The formative period in Colby's history

Preface

The chapters which make up this little monograph are reprinted from the issues of The Colby Alumnus for January and March, 1912. For various reasons it has seemed best to give them without alteration. If my views as to the purpose of the founders of the college shall meet with general acceptance, I shall be amply repaid for my labor.

CHARLES P. CHIPMAN.

May 1, 1912.

THE FORMATIVE PERIOD IN COLBY'S HISTORY

In his History of the Baptists in Maine Dr. Henry S. Burrage has written :

"February 5, 1821, an act was passed by the Legislature of Maine changing the name of the Maine Literary and Theological Institution to that of Waterville College. The reasons for thus giving to the institution a broader character than was at first contemplated were not recorded and can now only be conjectured. In all probability the change was effected by Dr. Chaplin. A college graduate, he knew the value of a collegiate course as a preparation for theological study, and he could not have been long in coming to the conclusion that the work he had been called to do at Waterville could best be performed by giving the institution a collegiate character. There were those among the trustees who deprecated the change, and in many parts of the State, among the churches and ministers, there was not a little disappointment." *

In a historical discourse delivered on August second, 1870, President Champlin expressed the same thought when he said :

"The Institution, as we have seen, began as a Literary and Theological School. Those who established it were chiefly ministers of the Gospel, mostly without any regular theological training, and who therefore looked upon it chiefly as a school in which the future pastors of the churches were to be prepared for their work. With them the literary department was preliminary to, but entirely subordinate to the theological department. What must have been their disappointment, then, when in less than three years after it had been set in operation, by its having become a college all this was reversed, and the literary department exalted above the theological, which was depressed more and more, till within a few years it was entirely crowded out of the Institution? I know not under whose counsels this was done, but it has always seemed to me a great mistake."!

The views expressed by Dr. Burrage and President Champlin may be taken as representative of those held by many friends of the college for at least a half-century. They may be briefly summarized thus :

I. The purpose of the founders was to establish a theological school.

* Chapter XI. Pages 174-175.

t A Historical Discourse delivered at the Fiftieth Anniversary of Colby University, August 2d, 1870, by J. T. Champlin, President, Waterville, 1870.

II. The establishment of the college later was an afterthought, due to the influence of some unknown person or persons.

These views I believe to be entirely mistaken, and due either to ignorance of the original documents still on file in the State Archives of Massachusetts, or to hasty conclusions drawn from an incomplete examination of those documents. The real facts, as we shall see, are these :

The founders of the Maine Literary and Theological Institution intended from the beginning to establish an institution of collegiate rank in which both literary and theological instruction should be given, but were unable, at first, to secure a charter commensurate with the full scope of their plan.

It was the Rev. Arthur Warren Smith, Librarian of the New England Baptist Library in Boston, who first called my attention to the existence of the above mentioned documents in the Massachusetts Archives. For some years Mr. Smith has been collecting materials for a biography (as yet unpubHshed), of the Rev. Daniel Merrill, A. M., who bore a leading part in securing the original charter of the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, and who deserves, perhaps, to be called the father of Colby College. In the course of his investigations, Mr. Smith discovered that there are in existence documents ;which have never been quoted in any published history of the college. These documents are the first petition (presented to the General Court in 1812)* and the charter which failed to pass in that legislature, together with the first draft of the charter of 1813, which was amended in its most important sections before its passage. These papers show clearly the real purpose of the founders, and throw an interesting light on the so-called change of policy in 1820 — for it should be remarked in passing that it was not the act of February 5, 1821, which raised the institution to full collegiate rank, but the earlier act (June 19, 1820), which, without altering the name, empowered the President and Trustees of the Maine Literary and Theological institution "to confer such degrees as are usually conferred by universities established for the education of youth." The act of the following year merely changed the name without altering the powers of the Institution.

