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 GIFT OF 
 
Cornell University 
 
 Ezra Cornell 
 
 His Nature, Work and Character 
 
 Address of Gen'l Daniel Biitterfield, delivered on Founder's 
 Day — the anniversary of the birth of the Founder of 
 Cornell University — in the Armory on the Campus, 
 January nth, .1898. 
 
 Ithaca, N. Y. 
 
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CORlSrELL XJNIV^EHSITY 
 
 ITHACA, N. Y. 
 
 FOTJNDEE'S MY, JANUAEY 11, 1898 
 
 ADDRESS OF 
 
 GENERAL DANIEL BUTTERFIELD 
 
 A large number of Oornellians and 
 townspeople assembled in the Armory 
 on Tuesday to hear Gen. Daniel But- 
 terfleld. famous soldier, successful busi- 
 ness man and erstwhile friend of Ezra 
 Cornell, deliver an address on the foun- 
 der of the University. 
 
 At 10 o'clock promptly the program 
 was begun by the Oadet Band, which 
 rendered some musicial selections 
 in an unusually happy style. 
 President Schurman introduced the 
 speaker, remarking in graceful terms 
 upon his worth and position, and allud- 
 ing to the friendship which had existed 
 between the General and the founder of 
 Cornell. 
 
 The temporary stage which had been 
 erected in front of the gymnasium en- 
 trance was almost unadorned, and unoc- 
 cupied save for the president and the 
 veteran warrior. The effect was one of 
 impressive and dignified simplicity. 
 
 General Butterfield spoke about an 
 hour as follows : 
 
 Fifty years and more ago must seem 
 to some of you a very, very long time. 
 
 It does to me, but there are some 
 vivid personal recollections of it not 
 out of place here today. We all pass, 
 but we, who are in the white winter of 
 our age, take special delight in leaving 
 with our youthful successors the story of 
 those experiences which have deeply 
 stirred our feelings and influenced our 
 
 lives. 
 
 Between myself and the man, Ezra 
 Cornell, who built houses with his own 
 hands, and plodded on foot selling 
 ploughs, and yet was able out of his pro- 
 lific brain to project and out of his sur- 
 plus wealth to endow, and out of his pa- 
 tient industry and sublime courage to 
 foster and defend this great and grow- 
 ing institution, there was one point of 
 contact in my youth, and a strong bond 
 of ancestral association, that 1 cherish 
 with delight and that I am moved to im- 
 part to you on this glad anniversary. A 
 boy, coming home at vacation from the 
 first sophomore term in the year, I was 
 asked by my father what I was learning 
 in Union College answering by a gen- 
 eral description of the course of studies 
 pursued an enquiry was then made 
 
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_♦ ^•^ _»_••• » 
 
 respecting the experiments in chemistry 
 and the natural sciences and what, if 
 anything, had been learned of the Mag- 
 netic Telegraph. These latter questions 
 were asked by a friend of my father's 
 present, a stranger to me, who had been 
 very much interested as an eager listen- 
 er, in the examination of my father 
 as to the progress made, the studies, 
 etc. The person who asked this 
 question was a tall, straight man, 
 then about thirty-nine years of age. He 
 had an attractive and impressive face as 
 he gazed intently and inquiringly into 
 mine, with his clear blue eyes that 
 seemed of themselves without words to 
 ask pleasantly but strongly, "Now tell 
 as all about it;" an aquiline nose, a 
 handsome and strong feature of his face, 
 with a formation of the lower jaw and 
 lips in the closing of a mouth that a life's 
 experience has since taught me were in- 
 dications of force of will, determination 
 and strength of character — which I was 
 too young then to comprehend, but 
 which was photographed on my mind so 
 clearly that were I skilled as an artist or 
 painter, I could today reproduce it. He 
 sat opposite me with his elbows on the 
 table and his chin between and support- 
 ed by his hands. Had not the very 
 kindly expression of his face been so as- 
 suring in its interest and sympathy, it 
 would have been embarrassing. 
 As it was it encouraged me. 
 
 THE MORSE TELEGRAPH. 
 
 I gave a description of the Morse tele- 
 graph instrument of the first construc- 
 tion with its soft iron horse shoe magnet 
 wound with wire to surround it with the 
 current from the battery — its lever and 
 pointed steel nipple or pen at one end, 
 and bar of metal at the other end, the 
 action of the current from the battery as 
 the key was closed, causing the bar of 
 metal to be drawn upon the magnet and 
 the pen end to be moved up against a 
 
 ribbon or strip of paper between rollers 
 moved by clock-work making a mark 
 on the paper as long as the 
 current was kept perfect and re- 
 leasing the bar of metal when the cur- 
 rent was broken stopping the pen mark so 
 that marks of any desired length or sim- 
 ple dots were made upon the strip of 
 paper, which marks or dots made the 
 alphabet identical with that in use today 
 by telegraphic operators — only now read 
 by sound without the paper strip, and 
 without the pen. The battery then in 
 use was described. It was the (jrrove 
 battery which was very different and 
 more expensive than anything now in 
 use. This stranger to me asked if it was 
 simple and easy to operate.— and who 
 could operate it. — my reply was "any 
 young man of fair intelligence not neces- 
 sarily a college bred man, or any young 
 woman who could play the piano or keep 
 good time." 
 
 A few other questions of detail that 
 have escaped my memory now, were sat- 
 isfactorily answered during this inter- 
 view. My last answer about the young 
 woman was the termination of the in- 
 vestigation so far as I was concerned of 
 the value or benefit of my college work 
 and study. At its close and with the 
 answer this stranger brought his fists 
 down on the table together not with 
 great force bat with emphasis and said 
 to my father, "The boy has got it, col- 
 lege is doing him good." My father in- 
 troduced me then to this stranger with 
 the remark, "My son, this is Mr. Oornell 
 and we are going to build a telegraph 
 line from New York to Buffalo." 
 
 I have never forgotton this interview 
 and carry with me now the clearest 
 recollection of the face and person of 
 Ezra Oornell as I wish everyone of you 
 young gentlemen could. 
 
