Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-20

two acres OF Land tor SCHOOLS anu universities.
!; No one shall be twitted for such acts by me
but, if the purpose be noble one as applied
to Territory sparsely populated, 1T is certain
ly notless so to States thickly peopled. If such
donations are constitutional to inchoate States,
can they be unconstitutional when proposed to
the Old Dominion, the Empire, Keystone, and
Little Rhody ? Is there more urgent demnnd
for such aid in behalf of States bearing all the
debt and burdens of the National Government,
and bending under $245, 2ll ,259 of present
State Indebtedness? Surely the endowment of
agricultural colleges ought not to depend upon
the resources of States already 50 oppressively
laden nor upon the come-by-chance charities of
individuals, but upon the liberal administration
of the Government which has been expressly
constituted the trustee of an ample store for
the common benefit of all the States.
The executive and Legislative precedents
which can be arrayed to sustain the principles
embodied in this measure are of great weight
and Authority. Commencing with those coeval
with the Constitution, and cOntinueing to re-
cent date, we have the opinions and acts of men
that few at the PRESENT day would not think it
robbery to claim for any favorite an equal
ity
Washington brought the subject of agricul-
ture before Congress in his first message. He
thought it subject within the constitutional
jurisdiction, and his experience increased that
conviction !; for in his message, December 7.
1876, he recurs to it with elaborate argument,
lie says:
GO It will not be doubted that, with reference
either to individual or national welfare, agri-
culture is of primary importance. In proper
ton as nations advance in population and other
circumstances of maturity, this task becomes
more apparent, and renders the cultivation of
the soil more and more of public patrAfage.
Institutions f6R promoting II grdE up, supper
ted by the public purse and to what object
can it be dedicated with greater propriety p
Thus we have the very germ of the whole
project " The cultivation of the soil, insti
tutions " supported by the public purse" he
exclaims, I" to what object can it be dedicated
with greater propriety p 1t cannot be doubt
ed that donations of land for agricultural col
leges would have received the approval of
Washington. He proceeds
81 have heretofore proposed to the considera-
ton of Congress the cxpediency of establish
ing national university, and also a military
academy. The desrabeness of both these in
situations has so constantly increased with every
new view have taken of the subject, that
cannot omit the opportunity of once for all, re-
calling your attention.
The assembly to which address myself is
too enlightened not to be fully sensible how
much a hourishing stateof the arts and sciences
contributes to national prosperity and rcputa-
ton. True it is, that our country much to its
honor, contains many seminaries Of learning,
highly respectable and useful but the funds
upon which they rest are too narrow to COM
mand the abest professors in the different de-
partments of liberal knowledge for the institu-
ton contemplated though they would be excel
lent auxilliaries. -
This will be enough to satisfy all as to the
opinions of Washington. Let us now see what
were the opinions of Jefferson. In his sixth
message he thus speaks
Education is here placed among the arti-
cles of public care and that it would be pro-
posed to take its ordinary branches out of the
hands of private enterprise, which manages so
much better all the concerns to which it is
equal but public institution can alone sup
ply those sciences which, though rarely called
for src yet necessary to complete the circle, all
the parts Of which contribute to the improve
ment of the country, and some of them to its
preservation.
The message goes on to show that if public
money were to be used for roads and canals, an
amendment of the Constitution would be nee
essary, but that land might be used for that
purpose without an amendment He then pro-
ceeds to urge his favorite university thus
1.-The present consideration of national es-
/ tablshment for educ2tion, particularly, is rem
5 dered proper by this circumstance also, that if
Congress, approving the proposition, shall yet
think it more eligible to found it on a donation
D of lands, they have it no,O in their power to
endow it with those which will be amongst the
Q earliest to produce the necessary income. This
| foundation would have the disadvantage of be-
4 ing independent in war, which may suspend
: other improvements, by requiring for its own
purposes the resources destined for them
| submit that here the whole question of con-
| stitutional power, is covered, as well as a pow
G erful argument suggested, by Jefferson.
Eor want of time, all reference to Madison,
r Monroe, and Adams, must be omitted. jack
son was the steadfast friend Of agriculture, and
the first, in 1887, to call into the Patent Office
: practical farmer { Mr.. Ellsworth) to collect
a statistics, AS Senator, General jackson voted
y township of land to La Fayette. He approved,
b June 80, 1884, of giving thrty-six sections of
: land to the Polish exiles expelled from Europe
e by Austria He approved, April 2, 1880, of
d bill giving land to State for the construction
= of the Miami canal. January 10, 1881, he
I. approved of bill granting single section for
= schools in Lawrence, Mississippi. March 2,
c 1885, an act was passed changing the Illinois
e canal grant to railroad grant, with obliga-
y tions attached. This was approved by Gener-
9 road in Ohio was surrendered in 1881, and that
IN Nirr,o,o ~ 1922 10 fbo
e with a compact that they should keep the same
s in repair and collect the tolls-approved
n by General jackson, and the act deci-
d ded as since to be constitutional be the Su-
}, preme Court of the United States. General
d jackson rejected the land bill of 1898, mainly
n for the reason that it first gave to the States
wherever the land might lie, twelve and hall
r per cent. before there was to be any division
n among the other States. This he denounced as
If injustice and inequality. 1t is enough to say
e that no such objections can be raised against the
Il division proposed now. There can be nc
e question that General jackson and the men
II who co-operated with him would have approved
If of grants to all the States for the benefit of az
ricutural colleges.
l. The bill donating lands to the State of Con-
necticut for seminary of tearing for the deal
,e and dumb, passed the Senate in 1919, witeut
Is even call of the yeas and nays. The bill APP
= proved January 20, 1927, donating lands te
Kentucky for seminary of learning for thu
n deaf and dumb, passed the Senate by vote
, y of q to 5 and we find such men as King o.
a Alabama, johnson of Kentucky, Benton o.
N Missouri, Eaton and White of Tennessee, anc
Il Woodbury. Of New Hampshire, voting for tn,
:. measure In the House the bill passed by 12(
70 to 43 among the yeas will be found the name.
h of James Buchanan, james; X. Polk, Cham
r. breleng, Livingston, McDufde, and Wickliffe
10 Surely these are no mean authorities on const
~ tutional questions, to be added to the names
a. Crawford, Monroe, Calhoun, Webster, Clay
.. and Clayton. In 1898, township of land il
re Florida was granted to Dr. Henry Perrine, t.