Kansas University Weekly.
193
under-graduate defers only to royalty. Be that as it may, while some of the eminent gentlemen brought forward on this occasion were evidently slightly embarrassed, the hearty reception accorded by the students to each as his name was announced, went far to place him entirely at ease.
And indeed the ceremony was somewhat trying to a man of a retiring disposition. The recipients of degrees in divinity, philosophy and science, and letters, were introduced by the heads of those respective schools in the University. As his name was read, each candidate rose and walked to the front of the platform, escorted by the acting master of ceremonies, who then announced all his titles and honors and works of distinction, while the candidate did his best to assume a far-a-way and unconcerned expression. The introduction completed, the candidate bowed to the audience, then turned and bowed again to President Patton, and was then ushered to his place upon the platform where he stood facing the President, back to the audience, and toeing a mark carefully inlaid in the mosaic floor for convenience upon such occasions. Here he had to wait while enough other candidates were brought forward to occupy fully the front of the platform. Occasionally somebody forgot himself, and turned his back to the audience before being introduced, whereupon the master of ceremonies was compelled to turn him round again before proceeding; but in general all displayed self possession in a very difficult position.
As soon as a sufficient number of candidates were in line, the master of ceremonies bowed to President Patton, who thereupon placed upon his head his academic "mortar board," and without rising or making any effort to be heard beyond the circle immediately before him, pronounced this formula: "Auctoritate mihi commissa Universitatis Princetoniensis vos ad summum gradum admitto." These magic words spoken, everybody seemed much relieved; the president removed his cap, the newly fledged doctors filed past and shook hands with him, and presto, the platform was vacant
and ready for another group. In fact the celerity with which the investiture was concluded after the candidates were in line was rather disappointing.
Now and then a special burst of cheering greeted a name more widely known to the under-graduates than others, before the accompanying list of titles could be read. Such names as Karl Brugmann, Edward Dowden, Felix Klein, Andrew Seth, Goldwin Smith, and Joseph John Thompson might well arouse enthusiasm; while of our countrymen there were James B. Angell, Daniel C.Gilman, S. P. Langley, Joseph Le Conte, Seth Low, Simon Newcomb, Morgan Dix, Richard Watson Gilder, and Charles Dudley Warner.
Some time as may well be believed had elapsed before the last of the sixtyfive had passed from the stage. Then President Patton rose, and turning toward the gentleman in citizen's dress who sat at his right, said in substance that it had been proposed to confer yet another degree, but that it had been, by him it was proposed to honor, declined "in the interests of his own modesty;" yet he had consented to grace the festival by his presence, and to say a few words on the occasion which inaugurated Princeton University. Thus he presented the President of the United States.
As President Cleveland rose and came forward, the audience rose also, and its applause continued for several minutes while the band and the organ bombarded away without making much of an impression. Quiet restored, he stood at the side of a desk, and read his address in the most straight forward and matterof-fact way, but with great deliberation and earnestness. One had almost to rub his eyes and pinch himself to realize that this was really one of the men who have twice received the highest honor in the gift of the people, and that now at the close of his political career he stood before this academic audience as though he regarded it a higher honor to be there and to speak of the duty and responsibility of the University to the State. Not, he said, to rest in learned seclusion and to be content merely with scholar-