File:Princeton sketches - the story of Nassau Hall (1893) (14598079577).jpg

Identifier: princetonsketche01wall (find matches)
Title: Princeton sketches : the story of Nassau Hall
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Wallace, George R
Subjects: Princeton University
Publisher: New York : G. P. Putnam's sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ted.It was among such a body of orators, fired bythe burning questions of the time, that Prince-tons venerable halls had their birth. Theseorganizations were first known as the PlainDealing and the Well Meaning Societies. Un-fortunately, the records of the early societieshave perished, and the exact dates and circum-stances of their origin cannot be positivelydetermined. Dr. Giger, in his History of theOliosopliic Society, proves conclusively that theWell Meaning Society was in existence in 1765,and presents evidence of its foundation in thatyear by William Patterson and others. Dr.Cameron, the historian of the American WhigSociety, says of the Plain Dealing Club : Weare satisfied that it was in existence in 1763and was founded at an earlier date, probably in1760. Whatever the birthdays of these clubsmay have been, there is no doubt that for someyears they flourished side by side, and devotedthemselves mainly to the discussion of politicalquestions. The rivalry soon became so intense,
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THE HALLS. 57 however, that their discussions assumed a de-cidedly local character. The battles of Fred-erick the Great, and the right of Parliament totax the colonies, were alike forgotten in a paper war, of which only the distant echoeshave reached us. Fierce satires and innumer-able lampoons were exchanged by the combat-ants, to the great edification of the college atlarge. We cannot find just what the casus belliwas, and indeed one of the spectators of thestrife, writing under the name of Censor,assures us that after conversing with persons inas well as out of the societies, he was utterlyunable to learn the cause of all this clatter ofviolence. The Faculty finally decided that the only wayto restore peace was to kill the societies, andconsequently an edict was issued some time inthe year 1768, closing their doors. The onlyrelic of their existence which has survived thelapse of time is a quaint old diploma, issued bythe Plain Dealing Club in 1766. OMNIBUS ET SINGULIS Has literas l

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