New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-27
PHI BETA KAPPA AT DARTMOUTH.
GRAFTON BY PROFESSOR TOWNSEND ON THE
CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

CHRISTIAN COLLEGE.
Hanover, n. H., Juno 2a-The annual meeting OF
the Phi Beta Kappa Society OF Dartmouth Cohege
was held today. The Hon. T. J. sargent was
elected president and tho following delegates 10 the
National Council at Saratoga were chosen: Professor
Richardson, DR.. T. W. Coles and c. NJ housh, Oh
New York The following honorary members were
.,ected John II. Doughton, 4s, of Ncw-York; II. F.
Rolfe ~, Great Falls, Mont; the Rev o. W.
Folsom 80, Bath, Me. seventeen mombers OF the
graduating class Of high standing were elected Az
the close Of tho meeting procession OF alumni was
formed and marched to the church, whore Professor
Townsend OF Boston, delivered tire Grafton BEFORE the
alumni on "The Christian College, the safeguard OF
the RepubIic.s He submitted In beginning his Cd
tr.s. that the intellectual and moral character OF
people was decisive as to the form OF government
best adaped 10 that people, and that the character OF
q given people was prophetic OF the government 10
which that people ultimately would 90 snDIecaeu.
These principles general, as must DO soshueo
after q moments thought, and therefore were sp
rloah,a m the United States OF America. Tho
application led to the statement that the form OF
sovcrnmept which was best In this country when
English yeomen chiefly constituted the population OF
the colonies and when Puriansm prevailed, might not
DO best whom the United states was crowded win
hastily naturauzed AMI ignorant foreigners or wheh
some phase Of anarchsm was supreme IN al our
cities And since forms OF government strongly
people governed, and suce tho character OF ihe
people Of almost every nationality was so huceatins
that change rather than permanency was Tho RUE
With all human institutions, II followed that great
political changes IN republic were not only
posslble but wero inevitable, unicss there was re-
sort without delay to ample protective agencies.
The citizen was TO decide what form OF government
vas best and therefore inevitable In our country,
continued tho speaker. And unless our system OF
public education, popular a It was, added to the
patriotism and the integrity OF our citizens, by the
development " what was noblest In man. even his
boosted advantage would not, in any considerable
measure, make for the perpetry Of our free insu'
tuttons But dsreg ardng tho theory that the char
acter Of the school child should receive we'll
rounded development, and Ignoring tho opinions OF
men who had carefully and wisely thought on thcse
problems, we, though profcs sang TO BIO religious
ueope had excluded The Bible from our schools,
we had charged the tea hers to be reticent on all
religious sub and had hushcd In the school room
tho vJace Of prayer IT, therefore, WaShngtoh'
Webster, Cousin, De Tocquevilic, Locke, Spencer
Arnold Huxley, and ncarIy every nation % Eulplr,
even those who borrowed frOm lis tho common scnoSt
system OF education, were correct In Their judgments
and methods, we were wrong In ours, aud our
public school was a possible menace 70 tho republic
Instead OF being q safeguard.