38 



was with Gov. Andrew, whilst the smaller number, more particularly 

 in sympathy and alliance with farmers of the Commonwealth, said 

 little, but concluded to " bide their time." 



The whole subject was finally before the committee, which had 

 many hearings, including evening sessions. Mr. Wilder, Mr. Flint 

 and I were attached to the Board of Agriculture, and were appointed 

 a committee to express the views of the Board, that the Agricultural 

 College for farmers' sons should be located in the country, and not 

 in nor near a great city. We feared its temptations, we asked for 

 pure country air, we painted a scene which would be purely rustic, 

 and where the time and attention of the students would not be diverted 

 by the attractions of a city. We felt that we represented the opinion 

 of the farmers ; and surely never did men plead for a cause in which 

 they had no personal interest with an earnestness, and confidence, it- 

 would be unbecoming to say an eloquence, more effective than we 

 prayed the committee not to decide the location in their bill. We 

 knew that the first impression of the committee, from the position of 

 Gov. Andrew, and the pressure of leading men, city men, not par- 

 ticularly interested in farming, was in favor of Harvard College. 

 But we satisfied them that it was a mistake that Harvard College, as 

 a corporation, took any interest in the subject. It had made no 

 effort to launch the Bussey Institution. It is now open with one to 

 three students, and never I think more than nine. 



The committee were fully converted, and reported the act of incor- 

 poration, which became a law April 29, 1863, whilst the acceptance 

 of the congressional grant of 30,000 acres for each Senator and Rep- 

 resentative in Congress was declared eleven days before. Massachu- 

 setts claims to be the first state to accept the act. Fourteen gentle- 

 men, one from each county in the state, were named in the 

 charter. These names were inserted by the committee without 

 the knowledge of, and without consultation with any man named 

 therein. These names furnish striking proof how thoroughly the 

 committee were convinced that the college should not be located near 

 the city, because so many of the incorporators had committed them- 

 selves before the committee against the Harvard College connection, 

 including the corporators who resided in the counties which included 

 the locations of Harvard and the Bussev farm ! 



