New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-05-05
NEW.YORK TRIBUNE.
New-York University.
For The Tnbur

Il 70 General James laufnddSe'
| his more in sorrow than in anger that address
,oa Although the New York University has been
no object Of your unjust attack, yet still it is not
easy to forget that we once looked upon you as a
osron and friend Your present attitude Of hos
lily to that institution, and your apparent purpose
10 inaict upon it as heavy a blow as your strength
vii permit present phenomenon which We
,boad be glad to explain In way consistent with
moral principle true regard TO your former re-
atoms You, Sir, are the assailant-it may be
said the unprovoked assailant. This is true even
4, regards the Council with whom you are ostensi-
BIZ at difference In reference to one measure
they disagreed with you in opinion 1t was not, TO
say the least, measure OF the very highest i'm
poftance. II was no extensive scheme proposed
BY you in relation to the of instruction any
General financial project Of relief which by its import.
snee might have furnished ground of justification
for the attitude you have 81 to assume You Sir
who appeal to the multitude, might without any com.
promise of dignity have presumed that perhaps the
very many respectable gentlemen opposed you in that
one might possibly have been in the right and
nat your individual judgment might possibly have
been wrong Admitting however for the sake of srgu.
ment (thst being a matter which do not intend Just
row TO discuss) that you actually in the right
sill this furnished no reason for your resgning your
place In anger much less for waiting whole year, and
then unimpeached snd without any additional cause,
20 violently assang institution for which you had
proessed much regard Instead of there being
any additional ground the original had ceased it
was known to you ought have been known to you
that the Chancellor had reinquished the graduation fees
which formed your main subject of grievance.
Advert too for moment to the occasion selected by
sou for the present attack Had it been at the period of
your resignation it might have seemed natural If
10, more juslifsbe. But you suffer year to elspse
you take the period of the Chsnceors absence at Al
bsny whether you knew it not J cannot say you
eec, the precise moment when question vital to the
interests OF the University hanging In the trembling
balance OF legislative decision aud not only this but
you chime In wonderful coincidence, both of thought
and style with the arguments and language Of previous
sssSlsns Of the institution II not in sefdeience
The preence is unworthy of all serious notice The
SAUL timed that even as an act OF revenge, II is
Justly to be denounced as ungenerous and unmaDly
You may perhaps say that it is between your
.sif and the Council with which member of the
Faculty has anything to do Permit respectfully to
differ from you in this You have certainly ssssed the
University in its literary as well its economical de.
your charges than the Council The gentlemen who
compose that honorable body have doubtless warm feel
ngs for the prosperity OF the institution but personal
" neither their regulations nor their interests Except
as the interests of generous in what they have 90
noby pstronized) are involved in the controversy
With the Faculty it is otherwise. They must feel keen
IL every attack upon thing delicate the reputs
tion of literary institution and which 1t requires
much less of genius and talent to Duie them 10 build
IN and maintain Their characters are involved,
and you need not be told that often literary man re-
putaton 10 his only wealth.
You have travelled very tar beyond the graduation
ices which the face OF your own statement mace me
only real ground of the difference between you and the
Council: since the other question you have raised
whether what is paid the Professor OF Revealed Re
hgon should be called interest or salary Is really un-
worthy OF all serious notice. You have IN terms 10
which Won annex no qualification represented the Uni
versty as king falling in the number OF students des
uute to use your language, OF spirit eDgrosslng
time and feeling advance the cause OF Literature and
generally failing to fulfill the ends for which n"ss
established. You make distinctions; in aiming your
blows you strike blindy, without seeming to care on
what OF whom they fall
Now by no process of reasoning could this be shown
10 be any consequence OF the Chancellor having $500
more OF less from the graduation iees OF medical stu
dents IL IL altogether too great an effect to proceed
from such cause II there are any grounds Tor such
statements respecting the sinking condition OF the Uni
versty the reason, at least to be inferred, must
have been the literary ncompeteney OF the Chancellor
and Professors for all other things with the exception
OF this small of the fees aforesaid had remained
they were during those times when In your ELOQUENT
style YOU were accustomed ON public occasions to
land the University for the permanent and encouraging
grounds which IL was at length estsohsned' NOW,
Sir az this was the only inference you should nave SAID
80 Ike man and you should have said H. not In The
way that ought be the last to which literary man
should ever resort namely to an indsorminatng pub-
lie but TO the Council You should have pointed out
defects you should have presented your schemes of I'M
poyement Above all during your years oil intercourse
with them you should have said Il TO the Chancellor
and Professors themselves. With the manly rsnkness
OF true friend of the institution you should have sOught
to their and falling In that 10 substitute
others Ia their places.
But Sir your assertions respecting the sinking condi'
lion OF the University true On this issue we APP
peal 20 the public documents of the Institution, TO
catalogues TO our published course OF study 10 those
who have knowledge of US, 10 members OF the Council
and other gentlemen literary sitsinments who have
conducted rigid examinations, and who are thoroughly
quseed to Judge OF Instructions and their results
A most confident appeal Is also msde to the nPenlng
fruits OF the institution the hundreds OF young men
who have graduated with honor and who now, in va
rous parts OF our land are rising rapidly TO usefulness
and distinction
Your language in other places implies the same idea
You speak OF the sinking condition of so noble an .
Institution" though II rapidly falling from some
former proud emnence, TO which IL had been once
raised by your exertons and a regard 10 your own re-
putaton had compelled you TO get the way OF the
impending ruin. Surely there are some gentlemen in
thar Council whose association with you even in such
q catastrophe, would nave Drought no uishonor. You
spesk of the falling of Ia the number OF the students
How will this compare with the fact which certainly
ought 10 have been known TO you that the number dur
Ing the present year 10 greater than has ever been
since the foundation From what jasthaole motive do
you take the catalogue OF the preceding year Instead OF
ths, OF the present and even from the one assumed
make deductions which cannot be reconcueo WIKI 'ne
tactsY
You state that the number Of paying students Al ~
Now Sir know from estimate, IN me correctness
Of which have personal interest that for the last Tour
years the average has been O. The present year II .
estimated to exceed TO- BY this meant the sum 'otA
of Jau paying students 20 which they all amount tno
number actually paying, both fully and partially oeihs
greater than this II 10 you speak oil the psfns
course students but you evidently seek by using tne
lowest term and making no explanations TO convey
most unfsvorsbe and uni usi impression. }
There Is the fsDscy in your statement OF tne
number Of graduates which you take from one oil the
lower years emitting here also the partlscoarse stu
dents, who obtain only partial diplomas Could you mol
have chaaby remembered the fact that two years sgo
NE number Of full graduates was 81 and the Psrusi
diplomas 5 making In all a. You state the number oil
graduates ~ % year. Now the average Tor the lsst
oer years, which is certainly very isr test OF the
present prosperity VI the institution, Is 81 being
much beyond that of former OF its exist