Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-25
His Speech to the Alumni Association
 OfNew York.

NEW YORK, Jan 24-At the dinner giveI
 last evening at Delmonico's by the Yal' Alumni association, of this city in honor o Pres. Porter, Mir. Chauncey M Depew. presi
 dent of the association sat at the head of the table, with President Porter on his right Among the alumni were General Joseph c.
 Jackson, Brayton Ives, Albert Matthews
 Alfred J. Taylor, Eugene Smith, Horace
 Barnard, General James M. Varnum, Man
 ming o. Wells, Richard Sheldon, the Rev,
 Richard c. Morse, w. B. Ross, Walter T.
 and Thomas Slone. After MT. Depew had
 made one of his characteristic speeches Pres
 ident Porter was introduced and welcomed
 with songs and the college cry. He said he hardly knew what to say in response to so
 many kind words. He had been afforded the extreme pleasure of attending his own funeral and participating in his own obsequies. In explaining why he resigned the presidency of Yale college he said it was because of his age. Yet he was not conscious of physical weakness or the loss of intellect ual power. ''I have been forty years in Yale professor and president. l resigned with out consulting with human being outside of my own family. But it was with the un- derstanding that I should retain my old po- sition as professor of moral science.
 ''I greatly rejoice at the assurance that is furnished me from every quarter that the graduates of Yale have not disappointed my fondest expectations. The graduates of the last fifteen Y ears are equal to the graduates of any previous fifteen years. (Applause.) It is
 great blessing to me that my name will be
 connected with so many honorable names
 names of men so illustrious and so useful
 to humanity and the country. What is this
 new system of education of which hear so
 much, that leaves discipline and study to the
 option of the students It is not entirely con-
 fined to Harvard Yale has the option sys-
 tenn in the junior and senior years. ] have
 feared that, unrestricted, this system would
 not be best for the students of the earlier
 years of the course. The power of Yale col
 lege consists in the acquaintance of the stu
 dents with the representative men of the
 college and country. It is the cultivation of man with man that makes college success
 full. Please remember that my judgment has been exercised as judgment of principle. l do not care to dwell on the elective system of study. You will find this to be true-the work of life is the work of stern necessity. No neglected lessons can be made up in the future. What is lost is lost forever.
 "I was once informed in Washington that for getting money I was not worth cent. (Applause) When I was inaugurated pres ident of Yale college it was understood that would not be expected to collect money. With that understanding began my work. will not say what have done, but know that might have made mistakes that would have prevented large sums Of money from coming into Yale's treasury. When first became connected with Yale its pro- ductive income was but few hundred dol lars year. When I graduated l raised s1OO from each member of my class for the college. In answer to personal appeal from me a oentleman gave the first 0,000 for a new dormitory building It is the character of the men school sends out that determines it's grade, not the numbers of students.
 Yale and Harvard must stand or fall by this gauge of excellence"
 In closing ex-President Porter said that complaints had been made against the religi- ous exercises at Yale. One class of critics complained that there was too much religion. | Another said there was not enough. But it would be found that religious exercises were l necessary at the opening of the session of | the day in all such institutions Every col | leee that has begun without such services has later found it necessary to observe them. l Stch has been the case at Cornell and the | University of Michigan. 'i
 Rev. Dr. Glapp, Edmund Wetmore, | Wayne Mac Veagh Mayor Seth Low, James I Alexander and Major Bundy followed and a
 very pleasant event closed at late hour.