stood re.
vealcd nstonished the world 1t showed the nn-
oc%t oo free p%~ from inc se serePs sna Oh nt Of
absurd institutions in church and state The grandeur
of this new western constellation gave courage 10 u
rope resulting in the French lseNolon me creaiest
unmiycd. the most unstafDed ond wholly per
feet blessing Europe has had in modern times unesa
perhaps, VIC may possibly except the Reformation
HISTORY AND JOURNALS
What precise effect the giant had when it strucl
our shore We can only guess History for most
part, idle tho dayiresm os pcdante and
trifers The c e-ss tho actors' motives and
relation 20 each other buried with them How
impossible earn the exact truth Of what took piace
yesterday under next ncigbors roof Yet We con
miles of and thousand ms II VIC fnew them
When was a scholar here. my favorite study his
tory The world and affairs have shown lne That
half OF history is loose conjecture and mh OF the
il the writer's opinion But most men see Facts not with
their eyes, hut with their prejudice AF one fsmi}tsf
with courts will testify how rare N is foybns.c-ct
TO give perfectly correct account OF transaction
We tempted TO facts think they encht 20
tc original sources Of history frembe my good friend
III sixpenny neighDor Keeps journal. IL ADDS
not to IN onr a4 so to
tons but with the snrks elbows and angles he
with Jounls are excellent 70 record the depth OF the
and the date when the flower opens But
when you TO mems motivesand characters journ
the magnets that get the chononcer OF his
tory and make all Its records worthless You count
the of two hands all the robust minis
that ever kept Journals Only milksops and fibbes In
, dnlge in that amusement. except and then, a re
spectacle mediocrity. One such journal Nightmares
New England annals. emptied into history by respect
able middeaged gentlemen, who fancy that narrownes