 I have never yet determined whether 
 the purpose of this interview was to as- 
 certain if there was any use in sendinjr 
 
a boy to college as young as I was or 
 
 whether it was a keen and farseeing 
 move on the part of Mr. Oornell to con- 
 vince my father that the working and 
 understanding of telegraphy would be a 
 very simple and inexpensive matter and 
 BO to get him strongly interested in build- 
 ing telegraph lines, as he did so become 
 interested, 
 
 A SEED THOUGHT. 
 
 The thoueht has occurred to me since 
 this great University inception, that per- 
 haps that interview might have been one 
 of the suggestions that helped to nourish, 
 if not to plant some seed, the fruition of 
 which was the great life work of your 
 founder. And if in any degree I thus 
 served unconsciously as a slight factor 
 in the development of the superb scheme, 
 I desire here and now to claim the credit 
 in the name and for the sake of my own 
 venerable Alma Mater, and its sagacious 
 president Eliphalet Nott. 
 
 From this interview and the business 
 connection that grew up between Ezra 
 Oornell and my father, I not only be- 
 came well acquainted with Ezra Oornell 
 at thit time, but also with his son who 
 became governor of New York and who 
 now is a trustee of this University and 
 by whose side I stood and learned with 
 Grin S Wood and Otis E. Wood to oper- 
 ate the telegraph and to cement a friend- 
 ship which has continued unbroken, 
 strong, and delightful in all 
 its phases for over half a century. I be- 
 lieve that friendship has inspired Presi- 
 dent Schurman to invite me to address 
 you on this Founder's Day. The only 
 drawback to the pleasure is that I can- 
 not probably tell you much of the found- 
 er that has escaped the pen of his filial 
 biographer and the graceful tributes of 
 those eloquent orators who have preced- 
 ed me on like anniversaries in laying 
 laurels, grateful recollection and high 
 appreciation upon the records for the 
 honor of Ezra Oornell. 
 
 Such tributes cannot be too often re- 
 peated if they bring home to you who 
 are enjoying the benefits of his foresight, 
 his generosity, his firmness and per- 
 severance, the example and work of his 
 life and the nobleness of his character 
 and nature, as a model to profit by in 
 your own careers. 
 
 Perhaps you are a student or a close 
 observer of nature ; — if you are fortun- 
 ately for you it will be found an unfail- 
 ing and unceasing source of pleasure 
 and interest as long as you live. You 
 may haye seen m a field of grain one 
 spear that has grown up among its fel- 
 lows and exceeded them m height and 
 bearing to a marked degree. 
 
 In a forest of elms or other kind of 
 trees if you have studied and watched 
 carefully from an elevated position you 
 will at times find one tree growing up 
 above its fellows and growing larger. In 
 a corn field this superiority of growth and 
 bearing sometimes shows itself and that 
 particular corn stalk is selected as a speci- 
 men. There is seldom, if ever, any rea- 
 son found in the culture, of these differ- 
 ent species that explains why nature has 
 produced such results,unless these plants 
 think and reason and by that process 
 manage to attract to themselves from the 
 air and the earth, more of the elements 
 that produce growth and greatness. So 
 with man. 
 
 A MANY-Sn>ED NATURE, 
 
 As we gather here today, to add 
 our praises to the heartfelt eulogies 
 that have been made before, we cannot 
 but feel after the close study of 
 this many-sided man's nature, that he 
 like these instances in nature's growth, 
 so overtops the average mental and 
 moral stature that it is three men instead 
 of one to whom we really owe our grate- 
 ful praise. 
 
 First. The man of justice, purity and 
 integrity. 
 
Second. The thoughtful man of afifairs, 
 keen, far-sighted, always working with 
 a purpose. 
 
 Third. The man of strong human sym- 
 pathies as a tender, loving husband and 
 father, a philanthropist of the purest 
 ideals. 
 
 These are so intimately blended in the 
 character and life of the man that they 
 will necessarily run together in what we 
 haye subsequently to say about him. 
 
 Probably the greatest characteristic of 
 Mr. Cornell was the firm- 
 ness of his judgment in support of 
 an opinion which he had 
 reached after mature consideration. The 
 courage and sturdiness with which he 
 was accustomed to support his own men- 
 tal conviction was indeed remarkable. 
 "When once he had thoroughly consid- 
 ered a subject or a proposition and ar- 
 rived at a conclusion that a certain ob- 
 ject could be accomplished and that it 
 was worthy of th« requisite effort he was 
 wholly oblivous to discouragement. Ob- 
 stacles only served to aronse his energies 
 and the more serious the difficulties en- 
 countered the greater was his determin- 
 ation to succeed. 
 
 The firmness of character and fertility 
 of resource was particularly demonstrat- 
 ed in his devotion to the telegraph enter- 
 prise. When Professor Morse had proved 
 the scientific success of the telegraph, 
 but the government officials had decided 
 that it could not be made a commercial 
 success, Mr. Oornell boldly ventured his 
 all upon his own opinion to the contrary 
 and went courageously to work for its 
 accompl ishment . 
 
 For more than ten years Mr. Oornell 
 devoted himself with heroic courage to 
 the development of the telegraph system 
 in America. With subline patience and 
 untiring energy he overcame obstacles 
 which oft times appeared absolutely im- 
 I)Ossible to surmount, but true to the 
 
 courage of his convictions he was finally 
 enabled to triumph over every difficulty 
 and at the age of fifty he retired from 
 the conflicts of active business as a mil- 
 lionaire. 
 
 THE BIRTH OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY. 
 
 Many men would after such a struggle 
 and success have been dis- 
 posed to treat themselyes to a 
 holiday of luxury, but not 
 so with this earnest minded Quaker. In- 
 stead of seeking a life of ease and enjoy- 
 ment he began to look about to see 
 where and how he could make himself 
 and his fortune useful to his fellow man. 
 His abilities were quickly sought in the 
 public service of his native state, during 
 the gloomy days of the great civil war, 
 to which he devoted himself with char- 
 acteristic earnestness. 
 
