New-York tribune., 1873-05-23
THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
AN ELOQUENT DEFENSE OF EZRA COX
NELL BY PRESIDENT WHITE.

AN ELOQUENT DEFENSE OF EZRA COR
NELL BY PRESIDENT WHITE
THY CONGRESSIONAL ACT or 1862 - THE LAND
REALLY A GIFT FROM MIR. CORNELL-IIIs SALE
or THE SCRIP CALUMNIEs ANSWERED - MR.
coRNEII's MONUMENT TO HIMsELF - FIVE
YEARS PROGRESS AT THE UNIVERSITY.
Attbe reouest of the Officers and Students of Cor
rou University President White delivered an ad-
dress at the University, in Ithaca, on the 10th of
Nav in refutation of the charges recently preferred
by Assemblyman Mcclure of Schuyler County. MIR.
White said -
PRESIDENT WHITES SPEECH.
II mas not been custom here TO submit the man
aremcnt OF the University its undergraduates for
their approval The law Of this State mas
wisely left the guardianship Of this great interest to the
trustees faculty. but state OF things has now arisen
which warrants in calling you together-nay whieh
demands IT, For the reputation Of the institution 49, a
present to considerable extent regulations ana
when attacks are made impugning the honor the ue
cency, and the common honesty Of It's tounuer anu
his associates 1t is your right to be put IN possession "
the facts. Irecognize fully that right anu "ooV S
this morning not officer OF the insuluuon' ho' "
trustee not as professor but, putting OIL all other re-
latiOns stand among you as man among men, haNlns
common interest with yourselves in the institution IN
its prosperity and In honor The attacks 10 Whoh
refer were made in recent speech IN the Assembly, vi
this State and am very thankful that the charges are
AT last oDeply made in such manner thit thoy Gan po
met fully aud fairly. Let me briefly review the ansae
tions OH which the charges are brought
In 1869 tho Congress Of the United States passed an
act anpropratnc lands represented by land scrip, to
each OF the States certain educational purposes OF
which shall speak detail hereafter. The hrst
section that declared that the amount OF pubic
land appropriated to each State should be quantity
equal TO $4,000 for each Senator and Representa-
two in Congress The amount of land represented by
land scrip which thus TO the State Of New-York
was $4,000 acres say amount Of land represented
6y land scrip and wish you TO bear that expression
carefully in mind For the second section Of the act
contained the following proviso:
PROVIDED shall any which land scrip may thus
allowed the within the limits Of any other
state or u any Territory ei the United States
see, then, that the State Of NewYork could not
take foot OF land under this act We have heard much
oil the management of the State lands in this relation
You see now that the State obtained lands and
could not obtain any-tha it took under this act only
scrip The State could sell this scrip but that was ALL
1t could not take up land and sell that This scrip
soon became wretchedy deprecated. without any
study OF tho relation of the supply the demand. with
nut any concert of action the various States pushed
their scrip the market in masses. The market was
elutted the Controller Of this State sold small part
less than onetwelfth of the amount Of scrip belonging
from SO TO So cents an acre. but soon ne
could get that price Some of the States sold
theirs as low cents aud some received even less
any more at such a ruinous sacrifice.
MR.. CORNELL's EFFORT TO BUILD UP THE FUND.
In the year 1865 the Cornell University founded
and Mr. Cornc began his efforts TO build up fund for
It, The Controller at that time the Hon. Lucius
Robinson. than whom better man has ever guarded
the financial interests of this State. From hm, with the
approval of the state officers, Mr. Cornell purchased
10000 of the scrip at so cents acre. placing him.
self bonds locate the lands the taxes there
on and sell the same, and without charge for his ser
vices TO pay all profits such sales to the Cornell
University But segen-eghths Of the scrip still re-
maned unsOld, and IT impossible to sell 1t except at
wretchedly low price In this state Of affairs act
was passed. under which the Commissioners OF the Land
Office this State contracted with Mr.. Cornell for the
sale OF the land at 60 cents per 80 cents per acre
payable che delivery Of the scrip TO him. and 80 cents
per payable when the lands located with the
scrip were sod Cornell also entering into bonds to
pay over profits OF any and every kind. coming
from this transaction the Controller, for the benefit
Of the Cornell University. Mr.. Cornell first devoted
himself the State what she could not do for
herself With possibility of fee reward to himself
be devoted himself for two summers 10 locating the
lands with greatest possible In his plain, de-
tcrmined way ne broke through the who surround
ed the Western land offices endeavorng to Keep of out
side buyers he pierced all their DISCUSSES podded on
week after week and month after month, pedging his
own fortune pay location fees searchers wages, and
taxes and at last had located half million Of
aud under his contract for the benefit of the Unyer-
sity OF which above 100000 valuable timber
lands in Wisconsin
Thus DID he for the State what the State could not do
for herself But he did not do 1t until all others had re-
fused. He had previously endeayored TO induce the
Hon Charles Cook the Peoples College TO take part
IN this the benefit Of the educational interest TO
which he was devoted Mr. Cook had declined. Others
were besOught TO aid IN useful protect-al TO no
purpose In this whole Union, but one man was found
willing thus TO sacrifice comfort, time, effort and to
fund for duQT TOgAd
education, and that man was Ezra Cornell The lands
thus obtained could have the State in other
way and were as truly gift from MIR. Cornell to the
State for the University II he had bought them and
given them. Having located about $4,000 acres Of land
at very heavy outlay location fees to search
ers payment OF taxes, &C. he s had left in his hands
land scrip representing over 100000 acres.
This prepared to sell for the benefit OF the nstitu
tion under the law, but there great difficulty. The
gut scrip in the market continued He first devoted
himself to the study of this problem. He found how
much scrip naturally demanded each year. He
then visited capitals Of several OF the larger 6taes
and by conference with their State officers
spOndence with them induced them to throwing
their scrip market and thus TO stop this ruinous
competition The result that the scrip rapidly
In price. Thanks TO Ezra Cornell, Illinois and some
other States received for her advanced education fund
Thousands on thousands Of dollars than they other
wise could have done. and the State OF NewYork was
especially benefited He sold Of the scrip at 81
acre. for something less but he never sold acre
for which he did not obtain higher price than e most
FkilLfsI Controller Of the STATE had ever done.
LANDS.
Having done this, he next devoted himself TO selling
Onehfth OF the lands he had located The Cornell Uni
versity had been iounded students had crowded TO IL
from all parts Of the Union it called upon to esab
Ish multitude Of scientific practical, and literary de-
partments, and there most pressing need OF funds
Mr. Cornell therefore, offered 100000 OF the lands