Thomas's Massachusetts spy, or, Worcester gazette. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1811-1821, 1821-04-04

ooaio OF OveneeIsS out inc meaning Was the
fame. InRead Of the " Magiara,es'' Of the col
towns, the Govenour, Lieutenant CoveYnouf.
Council, and Senate, and the Minilen of Con-
gregationsl Churches in the Fix towns, were de.
claTed to be the Board of Overlteu.
What is the propofed alteration 1t 10 finn
ply this. The Board is to be competed of the
Covernour, Lieutenant Coverpour, Council, Sem
ate, Speaker of the Houie of Representatives,
and of fifteen laymen and fifteen eleygymen, to 3:
elt6ed BY the board. arm oPPoied to this alter
alton, my tellow.cirizens, for the following
reatons.
l. The College was we'll managed for cen.
tury and three quarters, under The old Board of
Overiesrs, as it cxiited till $780, and a. it may
exiR again, if the propoied amendment 1nould
not be accepted.
2. Numerous donations, by individuals on
both fdes of the .iilantiek. and by the State, have
been made to the College, with the full conf
dence, that its government would not be altered
and that the clergy, in its immediate vicinity,
would always fuperintend its concerns.
8. The contemplated alteration will place the
government of the College in the hands of that
class Of pIofeiIed Chrifiians, who call themielves
Unilarians; 70 long as fifteen clergymen and if-
teen laymen, of that delcripton, can be feleeted
in this Commonwealth. Harvard College was
founded by men who believed 10 the Divinity
of our Lord Iefus chria. With this belief they
dedicated it to ChriN and the Church. believe
the fame doctrine and others conneaed with it,
not becauie our anccifors believed theie doc.
trines, but becaule the Bible, % underfand il,
| plainly teaches them. OF courle, cannot vote
to FIX the College peTpetually under the control
of thole who vehemently deny, oppofe, and
Ttjea what conider to be fundamental truths
OF Divine Revelation.
q. The contemplated change 10 the Board Of
OveIf,ers is manifeilly fuch a. the founders
would never have conlented io-.nor would the
long line of worthies, who had the care Of this
venerable inititution, through ieveral iuccefive
generations. would be far from laying ralh
hand upon fabrick. which they reared with 70
holy delign, and which they confscsted to their
Saviour, as the Supreme Head Of the Church.
Although an alteration has been made in the
Board OF Ove,ieers, il has hitherto been made BY
the LegiAarure only BY many of the members
the real 6egn and the certain tffea Of the change
was not ieen nor underlood. But il the people
now ratify the propoied amendment, and thus
render this Rate OF things permanent, they will
alfume the reiporlbilit, upon acknowledgement
fearful reiponhbi.y it will be. Thes are now
called upon TO ian&ion the cnsnge. and 20 APPROVE
of it. And If they rstify the rxNrH ARrIcLE,
as it Rands, they do approve OF shg change. am
confident that hole who believe in the Divinity
OF our Lord Ieiut Chrla will not thus approve
OF it. am cobhdenl that vaf majority of the
people of this Commonwealth are not Unltarians;
and that the article in queifion will not be ratf.
ed, if it 10 well underftood.
S. No evil can reiull from giving negative
to this psopofsl, and leaving he College as It ever
has been. No ion has pretended tina, an evils
refui,ed from the Contribution of the Old Board
of Overieers. Why then is change demanded
Principally to iecure an aicendancy OF Uuitari.
ana in the management of the College, not only
now, but through all future times.
6. This meaiure had not fair diiealIion 10 the
Convention. 1t was not propoied till near the
clole of the leiIion when many members had
gone home, others were 6ck, and the iubieA was
preifed through with crowd of other bulinels.
There were fnbjeas OF in6aitsly lei, moment,
which attracted fifty times as much attention.--
Several members who voted for the article have
declared, as l am eIedibly informed, that they
had no idea OF what they now believe to be the
real deGgn OF this amendment.
The approaching deciGoa. in reference to this
i1bjea, is one of momen,ous concern. 1t viii,
have an important bearing upon The intereRs
the Redeemer's kingdom to the end OF time, apd
upon the FOULS of men to all eternity. Let the
people attend to he call of duty on this occa
ion They cannot avoid the Responsibility OF
acting or of fefufing TO act. If meaiure high
ly mi J,ous to the bet nteyeRs OF this STATE and
this country, to the Church, and to remote pol
teTity, fhould be carried into effea, in COME
quence Of their apathy, they will have realou to
repIoach hemi;lves, and take up a bitter lament
alton, with borrow and the mott poignant re.
gtet will be uravailing
Perhaps iome perions may think, that this quef
ton concerns ,be College as private corpora.
tion, and that the people are nor bound to AXE
| take Harvard College is, in he largea tenle,
Pubick inRi;utou 1t was iounded by the
pubicks it las been conttanily nuried by the
publick; within few years the publick has
granted 100 900 dollss The publick have
right, ard are oiemnly bound, to prelerve it for
the obj>ets of its founders and patrons. No in
ttution in the United States has received &c many,
10 munihcent. and 10 conRant proofs of the pub.
lick care and bounty. No inittuton was ever
coniecrated to nobler or holer purpole. 1t
has been great blelIing to this country, for
long period of time and if not fixed 10 hoitil.
ty to the Church to which it ilands coniecrated
it will be great bleihng to generations yet On.
born.
The cafe is mort one, and ea6ly underiiood
Thote who win to perpetuate Unitaranim, and
to eutrench it 10 the RrongeR manner poiIible,
will vote for the article. Thole who win to
follow the plain intentions of the founders and
grea,ea benefatfors of Harvard College; who
think the lucce,ful experience Of 40 years, Bet
ter proof Of good plan than any new theory
can be; and. ESPECIALLY. who are convinced that