 While engaged in duties pertaining to 
 his official posifion Mr. Cornell's atten- 
 tion was incidentally attracted to the 
 necessity for more adequate provision 
 for the development of the cause of high- 
 ter education in this stats and to the op- 
 portunity of its accomplishment by a 
 proper utilization of the United States 
 Land Grant which bad been made by 
 congress in 1863. Realizing that the 
 princely offering of the federal govern- 
 ment was in serious danger of being 
 frittered away quite unworthily he 
 stepped resolutely forward and tendered 
 to the state a personal donation of $500,- 
 000 for the endowment of a great Uni- 
 versity conditioned upon the appropria- 
 tion to it of the proceeds of the Land 
 Grant which was ratified by the state, 
 but only after a long and bitter struggle 
 and after the imposition of a unique and 
 oppressive tax of $25,000, as a royalty for 
 the privilege of being permitted to be 
 generous. The state was not perfectly 
 fair and wise, for the grant though good 
 for Mr. Cornell, and good for the village 
 of which he was a distinguished citizen, 
 
was good most of all for the future 
 prosperity of the youth of the 
 whole imperial state of which 
 Mr, Oornell was an honored pillar and 
 Ithaca a brilliant gem, with the placid 
 lake set in the landscape like a crystal 
 surrounded by emeralds. 
 
 Owing to the provision of the federal 
 law prohibiting any state from locating 
 its land warrants within the boundaries 
 of any other state, it became necessary 
 for states, having no public lands within 
 their domain, to sell their land scrip in 
 the open market. For many years pre- 
 vious the market price of public land 
 warrants had been very steady at the 
 normal government rate of $1 25 per 
 acre. At this rate the 990,000 acres would 
 have produced an endowment fund of 
 about one million and a quarter of dol- 
 lars. Unfortunately, however, the re- 
 quirement of sale on behalf of most of 
 the larger states quickly ran the current 
 value of the scrip down to about 30 cents 
 per acre with the probability of still 
 lower rates. 
 
 Deploring the shameful sacrifice which 
 seemed impending Mr. Oornell conceived 
 the idea of having the New York war- 
 rants purchased and located by indi- 
 viduals for the benefit of the Oornell 
 University to which their avails had al- 
 ready been appropriated by the legisla- 
 ture. In this view he earnestly sought 
 the co-operation of many rich men. He 
 made personal appeals to nearly one hun- 
 dred different persons to unite with him 
 to accomplish this beneficent object, but 
 he was unable to enlist a single indi- 
 dual. Finally as the last resort he 
 determined to undertake the great 
 task unaided. He made a contract with 
 the state land board for the purchase of 
 the scrip and agreed to locate the land, 
 pay the taxes and all other expenses and 
 to pay over to Oornell University every 
 
 dollar of the profits as an endowment 
 fund. 
 
 YEARS OF INCESSANT LABOR. 
 
 Nobody unfamiliar with the details 
 and annoyances incident to the location 
 and care of public lands can begin to 
 appreciate the magnitude of the under- 
 taking thus assumed by the generous 
 hearted founder in behalf of the great 
 cause he loved so well. During the first 
 year he advanced more than two hun- 
 dred thousand dollars for the purchase of 
 the scrip and the expense of location. 
 Before a single dollar of profits was 
 realized he had advanced more than five 
 hundred thousand dollars. Eight years 
 of incessant labor was devoted by him to 
 this great work and, sorrowful to relate, 
 he was called to a higher life before its 
 burdens were relaxed. Finally, how- 
 ever, his great foresight was most glori- 
 ously vindicated and Oornell University 
 has already realized as the profits of that 
 contract five or six million of dollars 
 which is now safely invested in this en- 
 dowment fund while there still remains 
 undisposed of about one hundred and 
 fifty thousand acres of the original land 
 from which another million of dollars 
 may be reasonably expected. 
 
 In connection with his foresight 
 and explanatory of his choice 
 of Ithaca as a home, and 
 illustrative of the truth that 
 many forces co-operate to any great suc- 
 "cess let me call your attention to a pre- 
 liminary historical fact. 
 
 Upon assuming the command of the 
 Revolutionary Army, Washington found 
 himself in a strange country and in most 
 urgent need of oflBcers upon whom he 
 could rely, who were familiar with the 
 topographical details of the region about 
 New York and the Hudson river valley. 
 Making his necessity known to the patri- 
 otic general, George Olinton, his atten- 
 tion was directed to Simeon DeWitt, a 
 youth who had recently graduated as a 
 civil engineer at one of the New Jersey 
 
colleges. The introduction was snccess- 
 ful and the young man was assigned to 
 duty upon the staff of the commander- 
 in-chief where he served with complete 
 satisfaction until the close of the great 
 straggle for an independence. 
 
 Afterwards General DeWitt was ap- 
 pointed state engineer and surveyor by 
 Governor George Clinton and in that 
 position sprved the state more than fifty 
 years. Under his supervision, counties 
 west of the Hudson river valley were 
 surveyed and to him our people are in- 
 debted for the many classic names of 
 towns and counties in this beautiful 
 region, which, judged by the testimony 
 of such names as Ovid, Utica, Syracuse, 
 Homer, Palmyra, might seem to have 
 been founded by Greeks and Romans, 
 themselves, rather than by sturdy, prac- 
 tical Americans. 
 
 Upon visiting the head of Oayuga 
 Lafce in 1805 General DeWitt was 
 greatly impressed with its future im- 
 portance as the nearest point of con- 
 nection between the waters of the Great 
 Lakes and the Susquehanna River. He 
 thereupon located at this place the 
 land- warrants which had been awarded 
 him for revolutionary services and deter- 
 mined to make it his ultimate home. By 
 his influence a postoffice was soon opened 
 here and named Ithaca. 
 
 GREAT EXPECTATIONS OF EARLY ITHACA. 
 
 Under date of May 10, 1810, General 
 DeWitt wrote a friend at Albany, as 
 follows: "I find this village (Ithaca) 
 considerably increased since I was here 
 before. I have counted thirty-eight 
 dwelling houses, among which is one 
 very large, elegant, three story house for 
 a hotel, and five of two stories ; the rest 
 of one story — all generally neat frame 
 buildings. Besides, there is a school 
 house and buildings for merchant stores, 
 shops for carpenters, cabinet makers, 
 blacksmiths, coopers, tanners, and we 
 
 have besides shoemakers, tailors, two 
 lawyers, one doctor, watch cleaner, 
 turner, miller, hatter, etc." 
 
