142 
EDITORIAL. 
carefully organized and incorporated under the General Law of 
the State, as other large and important institutions in the State 
had been, and which had no other legal right to work. This fact, 
however, its enemies refused to consider. What was a good and 
sufficient authorization for other enterprizes, failed, in their esti¬ 
mation, when applied to the case of the American Veterinary 
College, and the sudden collapse of an institution which was 
operating under false pretences (?) was confidently and compla¬ 
cently predicted. But the why and wherefore was a question no 
one could satisfactorily answer, for there were none but imaginary 
reasons for such a forecast; “ the wish was father to the thought.” 
The establishment of the A. V. C. was a good work and orig¬ 
inated in a commendable purpose, and those connected with it 
were not to be alarmed by the howling of a few discontented and 
jealous spirits in opposition. Still, there lingered a degree of 
doubt in the minds of some of its timid friends, who seemed to 
be impressed with an apprehension of a lack of some sort of 
substantiation which ought to be available, though there was the 
law, positive and tangible, to which reference was easy, and which 
every man could read for himself. But for all this, some vaguely 
conceived and undefined desirable element seemed wanting, and 
some sort of positive self-assertion appeared to be demanded. 
Under these circumstances, and without any fear of any but a 
confirmatory and satisfactory result, the trustees of the college 
made application to the Attorney General of the State for his 
official opinion upon the status.of the institution. This was readily 
obtained, and was promulgated in the annual announcement of 
the college for the year 1876. There was now nothing more to 
say, and those who had been most ferocious in denouncing the 
American Veterinary College, and confident in predicting its 
early dissolution, became mute, and the college was permitted to 
enjoy in comparative quiet its subsequent and successful life, and 
to congratulate itself upon its recognition by the Regents of the 
University, its increasing classes of students, and its slowly en¬ 
larging alumni association. 
This comfortable condition was undisturbed for a few years, 
but could not last forever. There was a cotemporary institution 
