首页 >出版文学> Autobiography of Andrew Dickson White>第24章
  ForalongtimeIstoodonthedefensive,hopingthattheprovisionsmadeforthegrowthofreligiouslifeamongthestudentsmightshowthatwewerenotsowickedaswewererepresented;but,asallthisseemedonlytoembitterouradversaries,Ifinallydeterminedtotaketheoffensive,andhavingbeeninvitedtodeliveralectureinthegreathalloftheCooperInstituteatNewYork,tookasmysubject``TheBattle—fieldsofScience。’’
  Inthismyeffortwastoshowhow,inthesupposedinterestofreligion,earnestandexcellentmen,formanyagesandinmanycountries,hadbitterlyopposedvariousadvancesinscienceandineducation,andthatsuchoppositionhadresultedinmostevilresults,notonlytoscienceandeducation,buttoreligion。Thislecturewaspublishedinfull,nextday,inthe``NewYorkTribune’’;extractsfromitwerewidelycopied;itwasaskedforbylectureassociationsinmanypartsofthecountry;grewfirstintotwomagazinearticles,thenintoalittlebookwhichwaswidelycirculatedathome,reprintedinEnglandwithaprefacebyTyndall,andcirculatedontheContinentintranslations,wasthenexpandedintoaseriesofarticlesinthe``PopularScienceMonthly,’’andfinallywroughtintomybookon``TheWarfareofSciencewithTheology。’’
  Ineachoftheseformsmyargumentprovokedattack;butallthiseventuallycreatedareactioninourfavor,eveninquarterswhereitwasleastexpected。Oneevidenceofthistouchedmedeeply。IhadbeeninvitedtorepeatthelectureatNewHaven,andonarrivingtherefoundalargeaudienceofYaleprofessorsandstudents;but,mostsurprisingofall,inthechairfortheevening,nolessapersonagethanmyreveredinstructor,Dr。TheodoreDwightWoolsey,presidentoftheuniversity。Hewasofadeeplyreligiousnature;andcertainlynomanwaseverunderallcircumstances,moretruetohisconvictionsofduty。Tobewelcomedbyhimwasencouragementindeed。
  Hepresentedmecordiallytotheaudience,andatthecloseofmyaddressmadeabriefspeech,inwhichhethoroughlysupportedmypositionsandbademeGodspeed。
  Fewthingsinmylifehavesoencouragedme。
  Attacks,ofcourse,continuedforaconsiderabletime,someofthemviolent;but,tomysurpriseandsatisfaction,whenmyarticleswerefinallybroughttogetherinbookform,theoppositionseemedtohaveexhausteditself。
  Therewereevenindicationsofapprovalinsomequarterswherethearticlescomposingithadpreviouslybeenattacked;andIreceivedlettersthoroughlyinsympathywiththeworkfromanumberofeminentChristianmen,includingseveraldoctorsofdivinity,andamongthesetwobishops,oneoftheAnglicanandoneoftheAmericanEpiscopalChurch。
  Thefinalresultwasthatslanderagainsttheuniversityforirreligionwasconfinedalmostentirelytoverynarrowcircles,ofwaninginfluence;andmyhopeisthat,asitsformativeideashavebeenthuswelcomedbyvariousleadersofthought,andhavefiltereddownthroughthepressamongthepeopleatlarge,theyhavedonesomethingtofreethepathoffuturelaborersinthefieldofscienceandeducationfromsuchattacksasthosewhichCornellwasobligedtosuffer。
  CHAPTERXXV
  CONCLUDINGYEARS——1881—1885
  Tothisworkofpressingonthedevelopmentoftheleadingdepartmentsintheuniversity,establishingvariouscoursesofinstruction,andwardingoffattacksasbestIcould,wasaddedthedailycareoftheregularandsteadyadministrationofaffairs,andinthismydutywastocoperatewiththetrustees,thefaculty,andthestudents。Thetrusteesformedabodydifferentlycomposedfromanyorganizationforuniversitygovernmentuptothattime。Asarule,suchboardsintheUnitedStateswere,inthosedays,self—perpetuating。Amanonceelectedintooneofthemwaslikelytoremainatrusteeduringhisnaturallife;andtheresulthadbeenmuchdry—rotand,frequently,averysleepyconditionofthingsinAmericancollegiateanduniversityadministration。IndrawingtheCornellcharter,weprovidedforagoverningbodybyfirstnamingacertainnumberofhighStateofficers——thegovernor,lieutenant—governor,speaker,presidentoftheStateAgriculturalSociety,andothers;next,acertainnumberofmenofspecialfitness,whoweretobeelectedbytheboarditself;and,finally,acertainproportionelectedbythealumnifromtheirownnumber。Besidethese,theeldestmalelinealdescendantofMr。Cornell,andthepresidentoftheuniversity,weretrusteesexofficio。Atthefirstnominationofthechartertrustees,Mr。CornellproposedthatheshouldnamehalfthenumberandItheotherhalf。
