The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-09-27
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE,
cELEnnArrD DARTMOUTH CASE.
A Memorable md Momcntous Decision Of
the United States Supreme Court-l.cn,.
iniscenccs of Webster, Chontc, Cha.s,
10 Thnd Stevens nnd Other Men,
Special Correspondence Of ihe In.tiiigenctr

Special Correspondence Of he In.eiligenctr. Ma
HANOVER, N. H., September oO.-M,
Inst letter was from the Eastern shore o
Vermont, OH the banks OF Lake Cham
plain. This ono Is from the Eastern shore
of New Hampshire, OIL the banks OF the
Connecticut river, the river that divides
Vermont from the latter State. The place
whcrc write Is u Now England villagc oi
less than thousand inhabitants that do.
rives all its Importance from being the
seat OF Dartmouth College, an institution
known to fame in connection with ono OF
the most memorable contests that ever
took place before the Supreme Court OF
the United States.
Your readers lave NIL heard more or
less about tho dartmouth College case y
us It is called. Every lawyer in tho land
Is familiar with it us c:sc TINT decided
the inviolability OF chartor, even when
that charter had been granted by an au.
thority no longer IN existence.
The college here WIS chartered by
George the Third Of England in 1863. 1t
was named after one OF its principal bene.
factors in England, the Earl Of Dartmouth.
1t received u very liberal charter, and aiso
IL large sum Of money and considerable
donations OF land, and in its earliest his
tory had quite rs much prestige as liar
ward or Yale. Next to those two institu.
tons it is still the Oldest and best known
school in New Elfgland. Its founder and
first President was man Of more mark
than any or all Of the people connected
with the immediate founding Of those
two colleges. He acquired his reputation
us the head Of school at Lebanon, Con-
necticut, for the education of Indians.
His design in removing the school to this
frontier spot was to enlarge its scope by
getting closer to the Indian country. lie
expected the majority OF his students to
be Indians, and the money subscribed in
England prior to 1863 was for the con-
version and educ ltion OF Indians through
the instrumcntaIity Of this school,.
OBJECT OF TIE FOUNDER.
It, is especially recited in the charter
that such WAS the great and grand object.
An Indian missionary sent to England
from the Connecticut school obtained
nearly all the subscriptions made to it, for
this purpose. The education OF hundreds
OF such missionaries was the aim and end
Of Rev. Eleazer Wheclock, the famous
founder Of Dartmouth College.
The word college instead OF school was
inserted in the Cumbersome say by an
error-and provision was made for white
students rs well as Indians, and thus il
happened here, us in all other cases, tim,
the white man got the turkey and the In
dian got the b,zzard. So that to-day'therc
are but two lone Indiansat school, here
while there are over four hundred whites.
dhis is Il college Mt which some OF the
noted men Of the country have been
cducatcd-for instance, Daniel Webster,
Rufus Choatc, Chief Justice Chase and
rhad Stevens, saying nothing Of such men
us Levi Woodbury., Joel Parker, Geo. p
Mnrsh, Sylvanus' Thayer aud other lesser
lights. Webster immortalized himself as
n lawyer in the Dartmouth case before the
Supreme Cout, and it is said brought the
tears to the eyes OF gaunt old Chief JUS
tice Marshall when he said, "sir, this is
small college, but tliereare those who love
It," -
The college case is not only historically
interesting and important, but the dccis-
ion involved an issue that is not yet deter
mined by gooddeal; one that has pressed
and will press upon all courts for readjudi.
cation. Since 1910. when the Supreme
Court decided that a charter is a contract
and comes under the clause Of the Federal
constitution prohibiting any State legisa-
ton impairing contracts, changes Of great
moment in respect to chartered privileges
to railroads and corporations have occur.
red. Hence the most thoughtful men in
the country now look upon the doctrine
laid down in the Dartmouth College case
albeit it was laid down by Marshall and
Storey-as dangerous and untenable. And
even the Supreme Court OF the United
States-as in the late Granger: cases
against certain western railroads-has
shown disposition to reverse the decision