ew England, where generous rivalry has ever promoted patriotism
and learning. Their children have, in peace and war, in life and
death, deserved well of the Republic. Smile, Heaven, upon this fair
conjunction."]

MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY:--The
somewhat miscellaneous character of the sentiment which has called me up
embarrasses me not a little as to which of the points I should select as
the subject of my remarks. I am still more embarrassed by the
introduction of additional topics on the part of my friend, the
President of Harvard College. The president knows that it is our custom
to meet once a year, and discuss all the matters to which he has
referred, as often as we meet. [Laughter.] He knows also that he was
providentially prevented, by a very happy occurrence to himself, from
attending our last College Convention; and in consequence of his
absence, for which we all excused and congratulated him, the meeting was
more than usually tame. [Laughter.] Now, I find that all the sentiments
which he had been gathering for a year have been precipitated upon me on
this occasion. [Laughter.] I rejoice that His Excellency, the President
of the United States, and the distinguished Secretary of State
[Rutherford B. Hayes and William M. Evarts], are between us. [Laughter.]
For here is a special occasion for the application of the policy of
peace. [Laughter.] I therefore reserve what few remarks I shall make
upon this special theme for a moment later.

The first point in the sentiment proposed recognizes New England as the
mother of two colleges. I think we should do well also to call to mind,
especially under the circumstances by which we are surrounded this
evening, that New England was not merely the mother of two colleges
which have had some influence in this land, but that New England, with
all its glory and its achievements, was, in a certain sense, the
creation of a college. It would be easy to show that had it not been for
the existence of one or two rather inferior colleges of the University
of Cambridge in England, there never would have been a New England. In
these colleges were gathered and trained not a few of the great leaders
of opinion under whose influence the father of New England became a
great political power in the mother country. It is not to the Pilgrim
Fathers alone who landed at Plymouth on December 22, 1620, that New
England owes its characteristic principles