  Thiswasdone,andpainsweretakentoselectmenaccustomedtodealwithlargeaffairs。Averyimportantprovisionwasalsomadelimitingtheirtermofofficetofiveyears。
  DuringthefirstnineyearsthechairmanshipoftheboardwasheldbyMr。Cornell,butathisdeathMr。
  HenryW。Sagewaselectedtoit,who,aslongashelived,dischargeditsdutieswiththegreatestconscientiousnessandability。Tothefinancesoftheuniversityhegavethatshrewdcarewhichhadenabledhimtobuilduphisownimmensebusiness。Freelyandwithoutcompensation,hebestowedupontheinstitutionlaborforwhichanygreatbusinesscorporationwouldhavegladlypaidhimaverylargesum。Fortheimmediatemanagement,intheintervalsofthequarterlymeetingsoftheboard,anexecutivecommitteeofthetrusteeswascreated,whichalsoworkedtoexcellentpurpose。
  Thefaculty,whichwasatfirstcomparativelysmall,waselectedbythetrusteesuponmynomination。Indecidingoncandidates,Iputnotrustinmerepapertestimonials,nomatterfromwhatsource;butalwayssawthecandidatesthemselves,talkedwiththem,andthensecuredconfidentialcommunicationsregardingthemfromthosewhoknewthembest。Theresultsweregood,andtothishourIcherishtowardthefaculty,astowardthetrustees,afeelingofthedeepestgratitude。Throughoutallthehardworkofthatperiodtheysupportedmeheartilyanddevotedly;withouttheirdevotionandaid,mywholeadministrationwouldhavebeenanutterfailure。
  ToseveraloftheseIhavealludedelsewhere;butoneshouldbeespeciallymentionedtowhomeverymemberofthefacultymustfeeladebtofgratitude——ProfessorHiramCorson。Noonehasdonemoretoredressthebalancebetweenthetechnicalsideandthehumanities。Hiswritings,lectures,andreadingshavebeenasolaceandaninspirationtomanyofus,bothinthefacultyandamongthestudents。Itwasmyremembranceoftheeffectofhisreadingsthatcausedmetourge,atapublicaddressatYalein1903,theestablishmentnotonlyofprofessorshipsbutofreadershipsinEnglishliteratureinallourgreaterinstitutions,urgingespeciallythatthereadersthuscalledshouldeverydaypresent,withlittleifanynoteorcomment,themasterpiecesofourliterature。Icanthinkofnoprovisionwhichwoulddomoretohumanizethegreatbodyofstudents,especiallyinthesedayswhenotherbranchesaresolargelysupplantingclassicalstudies,thansuchacontinuouspresentationofthetreasuresofourlanguagebyathoroughlygoodreader。Whatisneededisnotmoretalkaboutliterature,buttheliteratureitself。
  AndhereletmerecallanespecialserviceofProfessorCorsonwhichmayserveasahinttomenandwomenoflightandleadinginthehighereducationofourcountry。
  OnsundrycelebrationsofFounder’sDay,andonvariousothercommemorativeoccasions,hegaveintheuniversitychapelrecitalsfromMilton,Wordsworth,Tennyson,andotherpoetsofthelargerinspiration,whileorganinterludesweregivenfromthegreatmastersofmusic。
  Literatureandmusicwerethusmadetodobeautifulserviceasyokefellows。Ithasbeenmylottoenjoyinvariouscapitalsofthemodernworldmanyofthethingswhichmenwhohaveadeepfeelingforartmostrejoicein,butneverhaveIknownanythingmoreupliftingandennoblingthanthesesimplecommemorations。
  FromoneevilwhichhasgreatlyinjuredmanyAmericanuniversityfaculties,especiallyinthemiddleandwesternStates,wewerevirtuallyfree。Thisevilwastheprevalenceoffeudsbetweenprofessors。Throughoutalargepartofthenineteenthcenturytheywereagreataffliction。
  TwicetheStateUniversityofMichiganwasnearlywreckedbythem;forseveralyearstheynearlyparalyzedtwoorthreeoftheNewYorkcolleges;andinoneoftheseasquabblebetweensundryprofessorsandthewidowofaformerpresidentwasalmostfatal。AnotherofthelargercollegesinthesameStatelostaveryeminentpresidentfromthesamecause;andstillanother,whichhaddoneexcellentwork,wasdraggeddownandforyearskeptdownbyafeudbetweenitstwoforemostprofessors。Inmyday,atYale,whenevertherewasasuddeninfluxofstudents,anditwasaskedwhencetheycame,theansweralwayswas,``AnotherWesterncollegehasburstup’’;andthe``burstup’’hadresulted,almostwithoutexception,fromfacultyquarrels。
