The History of Dartmouth CollegeSmith, Baxter Perry
History
The History of Dartmouth College
Smith, Baxter Perry
Dartmouth College -- History
"We found our opinion, principally, upon this reason, that it appears
to us that Cowas is the most central of the situations that have been
proposed between the Indians of the Six Nations, on the one hand, and
those of St. Francis and of the other tribes to the eastward, on the
other; and that it is not inferior to any of the rest in other
respects. For this reason, we cannot but recommend to you to accept
the offers of Governor Wentworth and the Gentlemen in New Hampshire.
And we heartily pray that the same good Providence which has so
remarkably blessed your undertaking hitherto, may continue to protect
and prosper it in its farther progress, and may prolong your life,
that you may have the satisfaction to see it fixed upon such a plan as
may afford a reasonable hope of answering all the good purposes you
have in view.
"We are, Reverend Sir,
"Your most obedient servants,
Dartmouth,
S. S. Smythe,
Samuel Roffey,
John Thornton,
Daniel West,
Charles Hardy,
Samuel Savage,
Jos. Robarts,
Robert Keen."
"Received August 10, 1769."
CHAPTER VI.
A COLLEGE CHARTER.
The long-protracted efforts of Mr. Wheelock,[21] to provide legal
safeguards for donations in aid of his great work, now demand careful
attention.
[21] It will be observed that the appropriate title, at the period
under consideration, is given to the founder of the college
here as elsewhere in this work.
The deed of Mr. Joshua More, conveying two acres of land with
buildings attached, was dated July 17, 1755, a short time previous to
his death. Mr. Wheelock now placed himself in confidential relations
with two eminent lawyers in New York, William Smith, and his son
William Smith, Jr., the latter of whom, perhaps, may be said to have
left his impress upon the Constitution of the United States, through
his distinguished pupil, Gouverneur Morris. The correspondence, at
first, seems to have been chiefly with Mr. Smith, Senior. August 6,
1755, he writes to Mr. Wheelock: "The means for the accomplishment of
so charitable a design seem at present very imperfect." He suggests,
that there is "no incorporation" of Mr. Wheelock and the other
gentlemen to whom Mr. More conveyed the property; that the deed
contains "no consideration;" and that the estate is at most only "for
life." He advises Mr. Wheelock, at least, to procure a better deed,
which was afterwards executed by Mrs. More. The death of Mr.
Wheelock's most influential and valuable associate trustee,
ex-President Williams, only a few days after the conveyance by Mr.
More, was a severe loss, and a temporary embarrassment to his
associates. But Mr. Wheelock determined to proceed in his efforts for
an incorporation, relying mainly upon the dictates of his own judgment
for direction. After the lapse of some five years, in February, 1760,
he gives the results to Mr. Smith, in language of which the following
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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