New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-09-09
Uuiver.iry for the People.


- rho rnuni6cent beouest Of James Smithson to
Country for the establishment OF National Uni
versity are now assembled at Washington Tor the
discharge Of the responsible duties derolved on
them If we rightly remember very wide dis
creton has been accorded to them by the will on the
donor and the action OF Congress We propose
then to offer few suggestions with regard to the
character and aims of the Institution they are con
vened TO establish
1t will not be forgotten that this bequest though
entrusted to the Government was made Tor the use
and benefit Of the People-not OF any class or Por
ton bat Of the Millions Of our Citizens 1t Is o.
course impracticable to impart equally TO each u
these direct and palpable share OF the oeques'
of the instruction which may flow from ou'
every effort should be made TO dlhuse lhe oiess's
as widely and equally as possible a'hea Os .'e
fate nj similar but far larger bequest 70 me l!tE
OF PHILADELPHIA. the People must exercise vlsi-
Ian, care that this rnunifcent gift Is not perverted
~ martial. pirate or unworthy uses. To this emo
rsst c;rcupspection and forecast in the outset as
,van ne wisdom and disinterestedness IL the man
sgement thenceforth will be requisite
The original bequest was something over $780,
600 when it came into the hands Of our Go"ern-
ment and the annually accru;ng interest has since
swelled it 10 more than 100000. True, part OF
It was loaned to the State OF Arkansas and she has
virtually if not formally repudi;ted the debt and 1t
is highly probable viii never pay 1t but our Gov
ernment will doubtless hold itseli bound 70 make
the fund good The Arkansas Loan was shame
iul, kuavish job aud tins money Would never have
been invested in it but to subserve party and per
sonal ends The Nation is Justly responsible for
this abuse OF its power
Assuming that the fund is 100000, and that
5000, 600 are required to procure ample grounds,
edifccs Libraries &c. we should still nave 100000
left as permanent fund Welding an income at SIX
per cent Of 100000 per annum. This is sufficient.
il expended to the best advantage TO ensure wide
diffusion of the blessings OF true and thorough
Education.
To us it seems indispensable that this University
Of the People shall be based on the ideao thorough
PHYSICAL and moral well as intellectual train
ing. Educating mans BRAIN yet leaving his
muscles without that complete development winch
is attained through daily and earnest exercise, IS
surely oncsided and imperfect process. a
sound mind in n sound body is the end OF true
Education and If to this end Mental exercise
and training be necessary, then Physical is equally
So Every man has need OF both the too common
result OF our present processes is TO give us souls
without bodies and bodies without souls Let II
be the honest boast Of the new National University
that it secures and perfects the two in genial har
mony.
That past attempts to unite Manual Labor with
II 4, 7, I.a of
tcncst unsuccessful, is freely conceded So were
the earliest attempts to COLOMBO from Europe the
land we live in a usual and obvious defect has
been the requirement of Labor only of those who
were otherwise unable to pay their way. The
natural result OF this has been 10 divide the Manual
Labor School into castles. Il genteel. non-worklng
class and one of drudccs by compulsion. This soon
cxplodcs the Manun Labor feature. or more com
monty the Institution altogether But LEI the rule
be made absolute that every student shall labor
part Of each day, not because he is unable to pay
his way without, but because Labor is deemed es-
scntial to the healthful and vigorous dev eopment
of his physical nature to the perfection OF his Ed
ucation in any true sense OF the term, and the
whole matter will take very different aspect.
Need we urge that every mans hands should be
educated as we'll as his headl No entertainments
of w ealth can against the possibility OF
having to earn his bread IN the sweat oi his lace
no man cnn be truly independent who is unable to
do so ANY man fortune may vanish, but his skill
in some useful art can hardly desert him. No man
can truly hold himself rich wise that he has
no need of knowing how to live by his own labor.
That thousands may be educated i'll an Institution
IL III NV
the labor of its students upon resources which only
suffice Tor hundreds IN one OF the opposite class,
need hardly be insisted on. y University culiivat
ing scientifically aud thoroughly only as many
as it had students, aud carry ing hundred differ
ent branches of mechanical and manufacturing In
dustry for the sake OF variety in employment, labor
for inclement weather, &c. would be o.; mcaculable
value those Millions who could only visit or hear of
it. y visit to ii would suggest to almost every man
Improvements in his own industrial processes. az
least new pride in, and consc Iousncss OF the dig
nty of his own pursuits. a periodical thence is
sued devoted to whatever is most eevatmg III Lit
crature or useful in Science and Art, could not fail
To have vast ana beneficial circulation.
We have not spoken, as vet, of the propriety
the naked justice, OF according to Women equal
though divcrsel advantages with Men. We will
not argue this pomt-ve are now addressing those
10 whom the bare statement OF truth SO obvious s
sufficient. That is not :; true University which
opens its portals only to one half of those who need
instruction. The Smithsonian Institute, We are
sure, will recognize no such narrow rule but will
provide impartially anu fully all ar its
means viii permt.-We shall OF course recur to
this subject.
HONOR TO GERRrr SMITH A Utica correspon-