  InanotherchapterIhavereferredtooneoftheseexplosionswhich,havingblownoutofaWesternuniversitythepresident,theentireboardoftrustees,andalltheassistantprofessorsandinstructors,convulsedtheStateforyears。Ihaveknowngiftedmembersoffaculties,termafterterm,substitutefortheirlegitimateworkimpassionedappealstotheirreligiousdenominations,throughsynodsorconferences,andtothepublicatlargethroughthepress,——theirquarrelsatlastentanglingotherprofessorsandlargenumbersofstudents。
  Inmy``PlanofOrganization’’Icalledattentiontothisevil,andlaiddowntheprinciplethat``thepresenceofnoprofessor,howevergifted,issovaluableaspeaceandharmony。’’Thetrusteesacquiescedinthisview,andfromthefirstitwasunderstoodthat,atanycost,quarrelsmustbeprevented。Theresultwasthatweneverhadanywhichwereserious,norhadweanyintheboardoftrustees。OneofthemostsatisfactoryofallmyreflectionsisthatIneverhadanyillrelationswithanymemberofeitherbody;thattherewasneveroneofthemwhomIdidnotlookuponasafriend。MysimpleruleforthegovernmentofmyownconductwasthatIhadNOTIMEforsquabbling;thatlifewasnotlongenoughforquarrels;andthisbecame,I
  think,thefeelingamongallofuswhowereengagedinthefoundingandbuildingoftheuniversity。
  Asregardstheundergraduates,Iinitiatedasystemwhich,sofarasisknowntome,wasthennewinAmericaninstitutionsoflearning。Atthebeginningofeveryyear,andalsowheneveranyspecialoccasionseemedtorequireit,Isummonedthewholebodyofstudentsandaddressedthematlengthontheconditionoftheuniversity,ontheirrelationstoit,andontheirdutiestoitaswellastothemselves;andinalltheseaddressesendeavoredtobringhometothemtheideathatunderoursystemofgivingtothegraduatesvotesintheelectionoftrustees,andtorepresentativealumniseatsinthegoverningboard,thewholestudentbodyhadbecome,inanewsense,partoftheinstitution,andweretobeheld,toacertainextent,responsibleforit。Ithinkthatallconversantwiththehistoryoftheuniversitywillagreethattheresultsofthustakingthestudentsintotheconfidenceofthegoverningboardwerehappy。Theseresultswereshownlargelyamongtheundergraduates,andevenmorestronglyamongthealumni。Inallpartsofthecountryalumniassociationswereorganized,andhereagainIfoundasourceofstrength。Theseassociationsheldreunionsduringeverywinter,andatleastonebanquet,atwhichthepresidentoftheuniversitywasinvitedtobepresent。Sofaraspossible,Iattendedthesemeetings,andmadeuseofthemtostrengthentheconnectionofthegraduateswiththeiralmamater。
  Theadministrativecareoftheuniversitywasveryengrossing。Withstudyofthevariousinterestscombinedwithinitsorganization;withtheattendanceonmeetingsoftrustees,executivecommittee,andfaculty,anddiscussionofimportantquestionsineachofthesebodies——
  withthegeneraloversightofgreatnumbersofstudentsinmanydepartmentsandcourses;withtheconstantnecessityofkeepingthelegislatureandtheStateinformedastothereasonsofeverymovement,ofmeetinghostileforcespressingusoneveryside,ofkeepingintouchwithourgraduatesthroughoutthecountry,therewasmuchtobedone。Tryingalso,attimes,toamanneverinrobusthealthwasthedutyofaddressingvariousassembliesofmostdissimilarpurposes。WithinthespaceoftwoorthreeyearsIfindmentioninmydiariesofalargenumberofaddresseswhich,aspresidentoftheuniversity,Icouldnotrefusetogive;amongthese,thosebeforethelegislatureoftheState,onTechnicalEducation;
  beforecommitteesofCongress,onAgricultureandTechnicalInstruction;beforetheJohnsHopkinsUniversity,onEducationwithReferencetoPoliticalLife;beforetheNationalTeachers’AssociationatWashington,ontheRelationoftheUniversitiestotheStateSchoolSystems;
