408
of the other pieces. At the close of the
speaking there were many who thought
that Mr. Klosterman would receive
much consideration in the making of the
decision. ;
Charlton Brice Thompson, of Coving-
ton, Ky., the winner of the medal, was
the second speaker on the subject,
“Richelieu.” He combined, more than
any other of the men, ability as a
speaker with an essay of very positive
merit. Mr. Thompson’s treatment of
his subject was as unique as it was
forceful.
with an effective climax, and it was
characterized by dignified language and
terse sentences. His delivery was force-
ful, though it had a tendency to become
monotonous. There were places where
a longer pause or slower enunciation
would have improved the etfect.
The last speaker was William Moses
Jones of Copeville, Texas; his subject,
“Sir Thomas More and William Tyn-
dale.” Mr. Jones’ piece was distinctly
an essay and not an oration. With
practically a double subject, he found it
difficult to keep a single theme, and as
a result there was a slight confusion at
times in the minds of the listeners. His
treatment of the subject was able, and
showed thorough acquaintance with the
men and their times. He threw much
energy into his speaking, but his voice .
lacked power, and his stage presence
was inclined to be awkward and un-
weildy. 3
MR. THOMPSON’S SPEECH.
The closing paragraphs of Mr. Thomp-
son’s speech are here quoted:
“Richelieu gave the nation what it
craved in the system best adapted to
its need. He made a just estimate of
the people with whom he had to deal.
To him the idea of self-government was
repugnant; his reason, the unpolitical
nature of the people of France; his
vindication, a hundred years of consti-
tutional mockery. For France has
never escaped from centralization. The
failure of the Fronde only left absolutism
the stronger. The Revolution itself did
not do away with despotism but
strengthened it. It would be difficult to
imagine a more perfect tyrany than that
of Robespierre, or of the forms of the
government that followed, culminating
in an absolute one-man power. To-day,
Paris lives under the administrative sys-
tem of Napoleon which embodies the
principles of Richelieu. A score of con-
stitutions have failed to transform the
traits of character embedded in the race,
made firm by centuries. Glorious in
language, these written frames of govern-
ment are full of sound and fury, signify-
ing nothing. France has a parliament,
but it is bureaucracy that governs it.
Centralized France has been, and cen-
tralized she seems destined to remain.
“On the prime elements of French na-
ture, Richelieu seized with the instinct
of a statesmen. He worked along the
lines of natural development and so his
system did not perish with his death.
It was a permanent mark that he
stamped upon his nation. He stands
out as the embodiment of the French
unity and greatness, the epitome of the
political genius of France. Coming at a
time of great national disaster, when the
monarchy needed one more great man
to make it absolute, he supplied that
need, and the political system of the
nation was settled forever. ‘I leave his
monarchy exalted, and his enemies
destroyed,’ wrote Richelieu of Louis
Thirteenth. He might have added ‘I
have stamped on France a system that
centuries shall not efface.’ ”
AN EXPULSION FROM YALE COL-
LEGE IN 1814,
[By William Koot Bliss.]}
_The persons interested in this event
were three in number; of these the
first was Jeremiah Day, who was a
tutor in the College from 1708 until
1801, Professor of Mathematics and
Natural History from 1801 until 1820,
and President of the College from 1817
until 1846. The second was James
Breckenridge, a planter residing at
Fincastle in Virginia, who had been a
Brigadier-General during the war of
1812, was a member of Congress from
1809 to 1818, and an associate with
Thomas Jefferson in founding the Uni-
versity of Virginia. The third was
Cary Breckenridge, a son of General
The whole essay was a unit —
four or five hundred dollars,
Breckenridge, who was admitted to Yale
College in 1813 when he was seventeen
years old. Jeremiah Day was the lad’s
college guardian, for which service he
received a commission of five per cent.
on all money paid by him for the lad’s
account, |
The story is told in the following let-
ters, the first of which, postmarked at
New Haven, is addressed to Hon. James”
Breckenridge, Member of Congress,
Washington City.
YALE CoLiece, Mar. 1, 1814.
Dear Sir: Yours of the 22d of Feb-
ruary I received yesterday. To-day I
called on your son, and found him well.
