"Since 1805," says he, "the period of the election of Dr. Ware to the professorship of divinity in Harvard College, few young men, even of the most devout and faithful parents, have been able to recover from the shock which their early religious education there sustained; -a melancholy interval, when surveyed in its results by the eye of Christian benevolence, during which Unitarianism has ingulfed, in its dark flood, nearly all the sons of Harvard." "This," continues the writer, "I consider myself bound to testify before the world, that the influence there exerted against sound religious sentiments, and vital godliness, is like a sweeping flood. To the unfortified minds of youth, it is resis'less. I am acquainted with no situation where, in my view (and I speak from sad experience), a principle of evangelical piety, and faith in the doctrines of the cross, would be less likely to be obtained, or, if possessed, would be placed in circumstances of greater peril."

ALTERATIONS IN THE BOARDd of Overseers.

For the purpose of promoting and perpetuating Unitarianism in Harvard College, repeated alterations have been attempted in the board of overseers. By the constitution of 1780, this board was organized and established, much as it had been under the provincial government. It was to consist, thenceforth, of. "the governor, lieutenant governor, counsellors and senators of the commonwealth, with the president of the college for the time being, and the ministers of the congregational churches in the towns of Cambridge, Watertown, Charlestown, Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester." In the year 1810, the legislature took it upon them to annul this provision of the constitution, and to organize the board of overseers in a very different manner. Thenceforward, it was to consist of "the governor, lieutenant governor, and council, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the college for the time being, with fifteen ministers of Congregational churches, and fifteen laymen, all inhabitants within the state, to be elected as provided in the act." This law is understood to have originated with certain leading members of the corporation, and was highly acceptable to the Unitarian friends of the college. As before constituted, the board might come under an evangelical influence. No one could tell, from year to year, who a majority of the board of overseers might be. But, as

*

* Philadelphia Church Register, May 31, 1828.

constituted by the legislative act, according to which most of the members were elective, and to be elected by the board itself, if a controlling Unitarian influence could be secured at the first, it might certainly be perpetuated.

It was soon found, however, that this act was not acceptable to a large portion of the people of the commonwealth. Some thought it a direct violation of the constitution. Others regarded it as a disfranchisement of the senate, and of the six towns. Accordingly, in 1812 the act was repealed, and it was ordered that the board should "be constituted in the same way and manner, and should be composed of the same persons, and no other, that it would have been had the same act never been passed."

It was while the board remained on its original constitutional foundation, according to this repealing act, that an event of some importance occurred, which President Quincy has wholly omitted, and which we would respectfully recommend to his notice, should his history go to another edition.

"In the year 1811, Rev. Dr. Griffin was installed pastor of the Parkstreet church in Boston; and on the repeal of the law of 1810, and the restoration of the ancient board of overseers, he became a member, as a matter of course. No notice, however, was taken of him, nor was he apprized of the time and place of any meeting of the board. At the commencement in 1813, by the advice of friends, he went and took his seat with the overseers. On taking his seat, he addressed himself to Governor Strong, who then presided, stating that he had not received notice of the meeting, but presumed he had a right to take a seat. Governor Strong replied unhesitatingly in the affirmative. The secretary rose, as if to apologize, and said that he had not received orders to invite Dr. Griffin. The Hon. Josiah Quincy then arose, and made a motion for a committee, to examine 'Dr. Griffin's pretensions' to a right to a seat in that body. Governor Strong turned to Dr. Griffin, and asked him if he had any objections to the appointment of such a committee. Dr. Griffin replied, that he had no particular objections, but saw not why such a committee should be appointed in his case, more than in the case of any other gentleman who took his seat there. Dr. Kirkland remarked, that it would do no hurt to appoint such a committee; and accordingly a committee was appointed, consisting of the Hon. Josiah Quincy, chairman, Rev. Dr. Porter of Roxbury, and Rev. Dr. Morse of Charlestown. The committee met at the house of Mr. Quincy, and heard Dr. Griffin's statement. The only shadow of a pretence to question his right was, that he had once been settled over a Presbyterian church; though he was originally settled over a Congregational church, and had, since his dismissal from the Presbyterian church, filled the office of professor in a Congregational theological seminary, and was now the pastor

of one of the Congregational churches in Boston. Besides; the constitution provides, that "the ministers of the Congregational churches" in the six towns, and not Congregational ministers, are entitled to a

seat.

After hearing the communication of Dr. Griffin, Doctors Porter and Morse, being a majority of the committee, decided to report in his favor. But Mr. Quincy, when, as chairman of the committee. he presented their report, declared his own dissent from it. Upon this, the board of overseers appointed a day to hear Dr. Griffin in support of his claim, and gave him notice to attend. Dr. Griffin accordingly appeared before the board, during the session of the legislature in the winter, and, in defence of his right, adduced the college charter, and the state constitution; showed that Park-street church was a Congregational church; and that he was actually its pastor. The argument was triumphant. There was not a pin or splinter to hang a doubt upon. Long before he ended his argument, Mr. Quincy arose and walked the room, apparently uneasy, as if he had found himself upon the wrong side of the question. When Dr. Griffin had ended, having made his right completely evident, Mr. Quincy moved an adjournment, and the board of overseers, instead of ingenuously admitting what was proved to be the right of a brother member, without the shadow of an excuse, adjourned. And this was the last that was heard of the subject.”*

Near the close of the winter session of 1814, and before the overseers came together again, the legislature passed an act, reviving, with some alterations, the act of 1810; and thus the board remains constituted, to the present day. By this act of 1814, all the existing clerical members, except Dr. Griffin, were taken into the new board. He alone was excluded.

