New-York tribune., 1886-11-07

of all such institutions in their voutn lt cs"o "
a crisis wheu the usurpatiou" of Andros deranged
the whole government of NewEngland, and Tor
several years its history is largely mixed up Will
the politica! relations OF the time.
In 1850 its government had been regulated by
a charter grantei by the General Court which Is
substantially the constitution under which 1t Is
carried on to-day although some changes have
been made in the methods of election of overseers
The property is held by a board of seven trustees,
which in the language of old New-Englanders is
ALWAYS called The Corporation" as if there could
be no other corporation in the world second
board Of thirty overseers is chosen by the gradu-
ates. with whom the president and treasurer OF the
corporation sit and vote. This board chooses its
own secretary. Tue corporation is virtually the
executive Of the college. 1t holds and administers
all the property and 1t makes all appointments to
Office These appointments however, must be
confirmed by the overseers and the 0verseers must
consent TO all degrees. While the corporation is
close corporation in that it fills its own vacancies,
such appointments must be confirmed by the over
seers. Nor can the corporation choose president
or FIJI n vacancy in its own number, without the
permission of the overseers first given. The power
of the board of overseers h therefore, rather mega
tive than positive. and for any special positive
purpose il amounts to very little but the alumni
of the college regard very highly their priv llege OF
and certain practical Importance
This charter drawn, hardly know by whom,
coptaiued no handle which the sectaI an spirit
could SEIZE" and was great deal more broad IN
this regard than could have been expected from
the character of its time. The nculcation of god
liness was the broad requisition for those who
should the college and their fitness to do this
the only requistion. When in the "usurpation
the two Mathers, father and son, attempted to get
control of the college they wonld have gladly
bror ght in theological qualifications more conso-
nant with their Calvnsm or we might fairly say
their bigotry. Through their influence new char
ter was pushed through the General Court. but for
tunately the college, this charter was annulled
by the Crown when it arr ved in England and the
government of the institution returned to the sys-
TEN which the foretbought and breadth of the men
of 1850 had devised Under that system it was
its fortune to meet the various tempcsts IN tea
pot as they seem to Us, OF the next haf-century
No man would have spoken OF them then in such
contempttious language. BY far the most impor-
tant of them rose from the charges. freely made by
the adherents of Whitefeld, That vital religion was
neglected IN the case of the students and that stu
dents and officers had little religious experience.
These charges were bitterly ted by the officers
of the college and their friends. controversy
was awakened of which memories and traces long
survived.
The truth was that from the time when the
first narrOwness Of the Puritan settlers gave way
under the training to which God called the people
of Massachusetts in the creation of Free State,
the college had in its administration. generally
been ruled by the more liberal party IN Massa-
chusetts. 1t has teen glad in later days to emanci-
pate itself from the control of the State Legslat-
ure that il might be under the wider control OF
what is a great national body now-the body of its
-pafl fnr
Uarv ard College that the General Court of Massa-
chusetts and no cotere of the clergy, had the shap
ing of its plans. The same spirit which led the
General Court TO suppress all the witchcraft pros
ecutons so soon as it met, after they began, shows
itself in the opposition which that Court made to
the pretensOns of the Mathers for the regnla ton
of the college. And the absolute freedom from
sectarian partiality in the charter OF the college
only reflects the determination which the people
of Massachusetts at large have always shown. so
far as they had he care of it
SO soon AS the struggles OF the Revolution came
on the College and its alumni were in the forefront
of the Patriots Indeed. Samuel Adams's regicde
thesis maint aimed on his graduation. speaks one
rough and savorlng of the past of New-England
and of her future in the midst of a decorous and
apparently well satisfied time which fairly gushed
in it's expressions of loyalty 10 the House OF Bruins
wick. When the struggle, came every leading
patriot in Massachusetts, college-bred. 1t
almost seems as If college club must have had
the dlgesting of their resolutions and pre-
ambes Both Adamses, Hancock, Otis, Quincy.
Cooper Chauncy, were al Harvard men-and
indeed most of them were closely connected with
the government of the cole ge. SO soon ds the
siege of Boston tegan, the headquarters of the
patriot army were at Can bridge. Tbe students
and their books were NOV ed 10 Concord, and the
college buildings we're used for Offices of the army
and tor barracks for the troops Washington him
self occupied the presidents house for the first
fortnight after he arrived IN Cam bridge. After the
great success of the SIEGE ON the very daY be-
fore he left tor the south, ne was made Doctor OF
Laws by the college. This was the first time 1t
had ever conferred this degree
The college shared with the country IN the trials
brought on Oy disOrdered business and the variable
currency. 1t had a special grievance OF Its own.
because John Hancock was its president. and
while he was in the service of the nation 1t was
almost i'm possible to make him pay any attention
to college affairs The college ~as nslly Obliged,
in as delicate way possible, to turn him out OF
Office. In this quarrel Tor 1T was one, Is TO be
found, Probably, the origin OF the dislike felt
toward Hancock by the Oldtlme gentry OF Boston,
dislike which for fifty years wrought Its results
in the politics of Massachusetts.
For more than 80 years the president of the col
ege was an officer of the State OF Massachusetts,.
He received his salary from its treas urer, under
an appropriation from tue General Court, and
part of his salary made from the rents OF Mass
achusetts dali, which the Province had built. The
toral income of the college FROM all sources III
l715 was t1,9OO OF the Colonial standard-about
s., 900 OF our currency. When Massachusetts be-
came State the property of the college besides
it's real estate was about $4,000. Three hiths of
this were lost by the depreciation of funds IN the
war and after It. But by 1893 the funds had
been handled carefully that a report then made
represents the personal and real estate of the col
| lege as amounting TO Sls2,OOO.
As the country began to advance IN wealth, es-
pecially as Eastern New-England found Its pros
| perty in the great maritime adventures OF the
| early part of the century, the liberal endowment
| of the college became one of the fayorite expend-
| lures of the rich men and women OF New england.
In our own time, 1t has been SAID to he a habit Of
the Massachusetts courts to rule that any legatee
non cOmPos mentis who does not devise sonnet hing
| to Harvard College. In this spirit of liberalty,
| and in tue trust of its government TO board OF
| lnguished men of affairs, a custom now long
! held TO- may be found the secret OF Its growth
1 if Ia u IL