He has perhaps been prevented from
writing, for some days past, by the de-
mands upon his time from his collegiate
exercises. He labours under some dis-
advantages, from a partial deficiency in
the studies preparatory to his admission
into College. He probably thinks it
necessary to apply himself with perser-
vering assiduity to the branches of litera-
ture and science, to which his class are
attending. His conduct, while he has
been here, so far as I can learn, has
been irreproachable. With much re-
spect,
Sir, yours obedt. servt.,
JEREMIAH Day.
The second letter has the same ad-
dress as the first, is postmarked “Free,”
and encloses an account of Cary Breck-
enridge’s expenses at New Haven from
November 13, 1813, to March 11, 1814:
YALE CoLiece, Mar. 28, 1814.
Dear Sir: I have received yours of
the 23d, requesting to be informed what
sum of money will be necessary for the
expenses of your son till December. I
had supposed that five or six hundred
dollars a year was sufficient for one in
his situation, before these extraordinary
times. But since the war and Embargo,
the prices of apparel, fuel, and provi-
sions have risen above all former exam-
ple. Perhaps he may have occasion for
during
eight months to come.
I enclose the account of his expenses,
for the Winter past. I found that a
number of his former bills were unpaid,
when he entered College. These,
amounting to 136 dollars, I have placed
at the end of the account. With respect,
Sit, : .
Yours, etc.,
JEREMIAH DAY.
Cary Breckenridge in account with Jere-
miah Day.
1813 Dr.
Nov. 13. Tocash for pantaloonsin Junelast $ 5.02
ee COAL At FANG: oi veg og Se 8.93
<9 coat, 2 pr. pantaloons,
and 2 vests in Oct.. 71.22
24 aS washing last summer. 7.58
~ bill of furniture, etc.
last summer __._--- 17.48
" FOOUM rene os 3-34
et g weeks board at 2.50. 22.50
_ $136.07
1814
Jan. 4 To College Treasurer’s bill_.______ 12.10
ins steward’s bill__....___- -97
26 Edinburgh Encyclopedia_____- 16.00
28 waisted? Bilbo h ee 4.41
Feb. 2 Cast dor bee i oa 5.00
8 UPON Petite sioic 2 S68
12 *S \ GhassiGal taxes... 2252. - 2.00
Mar.1zt To board 1o weeks at 250 and
7 WECES RE S00.) 56.00
WOOG@ Be ii ete So 22.00
SARI dn ee 6.38
cash at suudry times__.______- 36.00
$208.61
To commission of 5 per
COI es ee ee 14.93
$313-54
1813 Cr. :
NOUV. 5 BY CISh SO Ore 150.00
Balaneé 2csg3 23 ts coass ak $163.54
The third letter is addressed to
“Fyncastle, Botetourt County, Virginia,”
and is postmarked “25 cents’:
YALE CoL_ece, April 27, 1814.
Dear Sir: I have received yours of
‘the 16th inclosing $400 dollars for the
‘use of your son in college. Mr. Dag-
gett was so good as to exchange the
Georgetown bills, in New York, for such
as are current here. The continuation
of your son’s account, I defer sending,
till the close of the term, about two
weeks hence, when the collegiate bills
are made up. With respect Sir,
Your obedt. servt.,
- JEREMIAH Day.
The fourth letter is addressed like the
preceding, and is postmarked “Free”:
YALE COLLEGE, Sept. 19, 1814.
Dear Sir: Your son left here this
morning, in company with Mr. Daggett,
~ WELL MADE.
to spend a week in New York. I pro- -
posed to him to delay his journey, till
he could hear from you.
he knew you would approve of it; and
he had made his arrangements to go
with Mr. Daggett.
I have heretofore mentioned, that his
qualifications, on admission into the Col-
lege, were such as called for the utmost
exertion on his part.
of the Winter his health was such as
considerably to-retard his progress, and
to render it doubtful whether he would
be able to maintain his standing with
his class. Another turn of indisposi-
tion, this Summer, has thrown him still
farther into the back ground. It is now
the opinion of his tutor, and of the
Faculty that he cannot continue in his
class, with advantage or reputation to
himself. His ill health cannot be im-
puted to him as a crime. It is a mis-
fortune that he has not been able to
apply himself, with unremitting assid-
uity. But it would be a greater calamity
to continue him in a class, in which
all his exertions would be insufficient to
carry him along, without constant em-
barrassment. The method of instruc-
tion is such here, that little or no ad-
vantage can be derived from it by one
who is not well prepared for the situa-
tion in which he is placed.