It can hardly be supposed that President Quincy should have entirely forgotten the above transaction; or if it were forgotten, that he should not have been reminded of it by the records of the overseers. His probable motives for omitting to notice it, we leave to the judgment of our readers.

Decisive evidence was furnished, within a few years, that the law of 1814, like that of 1810, was not satisfactory to a great majority of the people of Massachusetts. In December, 1820, a convention of delegates was assembled, for the purpose of revising the constitution of the state. It was proposed by this convention to incorporate the provisions of the act of 1814 into the constitution, so as to put it out of the power of any future legislature to change them. But this proposition was rejected by the people, by a majority of almost three to one.

* See Cooke's Reply to the Christian Examiner, p. 33.

EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURES.

President Quincy goes into an account of the excess of expenditures at college, beyond the income, during the presidency of Dr. Kirkland; of the anxiety and alarm which were thereby occasioned; of the appointment of a committee (of which the Hon. Nathaniel Bowditch was chairman) to examine accounts; of the employing of an auditor (Benjamin R. Nichols, Esq.) to assist the committee; and of the rigid examination, extending in some instances over a period of seventeen years, to which "the accounts of every officer" were subjected. He admits that "some irregularities had occurred;" that "some errors were rectified;" and that there had been more or less of expenditure which was "questionable in point of authority;" but insists that all "had been evidently applied with an honest intent, to advance the interest and promote the progress of the institution." He states that, almost immediately upon this examination, "the Hon. John Davis took the opportunity to resign the office of treasurer;" that shortly after, President Kirkland found it necessary to resign; and that, as "there was an unliquidated account existing between him and the corporation," (or in other words, as he owed the corporation, and had nothing to pay,) it was voted that two thousand dollars be allowed to the president, in full of such account." pp. 362-371.

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*

All this is very coincident with, though far less particular than, the account which Dr. Bowditch used to give of the matter, during the latter part of his life, in conversation with his friends. From him it appears that Dr. Kirkland was accustomed, whenever he wanted money, to draw orders on the college. treasurer or steward, whether authorized so to do by the corporation, or not. These orders were generally, if not always, answered, until large sums had been expended, and very serious encroachment had been made on the college funds. The overseers, it seems, became first alarmed, and appointed a committee to examine the treasurer's accounts. Upon this, the treasurer resigned his office, and a committee of the corporation, (that re

Dr. Bowditch did something more than converse on the subject. He prepared a manuscript volume of about 150 pages, entitled "Scraps of College History," which he freely showed to his friends, and which, at one time, he intended to publish.

ferred to above, of which Dr. Bowditch was chairman,) was appointed, with instructions to examine his books and accounts during the whole term of his continuance in office, a period of seventeen years. This committee, finding the papers submitted to them in so much disorder that they despaired of being able, with their other engagements, to do any thing with them personally, secured the services of Mr. Nichols, as an assistant or auditor. He was occupied in the business the greater part of a year, and charged for his services 3000 dollars; which sum he said the treasurer ought to pay, and which it is believed he did pay.

In adjusting these accounts, according to Dr. Bowditch, (who is our principal authority for the facts here stated,) there was much difficulty and uncertainty. Numerous mistakes and errors were discovered, and the usual guides in such cases were, to a great extent, wanting. After allowing all President Kirkland's unauthorized orders, and his accounts current, and jumping at conclusions where they could be reached in no other way, a result was at length formed, and the president was found indebted to the college in the sum of about 2000 dollars. And this was the sum given up to him, " in consideration of his long and faithful services;"-a measure, by the way, in which Dr. Bowditch did not think it his duty to concur.

He

We have never yet seen a delineation of the character of Dr. Kirkland neither in the fulsome panegyrics of his friends, nor the sweeping denunciations of his enemies-which seemed to us to do him justice. That he was highly gifted, in point of natural endowments, and that his knowledge of men and things— acquired more from observation and conversation than from books-was extraordinary, there can be no doubt. In his disposition, he was affable, free, generous, and unsuspecting. had an exquisite vein of humor in his constitution, which, joined with refinement of manners, and a rich fund of anecdote, made him one of the most agreeable associates. At the same time, he was easy, indolent, somewhat given to appetite, careless to a fault in the use of money, and apparently very little under the influence of deep religious principle. In some of the reviews attributed to him, which were published in the Monthly Anthol-' ogy, he showed himself capable even of scoffing at serious, experimental religion.* One of the eulogists of Dr. Kirkland no

* See particularly a Review of the Memoirs of Dr. Wheelock, in the Anthology for May, 1811, p. 336. Also a Review