Let us now take a brief survey of the documents, from the first action of the Bowdoinham Association in 1810 to the passage of the bill on February 5, 1821, by which the Maine Literary and Theological Institution became Waterillle College, and see if we do not find one unvarying purpose pervading them all.

* The petition quoted by Dr. E. W. Hall (History of Higher Education in Maine, Chapter V, Colby College, pages 96-97) is the second petition, presented to the next legislature. It varies only in the signatures at the end.

II

On September 26, 1810, the Bowdoinham Baptist Association met at Livermore. Before the body adjourned it had taken action as follows :

"8. It being in contemplation to establish an institution in the District of Maine, for the purpose of promoting literary, and theological knowledge; brethren Blood, Boardman, Merrill, Titcomb and Tripp were appointed a committee to take into consideration the propriety of petitioning the General Court for incorporation."*

So far as can be ascertained, this is the first formal step in the establishment of the institution now known as Colby College, although the opening words ''it being in contemplation'' indicate that the matter had at least been under consideration previous to the meeting of the Association. Later on in the session further action was taken :

"22. The committee appointed to consider 'the propriety of petitioning the General Court relative to the establishment of a Literary and Theological Institution' ; suggested to the Association the propriety of appointing a committee, to digest the matter systematically, in concert with brethren from the Lincoln Association ; and report thereon at the next annual meeting. Elders Blood, Low and Boardman were chosen for the above purpose.

23. Voted to recommend to the churches of this Association, to endeavor to obtain subscriptions to promote the proposed institution, and to forward the same, to the last mentioned committee."!

That the committees appointed fulfilled their duties is evident from the minutes of the following year, for we read :

"15. Brethren Low, Francis, Billings, Kilgore, Palmer, Swett and Robinson were appointed a committee to petition the General Court, with such as may join them from the Lincoln and Cumberland Associations."^

In the meantime the Lincoln Association had met and taken action :

"7. Voted to appoint the following brethren a committee to sign the petition to the Legislature, viz. — Daniel Merrill, Samuel Baker, Joseph Bayley, Samuel Stinson, Hezekiah Prince and Benja. Burton."§

* Minutes of the Bowdoinham Association, held at the Baptist Meeting House, in Livermore, September 26th, and 27th, 1810. Portland: Printed by J. McKown, 1810. Page 5.

t The same, page 7.

t Minutes of the Bowdoinham Association, held in Readfield, September 25 and 26, 1811. Hallowell : Printed by N. Cheever, 1811. Page 5.

§ Minutes of the Lincoln Association, holden at Woolwich, September 18 and 19, 1811. Buckstown (Penobscot River). Printed by Anthony H. Holland, 1811. Page 5.

And at its first session the newly formed Cumberland Association passed the following :

"13. Voted, to appoint a committee of seven, in union with the Lincoln, and the Bowdoinham Associations to sign a petition to the Legislature of this Commonwealth, for the incorporation of an institution in the District of Maine, for the purpose of promoting literary and theological knowledge, viz. — Elders Caleb Blood, Thomas Green, Sylvanus Boardman, Benjamin Titcomb, John Haines, Ransom Norton and Deacon Thomas Beck. And that Brother Caleb Blood lay the petition before the legislature."*

It is noteworthy that in these records the purpose of the proposed institution is invariably given as the promoting of "literary and theological knowledge." If the idea was simply the establishment of a theological school, why should the word "literary" be mentioned first in every case ? And inasmuch as Hebron Academy had been in operation six years, the Baptists of Maine could hardly have wished to set up a second preparatory school. The inference is plain that the proposed school was to give literary instruction of collegiate grade. This purpose is more clearly manifest in the succeeding documents.

Another point worthy of our attention, which seems to have escaped the historians of the college, is that the Rev. Caleb Blood did not present the first petition to the legislature of 1812. That duty fell to the lot of Daniel Merrill, as we shall presently see.

* Minutes of the Cumberland Association, holden at the Baptist Meeting-house in North Yarmouth, October 2 and 3, 1811. Portland Printed by J. McKown, 1831. Page 6.

