The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-06-15
President Harding's
Speech at Princeton

President Harding attended the un-
yelling exercises of the Princeton Bat
tie Monument on Friday and was ac-
corded grand reception. The Presi-
dent delivered two fine addresses. one
at the dedication offhe monument and
the other in front Qf Nassau Hall when
he received thegL.- l.. ID. He had a
fine carrying voice and could be dis
tinctly heard by those who attended
both ceremonies.
We print an extract from his speech
after he had received the Degree.
Praise for Princeton's part in the
World war and all previous wars of the
United States as we'll as for her achieve
ment thru her sons in the paths of
pc ce was voiced by President Hard
ing Friday in an address in connection
with his receiving an honorary degree
from the university.
Il can think Of no more appropriate
message to be addressed to the Prince :
ton community . the president declar-
ed, than an expression OF earnest
hope that it may live up to its oppor-
tunities and obligations in the future,
as patriotically as it has done IN the
past"
Mr.. Harding spoke in part as follows:
1.-The memories of war and OF Prince
ton s glorious part in the achievement
and maintenance of American scholar
ship, learning and intellectualisIn.
Zone who possesses even a general
familiarity with the contributions OF
Princeton to the establishment, the
fortification, and the sturdy upholdlng
of our national institutions, must
.,11xv L Cd n ft1ll nf
pride in being chosen to receive the
distinction you today are conferring
upon me Standing here, before the back
ground of those noble traditions and
eminent accomplishments In which
beats the heart and lives the soul of the
university, one cannot bat feel that to
have deserved this, one ought to have
served well indeed.
For me, the real picture OF Prince
ton of those revolutionary days is the
one that conjures itself around the fig
ure of old John Witherspoon, Scotch
PRESBYTERIAN divine, scholar teacher,
author, preacher, president OF Prince,
ton, rebel by nature, patriot by choice
member of the continental congress,
counsellor to the fathers OF state, slgner
of the declaration, and unrelentIng
fighter in the cause of independence.
Under such leadership, small wonder
that Princeton played a great and gal
liant part, producing young men who
were equally resourceful and uncom-
promising in field or forum, or that the
advanced place which they claimed for
Princeton in patriotic service has been
retained thru all the generations since.
FIRST OF U. s. CoLLEG FS.
"The name of Princeton university
is, well know, rich in association and
fine traditions to all its sons, yet |
may confess that l have always liked
to think of it also by its earlier title of
college of New Jersey, first OF that long
list of state colleges and universities.
which have given so much OF special
character and quality to collegiate IN
stitutions in this country. If one may
think of New Jersey as central battle-
ground of our revolution. the Belgium
of our struggle for independence, SO
also may one picture the Princeton OF
that time as the Louvain among the
rising universities Of the colonial epoch.
Among those in attendance from
Monmouth County were Mr.. and Mrs.
Samuel G. Cowart of Freehold, whose
poem in honor of the occasion is print
ed below.