Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-11-23
For the Palladium
The College,.

paragraph OF Ills aTsicie on the
and if our citizens generally are OF the same
opinion, shall soon have a college here The
, Schools and Colleges Of State its creates
ornaments, and the bulwsrks Of its liberty, am
he who is ind tferent the Of learning, 4:
Indifferent; to his coun;ry's welfare, and does
not me rit the name OF American But this part
of .he question need not be iscussed.
The editor says, that the courts and conven-
tons assemble Il, Centreyilie-that the county
Offices there, which take there many of the
most talented men. These regard strong
objections TO locating the College at that place.
Political declamatiens and court oratory well
calculated TO divert the attention Of the student
from their proper study-gve them taste for
politics and law-corrupt their morals-distract
their thoughts and engender in them self-con-
ceit and pride by associatiug with the talented
office holders, and gentlemen learned in the law
who being ight be supposed, of the UPPER
crust can most aatarally move round with pomp
and circumstance. This putting ~, into inagi-
nary superiority. is the objection farmers
have TO such institutions.
If our young men, when they return home
from college, were not ashamed of what they
consider in their refined state the coarse manners
and customs of their parents, but could still say
father mother, brother, sister, with the same
spontaneous feelings of the heart, in the days
of their childhood" the parents objection TO
colleges would all be removed, and they would
not be afraid to hail their child. after long alb
sence, IN any company, though elevated from OBJ
security to eminence and distinction, with the
dearing aPPelaiien, my son. my son. for fear of
not being recognized; but on the contrary, they
would be sa!uted by him with the Joyous excla-
nations, this is my father-this is my mother.
Richmond does not claim 10 be very Bag, (the
population, perhaps, is two three times as large
as any other town in the county, but she does
claim to be the prettiest place in all Eastern In
diana for college ust the right size. and the
right character of society too. Our citizens
make great claims to congregated talent, or
numerous otficehoiders-no pretention TO gaudy
show, nor ostentatious display. but are plain,
quiet, and unobtrusve, with honest, industrious
business habits,-each man earning his bread BY
the sweat Of his brow, according to scripture! IN
juncton-none depending upon the pubic crib
for suPport-no boisterous Conventions or excl
ting trials at court TO draw the children from col
lege, but only the sound of the hammer and the
din of business is heard-,,e necessary accom-
paniments of thrift and prosperity We have
'AN'S ~ ana NhhlttteHi 10 the
public GAZE. and crouehing beneath the scatIIing
dGnunciatio:s of sonle tvro N law No swear
ing OF all sorts to clear or convict some degraded
being; but when we md a criminal here, We send
him TO your town for saf &c keeping.
We are OF the opinion that it would be
wrong and inpolitc to convert the County Sem
mary INTO college, and we think this opinion
is welt founded in La" well as policy. The
"iund'' was rot ''orginaIy" designed for col
legc. 5ut all intermediate grade OF school,
inarv,-not to give .'finished education" but 10
qualify persons enter college, or for the ordna-
ry business of life. The 9th article of the Con-
stituton of Indiana says:
SEC ,. 1t shall be the duty of the General
Assembly, soon cumstances i'll permit,
10 provide by law for general system of educa-
ton ascending IN regular graduation from
township schools to a State University. wherein
tuition shall be gratis, AMI equally open TO all.
SEC. ). And for the promotion OF sncl. saiuta-
ry end, the money which shall he paId
equivalent by persons exempt from militia duty,
except in time of war, shall be exclusively. and
in proportion, applied TO the support of County
Seiuinares; also, all fines assessed for any breach
of the penal laws, shall be applied to sand Semi
naries, IN the counties wherein they shall be
sessed.
This settles the question conclusive!y. Coun-
ty Seminaries made the intermediate grade
between Township Schools aud State Univer-
sity, and they cannot be changed to another
grade, converted TO another purpose by the
Legislature. Militia fines, and fines for the
breach of the penal laws appropriated by
the Constitution for their support, and the tut
ton, it is declared. shall be gratis, and equally
open 20 all These objects ought not ana n
not legally be frustrated. If the Wayne Coun-
fx Seminary ted into oil
would cease to be the Wayne County Seminary
it would cease to be of the intern,ediatt gfade,
"r-'1 ofnae regutar gradation, and it " ould cease
10 oe uSe' IN 80 and for the pur pose
teinPiated by the Cons">-.ion 1t would be i'm
polite, because it would destroy tho baautv
symmetry, harmony of structure, and that reL.
lar gradation of schools which is designed by
the Constitu,ion--whioh would ultimately be
carried into feet in this State, and which is SO
necessary for a complete and well organized sys
tenn Of instruction.
We admit and believe that Richmond has never
received far,hings benefit from the Seminary
that we never had scholar there-tfat
other part OF the county has ever received any
ben eft from t--that Centreville, SOLITARY and
alone, y has and does enjoy all its blessings, and
receive all it's benefits, and that she now wishes
to convert it TO herself in fee, for her own pro-
pei use, be neft and behoof.
1t is most lamentab'y true, that the County
Seminary, far, has been an Improbable SER
want TO That it has not been managed right
or at least that something is wrong about it, is
very evident, but We do not blame any person
for such is the way of all the earth.
We that if it was conducted con-
templated by the Constitution. it would be a
profitable and useful institution. Let then be
conducted. Let other Jaws be made, SO that
each township may be entitled 10 send given
number of scholars, according TO their popula-
ton, to be chosen by the I'd wnzhp ,ru-tees--let
there be good teachers, and we heartily
dorse the present as such) Is be paid out Of the
Seminary fund, and let the tuition be gratis, with
al h1ar I'd and c-d for Ii