 Subsequently General DeWitt project- 
 ed a ship canal from Sodas Bay on Lake 
 Ontario to Oavuga Lake in order to con- 
 nect Ithaca with the Great Lakes. He 
 then built the Oayuga and Susquehanna 
 railroad from Ithaca to Oweso by means 
 of which it was anticipated that Ithaca 
 would become a great inland city at the 
 gateway of an important channel of com- 
 merce between the northern lakes and 
 the Susquehanna River and thence to 
 Baltimore. What think you would De- 
 Witt say could he stand here today look- 
 ing out on the same landscape of beauty 
 and find added the University with its 
 seventeen buildings on the campus, 
 2,000 students, 175 professors and in- 
 structors, its library of 200 000 volumes 
 with the flourishing fine city of Ithaca 
 if not the great throughfare of commerce 
 he thought and planned, far ahead of 
 that in importance and benefit to the 
 human race, a gateway and threshold by 
 passage through the University to the 
 lealms of education and cultured 
 thought. {Hearty applause.) 
 
 It was under the stimulus 
 of these brilliant expectations 
 of the youthful Ithaca that the young 
 Qaaker, Ezra Oorneli. was in 1828, at 
 the age of 21, attracted from the quiet of 
 his father's farm in Madison county, to 
 cast his future fortunes in this locality. 
 It was a lucky day for Ithaca ; for its 
 commercial advantage ; for its culture ; 
 to have this wealth of art, science and 
 literature piled up at its doors — this mass 
 of living, germinating thought ferment- 
 ing in its midst and nourishing industry, 
 agriculture, statesmanship for the young 
 republic ; for its beauty, to have the 
 grace of noble architecture added as a 
 crown of glory to those towering clififs ; 
 for its civic pride to be named with Ox- 
 ford, Cambridge, Bonn, Berlin, as one of 
 
the neatest educational forces of the 
 world and to become one of the great 
 magnetic poles to draw the intellectual 
 pilgrim and to subtly and powerfully in- 
 fluence all the currents of scholarship. 
 (Applause.) 
 
 No one truly mindful of the part he 
 played should grudge to Ezra Cornell or 
 his eminent descendants the honor of 
 the name borne by this institution. Vil- 
 lage and state and nation should be 
 proud to emblazon it as a type of man- 
 hood and noble citizenship, a very sea- 
 mark of lofty examole. Humanity at 
 large is honored by such a character.and 
 men simply prove their own worth by 
 the heartiest recognition. Had he sought 
 the distinction for himself — to be writ- 
 ten down to coming ages as "one who 
 loved his fellow man" it would have 
 been a natural, a pardonable, nay even a 
 laudable ambition. That he did not, ac- 
 cording to the testimony of Ambas- 
 sador White, but was willing to obscure 
 his own part in the enterprise with 
 thoughts solely for the welfare of others 
 and with no concern for his own tame, 
 places him among the rarest spirits of 
 the human race and makes it the more 
 incumbent upon us, not to permit the 
 mdmory of such a character to perish. 
 
 It ought to stand as a perpetual provo- 
 cative to inquiry ever renewed as the 
 successive generations ot youth come 
 here to enjoy the generous fruitage of 
 his great labors, that they may be an- 
 swered with the story of his life and 
 aroused by the example of his energy.his 
 resoluteness, bis foresight, his unselfish- 
 ness. 
 
 SIMPLE AND TENDER. 
 
 Another phase of Mr. Oornell's char- 
 acter, quite in contrast with the grim 
 earnestness and endurance by which he 
 accomplished the great features of his 
 noble life work, was his simplicity and 
 tenderness of feeling. Especially were 
 those modest graces exhibited in the 
 
 presence of those upon whom fortune 
 had frowned. None were too bumble to 
 seek his charitable presence and never 
 did the worthy unfortunate fail to re- 
 ceive his kindly and sympathetic consid- 
 eration. His personal attention in pro- 
 viding for the families of the volunteer 
 soldiers in the days of the cruel war was 
 the subject of the deepest gratitude from 
 those upon whom the burden of patriot- 
 ism was so heavily laid. 
 
 Apropos of the civil war and only per- 
 tinent to the purpose of today's reminis- 
 cences by reason of Mr. Oornell's sympa- 
 thy and interest and patriotic work in 
 that connection. I may be permitted as a 
 participant in it and an old soldier to re- 
 call to you young gentlemen something 
 of its gigantic proportions and the un- 
 precedented number of men it brought 
 into the field. The number of Union 
 soldiers enlisted under the call for troops 
 including re-enlistments were 2,573,000, 
 of there were 2,000,000 enlisted for 
 three years, 427,000 for one and two 
 hears, and the balance for a shorter per- 
 iod. Put in another form there were 
 1,765 regiments of Infantry, 270 regi- 
 ments of Oavalry, more than 900 batter- 
 ies of artillery and 671 ships of all kinds 
 manned by about 134,000 men. Of these, 
 864,116 are known to have died from 
 wounds and disease and they do not in- 
 clude those who perished in rebel pens 
 nor those lying in unknown graves con- 
 servatively estimated at 150,000. The 
 records show there were 5,825,000 entries 
 at the hospitals during tJie war. These fig- 
 ures provpi the great severity of the strug- 
 gle and the enormous drain on the 
 strength of those engaged, and gives no 
 figures of the other side. The war for 
 the preservation of the Union contains a 
 record of patriotism, courage, self sacri- 
 fice and devotion to duty found nowhere 
 else in the annals of mankind. It is 
 gratifying to record Ezra Cornell's sym- 
 pathetic work for it and permissible to 
 
8 
 
 note today these statistics here in tnis 
 armory with the pleasure of a veteran 
 at sight of the cadets of Cornell's fine 
 battalion of infantry showing that prac- 
 . tice and information of the military art 
 is part of the work of Oornell and that 
 you will, many of you, be quite ready 
 and instructed for support aud defense 
 of the flag and the country at a mo- 
 ment's call. 
 
 THOUGHT AND ACTION. 
 