  beforetheAmericanSocialScienceAssociationofNewYork,onSundryReformsinUniversityManagement;beforetheNationalAssociationofTeachersatDetroit,ontheRelationsofUniversitiestoColleges;beforefourthousandpeopleatCleveland,ontheEducationoftheFreedmen;beforetheAdalbertCollege,ontheConcentrationofMeansfortheHigherEducation;beforetheStateTeachers’AssociationatSaratoga,onEducationandDemocracy;attheCentennialbanquetatPhiladelphia,ontheAmericanUniversities;andbeforemyclassatYaleUniversity,ontheMessageoftheNineteenthCenturytotheTwentieth;besidesmanypubliclecturesbeforecolleges,schools,andspecialassemblies。
  Thereseemedmoredangerofwearingoutthanofrustingout,especiallyassomeofthesediscoursesprovokedattackswhichmustbeanswered。TimealsowasrequiredformydutiesaspresidentoftheAmericanSocialScienceAssociation,whichlastedseveralyears,andoftheAmericanHistoricalSociety,which,thoughlessengrossing,imposedforatimemuchresponsibility。Then,too,therewasanotherduty,constantlypressing,whichIhadespeciallyatheart。Thedayhadnotyetarrivedwhenthepresidentoftheuniversitycouldbereleasedfromhisdutiesasaprofessor。Ihad,indeed,nowishforsuchrelease;for,ofallmyduties,thatofmeetingmyseniorstudentsfacetofaceinthelecture—roomandinterestingtheminthestudieswhichmostinterestedme,andwhichseemedmostlikelytofitthemtogoforthandbringtheinfluenceoftheuniversitytobearforgooduponthecountryatlarge,wasthatwhichIlikedbest。Theusualroutineofadministrativecareswasalmosthatefultome,andIdelegatedminordetails,asfaraspossible,tothosebetterfittedtotakechargeofthem——especiallytothevice—
  presidentandregistrarandsecretaryofthefaculty。Butmylecture—roomIloved。Ofalloccupations,Iknowofnonemoresatisfactorythanthatofauniversityprofessorwhofeelsthatheisinrightrelationswithhisstudents,thattheywelcomewhathehastogivethem,andthattheirheartsandmindsaredeveloped,daybyday,bytheworkwhichhemostprizes。ImayjustlysaythatthispleasurewasmineattheUniversityofMichiganandatCornellUniversity。Itwasattimeshardtosatisfymyself;fornexttothepleasureofdirectingyoungermindsisthesatisfactionoffittingone’sselftodoso。Duringmyordinaryworking—daytherewaslittletimeforkeepingabreastwiththelatestandbestinmydepartment;buttherewereoddsandendsoftime,dayandnight,andespeciallyduringmyfrequentjourneysbyrailandsteamertomeetengagementsatdistantpoints,whenIalwayscarriedwithmeacollectionofbookswhichseemedtomemostfittedformypurpose;andasIhadtrainedmyselftobearapidreader,theseexcursionsgavememanyopportunities。
  Butsomeofthesejourneyswerenotwellsuitedtostudy。Duringthefirstfewyearsoftheuniversity,beingobligedtoliveinthebarracksontheUniversityHillundermanydifficulties,Icouldnothavemyfamilywithme,andfromSaturdayafternoonuntilMondaymorningwasgiventothematSyracuse。InsummerthejourneybyCayugaLaketotheNewYorkCentraltraingavemeexcellentopportunityforreadingandevenforwriting。
  Butinwinteritwasdifferent。Noneoftherailwaysnowconnectingtheuniversitytownwiththeoutsideworldhadthenbeenconstructed,savethattothesouthward;
  and,therefore,duringthoselongwinterstherewasatleasttwiceaweekadrearydriveinwagonorsleighsometimestakingallthebetterhoursoftheday,inordertoreachthetrainfromBinghamtontoSyracuse。Comingoutofmylecture—roomFridayeveningorSaturdaymorning,Iwasconveyedthroughnearlytwenty—fivemilesofmudandslushorsleetandsnow。Ononejourneymysleighwasupsetthreetimesinthedriftswhichmadetheroadsalmostimpassable,anditrequirednearlytenhourstomaketheentirejourney。Theworstofitwasthat,comingoutofmyheatedlecture—roomandtakinganopensleighatIthaca,orcomingoutoftheheatedcarsandtakingitatCortland,mythroatbecameaffected,andforsomeyearsgavemeserioustrouble。
  Butmygreateropportunities——thosewhichkeptmefrombecomingamereadministrativemachine——wereaffordedbyvariousvacations,longerorshorter。Duringthesummervacation,mainlypassedatSaratogaandtheseaside,therewastimeforconsecutivestudieswithreferencetomywork,myregularlectures,andoccasionaladdresses。
