Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-10-22

icine at Leyden and Padus; one received de-
gree Of Divinity at Dublin; and on one was
conferred the degree Of doctor OF DIVINITY al
Oxford, then as now, the greatest academieai
distinction to which an English theolosian can
attain. Nor was II without example, that young
men were sent from England, to receive their
education at Harvard college, within lew
years after its foundation.t
With such energy aud spirit did our alma
maier spring into being and so decisive Is Inc
evidence that, even at the first stage OF the e1-
is,ence o: the college, il furnished an educauo"
adequate to every department OF the { 'sil or sa>
cred service Of the country, and Hot inferior 20
that of the distinguished schools in Europe:
But il would belong rather to history OF the
college than 10 an eulogy on It's founder, 10 pur'
sue this narrative. will only add, that I'LL a.
bout the end Of the seventeenth century, re-
manned the only college in America, aud conse'
quently up to that period, almost the only
source Of liberal education accessible 10 lis
children, this side Of the Atlantic.
II is, then, fellow students, one hundred and
ninety wears, this day, since the death Of the
man, who was recognized by his con,empora-
ries as the founder of the most ancient semina-
~ in The country, the College where we re-
ceived our education. In paying these honors to
his singlr name, we do no injustice to other lib
eral benefac ors of earlier or la,er times. It's
a part of he merit Of those, who go forward IN
works OF public usefulness and liberality, that
thew construct basis, on which others OF kind
red temper, who come after Them, may build;
and awaken spirit, which may lead 10 SerVl-
ces still more important than their own.
But considering The penury OF the colony,
the exhaustion Of its hist settlers, and the ex-
IRENE difficulty which must, in consequence,
have attended the foundation OF a college, 1t is
not easy TO estimate the full importance OF the
early and liberal benefac tons Of the man, whom
we CONNIE morate. But for his generosity, the
people might have been depressed for the want
of the hopes which they built on such an insti-
tuition, and from the fear of an uneducaied posi-
teritv; and society nigh so far nave yielded 10
the various causes of degenerscy, incident to a
remote and feeble colony, as never afterw ards
TO have Eel: the importance Of learning, nor
made provision for The education Of the people;
result, we may safely say. which would have
been fatal to the character OF this commonly.
But il was otherwise ordered for our vel.
fare. A generous spirit was guided TO our
shores for no other purpose, as il would seem,
but TO dispense the means requisite for the
foundation Of the college. Less than TWO hum
dred years have elapsed, and not much less
lopue Of the institution, whose venerable walls
are indeed a noble monument 10 their founder.
1 here is tradition ,hat, till the revolutionary
war, grave stone was standing on this hill,
over the SPOT where his ashes repose. With
other similar memorials, it was destroyed at
tina, period; and nothing but the same ,rad-
ton remains, to guide Us to the hallowed spot
On tina, spot we have erected plain and sim.
pie, but, at the same time, we apprehend, per-
manen, memorial II will add nothing TO the
renown Of him who is commemorated BY il,
but il will guide the grateful student and the
respectful stranger to he precincts Of that spot.
where all that is mortal rests Of one of the ear
liest of the country's benefac tors.
1t is constructed of OUT native granite, in
solid shaft of fifteen feet elevation, and in the
simplest style of ancient art, On the eastern
face Of the shaft, and looking towards the lard
Of his birth aud education, we have directed
his name 10 be inscribed upon the solid granite;
and we propose to attach 10 j in marble
tablet, this short inscription, N MS moher
tongue:
Tn the twenty sixth day of September, 4, D.
1923, this Stone was erected by the Graduates
Of the University at Cambridge, in honor Of It's
Founder, who died at Charlestown, on the TWEEN.
ty sixth Gay of September, A. d. 1858.
On the opposite face Of the shaft, and look.
ing westward, toward the walks Of the universe
tv which bears his name, we have provided
another inscription, which, in consideration of
his character as the founder Of a seat of learn
ing, is expressed in the Latin tongue:
In piam ct perpe,uam memoram JoHASIs
HARvARDir. anuis fere cucentis post obitum
ejus perac,is, academic que est Can,abrigia
Nov>Anglorum alumni NJ diutius vir de lt,ers
nostris optime meritus sine monumeuro guam.
Wis humili jaceret, hume lapidem ponendum
curaverunt.
And now lie: no man dcride our labour, how>
ever humble, as useless or insignificant With
what interest should we not gaze upon this
simple and snpretending shalt, had it been
erected at the Gecease Of him whom it CONNIE.
morates, and did we now behold i: gray with
the moss, and beaten with the storms of two
centuries! In few years, we, who now per-
form this duty of fiiial observance, shall be as
those who are resting beneath us; but our chill,
dren and our cbildren's children, to the la,es;
generation, will prize this simple memorial.