This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com HISTORY oF THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY, FROM ITS ORIGIN IN 1746 TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF 1854. BY JOHN MACLEAN, TENTH PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE. VOLUME II. •- »■ •• •• * • • • ' * • • * • • • \ • . *• »• • PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1877. 1 (V\ o 402274 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by JOHN MACLEAN, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVII. pace Administration of Dr. Samuel Stanhope Smith, Seventh President of the College ............ 5 Appendix to the Chapter on Dr. Smith's Administration . .118 CHAPTER XVIII. A Sketch of Dr. Smith's Life 122 CHAPTER XIX. Dr. Green's Administration, from September 30, 1812, to September 25, 1822 147 CHAPTER XX. A Sketch of Dr. Green's Life 207 CHAPTER XXI. The Interval between Dr. Green's Resignation and the Inauguration of Dr. Carnahan, from September 25, 1822, to August 5, 1823, — Dr. Lindsley the Acting President .......... 228 CHAPTER XXII. The Administration of the Rev. Dr. Carnahan, Ninth President of the College . 247 Appendix to the Chapter on the Rev. Dr. Carnahan's Administration . 355 CHAPTER XXIII. A Sketch of Dr. Carnahan's Life ........ 379 CHAPTER XXIV. Inauguration of Dr. John Maclean, Tenth President of the College . 407 Appendix 437 3 HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. CHAPTER XVII. ADMINISTRATION OF DR. SAMUEL STANHOPE SMITH, SEVENTH PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE. Dr. Smith was chosen President on the 6th of May, 1795, Governor Howell and sixteen other Trustees being present at the election. It was unanimous. For several years previous to this event, Dr. Smith had occu pied the President's house, and as Vice-President he had had a general oversight of the instruction and discipline of the College. Dr. Witherspoon having died on the 15th of November, 1794, the Clerk of the Board, by instructions from six of the Trus tees, issued notices of a special meeting to be held on the 5th of May, 1795, to elect a President, in pursuance of a rule adopted by the Board on the 9th of May, 1759. This rule required that not less than four months should intervene between the time fixed for the meeting and the date of the notices. At their meeting in September, 1794, the time of the annual Commencement, the Trustees adjourned to Tuesday, the 14th of April, 1795. But, the times for the two meetings being so near each other, the regular semi-annual meeting was given up, and the Board assembled on Tuesday, the 5th of May, and con tinued their sessions during that and the following day. It was on the second day of their sessions that the election for a Presi- voL. 11. — 2 5 6 HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. dent was held ; the Board having previously adopted the rule that the nominations for that office should be made at least one day previous to the election. Upon receiving official informa tion of his appointment, Dr. Smith appeared before the Board, and took the oaths prescribed by the charter. On this occasion there was no public inauguration; but an inaugural address in the Latin language was delivered by the new President on Wednesday, the 30th of September, 1795, the day of the annual Commencement. This address was published in 18 17, but, through some inadvertence on the part of the author or of the printer, the date of its delivery is given on the title-page as being the 28th of September, 1794, "IVto kalendas Octobris ;" at which date Dr. Witherspoon was living and was still at the head of the College. The President's salary was fixed at fifteen hundred dollars a year, with the usual perquisites ; and a small addition, fifty pounds, or one hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-three and one-third cents, was made to the yearly salary of Dr. Minto, the Professor of Mathematics and Natural Phi losophy. The yearly charges for tuition and room-rent were in creased to eight pounds and five pounds proc. respectively; and it was ordered, that board should be furnished at the rate of two dollars a week. Upon becoming the President of the College, Dr. Smith gave up the office of Clerk of the Board, and Dr. Minto was chosen Clerk in his room. The number of students at this time was eighty-seven, and for the next two or three years somewhat less. Among the minutes of this meeting are the following : " Resolved, That a copy of the report of the committee on the general accounts of the College, as far as relates to the charitable fund claimed to be under the direc tion of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and