Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-06-11

IS. For he stahdard
onlnlsn6snent at 4he Unfversity.
It's late eommencsraent i6und our simeshonored
University I'M state Of unprecedented prosperity.
The Catalogue which has just appeared, and
which, BY the way, IS the neatest pamphlet Of the
kind which has yet appeared for this Institution has
the names Of three hundred and sixty!sx matricu.
lates for the current year. This number gives one
for every day id the year and an odd one for the
29th of February We notice that every State south
Of " Mason Dixons line is represented at Chapel
Hill, except Maryland. Of course our own State
has the largest number of students there, (265.)-
Alabama has 25; Tennessee % Mississippi 81, &C.,
&C. Being curious to learn how the different parts
of North Carolina were patronizing the University
at present. found that out of the eighty coun-
county has % New Hanover 10 Wake and War
rem, 10 each Caswe and Guilford, each Gran
vile 8, &c. These facts point out some Of the adj
vantages arising from Collegiate education in our
country. This mixing of students together from
different States and from different parts of our own
State must have strong effect in binding those
parts together. For they thus contain men who
feel personal interest in each others welfare which
interest is very likely to extend to the homes OF
those persons Sectional institutions as we'll as Sec
tarian have tendency to disintegrate even COM
munity already strongly inclined to fuse into no.
cial relations constituted as ours are of various
States parties and sects tendency to segregation
ought by no means to be fOstered. We need bonds
to keep us together.
We noticed some other facts in the Catalogue, of
interest to the public For instance, of the 40 Sc
niors. A avaied themselves of instruction in the
Scientific School during part of their Senior year.
We hope to the fruit of these teachings appear
in the advancement of many of the highly impor.
tant material interests of society. Too many of our
young men 60 out from College not knowing what
to do with what they have studied for four years.
To be sure, much concerning the applications of
theoretical truth cannot be learned in part of but
one year but that little is better than nothing, and
after a while many of our young may be inclined to
spend the fifth year at the University, and drink
more deeply Of the "Pierian spring" The Law
School, too, seems to be fourishing. The Indepen.
dent Glass numbers ID, and the College Glass, s.
The last two Catalogues contain another sympto m
of improvement in the regimen at our University.
This is the appointment of a Board of Examiners
to attend the exercises of the Institution during the
week preceding the Commencement. We learn that
Col. Steele, of Richmond county, was present dur
ing the whole Of that week-that the Rev. Mr.. Has
sell, of Martin county, there nearly the whole
time, and that Gov. Morehead, Gov Graham, and
Mr. Giles Mcbane spent as much time in examination
as previous and indispensable engagements permit
ted. Now, this movement of the Trustees is alto
gether in the right direction. The young men must
interest," and that it is not only their parents and
their teachers who dcsie them to become good
scholars. When men of note and influence in
ciety tear themselves away from other engrossing,
and oftentmes very different pursuits and Trus-
tees come to see how the boys scan, and parse,
and demonstrate, the boys themselves will realize
that going to College is more than mere conformity
to fashion, that good scholarship confers unitarian
benefits as well a power and grace of its own
and that faithfulness in few things fits man for
control over many. Were We to choose one from
among many ditchers for post of higher credit, Of
course we would choose him who had ditched most
actively, perseveringly and successfully The gen.
tlemen who from year to year compose this Board
of Examiners fill most useful and important posi-
ton, and we hope that no will ever refuse any
reasonable sacrifice of comfort and interest in thus
advancing Of the most precious interests of
State-the proper training of our youth. 1t seems
to US that the number Of Examiners is quite small
enough-that to inspect Alright the Institution in all
its parts will require from the five amount of Ia
bour which may be excessive in our hot weather.
Besides while of course, Trustees must be of this
Board to give authority to its action, why may not
men of eminence in science and literature from the
pulpit the bar, the school room, &C., in different
parts of North Carolina be associated with them in
this service? visit from such men, who not
Trustees on such an errand must be of the most
healthful influence all connected with the Univer
sity, its visitors its Faculty, and its Students
By means Of the visitors deeper and more intelli.
gent interest in the University will be gradually diff
fused through the State, the Faculty will learn that
there are men around them who can sympathize and
who heartily cooperate with them and the Students
will feel that they and their studies are matters of
profound interest to the great and the good of the
land. II besides, there were discreet distribution
of prizes in all the departments of the Institution,
another powerful stimulus for good would be applied
to our Students. Were it rumored that there was
one to graduate at Chapel Hill who had won the
prize in every department of his abours most cheer
fully would we travel many a weary mile to swell
the crowd that assembled to witness his triumph
These suggestions make with all diffidence, be-
cause they made before those whose management
of the University has for many years been fully en-.
dorsed by discerning public. But we are free to
make them because they are for the benefit of an
Institution in which we, and every part and every
party, and every sect in North Carolina has deep
and abiding interest," whether they will acknowledge
it or no.
The exercises peculiar to Commencement week
began with the examinations on the Holy Scriptures,
which form part of the regular instructions at the
University. On Monday night the sermon before
the graduating class was preached by the Rev. Basil
Manly, Jr, Pastor of the Baptist Church in Rich.
mond, Va. His text was Psalms 1879: "Where-
withal shall young man cleanse his way? BY
taking heed thereto according to Thy Word" The
subject was certainly well chosen, and it was pre-
sented in a remarkably appropriate manner. The
sermon was solemn, earnest, and thoroughly evan
gelical 1t warned his hearers of the heedlessness
so natural to the young, and set forth.the only eff
cacious remedies This service is one that requires
peculiar tact and delicacy to retain it within its pro-
per sphere and render it effective it should be-
Whenever Is desecrated by being used the means
of indulging prurient curiosity, to render the
exercises of Commencement week more attractive
to pleasure hunting public the authorities of the
University should interfere and put it down at once.