The History of Dartmouth CollegeSmith, Baxter Perry
History
The History of Dartmouth College
Smith, Baxter Perry
Dartmouth College -- History
[43] The Rev. Daniel Lancaster, of the Class of 1821, supplies the
following recollections of the assault upon the college
libraries, made by a band of towns-people, under the guidance
of Professors Carter and Dean of the University. They had
forced the doors only to find that the books had already been
removed, and themselves thus inclosed, the prisoners of the
college students, led, among others, by senior Chamberlain.
Mr. Lancaster continues: "Having stationed three or four of
his classmates at the door of the library to prevent ingress
or egress, he ascended a few steps on the flight of steps
leading to the next floor, and called the excited throng to
order. He then spoke in substance as follows: 'Fellow
students, we are in the midst of a desperate emergency. The
door of our library has been demolished. The vandals have
entered and taken possession, but we have met the enemy. They
are our prisoners and the library is safe. I have come from
the president, who wishes me to say to you that he is
confident you will conduct yourselves as gentlemen--using no
violence or insult--in all the arrangements to be adopted,
until order and quiet are restored.'
"He then proceeded to marshal them in two files, beginning at
the door of the library, and extending down stairs to the
lower floor, through which files the University professors
were conducted, each under escort of three students, to
their homes."
General H. K. Oliver, of Massachusetts, a member of the then
Senior class, gives substantially the same account. He adds:
"Having released the roughs on condition of good behavior,
we exacted a promise of the learned professors of Mathematics
and Dead Languages, 'that they would do so no more.'
Classmates Fox, Shirley, and I then escorted Professor Carter
home. Dean was escorted by Crosby (Hon. Nathan Crosby) and
others. He (Carter) was very polite to us, invited us in, and
treated us with wine and cake."
A life so brief and active leaves behind it little but its example.
Yet I shall venture to extract a few paragraphs from an address
delivered by him on the 4th of July, 1826, the end of the first half
century of our national life.
Remembering that they were written at a period before the great
problems which have since controlled our history were recognized or
appreciated among the people at large, they will be found to indicate
a moral tone and a political prescience quite remarkable in a young
man of twenty-eight years.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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