the losses the fund has sustained since 1777, be sent to the General Assembly for their information. " Resolved, That it be a standing rule of this corporation, that at their stated meeting in the spring they will give information, by letter or otherwise, to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church whether they have appropriated the whole amount of the interest arising on the fund established by Mr. Leslie, anil when a part of the said interest shall remain unappropriated, what is the amount of such surplusage: that the General Assembly may know when this corporation will apply anything to the support of a missionary appointed by them, agreeably to a provision in the Will of the said Mr. Leslie. Ordered, That the Clerk transmit a ADMINISTRA TION OF DR. SAMUEL S. SMITH. 7 copy of this resolution to the General Assembly ; and that he inform the Assembly that the whole amount of the interest arising for the current year has been appro priated to the education of poor and pious youth. " Dr. Smith informed the Board that he had received a present of books from some gentlemen in Scotland. Ordered, That Dr. Smith return the thanks of the cor poration to these gentlemen. " Dr. Green reported that at the request of Dr. Smith he had opened a subscrip tion in Philadelphia during the last winter to raise money for the purpose of pur chasing a chemical apparatus for the use of the College; that one hundred and forty dollars have been subscribed, for which the Board may draw upon him at any time. Dr. Green also informed the Board that he fully expects the subscription will be raised to two hundred dollars." This was the first provision ever made for the teaching of chemistry in this College. " Dr. Green was requested to wait upon Dr. Rittenhouse and request him to repair and complete as soon as possible the orrery belonging to the College." The next meeting of the Board took place on Tuesday, the 29th of September, 1795, and on the following day Dr. Smith, as President of the College, delivered his inaugural address, and presided at the Commencement exercises. The following account of the Commencement is taken from the " New Jersey State Gazette" of the date of October 6, 1795, and is contained in a communication dated Princeton, Septem ber 30. It is here given as furnishing an example of Com mencement exercises at this time : " This being the anniversary of the Commencement of the College of New Jersey, the Board of Trustees and the Faculty of the College met the Senior class at ten o'clock in the forenoon, in the hall, from whence they went in procession to the church. The exercises of the day were introduced with prayer by the Rev. Dr. McWhorter. The Rev. Dr. Samuel S. Smith was [formally] inducted into his office by the Rev. Dr. McWhorter and Dr. Boudinot, who had been previously appointed by the corporation for that purpose. The President then delivered an inaugural Oration in Latin, on the connection between Literature and Religion. After which succeeded the exercises of the young gentlemen who were candidates for degrees. " 1. A Latin Salutatory Oration on the Immortality of the Soul, by George Bowie, of South Carolina. " 2. An English Salutatory Oration, by Robert J. Taylor, of Virginia. " 3. An Oration on the Discovery of America, and the Character of Columbus, by Silas Condict, of New Jersey. " 4. An Oration, by Peter A. Van Doren, of New Jersey. " 5. An Oration on Eloquence, by Charles Snowden, of Pennsylvania. 8 HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY. "6. The following debate: Is it favorable to Public Peace and Public Liberty for Popular Meetings to publish Resolutions censuring Laws constitutionally enacted ? " John A. Boyd, of New Jersey, Respondent. " Josiah Harrison, of New Jersey, Opponent. " David Comfort, of New York, Replicator. " 7. The Oration on Belles Lettres, by Thomas Brown, of New Jersey. " 8. An Oration on Sensibility, by Samuel Hayes, of New Jersey. "9. Is the Present Age entitled to the Praise of Superiority in Wisdom and Improvement which it seems disposed to claim ? M Elias Riggs, of New Jersey, Respondent. " James Agnew, of New Jersey, Opponent. " George Ogden, of New Jersey, Replicator. " 10. An Oration on the Inhumanity of the African Slave Trade, by George Clark Morton, of New York. " I1. An Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Joseph \V. Scott, of New Jersey. " 12. The Oration in Honor of the Science of Mathematics, by John Sergeant,* of Philadelphia. " 13. An Humorous Oration on the Order of Commencements, by James Tilton, of Delaware. " The degree of A.B. was conferred upon thirty three young gentlemen, members of the Senior class, the degree of A.M.