III

The first step in the proceedings before the General Court of Massachusetts is recorded on page 112 of the House Journal for that year, as follows :

''Monday 20 January 1812

P'n of Sundry Persons — praying that a tract of Land may be appropriated to the establishment of a Seminary for the benefit of the Baptist Denomination — Read & Committed to Mr. Smith of W. S. Mr. Webb of B. Hovey, M. V. Coburn of Canaan.

With such & c S up for Con,"

The petition referred to is preserved in the Archives as House J 20^. It reads as follows :

PETITION

To the Honorable Senate and Honorable House of Representatives in General Court Assembled.

Your petitioners humbly show, That whereas the encouragement of arts and sciences, and all good literature tends to the honor of God, the advantage of the Christian Religion, and the great benefit of this, and of the other United States of America : and whereas wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused, generally, among the body of the people, being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties ; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in the various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, we believe it to be, as the Constitution of our State says it shall be, the duty of Legislators and Magistrates in all future periods of this Commonwealth, to cherish the interests of Literature and Sciences, and all seminaries of them, and encourage public institutions.

Your Petitioners beg leave further to show, that whereas Harvard College in Cambridge, as well as the other Colleges and seminaries, in this State, have been liberally endowed, either by the appropriation of public Lands, or otherwise, by grants of the General Court, and have been committed to the more particular direction and management of that specific part of the community, denominated Congregationalists ; and whereas we have sustained a part, and not an inconsiderable part, of those appropriations, without having any particular share in the oversight and direction of such appropriations ever assigned, by authority, to that part of the community denominated Baptists, we therefore consider, and are firmly persuaded, that the General Court would do no injustice to any section of the Commonwealth, but would render more equal justice to the different sections, and largely promote the best good of the State generally, by kindly receiving and favorably answering the petition, to which we solicit the attention of your honorable body.

Your petitioners also beg leave to show farther, that there are, belonging to the regular Baptist Churches, at least between six and seven thousand members, in the district of Maine, and, large congregations, generally united with the Churches in the same sentiment, so that the Baptists are, undoubtedly, more numerous, in this district, than any other denominations, if not, than all others.

Notwithstanding our numbers are so large, and daily increasing, yet we have no seminary over which we have any control. It is our judgment, that it would be for the furtherance of the gospel, and the general good, that a seminary should be founded in which some of our religious young men might be educated under the particular inspection of able men of the same sentiments. God having put into our heart a strong desire, that such an event might be amicably and speedily accomplished, your Petitioners humbly pray your honorable body to take their request into your wise and benevolent consideration, and grant them, for the furtherance of their object, a [township]* tract of good land, and cause it to be located as nighly in the centre of the district, and as conveniently situated, as in your wisdom you may find convenient. For, it is contemplated, should it be deemed advisable by the Trustees, that the seminary be on the very [town]* tract, which your honorable body may see fit to grant for its encouragement.

Your petitioners further pray. That your honorable body will cause the Overseers and Trustees of the proposed Seminary, to be appointed [from among the Ministers and churches of their own denomination]* with the powers and privileges which in such cases are, by law made and provided, And as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Daniel Merrill Saml Baker Samuel Stinson Joseph Bailey Hezekiah Prince Phineas Pillsbury Benj'n Burton Robert Low Thos Francis Oliver Billings Joseph Killgore Joseph Palmer John Robinson Saml Swett Caleb Blood John Haines Thomas Green Sylvanus Boardman Ransom Norton Benjamin Titcomb Thomas Beck

Committee in behalf

The Lincoln Association

Committee in behalf

The Bozvdoinham Association

Committee Cumberland Association

This document bears the following endorsements :

(1) 'Tn the House of Reps. Jany 20, 1812. Read & Committed to Mr. Smith of W. S., Mr. Webb of Boston, a Mr. Hovey of Mount Vernon & Mr. Coburn of Canaan with such as the Honorable Senate may join — El. W. Ripley, Speaker"

"In the Senate Jany 22d 1812. Read and Concurred and the Hon. Messrs. King, Hastings and Hazard are joined of the Committee accordingly. Sam. Dana, Prest."

