Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-11-17

College, why shall it not have the power OF
comforting the customary degrees. | have
listened with attention to all the objections
which have been presented in every stage Of
the discussion, but cannot perceive their va
lidIty. This Institution is more extensive,
more amply endowed, and in more successful
operation than any College, believe, in our
country previous to its receiving a charter. IF
1t be true, as our Constitution very Justly de-
clares, that wisdom and knowledge, as well
as virtue, diffused generally among the body
OF the people, are necessary to the preserva-
lion OF their rights; if these depend on spread
ing the opportunities and advantages of edu-
cation IN the various parts Of the country and
among the different orders of the people"; if
the good citizens Of this Commonwealth are
entitled by the Constitution TO equal rights
and privileges ifthey see fit to establish a
Coiege IN the county Of Hampshire and in the
town of Amherst; if they have actually car
red their benevolent wishes into effect by put
ting Rto successful operation a seminary as
respectable as most of the Colleges in the
United States; who, with one hand on the Con-
stltution and the other on his heart. can saw,
these worthy petitioners are not entitled to a
Charter! The objections which have been
offered to this Institution have, no doubt.
oeen presented from the purest moti7es: but,
lapprehend, from views Of the subject perfect.
~ erroneous. There cannot be a man in the
country, who knows any thing about this Inst-
tuition, who does not know, that it will be the
means of spreading knowledge and virtue a.
monS the body of the people; that if its ope-
rations and influence should be confined to
Massachusetts, it will confer honor and bene-
he 4 1l1. D.
seminary Is destined TO operate upon a larger
scale. The students at Amherst come from
ten different States.-Like every other institu-
ton, 1t has aud will have its friends in every
section of our country, which, SO far from be-
lns AL objection to the Institution, is a power
ful argument in its favor, and from this very
circumstance it will contribute lis iull share
towards diffusing science and virtue through
the whole mass OF the American people.
1t is very remarkable, that the two last le-
gislatures should undertake to solve this plain
question by Inverse Proportion. 1t would
seem by the manner in which the question of
expectancy and utility of placing the Amherst
institution upon the list of Colleges has hith-
ERIC been decided. that the more Colleges we
have, the less will be the number of the able
and we'll qualified instructors of our Youth
the more attention paid to the students emu
latlnS each other at three different COLLEGES
the less thorough will be their education, the
less generally will knowledge be diffused. and
consequently an additional College will be
preJudlc!al 10 the interests of literature. With
great Difference to my respected and eloquent
opponents, with whom am ilways happy to
agree, when my understanding and Judgment
Will suffer me, must beg leave to be excus-
edit not convinced by their arguments of the
correctness ftheir conclusion.
1t has been said by hose opposed to the Am
h%rst institution, that public schools ought to
he carried to every mans door, but COLLEGES
ought not to be multiplied. Sir, am warm
advocate for public schools, and wish we had
more OF them, That they were under better reg.
u'ations than they generally are, and trust
we snail nave as many as our citizens gener-
any ftel aoie to support but would by no
means support school at every mans door at
the puolic eXpense--if the wealthy feel dis
posed 10 De thus liberal in support of schools,
'ocy are at perfect liberty so to do The
same say OF Colleges. | am not in favor of
taxing much money out of our treasury TO en-
cow ne" Colleges or to enrich old ones,
winch may have fattened upon the public
bounty; but the opuleut and charitable may
oeS'o" as LITERALLY as they please TO aid these
hleF"ry institutions, and will never upbraid
them Tor so doing. Gentlemen in the opposi-
tion feei alarmed at this idea They are a.
lraid That Colleges will start up in every vii
ldge, 1t is so easy for those who have the
means TO advance Fifty or a hundred thous-
and dollars, and collect around them few add
herents to back their petition for a Charter.
ifese men, who have fifty or a hundred
thousand dollars to spare for charitable pur-
poses, are not 30 numerous perhaps as they
suppose. Small indeed is the number dispos
ed to be thus liberal with their wealth. unless
they are convinced the public good REQUIRES
1t. College without students would he no
honor or advantage TO the public or any indi-
vlduai. The gentleman from Pitts6ejd. who
appears not TO be in his seat, told Us last win
LET What an easy thing it is to collect tnous-
ands OF dollars and build Colleses-he told US
at inc same time, that the funds of the Am
herst Collegiate Institution were not collect
Gu IN massachusetts, and urged this as an ar
Sumeht mat Massachusetts does not want an
olhef college; he furthermore told US, that
lnese FUNDS were not all collected in New-En-
g'aha, and IN this way he proved to US, how
easy II is to collect thousands Of dollars, and
ouiid College. Yes, Sir, the immense labor.
and pains, and zeal, which have established
the Institution at Amherst startle its opposers
with the apprehension, that Colleges will
start up in every village. This kind of rea-
soninS does not appear to my mind at all con-
elusive, nor can think il will have much
weight with this honorable House. Instead
therefore Of pleading these facilities, which
DO not exist as bar to granting a charter, we
ought rather to reward these faithful citizens
for their services in the cause of literature.
by granting them charter, and felicitate our.
selves that wealth is flowing into Massachu-
sets Tor the important purposes Of education.
10 be concluded an our neat