Poughkeepsie March 24*9} 1864 .
Hon. William Kelly
My dear Sir
The verry friendly tone of your let-
ter to me of the 21?. inst (which would have received an earlier
notice but for my feeble health) justifies the entire confidence I have
in your judgement, and your interest in myself and all that concerns
our College. From you I have nothing whatever to conceal. I am
gratified at your approval of my conduct in this emergency with Mr
Jewett and I have the utmost hope that I shall do nothing that may not
meet the approbation of every good man.
But your letter embareses me since it leads me to believe
you are not fairly apprised of the result of the late interview between
r
myself and M. Jewett.
I of course treated him politely as my own self respect re-
quired me to do, but nothing occurred to justify my hope or expres-
sion on his part that our relations were to be hereafter different than
those indicated in my letter to him on the 2^ inst which I read to you.
-----upon receiving your letter I have written him again to this effect
so that he may be under no misapprehension------Indeed I cannot con-
ceive how it was possible for him so far to have misunderstood me for
I have not and cannot give him again Mthe possesion of my friendly con-
fidence"-----He cannot have derived that idea from any thing that has
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Mar. 24, 1864 - 2
passed between us for nothing has in any way justified it. I cannot
again feel safe in his hands in receiving him alone if such represen-
tions are to follow our interviews.
I beg you my dear Sir to look at my position. I have given the
results of nay life to this College----a verry toilsome long and anxious
life. I have hoped to do a good thing and indeed a great one. I have
given it every effort and every thought of my later years unwearediedly.
It excludes every other interest and every other occupation.__ My
confidence has been most assiduously sought for years past by Prof.
Jewett & has been obtained to an unlimited extent. I have allowed his
importunities at times to forestall my own judgements so that I have
been willing to yield my personal preferences and ideas to advance my
undertaking. But one concession has only demanded another and another
untill my confidence has been made to waver and I have struggled with
the doubts raised upon his own conduct wether he were equal to the posi-
tion he has sought and obtained at my hands. It is with extreme regret that
I am compelled to admit that I have not obtained from him practically
that assistance or that consal which has assured nay own mind as to the
cleariness of his judgements or his power to organise and control this
immense interest, and these doubts, Sir, have been my own. My wishes
and my prejudices have all the time been thrown strongly in his favor
20 y
. m-
Mar. 24, 1864 ~ 3
hoping continually that he might eventualy he able to remove them and
justify my expectations and what the College absolutely requires.
*------Prof* Jewett has been always entirely mistaken as to the extent
or violence of any prejudice upon the past or of any members of the
Ex. Com. against him so far as I am able to judge. ------It is impossible
that there should have been this hostillity to him or to the enterprise
which he has fancied without its coming to my knowledge. You may
depend upon it they are unreal - at all events up to a verry late period,
and even now they do not take any shape beyond what must be the
natural consequences of Prof. J-- own conduct and expressions.--------
Under these circumstances what can I do that I have not done. I am
laboring exhaustingly for this College. I cannot and do not propose to
compel Prof. Jewett to resign his place but I must rid myself of all
responsibilites and throw it wholly upon the Trustees, We must have
the ablest afedfr Man to be found at its head and in order to ensure its
success. If the Trustees can find in JVF Jewett conduct or in any
thing he has so far done anything, sufficient gurantee that he is the man
I can be silent. So far as he has affronted me in my person I do not
wish them to weight against the College. I can endure any thing almost
if my College may succeed, If his sincerity, discretion, foresight, of
his mental and moral power as a controller of other minds and leader
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Mar. 24, 1864 -4
in an undeveloped path, reccommend him beyond any other man he
must remain the President.-------It would have been an infinite re-
lief to me to have found him equal to the confidence I have given him
personally. It would have been my most exhalted personal pleasure
to have had a President to whom I could open my whole heart and on
whom I could most positvely rely. It is far better that I should
fail in all that if that man whoever he may be may be able to win &
preserve the confidence of my Trustees and of the great public at
large----a well ballanced mind, able and manly man- a man above all
intrigue - above selfishness - above jealousy. Reliant upon his open
conduct of affairs for his position in office and in the world which must
judge him.
I have thus fully expressed every feeling and desire I harbor -
altho1 I fear at the expense of your patience. But I cannot do nor ask
your personal favor or friendship to me to control your conduct, but I
do anxiously ask you to give this subject your full reflection and that
you judge and act as if the Presidential chair were vacant and President
Jewett if you please and any other best man who you know were in the
canvass for that place, who of all the men you know would or should
receive your endorsement, Mr Jewett or any other person.
d JL .1
Mar. 24, 1864 -5
Please to excuse this long letter I several times stop.,
to make it shorter but could not. Yr.s. most Respectfully &c &c
M. Vassar