Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-13

Oh man depend upon the progress OF the
arts and OF diversified industries.
hardly need to say that have btcDgr,aJ-
ly eriiflcd in examining the abunhunl aud
comprehensive equipment OF Cornell Cniyer.
sity. 1t would be difficult to say where Mr..
President, even Zone thing thou lackest,"
and have been more than impressed by the
fact of how many times greater is the cost Of
the four years Of student life to an endowed
university than what ia paid by the students.
After oil the greatest compensation that can
be paid by the latter Is life that shall re.
fleet honor upon their Alma Mater. A great
and generous institution does great and gen
erous things, and at least should he entitled
TO the gratitude Of its beneflciaries.
should be slngularly made up II were
lnsensible TO the honor bestowed upon me
here today by your board of trustees, and
even though the original of the portrait you
have unveiled may have been overestimated,
the acquisition of work by an artist 80
eminent as Eastman johnson will remain
with its inherent aud permanent value.
The sitting for a portrait, II l may be par
doned for saying so, is rather an awkward
business for modest man who can find any
thing else to do. One may, like Cromwell,
roundy insist upon having all the warts on
his face portrayed, or more probably, like
near-sighted Sam johnson, refuse to be hand
ed down to posterity as blinking SAM"
but who can assume the virtue of sober
| face, If he have 1t not should the artist re-
quest an elevation Of the chin in order to give
the figure more dignity, or not to give
it too much severity by that lowering of the
left eyebrow | do not mean to suggest
| that these incidents crop out from my ex-
| pcrience, though that was not whollen bar
rem but will suggest, if the sitting for a
portrait even to the most skilful artist is only
'tolcraAle aud not to be endured" that 1t is
infinitely less embarrassing than to stand
here to be not only drawn but quirtered by
a multitude of very competent critics. Some
of these may agree with one OF my consti-
tuents, not graduate Of university, tn
whom | was introduced years ago at stump
meeting. Said he, 81 have heard u good deal
about you, but you aint nigh SO big as l cx-
pected." Many other men in public life
have had similar experience, only they
have not had such an honest constituent us
mine.
You will pardon any shade OF egotism that
may appear in word or twoa TO the his
tory of the act of 1862 by which over forty
colleges have received grants of public lands.
The measure was first introduced by me in
the House of Representatives in 1858, and
passed both Houses of Congress, but was
vetoed by President Buchanan. The meas
ure was not abandoned, and was again intro
duced in 1879, having won the endorse nen
Of many State legislative bodies. The only
change made in the terms of the bill was tc
obtain a larger grant of lands. This bill, Xix,
the first, encountered an adverse report from
the Committee on Public Lands, by Demo
cratic chairman in the first instance, aud by
Republican 10 the second, who also made
his hostility very lively and obstructive, ever
10 the consideration of the bill by the House
Crauks, ''stif in opinions and always wrong
are not the exclusive progeny OF our party
Not to he thwarted, however by parlismen
, tary tactics, placed copy of the bill IN thu
hands of brave, old Ben Wade of Ohio, ther
in the Senate, and an early friend OF the
measure, by whom it was introduced, and
with the excellent aid of Senator Harlan o
Iowa carried through the Senate triumphant
ly, as it had been carried once before.
When the bill reached the House, having
undergone no material change, a motion wa
T made by me to take it from the Speaker
table, and, under the previous question, il
spite of spirited opposition, i passed by al
Overwhelming majority. With Abraham
+ Lincoln as President, felt that his approva
. was certain, and that years OF labor had no
been wholly in vain. The few now livinl
who voted against the bill, If they could
would now, | think, with some pcuientia
/ tears, blot out the record Finally, let IN
bear testimony, that there were many gen
tlemen in both Houses Of Congress, as wei
as outside, who rendered timely assistance
} in promoting the success of measure tina
can not fail to be as enduring as the Repul
n lic
Il shall ever appear that ! have IN tn
smallest degree enabled any of my country
men to rise higher in their vocalions and OF
{ tain better rewards if larger numbers
whether in the professions or in the field an
workshop, shall, through thorough educs
ton be able more intellscntly to act we
g their part in all the spheres of life, to ulphol
I free institutions, and become the bulwarl
. of republican liberty, law and order, IN
y humble ambition will have been fully sati
8 fed.
C To you, Mr.. President, aud to the boar
of trustees of the University, | tender N
profound thanks for the honor here COME
It red, and only regret that the recipient ha
C not been more worthy Of your distinguish
consideration.