, 1874-01-25

charity. Up to this time Dr. Burroughs has not
put in an appearance. He has opened not Ills
pouth-therefore the advantage is on his SIDE.
The history Of the University is pretty we'll
known. In early life the late Senator Douglas
was acquainted With, and received instruction
from. = clergyman OF the Presbyterian Church.
Meeting this gentleman in Chicago, and mo'eo
by desire to do him personal honor and KIND
mega, he offered to donate q site for University
at Cottage Grove, Of which DR.. Eddy should Do
President, The offer, after protracted effort to
get support from the denomination, WIS de-
clined. Mr.. Douglas then concluded to oner II
to the Baptist denomination, OF which his la'e
wife WAS . member. DR.. Burroughs beln's 1n-
formed Of this, interested himself among the
personal and political friends Of Judge Douglas,
and. s1med With letters vouching for his personal
character, he applied for and obtained from
Douglas the 1eyersion OF the offer made
to the Presbyterians. All that Mr. Douglas
gave was the land; the means to build and endo"
the University had to be raised, and this Work
Dr.. Burroughs began at once. He received
large subscriptions. some Of which were PAID III
part, but the panic of 1857 knocked the bottom
out Of most Of them. Still the work vas prose-
cuted perseyeringly, and. to sum it all up, 1t is
safe to say that, had it not been for Dr. Bur-
rou7bs. there never would have been any Uni
versity there at all Acting as President Of the
institution financial agent, general director,
building committee, subscription solicitor
and collector. contractor, and IN other
and various functions incidental to these;
having no funds save the voluntary contributions
of those who gave what they pleased and when
thev pleased; having often to receive promissory
notes. which were passed away to creditors end
re.urued unpaid, and having trials and trlbula-
tcns numerous and inevitable in the work Of
building and endowing university without
money and without credit, it is not difficult to
understand that the books Of subscriptions, re-
ceipts, expenditures bills payable and receiya-
ble interest," and all Others should, at the end OF
rerlod disturbed by two severe finaucial disas-
ters. be somewhat confused when they were
oil kept by one man, who performed
ali the functions mentioned. Nevertheless.
it appears that while the Committee who exam-
ined thcae books at later date found them con-
fused and incomplete and bridged the difficulty
in some way, they found large balance due to
Dr. Burroughs. In fact, the Committee might
have added that to DR.. Burroughs' faithful, ID
borions, and often hopeless labor they were in
aebted for all they had in the shape OF q uni
eersity DR.. Fverts WAS one Of the Trustees OF
this institution during nearly the whole period.
Why be should have waited several years to pub
lsh far and wide the confusion in the ac-
counts OF its early financial history as
evidence Of Mr. Burroughs incompetency, he
has failed as yet to explain. He admits what
has always been apparent-his long antagonism
to Dr. Burroughs-which Heems to be unrelent-
ing. So long as al this antagonism WAS con-
fined to his own breast, or to the meetings OF
the Trustees, it was matter affecting only him
self personally; but when he thrust it before
the public, it could not fail to create the impress
zion that his opposition to his brother clergyman
WIS tinged with rancor; !; for, with d full knowl-
edge of the difficulties attending the early ad-
,ninistration OF the University, it was not
lust to allude to the confusion in it's
hecal affairs unless prepared to support it by q
charge Of defalcation. We do not assume that
Dr.. Burroughs was the man best fitted to pre-
side over large educational institution, but
that he was very veil adapted to take charge Of
1t wher it consisted OF nothing more than 3
vacant lot on the prairie, and build it up to its
present consequence, is shown By the result.
For nearly eighteen years he faced financial
difficulties under which mere scholar OF edu-
Gator would have sunk.
That the University is not d fnancih success,
and, IS consequence, not an educational sue
cees ia due to q radical defect which requires =
eadica1 remedy. It ls sectarian institution.
This may he denied, but the fact remains un-
changed, and, wherever it is known at all, it is
known az a Baptist university. The day OF de-
uouaipationsl schools and colleges has gone By.
They are relic OF the past as is attested by the
scores Of staryeling colleges OF that kind scat
tered I'll over the country. Those who wish to
educate thei1 SONS at q sectaziau college, select
q college of. their own eect, 30 that
in the end Baptist college must
RELY upon Baptists, and Presbyterian or Meth
odist college upon the members OF those secss
for their main, if not exclusive, support. Such
institutions being thus limited in their influence
suffer from cramped and precarious incomes,
and never attain OF can hope TO attain that Gon-
eral prominence and credit which follow schools
that are not classified by the theology most
afr.ct. If the University OF Chicago WIS not
sufficiently advertised as Baptist institution
tha publications Of DR.. Everts and me
nreaent controversy will have supplied the
dpe@:encv. The public look upon denomlna~
tiousl colleges a. for the most part asS'''10 1o1
CLERGYMAN who hare broken down or failed IN