The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1823-06-18
for money, it win mol be granted unless Il is de-

country. To put the illiberalty and injustice
of such refusal in clear point of light, COM
pare the object of this petition, with others for
which charters are every year granted without
hesitation. Let ten men in Boston, in any
4, other part OF the State, associate together and
collect common fund for the most mercena-
~ and entirely selfish purposes, and ask for
charter, and it is almost uniformly granted as
a matter of course. In this case, benevolent
individuals, scattered in all parts of the State,
many Of whom are known to us as men of ele-
waited character and distinguished worth, have
associated together and freely given their
property, for the most hearenty purposes.--
They have founded College. leading OBJ
ject of which is to educate pi0us young men of
all denominations, for The ministry ofthe trer-
iaatiag gospel /; and the general object of which
is to furnish to all students the means of pur-
suing an elevated course Of classical education
in delightful part of the country, where the
expense Of hiring Il, good families, as one dollar,
or one doiIor and tlcenty fire cents d aCeeh, and
no more. 1t is Impossible to doubt the purity
of their motives, or the importance and gran
deur of their object. Most of the subscribers
and donors can have no personal interest in
the success of the Institution. The institution
is founded in charity the son Of the poorest
peasant may here obtain an education of the
hlghest order, and may be an instrument of
God to save our State, aud perhaps our Ma
ton. is il the spirit OF our government to dis
parage such Institutions? Win any man, with
clear understanding of the case, come for
ward with the Constitution 10 lis hand, and
the oath OF God or his conscience, binding
him I" 10 cherish the interests Of literature and
The sciences, ond oil Summaries Of them, and
G., O. a.
siituilonS'' will he deliberately refuse TO en-
courage this Seminary? VIII he say the stu
dents shall not receive the privileges and hon
ours which are usually granted to Others Of the
same standing in literary attachments? Though
it is said in slanderous pamphlet. scithom
! date or signature, which was first brought for
| wari last winter, and is now again Industrious
| = circulated, that this must after all be
"Couatry Institutions yet it is believed that
1 no man of enlarged and liberal views, viii be
| prejudiccd by this circumstance, whether he
reside in country or city. The fact is. that our
| greatest men have obtained their classical ed
J ucation in what the anonymous writer would
call, in degradation, 6 Country Colleges,'' or
! in still more private Summaries Ii is absurd
TO compare the policy of our government in re-
! gard to Colleges, with that of Europe, where
| not more than one third of the population can
write their names. The character Of our gov
ernment and the spirit of our citizens, do not
at present call for such Universities as Europe
! affords, where the rich only can afford the ex-
! pense OF education, and where many spend
| half their lives in study or idleness, without
| any wish TO become active or useful to the
publick. But activity and skill in the learned
professions, or in other useful enlployments, is
| what the spirit of our government and the ge-
MUS OF our country have right to expect from
/ men OF College education and to perpetuatc
| our free government, and to elevate the char
ac:er OF Republicanism in the eyes of all ma
lions, II is necessary that Colleges should be
so situated and so multiplied, that the advan-
tages OF them may be enjoyed by some in all
| ranks OF society. We have said that a Col
lege is wanted for the western part of the
State. 10 this it will be replied, that there is
already College in that section of the coun-
try. We beg leave here to observe, that in
any illusions we may make to the College at
| Williamstown, we disaVow al feelings that
are untriendy to that Institution, and we dis
| claim all intention Of making single remark
WHICH may not be necessary to an exposition
of facts, which seem TO be called for by the
subject now under consideration and we are
happy to say, that so far as We have heard any
expression of the feelings Of the friends of the
Institution at Amherst, they are in perfect ac-.
cordance with our own. They only wish that
both Institutions may live, and enjoy their
Rights and that the pubick may be left free
to say, TO which they will extend their patron
age.
The only plausible objection against the in
corporation of the Institution at Amherst, is,
that it may possibly injure Williams College.
To answer this objection, il is only necessary
to be convinced that Williams College, on ac-
count of its peculiarly unfdrourabte location,
never can be College to satisfy the western
section of our State, and the middling class of
our citizens throughout the State. The ques-
tion for the Legislature to decide, is not
whether the interests of any particular Semi
nary win be injured or benefited but wheth-
er the interest and convenience of the publick
require another College (lor when the pub
lick good calls for new road, il is never in
CURED, except by interested and selfish per-
sons, whether it will diminish the travel on
another road.) On this point The evidence of
facts is abundant. Though more have enter
ed Williams College and remained there for
time, yet it is true, that the average number
annually graduated at that College for seven
years past, has not exceeded Is. This low
state of Williams College is not occasioned by
any deficiency in regard to Instructors, nor by
any want Of patronage on the part of Govern
ment--but it is occasioned by circumstances
which neither the art nor the liberality Of man
can change. The College is situated in the
.NoHh-psst corp:r torn of tie State, in
mountainous region, where it is emphatically
true, that The crooked can nerer be made
straight, nor he rough places plain, unless by
the hand of God who formed them. The
Trustees of that College, among whom are
men of enlarged and liberal views, some years
since, before an Institution at Amherst was