Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/62

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��Dr. Brewer's Address.

��DR. BREWER'S ADDRESS.

Alumni Dinner, Dartmouth College, at Washington, D. C, 1884.

��Washington, D. C, Mav. 18, 1884. Editor Granite Monthly :

Dear Sir: Feb. 5, 1884, the ''Dart- raoutli College Association" of this cit}' held its annual dinner. Among the toasts was the following: "Dart- mouth men in politics : the history of our government attests their fidelity." This was responded to by Dr. P^rancis B. Brewer, class of '43, a member of congress from the Thirty-Third dis- trict of New York. Dr. Brewer was born in Keene, N. H., and educated in the public schools, and a graduate of both the Academical and Medical departments of Dartmouth college. The article contains much valuable history pertaining to the college, which I furnish for publication by the consent of Dr. Brewer. Respectfully,

William H. Gardiner,

Historian of the D. C. A. of Washington.

Mr. President :

When you did me the honor to in- vite me to respond to the sentiment "Dartmouth men in politics," I felt it would have been much better if you had selected some one more familiar with the alumni of the college during the last half century ; and then I thought I stood on middle ground, and could look back and see some of the giants we had in those days, who had gone down to their graves cov- ered with honor, and leaving names which will be household words in all coming time, and I ought not to re- fuse to call the roll this evening. The names of the graduates of Dartmouth college, who have been directly or in- directly associated with the politics of our nation, are found on every page of our national and political history for the last sixty years.

��The ver}^ first class that ever grad- uated from the rude halls of our alma mater had a man who, soon after he left college, became a power in the state, and as a member of the legisla- ture controlled the politics of north- ern New Hampshire for many years. This was John Wheelock, afterwards president of the institution from which he graduated. Soon after came Sam- uel Allen, who as a member of the Twelfth congress stood alone and voted for a ballot to all, black and white.

Next class graduated Sylvester Gil- bert, who was a stirring local politi- cian, and an active and thorough rep- resentative in the congress of the United States from Connecticut. The year following, John S. Sherburn took his degree, and was soon after elected to congress from New Hampshire. Next year Henry Huntington took his departure from the college, and soon after turned up a New York state senator. And so I might go on, and each successive year name one or more from each graduating class who helped to mould and guide the politi- cal opinions of the state and nation, till we come down to Dudley Chase, of Cornish, N. H., the immediate an- cestor of Salmon P. Chase, late chief- justice of the United States. He was member of the Vermont legislature and U. S. senator.

Martin Chittenden, governor of Vermont; Silas Dinsmore, of 1791, held many important and responsible situations under the government ; and to illustrate that the tenure of office

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