  Butthiswasnotall。AtthreedifferenttimesI
  wassummonedfromuniversityworktopublicduties。
  ThefirstoftheseoccasionswaswhenIwasappointedbyPresidentGrantoneofthecommissionerstoSantoDomingo。ThisappointmentcamewhenIwasthoroughlywornoutwithuniversitywork,anditgavemeachanceofgreatvaluephysicallyandintellectually。DuringfourmonthsIwasinaworldofthoughtasdifferentfromanythingthatIhadbeforeknownasthatwonderfulislandintheCaribbeanSeaisdifferentinitsclimatefromthehillsofcentralNewYorksweptbythewindsofDecember。AndIhadtodealwithmenverydifferentfromthetrustees,faculty,andstudentsofCornell。Thisepisodecertainlybroadenedmyviewasaprofessor,andstrengthenedmeforadministrativeduties。
  Thethirdoftheselongvacationswasin1879——80——81,whenPresidentHayesappointedmeministerplenipotentiaryinBerlin。Mystayatthatpost,andespeciallymyacquaintancewithleadersinGermanthoughtandwithprofessorsatmanyoftheContinentaluniversities,didmuchformeinmanyways。
  ItmaybethoughtstrangethatIcouldthusabsentmyselffromtheuniversity,buttheseabsencesreallyenabledmetomaintainmyconnectionwiththeinstitution。Myconstitution,thoughelastic,wasnotrobust;anuninterruptedstrainwouldhavebrokenme,whilevarietyofoccupationstrengthenedme。ThroughoutmywholelifeIhavefoundthebestofallmedicinestobetravelandchangeofscene。AnotherexampleofthiswasduringmystayofayearabroadascommissionerattheParisExposition。DuringthatstayIpreparedseveraladditionstomycourseofgenerallectures,andduringmyofficialstayinBerlinaddedlargelytomycourseonGermanhistory。Butthechangeofworksavedme:thoughminorexcursionswerefrequentlygivenuptoworkwithbookandpen,Ireturnedfromthemrefreshedandallthemorereadyforadministrativeduties。
  Astotheeffectofsuchabsencesupontheuniversity,ImaysaythatitaccordedwiththetheorywhichIheldtenaciouslyregardingtheadministrationoftheuniversityatthatformativeperiod。IhadobservedinvariousAmericancollegesthatafundamentalandmostinjuriouserrorwasmadeinrelievingtrusteesandfacultyfromresponsibility,andconcentratingallinthepresident。Theresult,inmanyoftheseinstitutions,hadbeenasortofatrophy,——thetrusteesandfacultybeing,wheneveranemergencyarose,badlyinformedastotheaffairsoftheirinstitutions,andreallyincapableofmanagingthem。ThisstateofthingswasthemostseriousdrawbacktoPresidentTappan’sadministrationattheUniversityofMichigan,andwastherealcauseofthecatastrophewhichfinallyledtohisbreakwiththeregentsofthatuniversity,andhisdeparturetoEurope,nevertoreturn。WorsestillwasthedownfallofUnionCollege,Schenectady,fromthepositionwhichithadheldbeforethedeathofPresidentNott。UnderDrs。NottandTappanthetendencyintheinstitutionsabovenamedwastomakethetrusteesinalladministrativemattersmereciphers,andtomakethefacultymoreandmoreincapableofadministeringdisciplineorconductingcurrentuniversitybusiness。Thatsystemconcentratedallknowledgeofuniversityaffairsandallpowerofeverysortinthehandsofthepresident,andrelievedtrusteesandfacultyfromeverythingexceptnominalresponsibility。FromtheverybeginningI
  determinedtopreventthisstateofthingsatCornell。Greatpowerswereindeedgivenmebythetrustees,andIusedthem;butinthewholecourseofmyadministrationI
  constantlysoughttokeepamplelegislativepowersintheboardoftrusteesandinthefaculty。Ifeltthattheuniversity,tobesuccessful,shouldnotdependonthelifeandconductofanyoneman;thateveryoneofthosecalledtogovernandtomanageit,whetherpresidentorprofessor,shouldfeelthathehadpowersandresponsibilitiesinitsdailyadministration。ThereforeitwasthatIinsertedinthefundamentallawsoftheuniversityaprovisionthattheconfirmationbythetrusteesofallnominationsofprofessorsshouldbebyballot;sothatitmightneverbeinthepowerofthepresidentoranyothertrusteeundulytoinfluenceselectionsforsuchpositions。Ialsoexertedmyselftoprovidethatincallingnewprofessorstheyshouldbenominatedbythepresident,notofhisownwill,butwiththeadviceofthefacultyandshouldbeconfirmedbythetrustees。Ialsoprovidedthattheelectionsofstudentstofellowshipsandscholarshipsandtheadministrationofdisciplineshouldbedecidedbythefaculty,andbyballot。
