THE HESPERIAN
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One of the fiercest parliamentary con
tests that ever took place in the Union
occurred upon the proposition to change the
name to Adelphian in recognition of the
property rights of the members of that
society in the fixtures and furniture.
Charges of rapine and spoliation were
freely indulged in a plea was made for the
rights of those who had boen Adelphian s
but had not consented to the transfer of the
property. The proposed change was
defeated, but we orphans succeeded in
having spread upon the records of the
Union a resolution recognizing lineal des
cent of the Union from the Adelphian and
redeeming the constitution and records of
the latter from the wasto basket.
In consideration of the property obtained
from the Adelphian the Union made all
members of the honorary members of the
latter and preserved the records of the
parent society. So by adoption rather than
by right of birth the Union is the heir of
the Adelphian. It was in these early days
of the Union that there occurred an impeach
ment trial worthy of a larger place in
history than has hitherto been accorded to
it. In order to give the exercises a
practical turn, formal charges of "high
crimes and misdemeanors" wore filed
against the secretary of the society and ho
was regularly put upon trial. The history
of impeachments from that of Warren
Hastings to that of President Johnson was
drawn upon for precedent. The brilliant
constitutional arguments would have ex
cited the envy of a Webster, while the
Philippics delivered against the honorable
society were worthy of a Burke. Vener
able and imposing sheep-bound tomes from
the university library served pro hac vice
for law books.
The manner in which the contending
counsel quoted convenient law from books
of general literary, encyclopaedias,
scientific reports, etc., gave ernest of their
future ability to make the worse appear the
better reason. The trial resultod in an
aqquittal. The impeachment trial of
Secretary Hart is still remembered as one
of the most interesting and amusing ses
sions of the Union.
It was about this time that one of our
country recruits furnished a unique example
of polite correspondence. Having doubt
less been urged by the Professor of En
glish Literature to write with studied ex
actness, asked one of our newly admitted
lady members "for the pleasure of her
company to and from the Union society on
next Friday evening." Not to be out
done in exactitude in diplomatic correspon
dence she accepted his .proffered escort "for
the round trip. ' '
The literary societies of twenty years ago
formed an important factor in university
life, and it will be a matter of regret to me
if they shall over be suffered to Iobo their
influence. While I have often doubted if
any practical benefit came from some of the
studies pursued in my college days, no
such doubts have ever existed as to the
practical value of the training received in
literary societies.
"AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING."
I have been asked to speak of the Univer
sity of Nebraska in its earliest stages to re
call appearances and events at its very be
ginning. It is yet too early to indulge in
personal reminiscences to speak freely of
the actors in the making of the University.
I shall bo content therefore, to refer only to
circumstances and conditions.
On September 7, 1871, the University of
Nebraska opened with an enrollment of
seventy-five students. That was a promis
ing event for a state only a little more than
four years old, with a population of about
130,000 people scattered along its eastern
border, with practicaly no schools above the
primary or common grades. The ratio of