(2) "Petition of Daniel Merrill and others."

Why Daniel Merrill presented the petition in place of the Rev. Caleb Blood does not concern us here. Mr. Smith in his biography of Merrill answers that question fully. We are concerned with the peti-

* Words in brackets scratched out in petition.

tion itself, and it is worthy of note that the petitioners refer to "Harvard College in Cambridge, as well as the other colleges and seminaries" being under the direction and management of the Congregationalists. Why base their plea upon this ground if all they desired was a theological school? And again, it is alleged "we have no seminary over which we have any control." Yet Hebron Academy was already estabHshed, so they could not have had in mind the establishment of another academy.

As indicated by the endorsement (1) on the petition, the Senate acted in concurrence with the House. On page 226 of the Senate Journal we read :

"Wednesday Jan. 22. The petition of Daniel Merrill and others praying for the establishment of a Baptist College to Mr. Smith of W. S. Mr. Webb of B. Mr. Hovey of and Mr. Coburn of C.

with such as the Senate may join Came up for Concurrence. Read and Concurred and the Hon. Mess King, Hastings & Hazard are joined."

Here we have it expressly stated that the petitioners desired the establishment of a college. Surely the men to whom the petition was submitted could not have been in error on so important a point.

The joint committee reported three days later. Their report is in the Archives as House 7196-

"Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In Senate January 25th, 1812. The Committee of both Houses to whom was committed the Petition of Daniel Merrill and others, a Committee of the Lincoln Association, — Robert Low and others, a Committee of the Bowdoinham Association, — and Caleb Blood and others, a Committee of the Cumberland Association, Praying for the establishment of a College in the District of Maine and for a grant of Land on which it is contemplated the Seminary should be established, — Have had the same under consideration, and [have directed me to]* report that the Petitioners have leave to bring in a Bill embracing both the objects prayed for. — Which is Respectfully submitted —

by Wm. King per order.

"In Senate Jany 25th 1812. Read and accepted. Sent down for Concurrence. Saml Dana, Prest."

"In House of Rep. Jany 27, 1812. Read and concurred. El. W. Ripley, Speaker."

The Senate Journal for January 25, 1812, page 238, records the action indicated above in these words :

"Leave to bring in a Bill on the Petition of Daniel Merrill and others Read and Accepted. Sent down for Concurrence. Came up Concurred."

Up to this point things were apparently going smoothly. It was not until the bill had been introduced that the opposition is manifested.

* Words in brackets scratched.

The bill presented is preserved in the Archives as House 72^1, although first introduced in the Senate. It reads as follows :

Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twelve. An Act. — To establish a, College in the District of Maine, within this Commonwealth. —

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that there be erected and established in the District of Maine upon one of the Townships hereafter mentioned a College for the purpose of educating youth, to be called and known by the name of the Maine Literary and Theological College to be under the government and regulation of a body politic, as in this Act is hereafter described. —

Section 2d — And be it further enacted, that Daniel Merrill, Caleb Blood, Sylvanus Boardman, Thomas Green, Robert Low, Benjamin Titcomb, Thomas Francis, Daniel McMaster, Hon. James Campbell, John R. Stinson, John Haynes, Timothy Johnson, Daniel Hutchinson, Joshua Taylor, John Hubbard, Samuel Baker, Joseph Bailey, Phinehas Pilsbury, & Hezekiah Prince, together with the President, Treasurer and Fellows of the said College for the time being, to be chosen as in this Act is hereafter directed, be and hereby are erected a body politic and corporate by the name of the President, Fellows and Trustees of the Maine Literary and Theological College and that they and their successors and such others as shall be duly elected members of said Corporation, shall be and remain a body politic and corporate by that name forever. —

