, 1870-07-13

G1hsfo ID piee&9 ofxoona for Dartmouth asd.
Wz@8, and 9eaott = veil "a fox aak.akd
NJ Eele, and il eoo1d be ecrious u,isfortnne
or 70 abandon tbs peculiar field to which each
Of theIn has proved its calling hv precious
fruit that otherwise would not have blessed
the land. And, 70 my humble judgment, It is
not the destiny OF any one or two Of onr larger
their legitimate growth and influences, OF to
become the university Of the future.
When that great high school for a continent
shall assume proportions worthy Of America,
it viii be found, ! believe, to have arisen, not
at the will and through the donations ol any
one man, or Of any particular set Of men, no
matter though thAy may have millions 70 spend,
nor to carry out any special theory Of eduea-
ton, nor through any arbitrary action what
ever. It will come ss = natural growth, just as
cur colleges have come. Il vii ne Amel1ean.
and yet cosmopolitan. Aud it viii assume lts
supremacy by virtue Of tendencies and moye-
ments Is natural and uncontrolled as the tides
of the ocean.
It seems to me that there are tendencies in
this directon IN tho commercial metropolis q
the country which are soon to become 80 well
defined that they Dust arrest the attention OF
ali observers. They are percephble enough nov
tomAny close Wsthcers OF the cotseless cuffoats
Of the higher life Of the CREST city; OF the
growing desire for those expensive facilities
Tor study and culture winch are needed - the
outfit Of \ real university. and Of growing
disposition On the part OF liberal nan OF
wealth to provide these means.
And this disposition is taking shape, not, -
OF old, exclusively in the direction Of lndl-
vidual and separate endowments, but growing
toward cooperative and comprehensive
nounccment OF the gift Of books, pietures and
money to the value of near million Of do1ats,
by an eminent citizen OF New York, was crih-
cised by the press, because it looked to the es-
tablishment OF separate library and OF sep
a1ate gallery OF pictures. Not even the nsg-
nidcence of The gift to the public could r.
strain the public prints from this criticism,
while the privste talk Of the best citizens con-
demned it still moro strongly.
When 1lr- Astor founded tho then first
library in the country there WAS no such
e1itieiHn, but all hailed the gift a. being WISE
BY the giver. But it is the common feeling
that the time for these benetacdons hiss gone
forever, in New York. There must be one
great library for whose building up all contri-
buttons, whether OF one dollar or OF million,
shall be directed. To gather half : dozen
city, with tens of thousands Of duplicates, is
row generally admitted to be miatako and sl-
most crime, as being waste OF resources
which the whole community should enjoy in
concentration.
What is true Of collections of books is be-
coming equally true Of collections Of objects
OF natural history. Individuals who have
treasures Of this sort are more and more look
ing forward to time when some grand and
central depository for their reception Ahau be
provided And the Stute and city authorities
are quietly working, in continuation with pnb-
lic-sptited citizcns, toward the definite reali-
-Zation Of this anticipation and desire, IN Cen-
trsl Park. The agencies are already IN opera-
ticn& which, in five years, will make this maae-
UNI practical fact, and which will give it
ar%tr 3n,Y .F.A r1rho $Exr, II,
existence in This county,
Within low mouths, too, movement has
heen begun by the foremost citizens Of Nav
York Tor Museum Of Art, which no one
doubts will become brilliant success, who
knows the character, the spirit, the nnoans, and
who can command al the money that will be
needed to give the city an Art Gallery worthy
to rank with any, care very few, OF the hnest
in the Old World, IN the extent and valne Of
money viii be forthcoming, for New York is
as imperial in her gonerosity Is she is in her
I might mention other tendencies Of like
character and looking toHardGhe same direc-
ton, but am sure bare already exhausted
your patience. I trust, however, that have
shown something in support OF my own deep
cnipg conviction that in s few years, andin the
natural development Of e1iating currents OF
private and public beneacence, there will be
developed In the metropolis tho external ap-
plianccs for the fullest study OF all the sciences
and the arts-that is for University that .
| Library, n AIT Museum, q Museum Of Natural
History, obserrasories, laboratories, aud the
other essentials to the outfit Of university
worthy Of America viii be founded and en-
| dowed with means such SO no one Of our col
! 1egea can hope to acquire.
When this comes to pass the work Of organ.
| izAtion will DO simple and obvious. It will
| only be necessary to constitute corporation
| in such manner as to command the conf
[ dence Of the community and Of scholars at
| home and abroad, and to provide suitable lee
ture halls. to secure the generous and adequate
support of the metropolis to call out the fn-
est talent Of al countries b7 hbe1el endow-
ments, md to rally, from al parts Of the land
| and from countries acros1 the wate1, Thousands
! OF young men, already trained to colleges OF in
their equivalents, to nniversity where the
fullest provision will be made for their instruc-
tion in every specially Of human culture and to
the fnthest extent possible anywhere. And it
hss been one OF my fondest drtams. when RAM
bling through that grand park which is becom-
| ing the property and psids Of 4 continent rath-
or iban Of single city, that in and around that
triumph Of landscape art Hould be sons dky
grouped the structures which are to contain
| the working facilities Of our great American
| University - bone for it worthy Of its noble
! md worldwide uses to mankind in the future.