But，whilehethusleftthegeneraleducationalfeaturestome，heuttered，duringoneofourconversations，wordswhichshowedthathehadarrivedatthetrueconceptionofauniversity。Heexpressedthehopethatintheproposedinstitutioneverystudentmightfindinstructioninwhateverstudyinterestedhim。Hencecamethelegendnowsurroundinghismedallionportraitupontheuniversityseal:``Iwouldfoundaninstitutionwhereanypersoncanfindinstructioninanystudy。’’
Theintroductionofthisnewbillintothelegislaturewasasignalforwar。Nearlyallthedenominationalcollegesgirdedthemselvesforthefray，andsenttheiragentstofightusatAlbany;theyalsostirredupthesecularpress，withoutdistinctionofparty，intheregionswheretheyweresituated，andthereligiousorgansoftheirvarioussectsinthegreatcities。
AtthecenterofthemovementagainstuswasthePeople’sCollege;ithadralliedinforceandwonoverthechairmanoftheeducationalcommitteeintheAssembly，sothatundervariouspretextshedelayedconsideringthebill。Worstofall，thereappearedagainstus，lateinthesession，aprofessorfromtheGeneseeCollege——amanofhighcharacterandgreatability;andhedidhisworkmostvigorously。Hebroughtthewholeforceofhissecttobearuponthelegislature，andinsistedthateveryothercollegeintheStatehadreceivedsomethingfromthepublicfunds，whilehishadreceivednone。
Asafirstresultcameaproposalfromsomeofhisassociatesthattwenty—fivethousanddollarsoftheland—grantfundbepaidtoGeneseeCollege;butthisthefriendsoftheCornellbillresisted，onthegroundthat，ifthefundwerebrokenintoinonecase，itwouldbeinothers。
ItwasnextproposedthatMr。Cornellshouldagreetogivetwenty—fivethousanddollarstoGeneseeCollegeonthepassageofthebill。ThisMr。Cornellutterlyrefused，sayingthatnotforthepassageofanybillwouldhemakeanyprivateofferorhaveanyprivateunderstanding;thateveryconditionmustbeputintothebill，whereallmencouldseeit;andthathewouldthenacceptorrejectitashemightthinkbest。Theresultwasthatouropponentsforcedintothebillaclauserequiringhimtogivetwenty—
fivethousanddollarstoGeneseeCollege，beforehecouldbeallowedtogivefivehundredthousanddollarstotheproposeduniversity;andthefriendsofthebill，notfeelingstrongenoughtoresistthisclause，andnotbeingwillingtoseetheenterprisewreckedforthewantofit，allowedittogounopposed。Thewholematterwasvexatioustothelastdegree。Amanoflessfirmnessandearnestness，thustreated，wouldhavethrownuphismunificentpurposeindisgust;butMr。Cornellquietlypersevered。
Yetthetroublesoftheproposeduniversityhadonlybegun。Mr。CharlesCook，who，duringhissenatorship，hadsecuredtheUnitedStateslandgrantof1862forthePeople’sCollege，wasamanofgreatforce，abornleaderofmen，anxioustobuilduphispartoftheState，andespeciallythetownfromwhichhecame，thoughhehadnospecialdesiretoputanyconsiderablepartofhisownwealthintoapublicinstitution。Hehadseentheopportunitiesaffordedbythelandgrant，hadcapturedit，andwasnowdeterminedtofightforit。Thestrugglebecamebitter。Hisemissaries，includingthemembersoftheSenateandAssemblyfromhispartoftheState，madecommoncausewiththesectariancolleges，andwithvariouscorporationsandpersonswho，havingbillsoftheirowninthelegislature，werereadytoexchangeservicesandvotes。
ThecoalitionofalltheseforcesagainsttheCornellUniversitybillsoonbecameveryformidable，andthecommitteeoneducationintheAssembly，towhichthebillhadbeenreferred，seemedmoreandmorecontrolledbythem。
