Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-08-18
BuRLIyGrov. Aur. Eth. 1854

BURLINGTON. Aug. eth, 1884
To the Editor oftte Free Pres,
SIR Our attention has just been called to an mr.
tcle in your paper Of the ith inst rejecting upon
the course Of the prudential committee Of the Com
grcgatinna Church. in refusing the use Of the Church
Of that society, for the literary exercises Of COM
mencemcnt. Were the article not an editorial one,
we should not reply, for do not acknowledge the
right Of any person to call upon Is to defend our
conduct as the agents of a private corporation,
through the public press but are in this
instance, publicly arraigned by the responsible
editor Of newspaper circulating in this vicinity.
and rs silence on our part might possibly be mis-
construed into implied admission of tao Justice Of
the charges, we have thought it proper to answer
Them and to set the matter in its true light. The
accusations against seem in substance t. be two
First that we have denied the use Of n "Cgngrepa-
hon1i Church." for the commencement services of
" orih,ior College" This is the first time that
we have been informed that the corporation of the
University of Vermont had any pceuiar claims upon
the corporation known the Congregational Church
in Burlington. We had always entertained the
idea that the true Office of the University of Vermont
was to make schoiarS,-that as the University was
literary, and not Hcoi,cicai in stitution, it was no
part ofits business to propagate or manta n sec,a-
ran principles. If we were right in this notion,
there could be no tntrs'c wrong. in "rcfu.ing the
use OF Congregational Church Tor the commence
ment services OF an Orthodox College"
The substance Of the second accusation (.nd this
is really the only that requires any notice. is
that the trustees of the church, ".HiJeraAv' and
~ ''S''' - 'l' 'l''s III Tue 'oc'cy' re-
II Of g,.r -, l.;
''' O"'''" '''' '"' "''"Si'h' 1t l.
'''' '''''' ! ''5''| J''S'''"' upon '''e
''"'''' - N''" ''' It'''''n III "hHh thoy
~ 90 '"''. ''u0"' anu ~ 'lo'o ior
az d" VIII rs '"c ''''''' "ut'es "hich
~ ,"'' W. BIZ "'' Tue trustees
y ""' ~ 'u'" o'"'e-s' we are
0'''' SUI ply "8'"'S u Tue conSrega-
'''"' '"''"''' a. we u''nHsV'hu IT, WIN mere eX-
''0 ""'''9 ''''S' III inc c"Nc, anu preservation OF
u" P'Pc''y' occupying '"' POSITION ana believing
'""' 1t wa '' general UNDERSTANDING oil the society
"neh 'hc ch"rcH was rented last ia that the lite
r"Ty EXERCISES ol commencement should be no longer
nV'u III inc church, Tor the reason that the Town
man, pace supposed to be emlnently suitable for
'nV P",Pos'' "'u'o DC hnlshvd' ana at the service
III '''''''' we thought !! proper not TO take
S''r III "4'""' u 'Ie s'l'c' hne oil our duty by
0"' INV "i-
r'''"'''u wa "'-'i n8'y rejected Inns was done
"" ''' ''u '", u '"''' SO 'ohg before commence
'"'' any ''oVI Vi Tue society," assuming tor
'No Pi''0H' '"'l inc society," ana not the pew
~''-''0' ~ oo"'' u '''p use u inc ehufch,)
~ '','1' sHou WIN our action could nave
H'eotiHe ca''eu' ana the action OF the
wv o"'! So out after tue time
e'0 '!' within "nlVn l'suiar meeting OF
''''' O' H''u' without any stcp oeing
III '' ua''ol that ael'nIle re-
~ - ''0 P'r'onSh'''ns riSh'
~ '''' 'ne oolnln'''eo "ou'u
-, ~ ''."' "o"' meet Win inc
= ~ 'S''N'' o' Tue committee
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