 Many stones of rare interest are relat- 
 ed of the kindly attention of the great 
 Founder to the humble and almost friend- 
 less students who ambitiously sought the 
 University in its earlier years. Men 
 who have since achieved renown in con- 
 sequence of their ability to continue and 
 succeed in this great seat of learning 
 were indebted to his personal considera- 
 tion for the means to persevere in their 
 efforts. His sympathies were bonndless 
 and his counsel and advice could never 
 be sought in vain. 
 
 Two distinct efforts are necessary to 
 the accomplishment of such a work as 
 Ezra Oornell's and in fact to any great 
 good for mankind, — thought and action. 
 It is not always given to one individual to 
 have the genius and energy to make 
 both efforts. Ezra Oornell had both in 
 a marked degree. He was a profound 
 thinker. How well and how carefully 
 he thought out his work before he be- 
 gan it — is pretty clearly set forth in the 
 addreS'^es of Ambassador White, Judge 
 Finch, Colonel Shaw and others made 
 here. 
 
 Add to the forethought, the energy, 
 the perseverance and the patience of 
 Ezra Cornell— crowned with his un- 
 bounded generosity and consideration 
 for his fellow m^n and we unite elements 
 of character and nature that make the 
 grandest and most elevated type of hu- 
 manity. May we not stndy out for our- 
 selves some of h1f» unwritten thought 
 
 and what he foresaw. Should not you 
 who are trained in this school do so and 
 by every effort of your life join in the 
 work and purpose of the Founder? 
 
 He discerned the needs of the future. 
 Ezra Cornell looked far into coming time 
 in founding this noble University. His 
 large experience in the affairs of life 
 taught him, that the only safety for Re- 
 publican government was to be found in 
 the general loyalty and wisdom of our 
 whole people. 
 
 His was a large monld in which man- 
 hood was cast. He saw with the vision 
 of a prophet what alarming dangers were 
 coming into view threatening the very 
 life of our nation. And so he went in his 
 great way about planning adequate safe- 
 guards for the youth of our whole coun- 
 try. 
 
 He founded this University on lines of 
 equality to all creeds, sections and con- 
 ditions of young men and women. It is 
 as wide as the world in its invitation for 
 aspiring youth to come and satisfy them- 
 selves with the wealth of knowledge 
 here placed within their reach. He knew 
 full well what hatred and sectionalism 
 had wrought in blood and agony, in the 
 great rebellion ; and with masterly fore- 
 thought here laid the foundations of a 
 safe educational system, based upon con- 
 ditions of common interest to all our peo- 
 ple. 
 
 Here we find no narrow circles teach- 
 ing sectional ideas ; but one broad plane 
 of education worthy of every son and 
 daughter of our Union. 
 
 And this is the need of the future. He 
 had faith in the reign of the common 
 neople ; and his heart beat in full sym- 
 pathy with the idea that a good educa- 
 tion was the best capital with which to 
 start in the battle of life 
 
 In founding a library for Ithaca, and 
 in founding this great University later 
 on, Ezra Oornell rose from high to higher 
 
in his ambition to make large provision 
 for the development of a full rounded 
 manhood and womanhood. 
 
 THE NEEDS OF OUR TIME. 
 
 The needs of our time call for many- 
 sided men and women, — fitted to resist 
 the special temptations and dangers 
 which beset our fast age, — with the privi- 
 leges and aids of Cornell University, 
 such representative friends of true 
 mental and moral culture can be gradu- 
 ated here. 
 
 It was Baron Von Humboldt who wise- 
 ly declared that "Whatsoever we wish 
 to see introduced into the life of a nation 
 must first be introduced into its schools," 
 and this is a view which inspired the 
 founder to devote his later years to rear- 
 ing this monument incidentally to his 
 memory, but primarily for the safety of 
 the nation. What a splendid vision of 
 the future filled his soul, when he had 
 fully developed his ideas of what this 
 spot should stand for, in future years ! 
 The response of his prophet like call, 
 within a single generation has been 
 wonderful. The attendance at present, 
 representing all our states, and the lead- 
 ing countries of the world, proves how 
 wide is the fame of this young University 
 — whose life is yet measured only by de- 
 cades. The founder filled the poet's 
 picture and estimate of true nobility : 
 
 "Wbo'er amidst the sons 
 Of reason, valor, liberty, and virtue. 
 Displays distinguished uierit, is a noble 
 Of nature's own creating!" 
 
 and his example is one that will point 
 the way to successive benefactions from 
 philanthropic Americans, who, seeing 
 the true glory of his deeds, will emulate 
 them in other places for the benefit of 
 the yOQth of our land. Already he has 
 called forth generous supporters to en- 
 large his work here. 
 
 After all, no monument endures like 
 the sentiments of justice and righteous- 
 ness in the hearts and lives of men and 
 
 women. Here on these commanding 
 heights is the battle ground for the 
 noblest victories youth can win. Culture 
 here opens wide her portals and bids all 
 to enter who haye the inspirations of a 
 larger view of life urging them forward 
 to brave deeds and worthy ambitions. 
 
 In view of the great life and services 
 of the founder of this Uniyersity, at 
 once so progressive and so promising 
 along all lines of high culture and safe 
 development, 1 urge the discipline of the 
 loftiest patriotic sentiments, to the end 
 that the youth who go forth from these 
 halls of learning may be four square to 
 all the needs and duties of loyal Ameri- 
 cans, and the noblest Christian citizen- 
 ship. Ezra Cornell rose, along the prac- 
 tical avenues of American possibilities 
 through the exercise of honest toil, un- 
 swerving integrity, heroic endeavor,and 
 large practical views of the glorious 
 heritage of American citizenship. He 
 worked his own way along the rugged 
 road of poyerty into the bright avenue of 
 well won wealth ; and then he grandly 
 builded of his own fortune this splendid 
 temple of learning as a monument to his 
 genius and philanthropy, and a bles^ng 
 to gpinerations to come. No grander 
 creation of one man can be found in the 
 wide sweep of the globe, than the beau- 
 tiful group of buildings which cluster on 
 this glorious campus, the fruit of the 
 founder's inspiration and example com- 
 municated to and working in able sup- 
 porters and successors. Nature seems to 
 have been in touch with the spirit of the 
 great founder, for here, as in few other 
 places, there is united a variety of natu- 
 ral splendors of hill, valley and lake, 
 shifting in beauty with all kaleidoscopic 
 changes of the seasons. Here has risen 
 to meet the demands, group after group 
 of needed educational buildings, until a 
 rival of the oldest universities of the old 
 world stands forth, able to cope with 
 every phase of learning in other lands. 
 