The Faculty have desired me to ex-
press to you their opinion, that it will
be for the interest of your son, to re-’
move him the College, at least for the
present. Perhaps his constitution will
be found better fitted for active scenes,
than for sedentary habits. Should you
think it advisable, however, to persevere
in completing his education, he can re-
turn here at a future period, and take
any standing for which he is found quali-
fied. In this, there is nothing disreputa-
ble. Instances occur, every year, in
which persons from ill health, or for
other reasons, join a different class from
the one to which they originally be-
longed. With respect, Sir,
Your obedt. servt.,
JEREMIAH Day.
The fifth letter is addressed to Hon.
James Breckenridge, Member of Con-
gress, Washington, and is postmarked
cFree”’:
YALE CoLiecE, Nov. 19, 1814.
Dear Sir: :
gett left this place for Washington, your
son proposed to accompany him, as far
as New York. After some hesitation I
consented that he should go, and re-
turn speedily. Directly after, I took a
journey into Vermont, and was absent
several weeks. On my return, I found
a letter from him, dated some days pre-
vious, in which he requested me to send
him money to settle his bill in New
York, and bear his expenses back. I
forwarded him 40 dollars, and he soon
returned. I have not seen him, for some
days past, as I have been confined to my
But he said.
During some part.
=o When Mr. Dag.
house by ill health. It would be de-
sirable that he should soon know your
pleasure with respect to his future ar-
rangements.- With respect, Sir,
Your obedt. servt.,
JEREMIAH DAY.
The sixth letter is addressed like the
preceding and is postmarked “Free”:
YALE CoLiece, Dec. 15, 1814.
Vege ire = 2 * . Your son. as
been unoccupied since he returned from
New York. He appears to have no in-
clination to prosecute his studies any
further. He appears to be directing his
views to active life, rather than to the
employments of a student. He has been
very much dissatisfied with his tutor,
and has treated him with such marked
and open disrespect, as to call for the
we eLeuer a: of the Faculty of the Col-
ege. :
It will be dangerous for him to re-
main long in this town without employ-
ment. He will be exposed to the com-
pany of the idle and the vicious, with-
out being controlled by the authority
and advice of the officers of the College.
It seems important that some arrange-
ment concerning him should soon be
made. I believe it is his own wish to
leave this place shortly. With great
respect, Sir,
Your obedt. servant,
JEREMIAH Day.
The next letter is also postmarked
“Free”:
YALE CoLiece, Dec. 24, 1814.
Dear Sir: Your favor of the 18th I
received last evening, containing a re-
quest that I would give you an account
of the affair between your son and his
tutor, Mr. Hull. He had, for some time
entertained an aversion to Mr. Hull,
from a suspicion, which I believe was
unfounded, that Mr. Hull was unreason-
ably prejudiced against him. A few
evenings since, an unusual disturbance
was made, in that part of the College
where Mr. Hull resides. He went out
at his door, and supposed he saw your
son in the space. Some time after, the
disturbance was renewed. Mr. Hull
then went into one of the chambers at
the head of the stairs, where he found
your son in company with other stu-
dents: Mr. Hull said. to ign (ie a
you Breckenridge who have been mak-
ing this disturbance?’ He replied, in
terms of very pointed contempt and
abuse, accompanied with menacing ges-
tures. -
In conversation with me afterwards,
his apology for his conduct was, in the
first place, that he had no previous de-
sign of insulting Mr. Hull, but was
provoked to it, by being charged with
that of which he had not been guilty;
and in the second place, that he didn’t
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LENE
No. 1209.
LIGHT WEIGHT.
Station Wagon.
REASONABLE PRICE.
FINE FJNISH.
STUDEBAKER.
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WM. R. INNIS, MANAGER.
Carriage Builders
LARGE VARIETY.
CORRECT APPOINTMENTS.
UNEXCELI ED WORKMANSHIP.
A YALE MAN’S INVENTION.
The BLOOMER Combined
Box 47.
BELT and SUSPENDERS
Patented Jan. 9, 1900, by H. J. BLOOMER, 1903.
For ALL LOVERS of out-
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With this article a man is
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Convertible from belt to sus- /
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Grey or Brown Suede $1.25
Genuine Pig Skin,
POSTPAID.
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1.50 §
