The sun., 1897-10-12
VANDERBILT IN BRONZE.
THE ooMMoDoRE'S STATUE GIpEN
TO THE UNIVERSITY HE MADE

vand.rbiIra Patriotism During tn, civil
Whr-His Career as Seen by Friend.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Oct, 1.-THE bronze statue
of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, which for
several months has stood In front of the Par
thenon at the Tennessee Centennial EXposition
grounds. was presented formally by tho people Of
Nashville to Vanderbilt University to-day Tho
exercises attending the presentation took place
in tho auditorium Of the exposition. which con-
tained several thousand persons.
John w. Thomas, President OF the exposition
and also of the Nashville. Chattanooga and st.
Louis Railway. in behalf Of tho citizens OF his
city. presented the statue. lbs address was
brief. He referred to the gift oi tho departed
inancier, spoke OF the succes. achieved by tho
university, and Of its future. and expressed high
appreciation OF the gencros,.y OF Mr.. Wander
bilt.
Chancellor James II. Kirkland, representing
the university made the address accepting the
gift and thanking Nashvilles citizens for the In.
terest they manifested in the welfare of the uni.
versity, and in the cause Of education generally.
Mr.. Depew was then introduced. and he spoke
for nearly two hours. He said in part:
1--WE must estimate tho career aud work of
Cornelius Vanderbilt upon principles which are
common to very few. He was much more than
u nero money maker. He delighted In money
making but, like ali masterful men, he loved
power. He said to me: i sometimes do q fool
ish thing, knowing 1t is foolish, just W prove
that l can make even foolish movement sue
ccssful.
''Sentontious aphorisms condensed his opin.
ions. He refused larger sala from Gibbons,
ing: If am worth that to another man must
be worth good deal more 10 myself. His son.
in.lawl Horace F. Clark, was very brilliant and
able lawyer, but speculative and erratic in busi-
ness. heard friGnus plead for hours with the
Commodore that Clark might be restored TO full
confidence and share in the vast enterprises
ftllpw
but cog loose in his machinery, was the only
reply OF this inexorab Bile relative. Fools can
make money, but only wise men can keep it,
was one OF his max iiLs and eight out OF every
ten OF his millionaire contemporaries and init
mates became bankrupt.
"ln the old days OF leadership in finance and
speculation Wall street always had recoB-
nized king, He had large following, and his
sway was daily disputed. After innumerablo
victories, and tho ruin Of thousands of indi-
viduals and combinations, he was detAroned
and bankrupted in some wild panic. His sue
cessor would take the pcrilous place, to pursue
the same career and meet like fate. But in
Mr. Vanderbilt this centre of the risks and
values of the continent found a master whose
resources were great and whose judgment was
unerring 1t was equally dangerous to follow
which he changed his policy as he stsw before
others did the gathering storm or the rainpoy
a year, beard him say, and until the last ho
collected that and i'll some years many millions.
'.As he wished to MAKE the railway stronger
and more popular by putting the representa-
tives OF more varied and independent interests
In the directory, saw, at his request, gentle
man belonging to one OF the oldest and most
eminent Of our colonial families. He was a
man OF broad culture, the highest social posi-
ton and moderate fortune. 1t was "a glittcring
offer and carried with 1t the prospect uf rare
opportunities for making money. This gentle
man declined on the ground that he had suili-
did not tempt him from HIS farm, his cattle. his
horses, his books and his life OF restful work
and unveXed liberty; When ! reported the
ciates he said: The only man OF scr7e in the
country. Long after all these men of vast
cares and acute worries were dead, my friend,
then vigorous in the ninetics. gleefully re-
called his investment in life rather than wealth.
Il had known the Commodore well for several
years, and one day he suddenly arkCS II he
could retain me as attorney ant, COUNSEL had
been appointed and confirmed nited States
prominence because OF the opening OF that coun.
try to civilization. No future IN politics, he
naW satI Don't Se a foe fool ale lie was and s WAS WAS
81, and thus began confidential and personal
relationship which, during the Intervening
thirty-one years, has continued .unbroken and
unclouded through four generations OF his
family.
Strangers and saw congregation made up Of
the clerks, statesmen, bookkeepcrs, and porters
in the big wholesale stores Of the neigh hborhood.
Fellows who are helping themselves, lie said,
and sent the pastor, Dr. Deems. S5O.OOo. I'm.
like most self made men, he placed the highest
value upon a liberal education and emphatically
lamentod his own lack OF IL.
While an uncompromising friend OF the I'm
ested in harnonizlng the sections and develop
ing the South when 1t was. over. To Bishop
McTyere's plain presentation of the enormous
benent of u university in the south, he gave a
hos pitable hearing. A sound education cquips
young men Tor broader work and greater use
funess such an institution of learning was in
the line OF his motto of helping people to take
care of themselves and lie endowed Wander
bIt University with sl.ooo,ooO. II the good
Bishop and his associates foreseeing the fu-
ture, had demonstrated tho necessity Tor q
larger sum, they would have received ii.
"rhe peril to parties ana good government
and the dangers threatening property and vested
rights greatly augmented by the neg leCl OF
wealth. | have no sympathy for the men who
avoid the caucus and stay away from the polls
and then complain of: politicians and taxes
In politics as in every thing else. the COlnmo-
dore was intensely practical and efficient. He
revered Washington and believed in Henry
THE Merrimac and the Monitor revolution
lied naval architecture. When this first iron
clad, sailing into Hampton Roads crushed and
sunk the redcral frigatcs one after another,
there panic in New York. A company OF
merchants, bankers, and capitalists from New
House and were at once given audience by the
President. Within n week, said their spokcs-
man. the Confederate ram will be in our har-
Dor and burn or levy tribute upon our city. We
have taken the bonds OF tho Government and
dono everything in our power to aid in its dc.
fonce. We represent in the men here present
three hundred millions OF dollars. and demand,
AS we think We have the right tY the fullest
tated moment, and then said, with a shrug Of
his awkward shoulders: We have no funds in
the Treasury not much credit, and no warship
that i know Of now which can stand against tho
Merrimac, but IL | had much money as you
say you possess and skeorod as you
seem to be, l would go back home and find
means OF taking care Of ny property The o
was one rich man whose forlu uno was peculiarly
in danger who did not go to Washington nor
appeal for help, He owned the largest and
fastest ship on the ocean. lie braccd her bows
with great timbers. and then gave her 10 the
Government. on condition that she should be
hurled at full speed against the Mcrrimac.
1t was novel application of the ram in nav Il
battle In modern warfare, and the result would
have been the destruction of both vessels. Tho
arrival of tho Monitor and her signal victory
prevented this drastic experiment: The Com
modore confirmed his gift of the Vanderbilt to
the nation, which greatly needed her, and a
grateful Congress voted him the thanks OF tho
| country and commemorative medal for his
patriotism.
The period of tho active life of Cornelius
Vanderbilt was the era of revolution and eyolu-
tion in our national history. The civil war,
and rapidly succeeding inventions and dscov err
| les, calico for mon Of great original genius and
courage and gave them unexanped opportuni-
ties. 1t produced in war, Grant and 'Loe; in
statesmananip, Lincoln; in the, pulpit, Henry
Ward Beecher; in journalism, Horace Greeley;
in oratory, Charles Sumner and Wendell Phil.
| lips, Alexander H. stephens, Henry Winter