lO 
 
 and yet, only, in its infancy. Here 
 "Peace hath her victories no lees re- 
 nowned than war." Here the youth of 
 formerly hostile sections can mingle in a 
 common unity, without bitternpss and in 
 enjoyment of a common birthright. The 
 Pariran and the cavalier are here merged 
 into the happy American. Here the sons 
 of Union veterans and the eons of Con- 
 federate veterans can join bands in loy- 
 alty to a common valor, and thank God 
 both are now heirs to one flag, one coun- 
 try and one free civilization. This Uni- 
 versity seemed to rise triumphant after 
 sectional differences had been settled by 
 fire and blood, and a new opportunity 
 was presented for American youth to be- 
 cocne worthy workers under the new- 
 born privileges and enlarged bounds of 
 freedom on our soil. 
 
 As a soldier of the Union in the past war 
 era, I plead for broad views of our pres- 
 ent new birth of freedom. Our battles are 
 over, and the issues so stupendous at the 
 time, have been forever settled. Braver 
 men never fought or fell than those who 
 contended for ideals dear to each sec- 
 tion, and when the war closed, the Un- 
 ion became the common heritage of a 
 whole re- united and great people. 
 
 TWO FACTORS NECESSARY. 
 
 There are two factors absolutely nec- 
 essary to the thorough success of a great 
 educational institution.— One, — Money 
 in abundance to provide what manufac- 
 turers and business men would call the 
 plant, that is all the college buildings 
 and grounds, the library, the various ap- 
 paratus and instruments connected with 
 education, all of which are found here 
 at Cornell. Another, — An executive 
 head or chief with a faculty fitted by 
 culture and natural endowments to carry 
 on the work. To realize how thoroughly 
 this provision was made by your foun- 
 der read with care and study the address 
 of Andrew D. White, the first president 
 
 of Cornell, now so ably representing our 
 country at the German court in Berlin. 
 This address was delivered here on foun- 
 der's day, 1890. It gives a complete de- 
 scription of Ezra Cornell's work from the 
 commencement of his efforts to found 
 this institution. If every student here 
 has not read it, he should do so, with 
 those of Judge Finch and Albert 
 Shaw not only once but 
 a second and a third time. It 
 portrays between the lines the wonder- 
 ful judgment of men possessed by the 
 founder and leaves the indelible im- 
 pression that his effort was 
 not to follow in the rut 
 of any existing institution but to ac- 
 complish the greatest amount of possible 
 good and efficient work in the line of 
 education for the benefit of his fellow- 
 men, and doing it as he did in American 
 fashion of going directly at and reaching 
 out for the accomplishment of his pur- 
 pose. 
 
 Let me illustrate this trait of Ameri- 
 can character of going directly and 
 quickly at the purpose, by an incident 
 of the war. 
 
 After we had carried Lookout Moun- 
 tain, in the battle above the clouds, the 
 command which I served with were or- 
 dered to proceed across the Jbookout Val- 
 ley early next morning and attack the 
 enemy's left on Mission Ridge, in front 
 of Chattanooga. Ponton bridges were 
 ordered to be at a cro.ssing of the creek 
 in the valley at an early hour. They 
 were not there to meet us ; the stream 
 was like a southern bayou stream, 9 or 
 10 feet deep, steep vertical banks of soft 
 earth, no possibility of crossing, horse or 
 man, without a bridge, owing to the 
 character of the banks. 
 
 Our movement was urgent and exhi- 
 biting great impatience and much 
 temper at the failure of the 
 ponton train to arrive, I was ap- 
 proached by one of our western volan- 
 
II 
 
 teers with the inquiry, "General, do you 
 want to get some men across that 
 stream? If you do I can get a regiment 
 over in 20 minutes." This statement 
 astonished me. 1 had no experience as 
 woodsman, brought up in a city and 
 with my education or that part of it in 
 engineering, I knew of noway to cross 
 such a stream without bridges or boats. 
 "You are my man," was my reply. 
 "Wbat do you want to do it with?" The 
 answer was "half a dozen 
 axes and some of my regiment to use 
 them." These were instantly at hand 
 and in fifteen minutes the men had 
 felled a tall and large tree on the bank 
 of the stream so it fell across it and the 
 top lodged on the opposite side — a few 
 cuts with the axes cut away limbs pro- 
 jecting on the end and across the stream 
 and a regiment went flying over in sin- 
 gle file followed by an other before the 
 bridges came, greatly to our advance- 
 ment in time and movement. 
 
 I have never since that failed to listen 
 to any suggestion from any American 
 how to accomplish an immediate and 
 difficult work. 
 
 This American trait Ezra Cornell had 
 when he built his first wooden house 
 with no knowledge of carpentry and 
 built the Beebe tunnel with no know- 
 lege of engineering, had he waited to 
 learn these arts he may never have ac- 
 complished either. Don't forget young 
 gentlemen his example — drive direct at it 
 with vigor and every resource you can 
 think of, when yon have an urgent task 
 to perform . (Cheers . ) 
 
 His success has brought a situation 
 which led one of the best of American 
 authorities on education to say to me 
 with much emphasis : 
 
 "The American university has come to 
 stay." In the early college days I have 
 alluded to, we never heard much of uni- 
 versities — it was colleges— Yale College, 
 Harvard College, Columbia College, 
 
 Princeton College, Union College, etc — 
 the word "University" was neither 
 spoken or thought of by students in con- 
 nection with any American institution, 
 as to England, we spoke of Cambridge 
 and Oxford as colleges. Bonn enjoyed 
 the dignity of the title of a university ; 
 of those of other countries we heard lit- 
 tle and knew less. 
 