  Theespecialimportanceofthislatterpointwillnotescapethoseconversantwithuniversitymanagement。I
  insistedthatthefacultyshouldnotbemerelyacommitteetoregisterthedecreesofthepresident,butthatitshouldhavefulllegislativepowerstodiscussandtodecideuniversityaffairs。NordidIallowittobecomeabodymerelyadvisory:Inotonlyinsistedthatitshouldhavefulllegislativepowers,butthatitshouldbesteadilytrainedintheuseofthem。Onmynominationthetrusteeselectedfromthefacultythreegentlemenwhohadshownthemselvesespeciallyfittedforadministrativeworktothepositionsofvice—president,registrar,andsecretary;andthenceforththeinstitutionwasnolongerdependentonanyoneman。TothefirstofthesepositionswaselectedProfessorWilliamChanningRussel;tothesecond,ProfessorWilliamDexterWilson;tothethird,ProfessorGeorgeC。
  Caldwell;andeachdischargedhisdutiesadmirably。
  OfthelasttwooftheseIhavealreadyspoken,andheresomerecordshouldbemadeoftheservicesrenderedbyDr。Russel。Hewasamongthosechosenfortheinstructingbodyattheverybeginning。Intoallofhisworkhebroughtaperfectloyaltytotruth,withthetrainedfacultiesofalawyerinseekingitandthefearlessnessofanapostleinannouncingit。Astohissuccessinthislatterfield,theremaybegiven,amongothertestimonies,thatofanunwillingwitness——ayoungscholarofgreatstrengthofmind,who,thoughhehadtakendeepoffenseatsundryactsoftheprofessorandneverforgiventhem,yet,afterayearinthehistoricallecture—roomsoftheUniversityofBerlin,saidtome:``Ihaveattendedherethelecturesofallthefamousprofessorsofhistory,andhaveheardfewwhoequalProfessorRusselandnonewhosurpasshiminascertainingthereallysignificantfactsandinclearlypresentingthem。’’
  Inthevice—presidencyofthefacultyhealsorenderedservicesofthegreatestvalue。Noonewasmoredevotedthanhetotheuniversityormoreloyaltohisassociates。
  Therewas,indeed,somefriction。Hiscousin,JamesRussellLowell,onceaskedmeregardingthis,andmyreplywasthatitremindedmeofacharacterinthe``BiglowPapers’’who``hadadre’dfulwinnin’waytomakefolkshatehim。’’Thiswasdoubtlessanoverstatement,butitcontainedtruth;forattimestherewasperhapslackinginhishandlingofdelicatequestionssomethingofthesuaviterinmodo。Hishonestfranknesswasworthyofallpraise;butIoncefounditnecessarytowritehim:``Iamsorrythatyouhavethoughtitbesttosendmesounsparingaletter,butnomatter;writemeasmanyasyoulike;
  theywillneverbreakourfriendship;onlydonotwriteothersinthesamestrain。’’Thisbroughtbackfromhimoneofthekindestepistlesimaginable。Uncompromisingashismannerwas,hisservicesvastlyoutweighedallthedefectsofhisqualities;andamongtheseservicesweresomeofwhichthegeneralpublicneverdreamed。Icouldtellofpatheticdevotionandself—sacrificeonhispart,notonlytotheuniversity,buttoindividualstudents。Noprofessoreverhadakindlierfeelingtowardanyscholarinneed,sickness,ortrouble。Thosewhoknewhimbestlovedhimmost;and,inthehard,earlydaysoftheuniversity,heespeciallymadegoodhistitletothegratitudeofeveryCornellian,notonlybyhisuniversitywork,butbyhisunostentatiousdevotiontoeverydeservingstudent。
  Astomyprofessorialwork,Ifoundinduetimeeffectiveaidinvariousyoungmenwhohadbeenmembersofmyclasses。OfthesewereCharlesKendallAdams,whoafterwardbecamemysuccessorinthepresidencyofCornell,andGeorgeLincolnBurr,whoisnowoneofmysuccessorsintheprofessorshipofhistory。
  ThusitwasthatfromtimetotimeIcouldbeabsentwithafeelingthatallattheuniversitywasmovingonsteadilyandsecurely;withafeeling,indeed,thatitwassomethingtohaveaidedincreatinganinstitutionwhichcouldmoveonsteadilyandsecurely,evenwhenthehandsofthosewhohadsetitinmotionhadbeenremoved。
  Therewas,however,onetemporaryexceptiontotherule。
