The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-10-07


,nd Letter inst received from the Rev. Mr..
Gardner" By this it is meant that ] pre-
sen,ed The case Of The four colored young
men. in whose behalf had, month before,
made application to the Faculty-of whic b
application DR.. L. haG before spoken in the
letter This, as you will see by my cores
pondence with Mr.. Gardner, is incorrect.
Instead Of presenting the case Of these colored
YOUTH merely presented through DIR. l..
the letter from Mr.. Gardner which, as you
will see, applied for the admission of one OF
them only. The impression created by the
letter Of DIR. l.. is. that the refusal OF the
Corporation applied TO, these coiored youth
that is. TO the four,-when in fact, 1t ap-
piled to but one. The impression. moreover,
from tho letter. is, that l personally presented
the case and Mr.. Gardeners letter, when, in
| fact, Ibid not personally communicate with the
ICorporation, but merely handed the letter to
DIR. Labaree and requested him TO lay il be-
fore them, and communicate to me- their de-
cision.
.. Dr. Labaree, in the letter to Mr. Rob
erts. gives, from memory, the decision of
the Corporation, as follows: 1.-THE de-
cision was made six weeks before.
The members of the Corporation held
an inform al consultation on the subject,
'and came, as near as can recollect, to
something like the following result. Mid
'dlebury College is not designed especially
| for the colored race, and we are not in
| 'clined particularly to encourage negroes
from all parts of the country to resort here
for education. We are disposed to do
'onr fair proportion in educating this class
of citizens, and therefore colored young
linen in Vermont and States adjacent, who
'would,naturaIly fall.to us,we will cheerfuly
| receive"
DIR. Labaree's letter, omits the fact that
he communicated 10 Inc the decision of the
Corporation, on the next day-in doing
which, he said nothing about adjacent
States as places from which colorod STU
dents would be cheerfnlly received.
The principal error have thus deemed
it my duty to correct, is, that the refusal of
the Corporation was 10 receive four colored
young men, when it was refusal to re-
ceiye even one. How material this error
is, will appear from the fact, that it is con-
nected in the decision of the Corporation,
as recolected by the President, with the
declaration that 'MId rbury College is not
designed especially for the co.ored race
which it would evidently be inappropriate
to saw upon the occasion. of refusing to re-
ceive a single individual ofthat race. The
materially of The error appears, further,
from the occasion it has furnished you to
say that they (the Corporation)ver wise
ly concluded that these objects (the useful
ness and prosperity of the College, could
not be accomplished by the admission OF
blacks in such numbers as to justify the con-
c!usion upon the public mind, that the in
stitution had, in this respect, becon pc
culiar," that n demand upon them 10 edu-
cate negroes from other States was unjust
and uureasonable,'- that 'Middlebury G, l.
leqe should not subject herself to all the dis
advantages which pubic prejudice won ID
attach to it, should It once be universally
regarded as the fdrorite resort of the colored
race from all parts of the sUhion. and
that you exceedingly rejoice that the Cor
poraton have had the wisdom and firm
ness to keep this institution in the hands oil
that portion of the community who alone
are able to sustain it, and not to suffer IL
to become mere appendage OF the new
tangled abolition party, headed by Blrney
and Gerritt Smith which is rapidly hasten
ing into weakness and disrepute.'
1t would evidently be quite unsuitable to
make such remarks as these-and especially
the Last-with any reference 10 this case, as
ii really is.
You are mistaken in saying that Presi-
dent Labaree's letter TO NJ. Roberts was
published at the time,' if by the time you
mean as the expression imports, the time
hen it was written, on the 18th OF June.
Its first appearance was in the Vermont
Frcemen, about the LIST of September.
learn, for the first time. by your arti-
Gle, that DIR. Labaree's letter has been
placed on the College records. reSre'
this, because the record will perPetuate the
error that u denial was given to The applI-
cation of four colored young men because
the College is not especially designed fol
the colored race when, in fact, 1t was re-
lection of the application of one because i
was supposed the College would be injured
by his admission.
have felt compelled to make this commu,
nication in justice to myself and 10 truth.
am sorry 10 differ from the President snt
others, on this subject. desire the prosper
ity OF this College as much as any one car
desire il; but do not believe that this oil
any College will suffer, in the long run, fol
rising above the distinction of color, ant
opening its doors, with frank avowal OF ii:
motives, o every young man who possesses
the requisite moral and literary qualifications
| believe this is the true way TO secure pros
perity, and will continue to be, while the
world shall be under the Providence of Hin
who will finally say-'Inasmuch as We have
done it to one Of the least of these my breih
eren, We have done it unto me-
Suffer me to add, that, although it has Civ
en- me pleasure TO act as the agent of th'
young men in question, yetit has not beer
unmipgled with regret that should thereby
be placed in aposition TO INCUR the censur'
of some whose good opinion | value; and re
greet also, that my efforts finally to secure th'
admission Of one of the young, men, should
have led you to speak of his rejection as al
act which happily prevents the College from
becoming "A mere appendage Of the new
tangled abolition party headed by Birney
Smith. AS though his reception, or evel
the reception Of the four, would have subjec
ted the College to that imputation or mysel
to the censure which your remark implies.
This agency was thrown upon me withou
any seeking of mine; but having received it
| endeavored, regardless Of personal cense
quences, 10 execute il with as much fdelit,
to the young men as though their skin wer
'colored like my own'-believing that the,