Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-11-04
The Vermont University.

We hope the following article, which ap-
peared last week in WaIton's Daily, with its
strong but truthful showing, will commend itself
to the members of the Legislature who are
about 10 act in the premises. ED.
In taking retrospect Of the doings of
the Legislature, for several of the past ses-
sions, one can scarcely rcpeI the thought
that this Honorable Body must often take es-
peciaI delight in destroying or marring the
things OF their own creation; and in no
case will this thought more obtrudc than
when noting the act of last session to en-
force the collection Of the amount, princi-
pal and interest, which, many years ago,
was loaned out OF the school fund, long
since abolished, to the University of Yer
mont. The history oflhis loan of the state
to the College is told in few words In
1924, the college building, which had been
erected at the cost of 1856, 900 by private
munificence, and without any help from the
state, was, with its valuable contents, de.
stroyed by fire; whereupon the citizens Of
Burlington and vicinity, to save this insti-
tuition of the state from entire humiliation,
generously stepped forward and raised by
Subscription the sum of $l0,0O0 with which
to erect new buildings. With this dona-
ton the two wings of the present edice
we're erected. But the Institution still be-
ing without library or lihrary "y--..s :.
museum, a chapel, and even recitation
room, the corporation commences erecting
the centre building, and to e"ao'e mem 10
complete this indispensable pap' oi 'helr es-
tabIishmeut, solicited ash from me state,
and obtained, not gilt, bnt loan oil
$4,000, which, with what they could beg
eIswhere, did enable them to get the build
ing in such q shape that it could be occu
pied Had this $4,000 been an appropria-
ton or gift OF the state to an institution
which was a child 0 its own creation, and
at that time brought to the verge OF ruin by
an act of Providence, the donation, under
the circumstances, would have been con-
temptiby small one. But the state was
guilty even of no such liberaIity as that
would amount to. The money was loaned
only, good security exacted, and the inter-
est required to be paid. And the interest
has been paid, as sadly as the institution has
wanted funds, to the amount of more than
half the origional debt Not satisfied with
that, however, and as if unwilling the COL
Iege should have even the use of the money,
the legislature, last session, passed an act
to enforce the collection Of this debt: and
accordingly the claim, the past year, has
actually been put in suit in Chittenden
county; aud bad the case been reached, at
the late term Of the court there, Judgment
might have been rendered, execution issu.
ed, the apparatus and library Of the college
seized and sold under the hammer And
thus now stands the case The state in the
position of hard-faced creditor, exacting
his dues to the uttermost through the ruth
less power Of the law-the college, unable
to IalSe any more money than barely will
suffice to keep ii in operation, in the atti-
tude of suppliant, begging for mercy1-
Nay, it is worse than uat; The state has
placed itself in the position of a rich father,
who, having gwen his son meager outfit,
and seen him rednced to poverty by caIam-
ily, loans, instead of giving him, small
SUM and then, while he is struggling to
relieve himself, turns round and sues him
for the money
Now is this the position in which the
people of Vermont wish to see their state
placed?
But what will be the consequence ofthus
enforcing the collection Of this debt! The
College, with commendable liberaity and
forbearance, have trusted the poor young
men of Vermont who have graduated there
for their tuition, till they could pay from
their earnings, to large amount; and at
this very moment, there is due to the lnsti-
tuition, in such claims as these, more than
enough to pay this debt to the state. And
if the debt in question is collected, it will
be compelled, in its present embarrassed
circumstances to do, not as ii aOOuH be
done by, but as it is done by. and drive up
these young men, now struggling to get in.
to their professions, in the same manner in
which it has been driven itself Do the
people of the state wish to see this also?
The writer of this is no graduate of Bur
Iington college, no officer, and hasno con-
necton with it, but he is a friend to our
educational interestS--he has some little
pride for the character of the state; and he
has therefore been gratlied to see bill in
trodaced, the present session, to cancel this
debt; and he believes that sound policy as
well as the honor of the state requires lis
passage. A. b.
GERRIT SMITH is the Free Democratic can.
eidate Tor Congress in the 22d Congressional Dis