New-York tribune., 1896-05-03

eonr and the mother country, .nefe ,har,n1
more earnest h aup as well as from their English
from their !, AVIATION should not be imposed with
sonsent and without p,in for indenen-
and at no the fundamental idea of political eqaaany
desre sr forgotten and wme Which has been pre-
achiese' b blessings of liberty are decarea 10 os
served and object of all the sacrlnces Oh HE anu
the ,.ne vna which the struggle inVoVed
f0r'u"e ,In,. AND THE CONSTITUTION.
,,,s struggle the sons Of our college bore
. IN ,"'s o,s and noble share. They were, in fact
e' many in number. but or unusual pd''s' ""a
mol "a ho,ter trained in sound learning especially
ropa'' ,os.cs than their compatriots from the
70 inc ,onies The first president of the college,
oner Johnson, was man OF great Ts,A p.av au
sa;nq the friend ana compailioin i VI rasaks
saInins correspondent OF his illusrious nahesahe'
the a have said the leaders in the strugse hUl
B H. a1ance d. were colege-bred men, the iouhuauoh
indepeh GC.rernment and the formation OF the Con
Of me the y" we're pre-eminently their WORK vi @ .e
su,asV' a' members of the CONSTITUTIONAL s
ffty-IVe .o were graduates of Princeton, Tour OF
Of 100 ,bree % OF Harvard, two OF Coumpla' one ol
Yale. uImania u seven of William and Mary ana SIX
Pennsy iooijages The small number from Column
Of foreis" due to the fact that New-fo sent Dut
three delegaies to the cS Gouverneur Morris were
.sS Madison and afterward win Jths; IN s,r,,e r,e
%Fseaeralist, the very ~ b The most Won
ment nS successful political achievement ever de-
vised by the VII Oh 'i"''
yt,IOPING THE CONTINENT.
., .oh,o Geographical position OF New-York
&. the natural primacy In the deVeiopheh' Vi
- ountry and its sons were not SLOW 10 see anu
u M advantage Of its opportunity. De"l't Chh'oii'
taHe o., graduate OF Columbia College after the
',,,on .ae gave us the Erie Canal, by which the
h1't - tbo great West was opened up and poured
WeSa ion Of New-York Robert r. Livingston
NV" sraduate) the great Chancellor who ad-
~',.,sred 10 Washington the oath or ONCE rec
mN's A-. the genius of Fulton, supplied the means
- made steam navigation success. John
s,sveps. an aumnus of Columbia CoIege, gave M US
o. galway and the screw prOpeiieii Mnion nav
tnvvoivtionzed tnv transportation by lanu ana ny sea
and enap'TTS Thus s. were supplied the stimulus which
EuiVpa Vwp.ae the century now closing very carnival
s nss n,srprse and uninterrupted triumph OF sci
enee anu n order that the results of genius and energy
may be made beneficial to society, the proieet:on tee
sufd This s to II the lot 10 of pmes Ke0 0i
sppoAuis lie lectures to the students, afterward ex-
nanded ess into his Commentaries on American Law
svs had deeper and more lasting influence IN tne
H,rmatop of the National character than any secu-
Enough has been said 10 show not only that Co
~ ths creation of the free Government, which is
chief glory. but that in the marvellous material de-
Snence and protection. the achievements of her
have been Of ranscenden value Tdey have
civ on the western continent, with possibilities
Of progress which promise to make 1t the metropolis
of the world. With this conclusion we might rest
the case of Columbia College in the consciousness
that her pas is at least secure. But this occasion
takes note o. b ,ng prpme Of the future
In the City OF New-York. where the unearned in
crement has been mos, marked and be most
easily studied it s Interesting to observe how
der natural laws without the Intervention OF legis-
ation a very large portion Of this increase has al
ready been devoted to public Most OF the large
estates which, at the time of the founding OF the
Murr y-ef IN no m ~ Manhattan Island
already passed from the families OF their original
owners and are now distributed among, the com
munity at large. The exceptions are to-day mostly
devoted to public uses Thus the Kings farm. un-
der the ownership of Trinity Church. is altogether
used for religious and charitable objects. The same
statement holds good of the property of the Dutch
Church, OF the New-York Hospital. of the Sailors
City Of New-York is Itself the greatest beneficiary
Q, this principle because 1t is the largest land.
