The Portland daily press., 1883-01-25
BowDo1N's SONS.
Hawthorne's Stand During the Rebellion.

Full reports of the meeting of the Bowdoin
Alumni of Washington are at hand and to the
following effect: Among the distinguished
guests present were President Chamberlain,
Commodore Bridges, O. s. N, of the class of
1925; Senators Frye, of 80, and Grover, of
'4S; Representatives W. W. Rice, of '46, and
W. D. Washburne, of "a; Fifth Auditor D. s.
Alexander, of TO- Col. J. 81. Gilman, of "a;
Judge W. B. Smell, of 49, S. J. Kimball, of
90, superintendent of the iife-saving service;
Hon. Hugh Mccullough, ex-Secretary Of the
Treasury; j. Kimbal, of '39; G. Chesley, of
'52, F. D. Sewal, of 49, J. N. Whitney, of
"a, of the Treasury Department.; G.. A. Marx,
of 80 j. G. Strout, of '57, OF the Congression-
al library; Rev. g. M. Blake, q. S. A., Of AZ:
Ellis Spear, of '5S; Professor Joseph Packard,
of 81; George G Kimball, of '62, and H. L.
Prince, of so; j. N McClintock, of '67; Pro-
lessor J. H. Coffin, u s. N, of 81; G. N.
Thorn, of '46; Professor E. E. Whttlasey; r.
W. Deering, of '5S; G. W. Dyer, of 49, Pro-
fessor j. w. Chickering, of 81
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT CHAMBERLAIN.
After dinner President Chamberlain spoke
lege. Referring to its present condition, he
claimed that it is doing for the present genera
ton what it has done for those which have
preceded it, clinging to those methods which
have been approved by experience, and adopt
ing all that is good in the new systems. At
Bowdoin, he said. the effort is made, not only
to educate ia the sciences and languages. but
also to develop inI each student his peculiar
talents. President Chamberlain justified the
present relaxation in discipline, on the ground
that Bowdoin students ere proving themselves
worthy of all the confidence that is reposed in
them. The college lectures are being thrown
open to people from outside, and the profess
sors are adding to their duties by giving lee
lures over large part of Maine. Referring to
the work which Bowdein graduates have done,
he instsnced that it had furnished to the ma
tion President, twenty-five Senators and
Representatives, fourteen judges of high
courts. nine Governors of States, eighteen coll
lege presidents, Longfellow, Hawthorne
aud an :. S. Prentiss
SPEECH OF COMMODORE BRIDGES.
Following President Chamberlain was Com
modore Bridges of the same class in which
Pierce, Hawthorne and Longfelow graduated.
The following extract from his address is very
interesting, and includes a hitherto unpub-
lshed letter of Hawthorne's. whi concu-
sivey proves his loyalty during the doubtful
OnNS Wu6u iHo WAL OpbD6u.
Called upon to respond for the class of 1926.
the thought is uppermost that within the last
year the world has been called to mourn the
loss of one of its greatest poets, who belonged
to that college class, and who has conferred
high honor upon Bowdoin College. No words
of mine could add to his fame. The name of
Longfellow is his sufficient eulogy. Looking
back to nav college associations with him,
can remember no word or act of his which
would be inconsistent with the elevated and
mn to,a of !, 1ffara I.,a r
suppose that good judge of character would
have been able TO predict something of the fu-
ture by seeing the unwearied industry of
Longfelow, devoting himself to every branch
OF the curriculum aud successful in each,
whilst to his classmate Hawthorne, Latin and
English composition were interesting almost to
the exclusion of everything else. The writ
ings of both will in the future take high rank
among the classics of America. Both these
distinguished classmates lived to witness the
deadly struggle OF our civil war, but their an
tecedents we're quite dissimilar, Longfellow
being associated with the cultured anti-savery
men, whilst Hawthorne's affiliations were with
the Democratic party. He was always DEM
ocrat in principle, but was neither extreme nor
narrow in his views. Nor did he ever take an
active part in political controversies. Doubt
less he expressed himself to me as unreserved-
ly as TO any one, and am sure that he always
took broad and liberal views of the great ques-
lions which divided the country From the
otism was thoroughly reused and his Puritan
blood was up; but his mind was too peDstra-
tive and clear not to recognize the confusion
prevailing in the issues of the hour. The con-
ton of his mind is fully shown in letter
which found my papers and which think
will interest you all. He wrote me under date
OF May 26, 1861, famlliarly and clearly giving
his views. After an urgent invitation to his
new home, 1.-THE Waysde,' he writes thus:
The war, strange to say, has had a beneficial
affect snlritq which wa Hao
woefully before it broke out. But it was de-
lightfnl to share in the heroic sentiment of
the time and to feel that I had country,
Consciousness which seemed to make me
young again. One thing as regards this mat
ter regret. and one thing l am glad of. The
regrettable thing is that am too old TO shoulder
musket myself. and the joyful thing is that
Julian is too young. He DIR lis constantly with
a company of lads, and means to enlist as ION
as he reaches the minimum age. But trust
We shall either be victorious or vanquished be-
fore that time Meantime, though / approve
the war as much as any man, don't quite I'M
derstand what we are fighting for or what de-
foite result can be expected. If we pummel
the South ever SO hard they will love us none
the better for it, and even if we subiugate
tnem our next step should be to cut them
adrif , if we are fighting for the humiliation of
slavery. To be sure it may be a wise object
and offrrs tangible result and the only one
which 10 consistent with future union be-
tween North and South. A continuance of
the war would soon make this plain to us, and
we should see the expediency of preparing our
black brethren for future citizenship by allow
ing them to fight for their own liberties and
educating them through heroic influences.
Whatever happens next must say that re-
ioce that the old Union is smashed We never
were one people and never really had
country since the Constitution was formed.
OTHER SPEECHES.
Speeches full of wit and humer followed
from Senator Frye and Representative Rice,
both Of whom were in their haDpiest vein. The
other speakers were ex-Secretary McC ullough,
Senator Grover, Prof. Coffin, Judge Smell,
Messrs. j, Kimball, Sewall, L. j. Kimball,
Alexander and G. Kimball