 It must then have been an inspiration 
 that combined with Ezra Cornell's gen- 
 ins and character of the peculiarly 
 American type when he announced his 
 purpose and desire in the sententious 
 description that the seal of Cornell car- 
 ries: 
 
 " I WOULD FOUND AN INSTITUTION 
 WHERE ANY PERSON CAN FIND INSTRUC- 
 TION IN ANY STUDY." 
 
 Further illustration of his concise 
 method of thought and expression his 
 character as a deep and earnest thinker 
 as well as his nature is at hand and of 
 record in his noble words Oct. 7, 1868, 
 when this University was founded. It 
 proves how thoroughly from the moment 
 he conceived it. The idea of the Uni- 
 versity became entwined with his very 
 life — it shows that this man of gentle ex- 
 terior but iron resolve had fully thought 
 out and determined how to place it in 
 the power of any person to acquire a 
 thorough education. 
 
 As there had been nothing half hearted 
 in his labors— so there was nothing half 
 hearted in his noble philanthropy. 
 
 FOREIGN OPINION. 
 
 The opinion of competent foreign 
 critics of his broad foundation and grand 
 purpose here may be thoroughly realized 
 by an incident that occurred between 
 distinguished men whose work and 
 lines of thought run in the direc- 
 tion of education. Visiting the 
 Bibliotheque Nation ale in connection 
 with some researches for records of the 
 discovery of America, I had to obtain 
 
12 
 
 special permission for access to the most 
 valuable manuicripts, made before the 
 days of printing, in that great library, I 
 was shown into the jealously guarded 
 and securely constructed apartment that 
 held these treasures. Whom should I 
 meet there but Hon Melvil Dewey, the 
 secretary of the University of the State 
 of New York, a thorough and efficient 
 worker with his heart and life bound np 
 in the subiect of education. There was 
 a mutual surprise in our mettiug and it 
 resulted in a long conversation after- 
 wards m which the subject of Oornell 
 University came up. 
 
 He told me of a recent dinner at the 
 National Libf-ral Olub in London with 
 several Cambridge and Oxford Univer- 
 sity men, among them Prof. Richard G. 
 Moulton,who had been making a tour of 
 the United States. Mr. Dewey hap- 
 pened to ams. the recent visitor to our 
 country what most astonished him 
 or what was the greatest wonder 
 found in his travels in the United 
 States ; and supposed of course that it 
 would be Niagara Falls, the Yellowstone 
 Park and its canons the capitol at Wash- 
 ington, New York, Chicago or some of 
 our great cities of such rapid growth, but 
 he was startled by the reply .substantially 
 in these words : 
 
 ''When I walked over the campus of 
 Oornell University, stndi^^d its work- 
 ings, admired its buildings — its 
 scenery and surround ii*gs, it was to me 
 the greatest wonder of America to think 
 it had grown into such proportions and 
 strength for its work, in a single quarter 
 of a century, reaching the plane which 
 the universities of the old world had re- 
 quired so many centuries to gain." 
 
 This incident seems to me a more con- 
 densed and thorough appreciation of the 
 great work of Ezra Oornell than it is 
 possible for me to express. And yet I am 
 constrained to add a few words only of 
 
 my own, by way of summary and brief 
 exhortation. 
 
 TWO RA.RE QUALITIES 
 
 I do not desire to indulge in any hyper- 
 bolic praise, but I think I am within the 
 lines of modest truth when I attribute to 
 Ezra Cornell two rare qualities of suc- 
 cessful manhood : 
 
 First — The readiness to undertake en- 
 terprises calling for unusual confidence 
 in yet untried powers, — a self-reliance 
 that challenged him to nut forth his ut- 
 most skill, and that was shown to be 
 warranted by the sucess of the event. 
 
 Second— A keen foresight of remote 
 advantage which led him to espouse great 
 causes in the days when they were de- 
 spised, and to stake his fame and fortune 
 upon their final triumph. Primary ex- 
 amples of these qualities are to be found 
 in the building of the DeRuyter house 
 without any knowledge of the 
 mystery of carpentry, the con- 
 ception and construction of the Beebe 
 tur nel without any knowledge of the 
 art of the civil engineer, and 
 the dropping of the plough to direct the 
 pioneer work that established the newly 
 invented toy telegraph in its sphere as a 
 mighty factor in American civilization. 
 It may seem us if he were running count- 
 er to that precept which enjoins the man 
 who has once put his hands to the plough 
 not to turn back. But second and deep- 
 er thought will show that he did not 
 turn back. He dropped the handles of 
 the plough that merely turned up the 
 soil for the time honored crop of vege- 
 tables and took firm guiding grasp of 
 one that cut the deep and lasting furrow 
 for the lightning to travel in as a min- 
 istering spirit, and that broke the ground 
 for that beneficent agency known as 
 Cornell University. I could name you 
 men of my own generation, renowned 
 for a brief time for dazzling business 
 achievements whose memories are fast 
 fading from human recollection, and 
 
13 
 
 whose influence is no longer felt. Their 
 great enterprises have failed for want of 
 a directing genius, or bear the title of a 
 stranger ; their property is consumed or 
 scattered. They had their little day and 
 it has passed forever, while in the case 
 of Ezra Cornell a high and a holy re- 
 solve has given "an empire without an 
 end." For as a great man : he was good 
 and as a good man, he is forever great. 
 And it is to this imperishable quality of 
 goodness that preserves greatness and 
 renders it perennially fruitful, world 
 without end, that I would chiefly direct 
 your attention, young gentlemen, today. 
 Ezra Cornell was a true humanitarian, of 
 the class that deserve to stand high in the 
 affairs of the nation and in the reverence 
 of the world. He might, as so many 
 have done have sought only a brilliant 
 personal success, involving benefit sim- 
 ply to himself and his immediate heirs. 
 But he chose instead to make American 
 youth his perpetual beneficiaries. It is 
 desirable that such ambition as his 
 should be gratified and exalted 
 as perpetuating an important 
 and inspiring lesson as to the privilege 
 of wealth and its high uses. The de- 
 mand for the reason for the name of this 
 University is a conBtan*;ly recurring op- 
 portunity for a reminder of the unselfish 
 application of genius and wealth ; of the 
 possibility of such a voluntary sharing 
 of the strong with the weak, as shall dis- 
 arm envy and promote a true socialism ; 
 as shall furnish to the youth an addition- 
 al incentive to call forth his supreme en- 
 ergies for the sake of others instead of 
 pausing in self content, or hoarding in ab- 
 ject miserliness. Such a life may even 
 be regarded as a vindication of inequal- 
 ity, as part of the scheme of Providence 
 to call out the full resources of a gifted 
 nature, and to reward it with the joy of 
 an immortality of benefaction. Like be- 
 gets like and Ezra Cornell's example has 
 already called forth supporters of the 
 
 same high spirit, to forward the expan- 
 sion of the University. 
 