amount of other property. and of franchises Incl
dent to property the proceeds OF which all so into
the pubic treasury Its other nave teen
which by the rise in value has been enabled TO
stand the heavy assessments for streets. parks:
schOolhouses and the other necessary adJuncts Of
municipal life
], HOW THE COLLEGE WAS STARTED.
But Columbia College is perhaps the most prorni-
neat example Of the benefcent operation of the nat
mal tendency by which the unearned increment
sooner later is devoted to the public welfare Its
original buildings erected by the proceeds Of
two lotteries authorized by the State and by modest
contributions from the enlightened friends of educa
ton at home and abroad Its site consisted Of
about six acres Of land. the gift of Trinity Church.
which held the Kings farm In trust for the promo.
estimated by President johnson at $4,000. In 1914
the State OF New-York desirous to rid Itself of the
burden Of the Botanic Garden. which had been
founded by Dr. Hosack lone OF the most enlight-
ened sons Of Coumbia). transferred TO the latter
the fee of about sixteen acres OF unproductive land
in the vicinity Of what is Fftieth-st and Fifth
ave, estmsted at the time TO be worth about $40
DO These parcels Of land now constitute the source
from which the permanent revenue Of the fnstitu-
ton Is derived. They are estimated TO be worth
revenue OF $4,000. This property practically en-
ables higher education be supplied at about
half the actual cost of Its provision. Thus Columbia
College is not merely great educational agency, in
which NewYork takes special pride because II is
the product and evidence OF It's growth. but 1t is
also standing monument to the wisdom OF
political system. founded on individual liberty and
the security OF property
THE MISSION OF ENDOWED INSTITUTIONS.
Mr. Hewitt then traced the history Of the college
during the half century preceding and covering
E. Barnards presidency. and continued:
In the present generation there has been sud
Cen and wonderful outbreak among rich 10
endow higher institutions Of learning. which they In
stinctively recognize the true savors of
20 tne existing colleges by which Harvard and Yale
hnd Princeton and Columbia have been converted
hn ,nso true universities, but new universities nave
nns Rockefeller and Stanford. thus perfecting the
yyhain OF hlgher learning from the Atlantic TO the
racine Ocean. The smaller colleges and the tech
meal schools have not been overlooked In this av-
aiancne OF munfcence but its characteristic feat
ure is the recognition that something higher and
nooier Is needed In order 10 the coming cent
udy from the materializng influence Of the great
wealth in the nineteenth century II is a confession
saat the mere knowledge Of facts is not sufficient
v & ne elevation Of character. but that the ethical
u r spiritual Side Of mans nature needs the nutri-
ment which can only be supplied by scholars and
truth rs,o VINO devote their lives to the pursuit Of
Thess 'snout o regard 10 It's material rewards.
ub fch tr1lp Of ne n
Collsse ArSe, rS apply with peculiar force to Columbia
the So,seh mneh IN the nature Of things must become
the fors,n:' university Of the foremost city, or
world VIZ state, Of the foremost country in the
duty is ;,nit. St opportunity. what possibility what
souls ~ d,s dp.u s IN these simple words? How the
spired bv ~ y, iacuity and its trustees be In
hded 10 tbeir ,s,e%atness Of the undertaking! Con
by indiy,dna,s os d is vast fund. contributed not
of NewYorns' Dut the product solely of the growth
fore that is rs, rhey must and do recognize there
'ess ~ mas been thus enriched
dvs,IInsy Gy IS not great because IL contains many