Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-01-24

Massachusetts cannot appreciate. But YER
mont has sent many OF her sons here. There
are in this immediate vicinity some thousand
Vermoners, many ofthem men Of wealth, some
even worth more than whole towns in Vermont
towns, too, that have given their thousands
to support this institution. 1t has been thought
best, therefore, 10 present the subject to the
Vermonters here, and ask Of them their aid to
support an institution, which, land it is not an
id,e boast) has accomplished work of which
Vermont may well be proud.
Hon. Myr1n Lawrence, the chairman Of the
meeting, who was graduated at M ddlebury
College, made full aud specific statement of
the character of the graduates of this institution
the influence they had exerted, and the benefit
generally which the College had been 10 the
State and the world. 1t is, emphaticaly the
"poor boys College" Few rich mems sons
graduate here.
Its students are generally energetic, hard
working poor young men; who pay their way
often by.manual labor, who walk miles daily,
that they may board at home, or where they
may pay their board by their own work.
lie lnstanced many men who now hold the
most responsible and honorary positions in our
land, Governors, Senators and Judges, in almost
every State, who were these poor Vermont
| boys, and who had it not been for this college,
would most of them have remained at the
| plough. He mentioned the case OF Bingham,
who may be said to be almost the creator of the
| Sandwich Island, as nation,- at least the man
who has done more than any other man living
or dead, to redeem that land from Mechanism,
and give it the advantages Of Christian ciyiIi-
cation. lie referred eloquently and feongly
to Fiske aud Parsons, who died in Palestine
of Frost, who died on the banks Of the Ganges,
of Mosely, of Winslow, OF Caswell, of IIemen-
| Of Per-; ms nd pG ma " ut ors ho hava
devoted their lives to sei-1ying Efforts for the
general benefit of the world TO show the n-
1uence of the College upon the surrounding
country, he stated that the little town of Corn
wall, containing about TOO inhabitants, had ed
ucated some seventy young men, among whom
he mentioned Gov. William Slade. Senator
Foote, Lindsey, Prof. A. T. Post, two Profs.
Bingham, Prot. Thompson, Judge Sampson,
Drs Post and Mathews.
lie mentioned the fact that the father OF ST.
I las Wright paid for the tuition of his son, by
drawing wood into Middlebury, driving the
oxen himself, and that young Sllas was accus-
tom d to walk two or three miles twice every
day to his fathers house, that he might be en-
abled thus to obtain liberal education. 1t was
8 shown TO the satisfaction of all present that
Mddlebury college had, in every department,
done honor to itself and credit to the State. 1t
was felt that it must be sustained, and that
+ means should be taken to complete the subscrip
ton. The subscription book was presented and
the amount subscribed, together with that of
some previous meetings, was over $4,000. A
d., committee of three were then appointed TO
b nominate at the next meeting committee Of
twenty five to canvas: the city, appeal to all the
Nerm Iners here, and give TO all an opportuni~
D ty 10 do something. The committee appointed
j. to consider the expediency of an organization
+ OF the Nermoners in this vicinity, reported a
general plan, which was unanimously accepted
; aud after some discussion upon the details, the
report was recommilted 10 the same, with. in
| structlors to present at the next meeting con-
o .titutlon, framed in accordance with the plan
The meeting adjourned to meet in the Ma
sonic Temple, upon Wednesday, tho 22d.