New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-15
MS charity was Ikc tht SNOW,
soft white and silent IN its fan;
Not Ike the noisy winds that blow
Prom shivciinc trees the lcafes-a pan
For flower and weed,
Dropping below.


40 one in the spin, that mlued the courtesies
he Illustrated better deserved 1.-THE grand old name Of
gentleman
In the rpenoss Of his years and the fuiness OF his
fame he was made Chancellor Of the University OF the
Of New.YoIk. II was the hitting crown OF MS leu
tered life and 1t once which he accepted al your
hands mcdesy yet gratefully, with sincere appreciation
Of its dignity intimate knowledge Of s requirements
when he was elected he was the senior Regent having
been chosen as such in 1864. lie sat in the chair Of
Law and Veplanck and Kent-an lustrious succession
and Mad acted four years as Vce.ChancelloF lie had
a7vavs taken lively interest in the WORK OF the board
faithfully attending it, annual meetings and punctualy per
to1ning the assigned him. He was for
many years member Of Standing committee Oh The
library, and clearly recall the zeal and INDUSTRY he as
raved and the wise and valuable offered while
serving on the special of which the late Robert
s Hale was chairman % plans for promoting the
growth and extending the usefulness Of the state Library
plans which since matured and ampihed, largely under
his direction have unquesonaby placed the New-YoFk
rary in its accumulaons It's management and rs popu-
larty ut the OF all state Institutions Of similar
Kind.
When he came the Chancellorship 1t was with the
qualifications Of the scholar profound sympathy with the
objects OF the Board and enlarged ideas Of the relations Of
co1nnent n education lie held that the welfare not
les. than the safety the State involved therein ana
that while the common school made ample provision iof
the one this Institution with It's conceres Of colleges and
universities the proper custodian OF the other There
for. he favored all which gave it larger powers
and he red that an imperial commonwealth, Ike New
YORK should grant It's srgess 70 the cause Of mghef
Learning IN, enactnents which increased the efficiency
N the Board by comforting upon additional responsible
tes and those which defined the purpose OF ana appfo
wlatd means for carrying or tho democratic scheme OF
university extension had alike his earnest support anu NE
,royou Administration The stately Grafton al the cen
tnnal OF the University in 1884 is the expression OF con-
,va,,. espect and o. poetic sentiment for an inctu-
ton which designed BY Hamilton and LHommeaeu mas
res s,ed radical notifications OF its original structure mas
rctad the life Of Ia members as against the sweep
ard which in our new American life suggests something
Of The reverence which broods over the isis ana he Na
The address at ConyOcstion In 1891 IA Iuih'ois
nrcsentaton OF the objects and jurisdiction OF the UNI
et.tv and Of III. progress has made especially IN a'e
~ and removes much the risapprehensioh thaI hau
existed in the popular mind concerning H. showing n"'
g, not because it Is venerable ana hat u nus "
n active agent In making NewYork first In enucaoh' 's
She mas long been trade I'm commerce ana IN popu
t,..o-, am ne the sis,orhood Of American states
or The time that Curtis took Office. in January 1871
h. devotion 20 his work and his faith IN the lu'''e Of
ho ynivcr.itv grew constantly. He ave 20 us deNcop
-. ,n,ch ., his thought and personal attention. lie
n torch with all that the higher education sim de-
maids Kindly his relations with the subordinate
I'm the Office they felt his loss as that OF personal iu
k.a ~ the members the Board how considerate now
.n,,so,s how unassuinlag he was So rcadv TO defer
hs Judgment 20 OF others. 50 Just ana yc 50 aaoe
in that long roll Of chancelors, which s~lwert "eoVo
lntsn heads and which includes the names OF jaw ana
rompkns and Pruyn were worthier Of the place
ran WIS George william Curtis. none had more dis
eliminating perception Of its importance nor In 1t did
rber service than he. during the brief period he was
irnlued to grace 1t.
When one who has been esteemed great in art letters
n craftsmanship dies speculation buses Itself a. n the
sbnity his fame win he be forgotten or VIII his be
One FIAT sAf rt rev. ns ;s' e5 o. ao names
md the door OF the future closes the eager quest
low short VIII be the catalogue those who have cndur
Ing recognition although gainsay the Tremendous
pr)pisons Of the race. Where the spceche, That
a., been made the songs that lave been sung. the
that have been wrtten7 They ccoess Nods and
ny are ito dumb forgetirncss a Prev" and unnindful
a them, though maybe inspired by hcir' the mighty pro-
ssssons sweep onward 10 decay;
And the individual withers. and the world IS mae
and more.
Nothing can be more fal9cious than contemporary
,eset upon literary productions. Ono age rejects what
preceding age cheIishcs and fcscues hoin neglect
that which the other Shakespeare sDd Nioi
bad new birth the dust OF the dark age, was thick
uuun Horace aud Virgil The lesser drama lists OF the
El,zsbehan era expected live and the wits OF Grub
Street thought 10 destroy Pope. The martyrs Of the day
the heroes OF tomorrow. 1 expect that george
William Curtis Will live. in the lines he has written.
that the Easy Chair' Will be delight To The coming
Generations "Prue and /" viii be perused at tho
fresides OF the time, snd that some OF his ad-
dresses VIII hereafter with the zest win which
read those OF Sheridan and Burke OF Henry ana
Webster; but know that he Will be immortal III NE
principles he advocated reforms he advanced In
The work he ala for education and humanity. In his