Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-05
VERMONT AND DARTMOUTH

| hibkSlty Vi NGW OK, ". V NJ TO
the Toast, The Univ araity OF Yer
mont" at the Dinner CT the Dart
| mouth oleee Association,
Delmo1ico's, NV York,
Jan. 80, 1908.
| The mental and the sentimental attitudes
of an alumnus of the University OF Yer
mont toward Dartmouth college. are. |
! think, somewhat similar to those which
a. mal might hold toward beautiful and
we'll matured lady of his acquaintance, ON
bcing informed that at one time she had
been enamorcd Of his father;--so seriously
cnamorcd. indeed. that marriage was con-
tcmpatcd ana actually arranged for. \
man would necessarily view such a WOm-
an with MIXED feelings. He would he
moved by reverence and curiosity AND
/ wonder. He would revere her because
she was at one time beloved 10y his father
he would inevitably he curious; he would
like to know her better: and he would
certainly wonder what might have hap
pcncd had fortune fallen out otherwise.
/ The Stat of Vermont was such lover
land Dartmouth college was such Il lady
in those distant heroic days So deep Was
the attachment, and so strong We're the
expectations. that the lady who now re-
CeVoS from mo the unique devotion that is
fclt only 10y college men toward their col
leyp mothers was denied birth for some
fourteen years. and. indeed. bat for the
geographical estraneomcut which finally
sprung M between the State and Hanover
my college mother might never have been
born at all.
In the history of such affairs there is
usually tradition. which says either that
the lady threw the lover over or that the
lover grew cold: but fortunately for us,
tn" traditions here are so mixed that each
has n right to his own opinion.
There is that in history which indicates
hat ln of I Iti,, .t,,l
odd other towns east of the Come ut
| riv"t sought StrcnuouslN to become a
part of the state of Vermont and Yer
mont was not coy; and history tells us
too that John WhcolOck one of your early
presidcuts.--tho same who figured in th"
famous Dartmouth college casc-was
most active i'm the movement to unite
these towns to the State of Vermont. ana.
~ matter of fact, such union for some
ding like II months actually existed.
This is my side of the tradition. and,
while it may h" Il bit ungalaut for me
to leave the lady in that attitude | do
not 'ool that it is my function or duty at
this time To rocitc your side of it,
Tho union was brief The towns that
| Vermont wanted east of the river and
that themselves desired to become a part
of Vermont We're finally mad" part of
New hampshire and the New Hampshire
grants. as y results of this. were lCft
N''"''' w '''l' W i'''' '''l-' Nlii' II
was provided for in that famous doGu-
'n"ii OF 10, Drawn at lhe beginning OF
the period Of Ncrmont's independence.
II was nor 10 b" expected thit these
mast"riul men would abandon their real
purpose They had achieved Vermont $
independence, they mad made the i'm
mortal declaration that no slave should
ever NE WITHIN their borders. and they
nae provided IN the same document for
ono university in the state. When. there
tore. the plans OF John Wheelock misCor-
RED ana Hanover remained part OF New
hampshire, ana MS other plans To have
paramount ENJOY the pubhc lands OF Yer
mont, dedicated to the use of college,
also failed, tn" men of Vermont again
took up the purpose that they had had
ana had expressed in III
The University of Vermont was the
child of Ira Allen, but his spirit was only
a reflex of the fierce spirit which carried
the people of the New Hampshire grants
through bitter struggle against New
YORK state and old England and the Con
tinontal Congress. These men loved lib
crty and learning, ana, having achieved
the first against fearful odds, Ira Allen
offered them the means with which thoy
might establish the second; and so the
lady of my affections was born in l79l
instead of in hi, and took up her abode
in Burlington.
During the years in which the Jniycr-
"itN, ""S oti"SSiHh " H'"hc 4" SHINING
andN laborng to establish herself a.; a
place of learning. Dartmouth already
strong both in reputation and in affec,
tons of the people of Nermont-reestab-
lished in large measure the ties that had
been broken when the line between the
States had been fixed by the Connections
river; and thereafter drew heavily from
the best that Vermont had to give a
process that has measurably continued NJ
to the present hour. No Vermonter has
any regret over that fact. because the
son who goes to Dartmouth goes TO q
sound sane, n familiar and friendly
country; and I assume that Dartmouth
has no cause for regret either. because
for all the honors and benefits she has be.
slowed on her Vermont sons. they have
in turn brought her full measure of af-
lection and fame.
Toe me the University OF Vermont is
unnue. It serves almost exclusively the