The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-06-10

and universities which nave given SO
much Of special character and quality
to collegiate institutions in this coun-
try If one may think of New Jersey
as the central battle ground of our
revolution, the Belgium of our strug-
gle for independence. so also may one
picture the Princeton of that time as
the Louvain among the rising uni
yersities of the colonial epoch.
I take it that no son of Old Nassau
no adopted son, either, as from to-
day I shall proudly account myself
would venture to question that fine. old
legend about Alexander Hamilton
wheeling his brass six-pounder piece
out into the campus and firing solid
shot straight into the college hall. and
incidentally through the portrait OF
King George H., adjoining It's wall!
, am keeper of no other Princeton mans
conscience but as for myself--the CEN
sorship is invoked against all his
torians who mar their pages with
footnoted superfluities which. in the
poor behoof OF meticulous accuracy
would asperse the authenticity of that
Indispensable detail of the Battle Of
Princeton. If it didn't happen. 1t
should have and so far as l am con-
cerned. simply know 1t did.
Wise men have always been wont to
illumine the uncertain paths of the fu-
ture with the beacons of experience
shining from out the past. So 1t Is
good that men who have been called to
the responsibilities of large affairs
should come now and then to these
academic precincts to refresh their
spirits; to take on for a little time the
hues of your atmosphere. the cast OF
your thought, the inquiring quality of
your mind and the calm elaboration
of your judgments. In the rich and
fruitful intellectuarsoil of our univer-
stiles we may trace the termination OF
ideas. systems institutions, which have
been greatly responsible for the adj
vancement Of humankind; and to our
universities we must turn. in hope and
trust, that they will give to the future
men of the discipline, the unselflshness.
theS2HaiktA vision and clear under
standing needful in coping with the
complex problems which that future
. surely holds for them. In institutions
such as this must be given the equip
ment for leadership in the to-morrows
and WHOEVER tries to peer through the
veil and descry the issues and events
of that coming time must be moved to
very earnest supplicatlon that sim
cerity, simplicity, straightforwardness
moral courage and high honor shall
here be the square and compass, the
plummet and the level, by which to
shape the conduct and aims of men.
l remember reading somewhere in
the letters of distinguished British
public man who was in touch with
American sentiment during the revo-
luton, a delightfully."- naive complaint
that the insurgency might have been
suppressed readily enough by rigorous
measures, but for the malevoleht In
fuence OF the ardent young Wings
who made up almost the entire stu
dent bodies Of the colleges. Whether
1t was Princeton or Harvard, Yale or
William and Marys; whether the
young men came of Wing or Tory con-
neetions, they could be counted on to
turn up as dangerous agitators" and
bad performers whenever the cause
of independence was involved
The colleges of that early time
were already headquarters and dis
pensaries OF patriotic enthusiasm, and
they have remained such. They have
sent out their sons by the thousands.
to perform the most responsible and
arduous service in all the wars Of the
republic: and uniformly 1t has been
marked by zeal which carried in
SEPARATION 60 the whole community.
Yet more important, perhaps. has
been their part in the direction Of
civic interests and activities: in the
constructive tasks Of the state, In
building the commerce and industry.
developing the culture and framing
the public institutions of our country.
So. on such an occasion as this. can
think of no more appropriate message
20 be addressed to the Princeton COM
munity than an expression of the
earnest hope that II may live up to It's
opportunities and obligations. in the
future. as periodically as It has done
In The past. War Is a. passing passion.
but the problems of peace are unend-
ing. They call for our services even
more mistakenly than defense. OPP
portunities are beckoning. obligations
commanding. ] am sure Princeton
will respond. That II viii continue.
along with the other universities and
colleges Of the land, to give service
In expanding measure and OF con-
stantly increasing usefulness. is my
confident and unquestioning assur-
anCe.