[
634]
Major Henry Ware, had the pleasure of communicating to him, on the 12th of July, the information that he had been appointed.
The approaching Commencement at Harvard College, in July, was to be celebrated with more than ordinary interest.
The graduates of the
University who had won her scholastic honors, and renown derived from brave and conspicuous services in the red field of war, were to receive an especial commemoration.
The President of the
United States and his Cabinet were invited to be present.
On the 24th of June, the
Governor wrote to
President Johnson, earnestly requesting him to be present at the Commencement exercises on Wednesday, the 19th of July, and the ceremonies in honor of the soldiers of old Harvard on Friday, the 21st of July, at
Cambridge.
He could assure him of a sincere welcome, and that it would afford the
State authorities and the people much pleasure to do whatever was becoming for such a visit and such a visitor, to render the occasion agreeable to himself and to his friends.
The letter then says,—
We have a very great desire that the people of Massachusetts should have the opportunity of meeting you, and that you also should have the opportunity of seeing and speaking to a representative assembly of her people.
The present is the time when a thousand advantages of a public nature would be served, the character and magnitude of which will most readily occur to yourself.
I am sure that at no moment in the history of the Union has any concurrence of circumstances yet happened where more good could be done by any such means.
The celebration took place on the day named; but the
President, from official engagements, was not able to be present.
We find on the files of the
Governor a long and interesting letter addressed by him, on the 26th of June, to
Mr. Motley, the
American minister to
Austria, in which he discusses the present aspect of political affairs in
America; from which we make an extract:—
At this moment, we are all thinking of the statesmanship of the future.
The best hopes have been fulfilled by our military success.
I think we have now reached the real “tug of war.”
I have never doubted