Ouronlyhopenowwastoenlightenthegreatbodyofthesenatorsandassemblymen。TothisendMr。Cornellinvitedthembysquads，sometimestohisroomsatCongressHall，sometimestomineattheDelavanHouse。Therehelaidbeforethemhisgeneralproposalandthefinancialsideoftheplan，whileIdweltupontheneedofauniversityinthetruesenseoftheword;upontheopportunitynowofferedbythisgreatfund;uponthenecessityofkeepingittogether;upontheneedoflargemeanstocarryoutanyschemeoftechnicalandgeneraleducationsuchaswascontemplatedbythecongressionalactof1862;
showedtheproofsthatthePeople’sCollegewouldandcoulddonothingtomeetthiswant;thatdivisionofthefundamongtheexistingcollegeswassimplytheannihilationofit;and，ingeneral，didmybesttoenlightenthereasonandarousethepatriotismofthemembersonthesubjectofaworthyuniversityinourState。ThesepointsandotherswerefinallyembodiedinmyspeechbeforetheSenate，andthishavingbeenpublishedinthe``AlbanyJournal，’’Mr。CornellprovidedforitscirculationbroadcastovertheStateandthusarousedpublicopinion。
InthiswaywewontooursupportseveralstrongfriendsinbothHouses，amongthemsomemenofgreatnaturalforceofcharacterwhohadneverenjoyedtheprivilegeofmuchearlyeducation，butwhowerenonethelessanxiousthatthosewhocameafterthemshouldhavethebestopportunities。OftheseImaynameespeciallySenatorsCookofSaratogaandAmesofOswego。Menofhigheducationandculturealsoaidedus，especiallyMr。Andrews，Mr。Havens，and，finally，JudgeFolgerintheSenate，withMr。LordandMr。WeaverintheAssembly。
Whilewewerethuslaboringwiththelegislatureasawhole，seriousworkhadtobedonewiththeAssemblycommittee;andMr。Cornellemployedaveryeminentlawyertopresenthiscase，whileMr。Cookemployedonenolessnotedtotaketheoppositeside。ThesessionofthecommitteewasheldintheAssemblychamber，andtherewasalargeattendanceofspectators;but，unfortunately，thelawyeremployedbyMr。Cornellhavingtakenlittlepainswiththecase，hisspeechwascold，labored，perfunctory，andfellflat。Thespeechontheothersidewasmuchmoreeffective;itwasthinanddemagogical，butthespeakerknewwellthebesttricksforcatchingtheaverageman。HeindulgedineloquenttiradesagainsttheCornellbillasa``monopoly，’’a``wildproject，’’a``selfishscheme，’’a``job，’’a``grab，’’andthelike;denouncedMr。
Cornellas``seekingtoerectamonumenttohimself’’;
hintedthathewas``planningtorobtheState’’;and，beforehehadfinished，hadpicturedMr。Cornellasaswindlerandtherestofusasdupesorknaves。
IcanneverforgetthequietdignitywithwhichMr。
Cornelltookthisabuse。Mrs。Cornellsatathisright，I
athisleft。Inoneoftheworsttiradesagainsthim，heturnedtomeandsaidquietly，andwithouttheslightestangerorexcitement:``IfIcouldthinkofanyotherwayinwhichhalfamillionofdollarswoulddoasmuchgoodtotheState，Iwouldgivethelegislaturenomoretrouble。’’
Shortlyafterward，whentheinvectivewasagainespeciallybitter，heturnedtomeandsaid:``IamnotsurebutthatitwouldbeagoodthingformetogivethehalfamilliontooldHarvardCollegeinMassachusetts，toeducatethedescendantsofthemenwhohangedmyforefathers。’’
Therewasmorethanhisusualquainthumorinthis——therewasthatdeepreverencewhichhealwaysboretowardhisQuakerancestry，andwhichseemedtohavebecomepartofhim。IadmiredMr。Cornellonmanyoccasions，butnevermorethanduringthathourwhenhesat，withouttheslightestanger，mildlytakingtheabuseofthatprostitutedpettifogger，theindifferenceofthecommittee，andthelaughteroftheaudience。Itwasasceneforapainter，andItrustthatsomedayitwillbefitlyperpetuatedfortheuniversity。