  DuringmyabsenceasministeratBerlintroublearoseinthegoverningboardsoseriousthatIresignedmydiplomaticpostbeforemytermofservicewasended,andhastenedbacktomyuniversityduties。Butnopermanentinjuryhadbeendone;infact,thisexperience,byrevealingweaknessesinsundrypartsofoursystem,resultedinpermanentgood。
  ReturningthusfromBerlin,Ithrewmyselfintouniversityworkmoreheartilythanever。Itwasstilldifficult,forourlandshadnotasyetbeensoldtoanyextent,andourincomewassadlyinsufficient。Thelandsweresteadilyincreasinginvalue,anditwasfeltthatitwouldbeagreaterrortodisposeofthemprematurely。Theworkofprovidingwaysandmeanstomeettheconstantlyincreasingdemandsoftheinstitutionwasthereforesevere,andthelossofthegreatlibrarybequesttotheuniversityalsotriedmesorely;butIlaboredon,andatlast,thankstotheadmirableserviceofMr。Sageinthemanagementofthelands,theuniversitywasenabledtorealize,forthefirsttime,alargecapitalfromthem。Uptotheyear1885
  theyhadbeenasteadydrainuponourresources;nowthesaleofafractionofthemyieldedagoodrevenue。
  Forthefirsttimetherewassomethinglikeeaseintheuniversityfinances。
  TwentyyearshadnowelapsedsinceIhadvirtuallybegunmydutiesaspresidentbydraftingtheuniversitycharterandbyurgingituponthelegislature。ThefouryearsofworksincemyreturnfromBerlinhadtriedmeseverely;andmorethanthat,Ihadmadeapledgesomeyearsbeforetotheonewho,ofallintheworld,hadtherighttoaskit,thatatthecloseoftwentyyearsofserviceIwouldgiveupalladministrativeduties。TothispledgeIwasfaithful,butwiththefeelingthatitwasatthesacrificeofmuch。ThenewendowmentcominginfromthesaleoflandsofferedopportunitieswhichIhadlongedforduringmanywearyyears;butIfeltthatitwasbesttoputthemanagementintonewhands。Therewerechangesneededwhichwerefarmoredifficultformetomakethanforanew—comer——especiallychangesinthefaculty,whichinvolvedtheseveringoftiesverydeartome。
  Attheannualcommencementof1885,thetwentyyearsfromthegrantingofourcharterhavingarrived,I
  presentedmyresignationwiththedeclarationthatitmustbeaccepted。Itwasacceptedinsuchawayastomakemeverygratefultoallconnectedwiththeinstitution:
  trustees,faculty,andstudentsweremostkindtome。Asregardsthefirstofthesebodies,Icannotresistthetemptationtomentiontwoevidencesoftheirfeelingwhichtouchedmedeeply。ThefirstofthesewastheproposalthatIshouldcontinueashonorarypresidentoftheuniversity。ThisIdeclined。Toholdsuchapositionwouldhavebeenaninjurytomysuccessor;IknewwellthatthetimehadcomewhenhewouldbeobligedtograpplewithquestionswhichIhadleftunsettledfromafeelingthathewouldhaveafreerhandthanIcouldhave。
  ButanothertendermademeIaccepted:thiswasthatI
  shouldnominatemysuccessor。Ididthis,namingmyoldstudentattheUniversityofMichigan,whohadsucceededmethereasprofessorofhistory——CharlesKendallAdams;
  andsobeganasecondandmostprosperousadministration。
  Inthusleavingthepresidencyoftheuniversity,itseemedtomethatthetimehadcomeforcarryingoutaplanformedlongbefore——thetransfertotheuniversityofmyhistoricalandgenerallibrary,whichhadbecomeoneofthelargestand,initsfield,oneofthebestprivatecollectionsofbooksintheUnitedStates。Thetrusteesacceptedit,providingamostnobleroomforitinconnectionwiththemainuniversitylibraryandwiththehistoricallecture—rooms;settingapart,also,fromtheirresources,anamplesum,ofwhichtheincomeshouldbeusedinmaintainingthelibrary,inprovidingalibrarian,inpublishingacompletecatalogue,andinmakingthecollectioneffectiveforhistoricalinstruction。Myonlyconnectionwiththeuniversitythenceforwardwasthatofatrusteeandmemberofitsexecutivecommittee。Inthispositionithasbeenoneofthegreatestpleasuresandsatisfactionsofmylifetonotethelargeandsteadydevelopmentoftheinstitutionduringthetwoadministrationswhichhavesucceededmyown。AtthecloseoftheadministrationofPresidentAdams,whohadespeciallydistinguishedhimselfindevelopingthelawdepartmentandvariousotherimportantuniversityinterests,instrengtheningtheconnectionoftheinstitutionwiththeState,andincallingseveralmostcompetentprofessors,hewassucceededbyagentlemanwhoseacquaintanceIhadmadeduringmystayasministertoGermany,hebeingatthattimeastudentattheUniversityofBerlin,——Dr。JacobGouldSchurman,whoseremarkablepowersandgiftshavemorethanmetthegreatexpectationsIthenformedregardinghim,andhavedevelopedtheuniversitytoayethigherpoint,sothatitsnumberofstudentsisnow,asI
