The Washington herald., 1909-06-28
Editor The Washington Herald:

EDITOR The Washington Herald.
was dazed by the prominence OF my
name In the report OF the meeting Of the
alumni OF the George Washington Uni
Versity at the New Willard Thursday
evening. 1t is true that though not an
aIunnus OF that institution, I attended
The meeting. because 1 do not consider
thls university. IL It is aiming to realize
Nashingtons idea. as the private affair
OF this body OF alumni. but an object OF
special interest TO the citizens Of Wash
ington-of the country at large. This
broad view was manifestly the conception
Of Washington himself when in his viii
he projected the institution whose actual
realization It is understood is now SO
conspicuously before the public mind and
SO seriously on trial
VIII you allow me 20 correct a mis-
take wholly unintentional. but too serious
10 pass unnOticed. The mistake Is in
these words: These bonds were guaran-
teed by the national government. The
legacy devised by Washington has never
been applied nor paid" &C. implying that
the national government had in bad faith
oeiaulted on bonded obligation. The
word bond was certainly not used. for The
property in question consisted OF a GER
tain number Of shares Of stock OF the
Fotomac Canal Company, which he had
received not from the general govern
meat but from the state of Virginia
AHoW me 70 quote a clause Of the Will
covering this point:
Bequeaths Fifty Shares.
ITEM give and beoueath in per-
ho chn
the Potomac company (under the afore-
said acts Of the legislature Of Virglnia)
toward the endowment OF g university
TO be established within the limits Of the
District Of Columbia under the auspices
OF the general government, II that gov
eminent should incline 10 extend a fos-
tering hand toward IT,"
And until such seminary should be
established he then provides how the
dividends shall be invested BIZ my Clis)
executors or by the Treasurer of the
United States for the time being, under the
direction OF Congress, provided that hon
orable body should patronize the meas
ure."
IL Is well worthy OF statement and en-
pnas!s that Washington recites in his
will that he had declined offers OF prop-
~.
US, he uniformly refused as inconsistent
with principle which had adopted and
had never departed from. namely. not TO
receive pecunlary compensation for anv
service / could render my country in its
arduous struggle with Great Britain for
It's rights"
For Public Uses.
But he accepted 100 shares Of the James
River Canal and fifty shares OF. tho. Po-
tomac company from Virginia. on con-
dition that the legislature permit him 70
appropriate the said shares TO public I
uses The James River stock founded /
Liberty Hall. IN Rockbridge County. on,
o. which originated the present Wash
ington and Lee University. at Lexington.
Va, one of the best educational univer
stiles Of the South and the Potomac
stock, as we have seen. he devoted 10
the founding OF a national university.
Such expressions IN the viii as should
Congress extend a fostering hand to-
ward it. and .-patrOnize the measure"
made II perfectly evident that Washing
ton expected the government would foin
al least on equal footing. In establishing
this university.
IN two Of his messages, one IN 1870 and
the other in I197, and his last message
10 Congress. he called attention 10 this
university scheme. But il seems that
his coveted desire was never carried into
effect The fifty shares thus donated
reverted 70 the estate"
May Be Exception.
The point to which attention is here
called IS that Congress failed TO improve
IN opportunity Of supreme Importance
so the Importance Of this failure Is now
q growing conviction. Often such failures
are irreparable, but that perhaps for /
t1nately. need not be the case in the
present instance. It may become a happv
exception If, as is understood to be the 4
case, the corporation entitled the George 1
Washington University. in obtaiDing from
Congress few years since its title. de-
signed and still aims. to revive Washing /
TONS idea, then the cooperation Of Con-
gress is q necessarily revived assumption.
On what scale, then. should Congress be !
nationally expected TO extend this help
ing hand and patronage at the present
day in the realization Of the blessing of
improving a neglected opportunity?
As suggestive OF a scale Of cooperation.
may we not assume that II Congress had
Joined Washington equal handed. then
$4,000 would have been set apart and de-
voted to this scheme Of a national uni
fNA94Ng AAlpic llidu a century aBOs SUP
posing the lost usefulness Of that sum
be estimated in terms Of per cent in
terest, which would double the sum and
imore every sixteen years and We have
: about $4000O00 in sight by this simple
computation. A mere bagatelle on the
scale Of our resources and expenditures
for the public welfare. And what grander
contribution TO public welfare Is possible? /
The unique position Of general govern /
ment IS not that OF an organizer and ad-
ministrator Of education. But It is that
Of a patron. Ii is as a patron by the
gift OF school lands that our common
schools and the universities Of the several (
States have been originated West Point
and Annapolis are the obvious exceptions /
as raising up officers for the army and
navy. The ordinary Territories are tenn |
porary exceptions. but the District OF |
Columbia IS 2 permanent territory. as
defined by Marshall as much the equiva- /
lent OF a state. and II is only as a |
patron that fits helping hand Is invoked.
But the subject grows in interest and
must here be broken of. s. s. LAWS.
Sane Fourth of JUIV.