THE SENIOR PETITIONS.

THE last action in regard to Class Day deserves a notice. The quarrel between the various sections of the Senior class had lasted since November; feeling and words had run high on all sides; and it had become evident that, as matters stood, no satisfactory understanding in regard to a Class Day celebration could be reached.

Such being the case, two alternatives were open, - the class might definitely abandon all plans for any celebration whatever; or they might endeavor to reorganize themselves in a new way, and to offer to their friends some sort of entertainment which should take the place of the regular Class Day exercises of past years.

A few individuals, perceiving this state of things, assumed the responsibility of starting a petition to the Faculty for the use of the Yard and of Memorial Hall on the 22d of June, for the purpose of entertaining their friends. Copies of this petition were posted upon the bulletin-boards; all Seniors were invited to sign it; and it was hoped that it would be signed by a sufficient number to organize some sort of an unofficial celebration, which should serve as a nucleus for spreads, and as a neutral meeting-ground, where the squabbles of the past six months might be forgotten. The representatives of certain sections of the class, however, did not see fit to take this petition in the spirit in which it was laid before them. For reasons best known to themselves, they declined to see in it anything more than a revival of the sectional feuds which it was really intended to allay; and, instead of coming forward to sign it in a friendly spirit, as they were most cordially invited to do, they proceeded to organize a formal opposition, which partook more plainly of the famous spirit of AEsop's dog in the manger than any college movement within the recollection of the present generation of students.

They based their opposition upon the ground that when the various hostile factions agreed to the class organization, which was formally ratified at the last class meeting, they also came to a tacit agreement that no one of them should take any steps towards organizing a Class Day celebration. This ground is perfectly fair. For any section to have stepped forward as a section, and to have endeavored to procure special privileges at the expense of others, would have been highly dishonorable. But a movement organized and managed by individuals who entirely dropped their sectional character, and acted simply as classmates, was of a totally different nature. Opposition to such a movement was a revival of the very quarrels which the class organization had been supposed to settle; and if a sectional movement in the one direction would have been dishonorable, it is difficult to see how it can be consistently held that a sectional movement in the other direction was in conformity with the strictest rules of honor.

On Monday last both the petition and the protest were presented to the Faculty, who, after considerable discussion, laid both upon the table. In all probability it will be impossible to organize any Class Day celebration whatever, and at all events a discontented faction has succeeded in stirring up anew all the ill-feeling that has been considered by unprejudiced observers to be singularly discreditable to the class of '77.