 All honor to the Sages, the Sibleys,the 
 McGraws, White, Payerweather and 
 other like noble natures, who added to 
 Ezra Cornell's great work and princely 
 gifts. 
 
 The keynote of the thought and action 
 of Ezra Cornell, after he had obtained 
 ■^ealth by untiring, persistent industry, 
 close economy and far-seeing wisdom 
 was his desire to use that wealth in pro- 
 viding a perennial source of knowledge, 
 open to and within reach of the accep- 
 tance of every person who would earn- 
 estly seek for knowledge. 
 
 Other benefactors of our English speak- 
 ing people have contributed to the es- 
 tablishment of institutions of learning; 
 learned, pious, earnest men have solicit- 
 ed the aid of kings and counsellors to 
 establish great seats of learning in Eng- 
 land and America, which during a slow 
 and sometimes precarious growth of from 
 three to six hundred years, have sent 
 forth scholars and scientists and states- 
 men, whose actions are part of the his- 
 tories of England and America, and aft- 
 er all these years of growth, those uni- 
 versities have only recently attained 
 their independence,throngh the gifts and 
 legacies of friends continued during all 
 these years. While here, within the 
 memory of every adult person m this au- 
 dience, has been founded, equipped, es- 
 tablished and endowed by the benefi- 
 cient action of Ezra Cornell, the self- 
 taught mechanic, the wise business man, 
 an university, the equal of any and su- 
 prior of most of like institutions in the 
 world. What a vast difference between 
 this and the little country school house 
 in which that "poor young man," Ezra 
 Cornell, graduated after an additional 
 winter's schooling, obtained at the price 
 of clearing four acres of land covered 
 with a heavy beech wood forest. 
 
>f: 
 
 14 
 
 Did Ezra Cornell find the motive of 
 his action in the thought that the Uni- 
 versity he proposed to establish would 
 be an eternal monument to himself, as 
 it undoubtedly will be? 1 doubt if such 
 a thought ever had the least influence in 
 determining his action. There wasbef(>re 
 him, innate in every fibre of his soul, in- 
 tensified by bis own struggles and experi- 
 ence, one great absorbing thought What 
 can I do to help the helpers, to educate 
 the aspiring, to encourage the f=truggl- 
 ing ambitions poor, who seek by the at- 
 tainment of knowledge to benefit them- 
 selves and others. It appears as if he 
 sank out or sight intuitively all selfish 
 feeling or desire, if any ever existed, in 
 tne presence of the great passion, to 
 benefit the coming generations of youth, 
 by affording them access to instruction 
 in every branch of human knowledge. 
 One intimately associated with him dur- 
 ing the prosecution of this, the greatest 
 work of his life, writes, "I feel bound to 
 say that I have never known a man 
 more entirely unselfish. I have seen him 
 when his wealth was counted in mil- 
 lions, devote it so generously to univer- 
 sity objects, that he felt it necessary 
 to stint himself in some matters 
 of personal comfort. When urged to 
 sell a portion of the university lands at 
 a sacrifice in order to better our founda- 
 tion, he answered in substance, "don't 
 let us do that yet, I will wear my old 
 hat and coat a little longer, and let you 
 have a little more money from my own 
 I)Ocket." Such was his self-denial. 
 
 His religion seemed to take shape in a 
 constant desire to improye the condition 
 of his fellow men. He was never sur- 
 prised or troubled by anything which 
 any other human being believed, or did 
 not believe. Of intolerance, he was ut- 
 terly incapable. A verse of the Uni- 
 versal Frayer was a favorite quotation, 
 
 •That mercy I to others show. 
 That mercy, show to me.* 
 
 He sought no reputation as a philan- 
 thropist, cared little for approval, and 
 nothing for applause, but I can say of 
 him, without reserye, that during all 
 tnese years I knew him, he went about 
 doing good." 
 
 Standing today in the presence of 
 these classic and palatial halls of learn- 
 ing, we look around in vain for any at- 
 tempt to impress or burden "any per- 
 son," who may seek knowledge at these 
 sources, with his personal beliefs or re- 
 ligious opinions, or with anything that 
 will make prominent his own opinions 
 or maxims of life. But if we seek a sign 
 and look over the door of his private res- 
 idence, we read a brief, significant and 
 notable motto, modestly carved in the 
 solid capstone over the principal en- 
 trance, which to every Oornell student, 
 will be a cherished remembrance, an ad- 
 monition, and an inspiration. A student 
 of Oornell will need seek no other her- 
 aldic device with which to emblazon 
 shield or coat of arms, other than the se- 
 verely simple motto, "True and firm " 
 
 The moral culture of students reared 
 under the inflaence of such ideas and ex- 
 ample is a great and constant addition 
 to the forces thut enoble American civil- 
 ization. Such a career involves practical 
 religion, a life stimulated and permeated 
 in thought and act with a divine spirit, 
 so fully that there is left no time to for- 
 mulate a creed, time only to exhibit a 
 noble one in action. 
 
 "My voice is in my sword" declared 
 the resolute MacDuflf as he faced the 
 tyrant of Scotland. "My thought is my 
 deed" might have been the parallel utter- 
 ances of Ezra Oornell, and to it we can 
 certainly add with pride and gratitude 
 today, — "and here stands the deed 
 founded on a rock, embodied in strength 
 and beauty, thrilling with mighty, grow- 
 ing deathless power." "True and Firm ; 
 True and Firm." {Great applause.)