Section 3d — And be it further enacted — That the Trustees aforesaid be hereby empowered to elect nine persons of education to be Fellows of the said Institution and who shall be stiled the learned faculty whose duty it shall be to determine the qualifications of all Candidates for degrees, which shall be given only by their authority. —

Section 4th — And be it further enacted — That for the more orderly conducting the business of the said Corporation, the President, [and]* Fellows and Trustees shall have full power and authority, from time to time, as they shall determine, to elect a Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary of said Corporation ; and to declare the tenure and duties of their respective offices, and also to remove any Trustee or Fellow from the said Corporation, when in their judgment, he shall be rendered incapiable, by age or otherwise of discharging the duties of his office, and to fill up all vacancies in the said Corporation by electing such persons for Fellows or Trustees as they shall judge best. — Provided nevertheless — That the number of the said Corporation including the President of the said College and the Treasurer for the time being shall never be greater than thirty one, nor less than twenty one. —

Section 5th — And be it further enacted That the said Corporation may have one common seal, which they may change, break or renew at their pleasure; and that all deeds, signed and delivered by the Treasurer, and sealed with their seal by the order of the Corporation, shall when made in their [respective]* Corporate name, be considered in Law as the deed of the said Corporation. — And that the said Corporation may sue and be sued, in all actions, real, personal and mixed, and may prosecute and defend the same, to final Judgement and execution, by the name of the President, and Corporation, of the Maine Literary & Theological [University]* College, And that the said Corporation shall be capable of having, holding, and taking in fee simple, or any less estate, by gift, grant, devise, or otherwise, any lands, tenements, or other estate, real or personal. — Provided nevertheless, that the annual clear income of the

* Words in brackets scratched.

same shall not exceed the sum of thirty thousand dollars.

Section 6th— And be it further enacted,— That the said Corporation shall have full power and authority determine at what times and places their meetings shall be holden, and on the manner of notifying the Trustees and Fellows to convene at such meetings : — And also from time to time to elect a President and Treasurer of said College, and such Professors, Tutors, Instructors, and other officers of said College, as they shall judge most for the interest thereof, and to determine the duties, salaries, emoluments and tenures of their several offices aforesaid: The said President, for the time being, when elected and inducted into his office, to be, ex-oMcio, the President of the said Corporation. — And the said Corporation are farther empowered to purchase or erect, and keep in repair, such houses and other buildings as they shall judge necessary for the said College; and also to make and ordain, as occasion may require, reasonable rules, orders and bye laws, not repugnant to the laws, of this Commonwealth, with reasonable penalties for the good government of the said College, and also to determine and prescribe the mode of ascertaining the qualifications of the students requisite to their admission. — Provided nevertheless, That no corporate business shall be transacted at any meeting unless thirteen at least of the Corporation are present. —

Section 7th — And be it further enacted — That the President, Professors, and Fellows of the said College are hereby empowered to confer [such degrees as are usually conferred by Universities established for the education of youth. Provided nevertheless — That the said Board shall confer no degrees other]* the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Arts, [untill after the first day of January, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty. — ]*

Section 8th — And be it further enacted — That the clear rents, issues and profits of all the estate, real and personal, of which the said Corporation shall be seized or possessed, shall be appropriated to the endowment of the said College, in such manner as shall most effectually promote Virtue and Piety, and the knowledge of such of the languages, and of the liberal arts and sciences as shall hereafter be directed from time to time by the said Corporation. —

Section 9th — And be it further enacted — That the Hon. John Woodman, Esquire be and he is hereby authorized and impowered to fix the time and place for holding the first meeting of the said Corporation, of which he shall give notice, by an advertisement in a Portland and one other eastern newspaper, at least fourteen days previous to the time of said meeting. —

