The Henson Journals

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20th Sunday after Trinity, October 20th, 1912. Ithaca.

A beautiful day. Our host's conversation is so full of interest, expressing an extraordinary range & volume of knowledge & an almost unique acquaintance with the greater individuals of the later XIXth century, that I had to tear myself away with reluctant decisiveness in order to perform the indispensable task of reading through my sermon, & 'getting my mind into order for the service'. At breakfast our conversation turned on Pobiedonostzeff, the Procurator of the Holy Synod, with whom Dr White seems to have been even intimate. He said that the favourite authors of that eminent Persecutor were Thomas à Kempis & Emerson! He spoke also of Lord Acton, who 'with the simple exception of Theodore Parker', was the nearest approach to 'embodied omniscience' he had known. He gave several astonishing instances of his unexpected & detailed knowledge.

The chapel is a large, fine, unusual building, capable of seating about 1000 people. It was completely filled with dons, students, & a handfull of ladies. I preached on "The Secularizing of Christianity", & took up my parable against the current heresy of "Christian Socialism". The congregation listened with the closest attention. After service I was shown the Church, & the Cornell Memorial Chapel. The latter contains three recumbent figures, one of the Founder of the University, Mr Cornell: it is adorned with some good carving in stone, & has a vaulted roof of stone, perhaps unique in this country.

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Dr White took me for a walk round the University grounds. Nothing could be more beautiful than the prospect of the lake & hills, now glowing in their 'Fall' colours. He spoke much of Roosevelt, whom he knew intimately. He said that the reports of his mental instability were persistent & disquieting: but, when all was said, he was a genius, & 'genius was near akin to madness'. On one occasion he had seen Roosevelt addressing an audience in Ithaca, & finding an electric wire intervening between himself & a clear view of the people, lose temper & seize the wire with both hands & attempt to tear it down, to the horror of the crowd & to his own extreme risk, for, had the wire been charged, he might have been killed on the spot. He spoke of the Fraternity Houses, of which there are 45 in Cornell, as potential colleges. I inquired into the manner of maintaining discipline among the great body of students, about 4500 men & 500 women. He said that the Fraternities were the principal instrument of order in the University; that there was one Proctor who negociated all disciplinary questions with the municipal authorities: that there was surprisingly little trouble.

I preached again in the Chapel at 3.30 p.m. taking as my subject "Christianity & Patriotism". The service was mainly musical, & I reduced my discourse to 20 minutes.

In the evening I preached for the 3rd time in the local Episcopal Church – S. John's. There was a fair congregation, which was described as exceptionally large.

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Our host was very entertaining on the subject of the Indians of whom for some years he had official charge as chairman of the Senatorial Committee of the State which concerned itself with them. Besides he had been admitted into one of the tribes, and as a member had witnessed some of their religious ceremonies. He described very amusingly the dance of the squaws, whose 'papooses', or babies, were conveniently disposed of during the performance by being hung on nails all round the wooden house, in which the dancing took place. The infants never emitted a cry, but like Stoical philosophers contemplated the proceedings without token of interest or sign of emotion. Once a year a formal palaver took place in which the tedious circumlocutions of the Indians invariably proved too much for the patience of the Senatorial Committee, the members of which retired one by one during the interminable speeches until at the end the Indian orators held forth to none but Dr White himself. He mentioned the case of the Chief of the Six Nations, who had been carefully trained in the Christian religion, & been confirmed by one of the American Bishops: but who, as soon as he had married & settled among his own people, had cast off his faith, & thrown in his lot with the pagan section of his tribe. Of late years the Indians have given up wearing their distinctive dress; and taken to buying the smart, vulgar hats & clothes which the Syracuse Tradesmen offer for sale.

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