for, and all that she found worthy in her 'New System,' she proceeds as of old, on the well-tried basis of a sound and thorough Christian, classical and scientific culture, and offers and gives to her pupils an education in keeping with the spirit in which she was founded, and with the intention of those who have enriched her with their munificence, and cherished her with their love." In thus returning to the course of study pursued in the best of our American colleges, the University entered upon a new and more prosperous era. Men no longer were repelled from its walls by the confusion which the "New System" had introduced; while, as a still further result of these changes, there was manifested at once among the several classes in the University that esprit du corps which under the "New System" had not existed.

This was the state of affairs in the University at the opening of the year 1861. Dear, however, as the interests of the University were to all within its walls, higher interests now claimed the chief attention. The hour was full of peril to the nation. As with men throughout the land, so with the students of Hope College and University Hall, the condition of the country was the all-absorbing topic of discussion in public and in private. In the South, with the opening of the spring, the mustering of soldiers for a conflict of arms had already commenced; and yet how did the first gun which was fired at Fort Sumter startle the whole North! The announcement of the attack reached the University late in the evening of April 12. It might almost be said that "no man slept in Athens that night." Certainly the most intense excitement was at once manifested. The despatch, announcing the attack, was meagre indeed; it stated merely, that the bombardment, so long threatened by the rebels, commenced at four o'clock that morning, and continued through the day without any decisive result. Did this mean war, civil war? was the question on the lips of all. Anxiously the morrow

was awaited. When at length it came, it brought a confirmation of the tidings received the night before, and at the same time it afforded the first glimpses of the uprising of a united North. At the recitation of the Senior Class in History, that morning, Professor Gammell alluded to the attack on Fort Sumter. He said: "It looks as if our flag there must go down; but, gentlemen, if it does go down," he added, "it must go up again, and that, too, at whatever cost." The day slowly passed, and when the night came, there came with it the realization of our fears. Fort Sumter had surrendered, our flag had been lowered, and the rebel ensign was then waving over the ruins of the Fort.

On Monday, April 15, after the morning recitation, the Senior Class held a meeting, and appointed a committee to wait on President Sears, for the purpose of obtaining permission to raise over University Hall, the flag that on Saturday had been hauled down in Charleston harbor. University Hall was to be honored thus, above the other buildings of the College, because of the Revolutionary associations which are connected with its history. To these associations President Sears alludes, in the Centennial Address delivered at Brown in 1864, when, after speaking of the Commencement held in 1776, he says: "In just three months from that time, the British fleet entered Newport harbor, and the Royal army landed on the island. This brought the camp in plain view from the College with the naked eye.' 'The King's army,' says the President, is in sight of my house.' Upon this, 'the country flew to arms, and marched for Providence; there, unprovided with barracks, they marched into the College and dispersed the students, about forty in number. The President gave notice to the students, that their attendance on College orders is dispensed with until the end of the next spring vacation.' He should have said, till the end of the war; for the interruption, instead of being limited to six months, continued for six years."

President Sears cheerfully granted the request of the class, and arrangements at once were made for the erection of a flag-staff, and the purchase of a flag.

On Saturday, April 13, the day of the surrender at Fort Sumter, Governor Sprague tendered to the Government his own services, a regiment of infantry, and a battery of artillery, whenever and wherever desired. On Monday following, the offer was accepted, and the work of raising and equipping the troops was at once commenced. On that day, A. E. Burnside, then treasurer of the Illinois Central Railroad, while engaged in the business of his office in the city of New York, received the following despatch: "A regiment of Rhode Island troops will go to Washington this week. How soon can you come on and take command? William Sprague, Governor of Rhode Island." Both the answer and the answerer were ready,-"at once," was the reply. The next morning Burnside was in Providence, organizing the first regiment, Rhode Island detached militia. Four of the Senior Class, -DeWolf, Hoppin, Jenckes, and Sackett, -with several from each of the other classes, enlisted in this regiment as private soldiers. Throughout the University, studies languished. The patriotism of the Freshman Class would brook no restraint. True to the American instinct, the members of that class held a mass meeting, and passed a series of resolutions, (which appeared in the Evening Press of April 16,) sustaining the administration, and expressing their appreciation of the worth of their classmates who had entered the military service.

Wednesday, April 17, was a day long to be remembered by those who were in the University in 1861. At five o'clock, in the afternoon of that day, in the presence of the Faculty and of the undergraduates of the College, and also of a large throng of the citizens of Providence, the Senior Class raised the stars and stripes over University Hall. After the flag had been unfurled,

and the band had played "The Star Spangled Banner," President Sears, standing on the steps of Manning Hall, delivered a brief address. He said he deprecated civil war. He regretted the necessity which it imposed upon us as a people. But, he continued, the time for deliberation is past. Every man is now called upon to show himself worthy of the country of his birth. It is fitting, then, that to-day the young men who have come to this University to learn-to learn to be patriots he would hopeand who have everything at stake in this crisis, should show that they appreciate the inestimable blessings which they have inherited from a brave and noble ancestry. In closing his address, President Sears introduced to the assembly the Right Reverend Bishop Clark.

Bishop Clark said that eighty-eight years ago the old Revolutionary flag waved over University Hall. It meant that our fathers were striving to establish the sacred institutions of a free government. The flag, we raise to-day, means that we intend to preserve those institutions. We deprecate war, he continued, especially civil war. All our interests, all our feelings are against it. But enemies have arisen among us. They have commenced the most wicked contest ever waged. We do not hate them, yet we cannot sit tamely by while they are endeavoring to destroy the very foundations of our political fabric.

Bishop Clark was followed by the Reverend Doctor Hall, who said it was not a time when any one should be silent who loves his country and his God. We are men of peace, he added, but here is a thing inevitable. It is government, or no government. The South does not wish to go peaceably. If we have erred at all, we have erred on the side of forbearance. But the past is gone. Let us show by our action that we continue to love our whole country. The hymn, "My Country 'tis of thee," was then then sung by the students.

The Reverend Doctor Caldwell was the next speaker. He said that on the previous Sabbath he could not but feel it was a time for praying, rather than for preaching. The time for words was now past, the time for deeds had come. Be assured, he added, that what we see going on around us is going on everywhere, from Mason's and Dixon's line to the lakes. A conflict is impending, but we go into it not in passion; we simply seek to vindicate the honor of our country in restoring its rightful authority.

Ex-Governor Dyer delivered the last address. He commenced by saying that in the whole course of his experience he had never ⚫ been subject to such conflicting emotions as were passing through his heart at that moment. Yonder is our country's flag, and the chimes of our city are ringing out our national anthems; but is it possible, he asked, that that flag, and that music, are needed to remind us, that we are citizens of one of the noblest nations of the earth? We are called to contend with traitors, the victims of delusion, all party distinctions, therefore, should be laid aside, and each man should be ready to make whatever sacrifices the honor of the country may demand.

Such is a brief outline of the addresses which were delivered on this interesting occasion. In the form in which they were spoken they have no existence. They did not float away, however, on the soft winds, then laden with the freshness of returning spring. There were those grouped about the Chapel steps, who then, as never before, were "stirred with high hopes of living to be brave men and worthy patriots"; and to whom the words at that time spoken were an inspiration for good, as in the years which followed, when weary from long marching, watching, fighting, they recurred to them for added strength in entering upon fresh trials of endurance.

The Marine Artillery left Providence for Easton, Pennsylvania, the next day. On Saturday morning, Professor Gammell omitted