New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-26
TIE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.
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t;s h,.s common aai eorrect opinion, lat
,hs ,eoujstion Of et llesa.e education is quite sn
e.,eu,l7e undertaking. Il is coumon but itf
ie,s coyree. impression, thss the students ss'eaa-
ios college sre either rch themselves or sre rcn
meas sons. \ much larger proportion OF 'nen
tbsn "a generally supposed are possessed ot very
limited means. OF al those sraias'es that ea'er
tbe Gospel niDi..ry, the rich ars tie eAce2tlon'
not TIE rule. Tee same is true Of those ~ao MAKE
teaching their profession; and very many who en-
Ter the law office upon leaving college hsVe oce"
hut in the very slightest degree burdened with SUI
perfuous funds during their academic course.
Rut how. them do students Of such hnAted re-
sources get through college at all usualy oy QUO
of hree WAYS: either by the aid of benevolent
friends or associations, or by borrowing money
with the expectation OF earning and repayhg 'ne
amount after graduation, or by WORKING AZ souie
art or trade during leisure hours, and IN the 'aca-
fions alternating with the college terms Inc nEst
of these methods is oftentlmes largely adopted, s-
ply because there has usually appeared 10 oe
strong necessity therefor; for while almost any
Young man of energy and perseverance wouid pre-
fer the second method 10 the first and the third 70
the second convenient opportunities IN either d.
rection have been. in most instances, lew aud isr
between. Yet neither gifts nor loans nor Incl
dental chances for earnings, have Afforded ii iacu
ties for the improvement Of them, oy all VINO axe
desirous of becoming well educated men. mere
exists plain and evident want oil some wiseiy-ue-
yised systematic arrangement connected Win an
educational institution, by which those who desire
70 DO so can pay their way IN acquiring good eau
cation, by working, during convenient intervals, at
some useful art or handicraft-as agriculture, hort-
culture and various mechanical pursuits.
This suppose, is one OF the objects contempa-
ted IN the plan and scope of the Peoples College,
located at this place. " =,
The strongest objection, apparently, whlcn l
have heard urged against such plan, s this: lhat
under such an arrangement good scholarship and
a thorouph education are out Of the question.
speak understandiDgly when l say that this i'm.
pressiOn is certainly very mistaken one. Some OF
tbe most promising college students that have
ever known paid their way, wholly or IN part,
through college by working at some useful art
at intervals during the course, and that, TOO,
generally, undes circumstances of very little en-
couragement Not one of the students, so far as
remember, had poor reputation in scholarship;
the names of every of them stood at respect.
iul and respectable distance from the foot of the
mert-roll. And believe most, if not all Of them,
have given ample proof, in after years, Of the
thoroughness of their literary and practical educa
ton by successfully filling stations of influence and
extensive usefulness in society.
Another objection urged, however, is, that smi.
lar enterprise have heretofore proved unsuccess
full 1t would be sufficient answer tO say that
some Of the most beneficent enterprises that the
world has ever seen were, in the first attempts,
iailures But still further, the lessons of expert
ence developed even in the but partially sue
cessfll results connected with former efforts of a
similar character become lessons of instruction in
the present undertaking. And without doubt,
while the disadvantages experienced by others will,
so far as may be, be carefully avoided, such ex-
per mental step, such, dstinctiyely, will be un-
deraken without the prospect of a reasonably solid
foundation.
So far as the plan of the Peoples College has
taken definite shape and outline, which practical
experience will fill up and complete it appears to
have these features To provide ample facilities
(Which er,ry student is expected to improye) for
manual labor, averaging from ten to twenty hours
each week, whereby students may, to a large ex-
tent or even wholly, sustain themselves in their
college course; to promote the health of the stu
dents by proper ntermingling of physical with
mental labor; and to afford abundant opportunity
for practical testing of the application of scen-
tifc principles in many of the departments of the
useful arts.
The erection Of the main edfce of the college
buildings is going steadily forward. The corner
stone "a corner being reserved therefOr) will be
laid with appropriate ceremonies on the I'd of Sep
tember. DR.. Hopkins, President Of Williams Col
ege is expected TO deliver the principal address on
that occasion. The degree of L. d. was con.
ferred on Amos Brown, A. NJ, President of the
Peoples College, by Hobart Free College, at its
late commencement. j. NJ