Section 10th — And be it further enacted — That the Treasurer of the said Corporation shall before he enters upon the execution of the duties of his office give bonds to the said Corporation, in such sums, and with such sureties as they shall approve of, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the said office, and for rendering a just and true account of his doings therein, when required. — And that all the money securities, and other property of the said corporation together with all the books in which his accounts and proceedings, as Treasurer, were entered and kept, that shall be in his hands at the expiration of his office, shall, upon demand made upon him, his executors or administrators, be paid and delivered over to his successor in that office. And all monies recovered by the virtue of any suit at law, upon such bond, shall be paid over to the Corporation aforesaid, and subjected to the appropriation above directed in the Act. —

Section 11th — And be it further enacted [A]* — And the said Corporation shall be holden to [give]*2 render an account to the

* Words in brackets scratched.

* See below, Amendments. *2 Scratched out.

Legislature, whenever they shall see fit to require it, of all their proceedings, and the manner of disposing of the funds of said [University] *2 College.

Section 12th — And be it further enacted — That there be and hereby is granted, a tract of land, twelve miles square, or four Townships, either seperate or adjoining each other of the contents of six miles square each, either the one or the other as the Corporation of the said College may judge to be most conducive to the prosperity and interest of the same, to be laid out and assigned from any of the unappropriated land belonging to this Commonwealth in the District of Maine, under the same restrictions, reservations & limitations as other grants for similar purposes are usually made. The same to be vested in the Corporation of the said College and their successors forever, for the use benefit and purpose of suporting said College, to be by them holden in their Corporate capacity, with full power and authority to settle divide, and manage the same tract of land or townships, or any part thereof, or to sell, convey or dispose of the same for settlement only, and to no one person a larger quantity than one thousand acres, in such way and manner as shall best promote the welfare of said College, the same to be laid out under the direction of the Committee for the sale of Eastern Lands, and a plan or plans thereof returned into the Secretary's office.

(The spelling throughout the above copy is that of the original.) If there had been any room for doubt in the earlier stages of the movement as to its real purpose, this draft of the proposed charter would dispel it. It is essentially a college charter. Indeed, it was more than that in its first form, for originally the word "University" was used in every place where the word "College" now appears. The change was made by erasure (the traces are still plainly visible in the manuscript) except in two cases : At the top of page three of the draft the word "University" is merely crossed out, as indicated by the [] in the above copy, and the word "College" was written beside it. The same change is found again on the fifth page. In addition to this indication of the broad character of the original draft, the seventh section in its first form gave the proposed institution the power to confer "such degrees as are usually conferred by Universities established for the education of youth". Evidently there was some objection to this and the power to grant degrees was restricted to those of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. How any one can read this draft of the proposed charter and maintain that the petitioners had in mind primarily a theological school, it is hard to understand.

The charter seems to have met with no great opposition in the

Senate, for in the Journal we read, under date of Saturday, February 8th:

"Bill entitled an Act to establish a College in the District of Maine, within this Commonwealth having had two several readings passed to be ingrossed sent down for Concurrence."

*2 Scratched out.

As in the charter itself, the word "College" is here written over the erasure of "University", indicating that the changes noticed above were made after the bill was introduced in the Senate.

Up to this point the petitioners had met, apparently, with no serious opposition. But their experience with the House was to be far different, although the bill passed the first reading, as indicated by an entry in the House Journal for Wednesday, February 12, 1812 :

"Bill to establish a College in Maine — by the name of the Maine Literary and Theological College Read a first time & Friday 14th assd for a 2d Rdg & 400 Copies to be printed."

Of the four hundred printed copies only one has so far been located. That is in the Boston Public Library and can be seen by any visitor on request. It is bound with other pamphlets of the period.

Although the second reading was assigned for the 14th, it was not until Saturday, February 22d, that the bill was called up, to meet an overwhelming and, in view of the preceding votes, an unaccountable defeat. The brief record in the House Journal is as follows :

"Bill to establish a College in the District of Maine Read a 2d time & amended on Motion of Mr. Mudge.* On motion of Dr. Dodge2 the House ordered the first Section to be stricken out."