Thisstrugglebeingended，theAssemblycommitteecouldnotbeinducedtoreportthebill。Itwaseasy，aftersuchaspeech，foritsmemberstoposeasprotectorsoftheStateagainstaswindlerandamonopoly;thechairman，who，shortlyafterthecloseofthesession，wasmysteriouslygivenapositionintheNewYorkcustom—house，madepretextafterpretextwithoutreporting，untilitbecameevidentthatwemusthaveastruggleintheAssemblyanddragthebilloutofthecommitteeinspiteofhim。
Todothisrequiredatwo—thirdsvote。Allourfriendsweresettowork，andsomepainstakentoscarethecorporationswhichhadalliedthemselveswiththeenemy，inregardtothefateoftheirownbills，bymakingthemstandthat，unlesstheystoppedtheirinterestedoppositiontotheuniversitybillintheHouse，afeelingwouldbecreatedintheSenateveryunfortunateforthem。
InthiswaytheirclutchuponsundrymembersoftheAssemblywassomewhatrelaxed，andthesewereallowedtovoteaccordingtotheirconsciences。
TheCornellbillwasadvocatedmostearnestlyintheHousebyMr。HenryB。Lord:inhisunpretentiouswayhemarshaledtheuniversityforces，andmovedthatthebillbetakenfromthecommitteeandreferredtotheCommitteeoftheWhole。Nowcameastruggle。MostofthebestmenintheAssemblystoodbyus;butthewaverers——menwhofearedlocalpressure，sectarianhostility，ortheoppositionofMr。Cooktomeasuresoftheirown——
attempted，ifnottoopposetheCornellbill，atleasttoevadeavoteuponit。Inordertogivethemalittletoneandstrength，Mr。CornellwentwithmetovariousleadingeditorsinthecityofNewYork，andweexplainedthewholemattertothem，securingeditorialarticlesfavorabletotheuniversity，themostprominentamongthesegentlemenbeingHoraceGreeleyofthe``Tribune，’’Eras—
tusBrooksofthe``Express，’’andMantonMarbleofthe``World。’’Thisdidmuchforus，yetwhenthevotewastakentheoldcowardicewasagainshown;butseveralofusstoodinthecloak—roomandfairlyshamedthewaverersbackintotheirplaces。Asaresult，tothesurpriseanddisgustofthechairmanoftheAssemblycommittee，thebillwastakenoutofhiscontrol，andreferredtotheCommitteeoftheWholeHouse。
Anotherlongstrugglenowensued，butthebillwasfinallypassedintheAssemblyandcamebacktotheSenate。Therethestrugglewasrenewed，allkindsofdelayingtacticswereresortedto，butthebillwasfinallycarried，andreceivedthesignatureofGovernorFenton。
Nowcameanewdanger。Duringtheirstruggleagainstthebill，ourenemieshadbeenstrongenoughtoforceintoitaclauseenablingthePeople’sCollegetoretainthelandfund，providedthatinstitutionshouldbeshown，withinsixmonthsofthepassageofthebill，tobeinpossessionofasumsuchastheBoardofRegentsshoulddeclarewouldenableittocomplywiththeconditionsonwhichithadoriginallyreceivedthegrant。TheBoardofRegentsnowreportedthatthepossessionofonehundredandfiftythousanddollarswouldbesufficientforsuchacompliance，andwouldinsurethefundtothePeople’sCollege。Naturallywewatched，inmuchuneasysuspense，duringthosesixmonths，toseewhetherMr。CookandthePeople’sCollegeauthoritieswouldraisethissumofmoney，sosmallincomparisonwiththatwhichMr。
Cornellwaswillingtogive，inordertosecurethegrant。
Butourfearswerebaseless;andonthefifthdayofSeptember，1865，thetrusteesofCornellUniversitywereassembledforthefirsttimeatIthaca。
ThencametothemarevelationofaqualityinMr。Cornellunknowntomostofthembefore。InoneofthepetitionsforwardedfromIthacatothelegislaturebyhisfellow—citizensithadbeenstatedthat``heneverdidlessthanhepromised，butgenerallymore。’’Soitwasfoundinthiscase。Heturnedovertothetrustees，notonlythesecuritiesforthefivehundredthous...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：