, 1875-08-29
Letter from Mr. Samuel Hoard, If tht
Executive Committee.
Succinct History of the Origin OF
the institution.
Prominent Part Taken by DR.. Burroughs
.--Why He Should Not Go.
The Future Of the University.

9 President OF the University, either member
: the Executive Committee o: in some official +
Z sition in winch was required to obtain an in
mate personal knowledge Of it's history and ma
agement, being opa OF it's corporators and q co
, tributor to its resources to very considarat
extent, and feeling the deepeat interest in
prosperity and advancement to the purposes
its founders, I have ever been panied Al
grieved to witness the persistent persecution
, | and false and nbclous charges made by the bi
terest enemy 'of the institution that one Of
similar charncter ever had to contend Wit
and I an almost as much pained
see the outgrowth Of thaee prosecutions hr
false charges eliminating in tho bitter splt
| that has been manifested tr those, as we'll Ea
as Vest, in the remarks they have made in II
gard to the removal Of Dr.. Moss from the Pres
dency Of the University. That sinco.e, d.
voted Christians, actuated and controlled
that teaching which requires that all titternes
and wrath and evil speaking should be put away
and that we should esteem others better tha
ourselves. is not fully observed. appears to m
most evident, and yet because the5 have thu
| demeaned themselves it is not, to my mind, 40,
evidence that they are not true Christians
Was Peter when he cursed and lies
| and denied his Lord any the less .
Christian because the human pFedominated owe
| the divine? Was David q man less after Gods
! own heart because the passions Of man in
] fueuced him to the commission of gtca
crime? Tho Christian spirit OF Peter Was
eyinced when he want out aud ''Hept bitterly, RI
and Of David. when he cried out, "Agalnst
bo man after Gods own heart, when made
conscious Of his sns and repented Of them.
u order to form correct opinion upon any
subject, all the circumstances and facts con-
nected with it should be fully known and duly
weighed, aud to this end should be glad to in
corporate into this article the full history Of the
Chicago University as it appeared in the Lake
SIDE Monthly OF February, 1879, but to do 60
would require more SPACE than it is proper
I should attempt to occupy on this occasion !;
commanding. however. to all who desire q cor
rect knoMledge OF its history careful examina-
tion Of the entire article but contenting myself
with few Of the
PRINCIPAL AND MoRE PROMINENT FACTS
which arc necessary for just comprehension Of
the case. 1t will be borne in mind that this his
tory was written moro than two yeara ago and
consequently SO far rs Dr.. Moss and Dr.. Bur-
roighs are concerned, it's statements are neither
adverse to the ono or in favor OF the other. It
sayB:
The University At Chicago had its origin IN ths year
1854 In the blending Of two :deas, enanatng from
very different sources the in tho comprehensive
mind Of Illinos son, Starhen L. Douglas the other In
the Intelligent foresight OF an eminent cleryy-
man Of the Baptist denomination, the Rev. J. c. Bur-
Epughs. D. D. For ZONE time previous to the year
frst mentioned. Judge DouElAs had cheriAhed de-
aire to sid in the establishment OF institution OF
le1rning which, focated in or near this young and
growing CITY, should partake Of its sptri and Using
with it. exsrt influence upon the entire State whose
welfare part Of the very life Of the great states
institution should be under tha of and fostore
by, the Ssate Of illinois In acoordan>e with these
viexs, in the year 1854 Mr. Douglas made public nis
willingness to douate IL acres Of the beautiful grove
lying near tho lake Shore and now included in the
southern portion of tho city; se for Euch IN in
stisution or ona similar, wbensser suitable parties
proper steps toward the erection Of becou,-
Ss IN dns 4 H., .ams 1ms ns that
Alton. H., to resign tho lzktorate OF tha Frat Baptist
Church Of Chicago for the purpose Of assuming tho
Presidency OF that institution HaVtng his attention
thus directed toward the mattar OF education and edu
cAHonM institutions, Dr., Burroughs began to query
tn hia Own mind whether Chicago did not present
> college or university than that occupied by
6hnrtlen College, and vcry wisely concluded that,
located in this city it would be much easer to cothe
ing, then, the mind Of Mr.. Douglas on
the subject On evening in Kovamber 1885, Dr.. Bur-
Eoushs introduced to ths Senator BY the Hon. Thomas
Hoyne. Of this city. Of the Univertys earliest,
mott constant and most faithful friends, proposed to
him hst be should donate tbs property referred to for
a
that tbs Baptist denomination should have the leading
representation in its affairs in cerain raspocts ia
The analogous casa with many colleges and universities
the country, but Jet chartered that It should be
forever freo, in every essential particular to al
g1ous denominations. Ar. Douglas, thercfore, after
mature daliber,ton, Abandoned hts original ideas Of
State patronage, and the I'd day Of April 1856, in
The City af Washington D. c., conveyed to DR.. Bur
rough1 ths proposed sits 70 be by him held in trust
M Se ae snRls @ sipra.ien sha should b. i@ea %
ltely provided. with which to commence the erection
d suitable bu1iding.-
The history might be followed with interest
and profit greatly to the credit OF DR.. Bur-
roughs but, leaving out these portions, it goes
On to Say:
On the 9th Of July, 1856, public meeting Of the
eitizeus o{ Chicago and vicinity was held, 1t which
limo preliminary organization Wa ef1octed, and On
The 3Ist Of the month the books opened for
pledged. This handsome subscription was soon after
financial rayu1sion that in the following yeaF swept
ovor the country. very considerable part Of this
smount WIS neVer paid
Again leaving the history, two more short ex-
tracts will embrace all design to copy, as abso-
Iutely required to give meagre outline, Bufi-
cieut to show
THE PROMINENT FEATURES OF TIE UNHAPPY
CONTROVERSY,
aud enable those who desire to form an unbiased
Judgment i'll the premises- The first extract is
rs follows:
the work Of instruction. and commenced the formation
Of the Faculty BY tho election Of the Rev. j. O. Bur-
roughs, D D., ~ President and Professor Of Moral
and Intellectual Philosophy; Albert H Miner. A. ~,
Ffotes6or Of Greek Language and Literature; aud I-
Roy sattsrbe, Professor Of English Language and LIT
ernture. These gentlemen entered upon their duties
and, On the 2th day Of September 1853 with ax stu
dents enrolled organized preparatory classes in St
t.9ls - Algnverssiist} Church, corner wabaah .venue
and Van Buren, street. and the Chicago University be-
Came IN Institution OF the Aud. Ths general
auccs attained BY the University set forth in tht
fact that starting at the time inst mentioned with
only threo Professors and pupils in less than nf
teen yezrs, Faculty should have beeu increased "a
twenty-one, embracing torne Of the most eminent
Of the country, with 2s1 pupila present duriue
the past year. s59 having graduated md laft the
The entire number having been Ia attends
aucs being 3.53l-
1t will be seen By this accurate history, 80 far
Il given, that the University owes it's long q,
lstence and the great and almost unparalleled
success thas achieved pre-em&nentiy to Dr.. Bur
roughs and Judge Douglas. and its prosperity
would undoubtedly hare been much greater had
not DR.. Burroughs had to coutend with what
appears to ms
THE MOST nAL1aN AND UsPn1sc1PLED OPPOSITION
That ever beset any man in the noble enterpriae
he has 80 gene. ousiy undertaken and carried on
with such self-sacnfcing energy and ability
anu had not the minds of many been grussly
poisoned by the false charges 30 positively aud
30 arttully made aud so widely spread BY this
intriguing. Jesuitical individual. We
aA.Yt,1 hAy~ bal %hrx