The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-13

the army, and ifhe has not, the rank and pay
of major. The President shall likewise cs oS's,a as
a competent lieutenant of the army 70 act as
military assistant. Whenever any colieg9, mas mas
established course Of instrno.ioh in onssa nssty
textbooks shall be issued gratuitously TO the
students and suitable c3ieSt49n ho 81 lIy nasgy
library and military maps, MODELS etc., be
furnished for the lecture.room The course OF
Theory of Ordnance. Projectiles, and Gunuery,
in Military Engineering, in Military Law and
OF War" 1t is further provided that there shall
be selected from each class, as It graduates, the
five students who shall have distinguished
themselves for the greatest general proficiency
in the regular collegiate course and for special
attainments In military science, and who are
also OF sound health and good. moral character
The names of these i've shall be published in
the Army Register, and one of the five shall be
commissioned as second lieutenant in the
United States Army, upon precisely the same
iooting as graduates OF West Point.
While the adoption of such n system will
be OF great advantage to the institutions which
enter into It, its effect upon the general char
acter of the officers of our regular army will
be equally advantageous. The young men who
are sent to West Point and there educated at
the expense of the Government, are selected
by politicians without much reference to their
natural abilities, and IL often happens that the
qualities of their minds are anything but
brilliant. On the other hand, among the stu
dents of our colleges are to be found many of
the most promising young men In the country;
and If they are offered facilities for acquiring
a thorough m litary education, with prospect
of obtaining IA commission in the regular SER
u
GERS viii be elevated considerably above its pre-.
sent standsrd; and in case the nation is ever
again involved in difficulties which make a
resort to arms inevitable. there will be present
in the country large number of young men
who are abundantly qualified to discharge the
dulles OF commanding officers.
Harvard UniversIty.
on the 28th of October 1885, scarcely sixteen
years after The first landing of the Pilgrim
Fathers on Plymouth Rock, the General Court
of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay voted four
hundred pounds towards the establishment OF
q school or college. The next year the institu-
tion was located in Newtown, the title of which
place was shortly afterwards changed to Cam
bridge, in honor of the celebrated University
town Of that name in the old country. In 1888,
John Harvard, an English clergyman who had
arrived in the colony the previous year, be-
queathed to the embryo University sum of
General Court for its foundation He also
donated his then valuable library of three hum
dred and twenty volumes, and in gratitude Tor
these generous bequests the institution was
honored with his name. Such were the almost
Insignificant beginnings of a foundation which
now amounts in the aggregate, and excluding
the College grounds and buildings and the pro-
perty therein, to about 81 800 900, and of library
which, at the present time, numbers 16S,0OO
volumes.
For the first two years or ats existence, the
University was nothing more than an ordinary
academy or high school, under the manage
ment and tuition of Nathaniel Eaton On the
9th of August, 1910, the Rev. Henry Dunster
inaugurated as the first of the long and illus
trious line of Presidents. Under his superln-
character necessary to its success, and in 1872
the first class of nine students was graduated.
President Dunster remained in Office fourteen
years-during which time the number of
alumni had increased to seventy. four-and was
then compelled to resign, in consequence of
having preached sermon which called in
question some OF the dogmas OF Infant
baptism. During the next thirty years.
the number of ,sJ Graduates o,,a averaged six
a fresh impetus by the accession to the Presi-
dency of the celebrated theologian, Increase
Mather, who held the Office for more than six
teen years. During the period that he erematned
at the head of the College the average number
Of graduates was raised to twelve President
Mather still persisted in devoting great por-
tion Of his time to the care of congregation In
Boston, where he resided. This course at last
Court, which voted that it was the duty OF the
President to reside in the neighborhood of his
charge-a hint that resulted In the resignation
of the obstinate divine. His influence on the
institution, all things considered, was not
benehelaI; as, Dy attempting 70 dmPaFI 10 u ia
roads upon the independent position which it
had hitherto maintained. The struggle thus
| inaugurated between the rival schools OF re-
| ligion1sts continued, with more or less bitter
ness, for many years, and was not finally de-
| termined until the beginning of the present
| century, when the votaries OF Unitarianism at
last acquired, as they still retain, the controlling
| interest in the management, although all de-
nominations of Christians have continued to be
| represented In the boards of government and
instruction. This rivalry OF the scots was
| fulness and prosperity of the institution for
| many years. But IL maintained, for all that, q
character for independence that was possessed
by no other college during the last century.
Increase Mather was followed by Samuel Will
lard, John Leverett, and Benjamin Wadsworth
In succession, their terms of Office embracing a
period of thirty-six years. during which time
the college was in quite prosperous condition
| having graduated in l725 q class of forty.iVe
But in 1877 fresh vitality was impaired TO IL by
the energy OF Edward HolyolIe, who in that yea
became President, continuing to hold the posi-
tion until 1863. He was one of the most tho
rough and efficient officers the Institution eve
had at its head, and during his long presidency
OF thirty.two years-by far the longest on III
records-its prosperity was all that could hav,
been desired. During this period nine hundred
and elghty-four graduates, or about thirty pc
year. were sent forth from its halls. The elias
| of l765 numbered fftY-four, and the class o
: III, under the subsequent Presidency of Samue
| Locke, had siXty-three members. During th
| stormy period of the Revolution, even, thert
was no relaxation on the part of the authori
ties of the institution, the catalogue showinI
Ior the eight years of warfare the graduation
z | or classes averaging about thirty-hve in mum
ber. After the scourge of war had passed away
the institution again took a fresh start, and bl
the close of the century the classes had at
tanned an average of forty. Since that time thl
8 number has gradually Increased, until 1t has
within the last few years, frequently exceede'
! During the present century the presidency O
! | the institution has been filled by three remark
! able men, whose regulations have been world
( | wide These men were Josiah Quincy, from
' | 1929 to 1916; Edward Everett from 1916 TO 1S4f
Z | and Jared Sparks, from lS49 to 1853 Scarcel,
e inferior to these was the late Professor FELTON,
/ who held the office from 1860 to 1882 The pre-
i sent Incumbent is the Rev. Thomas Hill, ID. ID
o LII. D.. formerly President of Antioch College
{ Ohio With the exception of the first two Pre-
a sdents each one of the long line has been
}, graduate of the College; and all have Mkewis
n exception of Quincy, Everett (who was, nov
/ ever, a preacher in his YOUTH, Sparks, an