Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-09-29

S'Vuhu "a ShDJ suCn oenCleney Oh Cpl-
leges.
The petitioners proceed" Massachusetts,
at this moment furnishes nearly sufficient
number of students for three Colleges of
the 500 furnished by this State, more than
three hundred are in Colleges of other States,
and at Amherst.''-' Why is this If we have
colleges enough" sc. By what rule of
mathematics, or of common sense these men
determine with such positiveness what is ga
SuGicient number of students for a College,"
they have not seen fit TO inform us-it is, prob
ably, by some new mode of interpreting the
designs OF nature, not revealed to us, in this
benighted part Of the Commonwealth. | had
never before heard, that the whoIe Number of
500 would be more than enough for one Col.
lese, and suspect the Trustees of Williams
would Joyiully agree to receive, and amply
accommodate and instruct the whole number,
and instead accomplishing of it. as a burden,
would inform you, that the more their patron
age is taus increased, the greater will be
their means OF furnishing the facilities of i'm
provement and learning. The petitioners say.
1t is " dects1re" proof, that we have not Coleg-
es enough, because one half of the number of
students, furnished by this State, go out of it
to acquire an education. 1.-The had said, that
this tact Is conclusive proof that we have al.
readytOo many colleges-more than can be
supported in aCondition sufficiently respecta-
bic to enter successfully into competition
with other Colleges, and by their exalted rank
amongst similar institutions, to satisfy parents
ofthe expedlency of educating their children
IN their own State; and if from this. they had
drawn the only legitimate and logical coucll-
| SION, that it would be unwise and inexpedient
under these circumstances, to erect another
College, to divide the patronage with those
now existing, and to linger out amiserable ex-
is'ence, neither patronized, nor possessing the
means OF being worthy Of patronage or if
they had said, the fact that so many young
men are sent out of the State for education,
furnishes evidence of the great prosperity and
happiness OF our community, since SO many
parents, who believe it beneficial to Young
men to go abroad to prepare for future useful
ness, and acquire knowledge, are able thus to
educate their sons-we should, atleast, have
formed better opinion of the logical powers
OF these petitioners, and of their ability TO
| draw correct conclusion, from we'll estab-
lished facts and premises. When perceive
these gentlemen wandering into such aIopienl
results, regret, that amongst the long list of
names, which they have seen fit to publish. as
officers, professors, and tutors of their new
college, that is TO be, assisting at present only
as an sens rdtio,us'' in their own imaoina-
tions, they have not thought it expedient to
| decorate some one with the title of professor
of Logic.
They proceed, in giving their reasons, to
say, " that it another College is chartered, it is
admitted on all hands, it should be located not
Tar from Connecticut River" &c.-and then
they give the distance in miles of Amherst
from various we'll known spots on the face OF
the earth, and at length come to the very
gratifying conclusion that AMHERST, their our,
Utlldge, is just about the centre of the world.
atleast of that part which is known to them,
and like the ancients, who believed that Ju-
pliers Temple at Delphi was alike centrally
! situated, they come to the natural conclu-
sion, that all men must be willing to worship
there they prove, with equal clearness that
Amherst is by far the most pleasant und 6eu11-
| titAl village in the world, and has, moreover.
the advantage over Delphos, the ancient CEN
tire, in the article of mails and stages the
superiour beauty of this village they establish
not by scriptural evidence, indeed, but by a
concurrent stream ofhuman testimony, which
places it beyond doubt.-Now it is not ne
cessary to inquire whether these gentlemen
may not be mistaken in surprising, as many
before them have supposed, that their native
village is the real centre of the world, and
whether other villages may not to other eyes
appear almost as pleasant-slnce their first
sentence contains an hypothetical coyunc.
tion, ("if another College is chartered'')
which will not easily be removed by theil
reasons and arguments.
But, sir, your petitioners urge another rea
son, upon which they seem to rely with great
confidence, as establishing their right to Col
lege-it is in these words, in every thing
but in law and in name, there is already Col.
lege at Amherst They proceed, under thi.
general proposition, to state particulars
:" they have three brick ed,fces, fifty thous-
and dollar fund, a thirty thousand dollar fund
126 students, Of whom they require the same
qualifications, as are required at Yale, &c.&c.''
As to College in fact at Amherst, it is true,
in their pamphlet, or manifesto, they have
made splendid display of trustees, president,
professors and tutors, and they seem to have
experienced no difficulty in finding men, who,
from some motive, q hope not foolish vanity
have been willing to suffer themselves to be
held up to public view, tricked out with all
sorts of titles-A. ND. DIS. I. P. &c.
sc. many of which would have no intelIigi-
BILE meaning except at Amherst they even
certify their funds by .Jinancier and auditor,
officers unknown, l apprehend, in Colleges
less richly endowed than Amherst-probably
not in any which do not wish to appear full
as well endowed as the truth will warrant.
But if all this show on paper has led these
gentlemen TO the happy belief, that they are
College in fact, and only lack the name-let
us not awake them to the unhappy reality, by
giving them the name, which would be a
mere nGn,c-and surelyit is better to believe
they possess the reality and lack the name,
than possessing the name, to feel that they
lack the reality; which would soon be the
case, if we grant charter.
To be concluded in our neat.
From the Vermont Republican.