  revisetheselines,overthreethousand。He,too,hasbeencalledtoimportantdutiesinthepublicservice;andhehasjustreturnedafterayearofmostvaluableworkaspresidentoftheCommissionoftheUnitedStatestothePhilippineIslands,theuniversityprogressingduringhisabsence,andshowingthatithasalifeofitsownandisnotdependentevenonthemostgiftedofpresidents。
  Onlayingdownthedutiesoftheuniversitypresidency,itdidnotseembesttometoremaininitsneighborhoodduringthefirstyearortwoofthenewadministration。
  Anyonewhohaseverbeeninapositionsimilartomineatthatperiodwilleasilyunderstandthereason。
  Itisthesamewhichhasledthoughtfulmeninthechurchestosaythatitisnotwelltohavetheoldpastortoonearwhenthenewpastorisbeginninghisduties。
  Obedienttothisideaofleavingmysuccessorafreehand,mywifeandmyselftookaleisurelyjourneythroughEngland,France,andItaly,renewingoldacquaintancesandmakingnewfriends。Returningafterayear,Isettleddownagainintheuniversity,hopingtocompletethebookforwhichIhadbeengatheringmaterialsandonwhichIhadbeenworkingsteadilyforsomeyears,whentherecamethegreatestcalamityofmylife,——thelossofherwhohadbeenmymainsupportduringthirtyyears,——andworkbecameforatime,animpossibility。AgainIbecameawanderer,going,in1888,firsttoScotland,andthence,beingorderedbyphysicianstotheEast,wentagainthroughFranceandItaly,andextendedthejourneythroughEgypt,GreeceandTurkey。OfthemenandthingswhichseemedmostnoteworthytomeatthatperiodIspeakinotherchapters。
  FromtheEastImademywayleisurelytoParis,withconsiderablestopsatBuda—Pesth,Vienna,Ulm,MunichFrankfort—on—the—Main,Paris,London,takingnotesinlibraries,besidescollectingbooksandmanuscripts。
  ReturningtotheUnitedStatesintheautumnof1889,andsettlingdownagaininmyoldhouseatCornell,IwasinvitedtogivecoursesofhistoricallecturesatvariousAmericanuniversities,especiallyoneuponthe``CausesoftheFrenchRevolution,’’atJohnsHopkins,ColumbianUniversityinWashington,theUniversityofPennsylvania,TulaneUniversityinNewOrleans,andStanfordUniversityinCalifornia。Excursionstotheseinstitutionsopenedanewepochinmylife;butofthisIshallspeakelsewhere。
  Duringthisperiodofsomethingoverfifteenyears,I
  havebeenfrequentlysummonedfromtheseduties,whichwereespeciallyagreeabletome——first,in1892,asministertoRussia;next,in1896,asamemberoftheVenezuelanCommissionatWashington;and,in1897,asambassadortoGermany。IhavefoundmanymenandthingswhichwouldseemlikelytodrawmeawayfrommyinterestinCornell;but,afterall,thatwhichhasfornearlyfortyyearsheld,andstillholds,thedeepestplaceinmythoughtsistheuniversitywhichIaidedtofound。
  SinceresigningitspresidencyIhave,inmanyways,keptinrelationswithit;andasIhave,atvarioustimes,returnedfromabroadandwalkedoveritsgrounds,visiteditsbuildings,andlivedamongitsfacultyandstudents,anenjoymenthasbeenminerarelyvouchsafedtomortals。Ithasbeenlikerevisitingtheearthafterleavingit。TheworktowhichIhaddevotedmyselfforsomanyyears,andwithmoreearnestnessthananyotherwhichIhaveeverundertaken,thoughattimesalmostwiththeenergyofdespair,Ihavenowseensuccessfulbeyondmydreams。Aboveall,asIhaveseenthecrowdofstudentscomingandgoing,Ihavefeltassuredthattheworkisgood。Itwaswiththisfeelingthat,justbeforeI
  lefttheuniversityfortheembassyatBerlin,Ierectedattheentranceoftheuniversitygroundsagateway,onwhichIplacedaparaphraseofaLatininscriptionnotedbyme,manyyearsbefore,overthemainportaloftheUniversityofPadua,asfollows:
  ``Soenterthatdailythoumayestbecomemorelearnedandthoughtful;