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Poughkeepsie March 2r. 1864
Prof, M P. Jewett L.L.D.
Sir, A letter in your handwriting and in your
signature lies before me from which I make the following extracts:
vizi.
"M. V. Junr aim is to put off the opening of the College, first
till the fall of *65; then under }^d$)^t some pretext to '66,* and so on,
indefinitely. Meanwhile M. Vassar has become more fickle & childish
thaix ever. - He wants the College another year for a play thing to
amuse himself with, M.V. Jr. tells him, "when the College is once
opened the President- & Faculty will have all the power and all the
glory -- you will then be nobody"- Like a child, M.V. must have
new
every* excitement to keep alive his interest. If then the College can
lie still 12 Months and M* Vassar have nothing to do about it all the
autum, Winter, & Spring, he will cease to care for it, will become dis-
gusted with the whole thing, will change his will, giving his money to
"the Boys" during their lives & applying it in connection with their
fortunes (already so appropriated by their wills) to the erection of a
vast Hospital in Po!keepsie, for a family momument."
"For some months past MV* J? has openly declared "the Col-
lege shall not be opened next fall" To prevent the opening, he had
gained the consent of of his uncle to have no meeting of the Trustees
in FebX He dared not submit the question to the Board"
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Mar. 2, 1864 - 2
"M.V, JF. admits this (opening of the College) can be done11
if we choose to give all our time and attention to it, but we wont11
Precious little time has he given to the subject except to try hard
not to do it11
nBut M.V JF. and Swift had secretly agreed to a denier resort.
I discovered this two weeks ago. The plot is to bring before the Trustees
a Report on the cost of completing buildings, furnishing the rooms &
showing so enormous an aggregate that it will be best to wait another
year hoping for a fall in prices f, Why do they desire conceal-
ment? why are they afraid to have the Pres. see their figures.
Because they wish to make up a false issue- to impose on the Trustees
leaving no chance for detection and experience1' nMy old friend D..
Babcock, whom I sincerly pity, will aid the conspirators with all his
force and cunning. He assumes the pastorship of the first Church here
(salary $750) for the sole purpose of getting the ear of M Vassar and
revenging himself on the President. But D? B. cannot influence more
than two votes at most, and when the yeas and nays are called for I
suspect he will find himself alone. This is a poor World. What a
mean nasty thing is the love of filthy lucre] From its defilement may
the good Lord deliver usn
204 K
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Mar, 2, 1864 - 3
PaS. For three years I have lived in the misdt of plotting
and counterplotting, mining and counter miningo I am often heart
sick and ready to abandon the whole enterprise] but to say nothing
of the higher considerations, my "old Adam wont allow me to give
this selfish & contempible faction a triumph so signal, a joy so exqui-
site,11
"How come the Ex. Com. to take the matter of constituting the Faculty
out of the hands of the Committe to which the Trustees had confided
this important trust? and why did the Ex. Com. secretly send out the
slip from the Ladys Book to the President & Principles of Institutions
over the Country asking an expression of their views of the practi-
bility of finding Ladies prepared for the heads of the Departments in
this College any names you may suggest, gsrc"-- nAs collateral
matter subsiduary to their design they will oppose the election of any
Professors at this Meeting. They will also hasten to have their Report
on the cost of furnishing refered to a Com. to report at the June Meet-
ing. A measure fatal to the hopes of the Petitioner11 Again they will
dictate to M. Vassar opening address getting him strongly to commit
himself & thus compel the Board to follow the founders lead. Finaly
when they wish to frighten him out of his wits, they will then threaten
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Mar. 2, 1864 - 4
to resign]----- The remainder of this remarkable document Sir,
is of the same tenor. Ij-t 3 seems to preclude the possibility of
explanation,- You will doubtless see at once the impossibility of
any further confidence or harmony between us. I forbear to state
the circumstances under which I placed you were you are, and these
obvious traits of your character as since developed, which renders
it past hopes, that you can longer be usefull in your present position.
The only alternative for me is to ask your resignation in proper hands
without delay. Whatever further communications there may be
between us they must be in writing
I remain Yrs &c. M, Vassar.
ZOf j
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