The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-07-07
,farmtr's S department

Forthe News

how sensitive some peoples nerves are'
TO changes in the seemingly regular
course Of things among men. Let these
changes be either in locality or name,
they are shocked, startled, and tromblo,
as If something dreadful, and disastrous
to tho welfare Of their felloW-men,
and ruinoua to the prosperity Of q sove-
reign State or nation, we're about to
happen. Yet che tide Of human pro-
cross moves on, undauntod by such So
licitudo, and man enjoys q good degree
Of prosperity.
Though essentially the same institu-
ton, in all it's general principles and
teachings, makes its appearance in
slightly different form and under a new
name these individuals rise up, as though
they were specially ordained to direct
tho affairs Of men, and seek to remove
allnew manifestations Of life and growth,
not strictly in accordance with their own
peculiar and fixed opinions Of progress
and development; notwithstanding these
opinions may have been formed at a
period when men could not so readily
arrive at the truth as they now can, and
consequently are to some extent incor-
porated with error and biased by preju-
dice.
The institutions I now have in my
minds eye, are those called Agricultural
Colleges. They have many bitter and
unqualified opponents. Others are more
liberal Cin sentiment and would allow
them to exist, if they could be estab-
lishod ,ouhous cost Cto them, or what is
the same, the people at large) If Ire
member Alright your paper has not idon-
tilted itself with any of these classes,
as they are called, either oditOrially, Or
through its correspondents until a short
time since, when communication ap-
pearod in its columns from an old and
. highly-esteemed correspondent.
It is a peculiar, yet significant fact
that the farmer is often the greatest Op-
ponent to his own progress. Therefore
we need not be surprised to see the po.
sition that farmers often take, in reia-
tion to measures which are calculated to
promote their own prosperity, as well as
that Of the whole community, for in
truth, their interests are inseparably
connected. With those who think and
feel thus, I have no unity, as regards
their peculiar faith on that point.
Neither have I with the assumed posi-
tion they hold, that all who are or have
been active or interested in endeavoring
to establish Agricultural Colleges arc a
set of droues and idIers. Who we're
they that labored for three years to es-
tablish an institution of this kind in
this State? Were they droaes and idlers2
Did they get paid for the labor, thought
and study bestowed in its behalf2 tits
not my purpose to go into personalities
and particulars at this time, when treat
ing Of this subject in general sense
though they could be given.
It is alleged by your correspondent
that students in an institution of this
character "are to receive such a course
of instruction as will make them per.
feet farmers the moment they leave the
College walls"l Where he has found
or how he has come in possession Of
tho -cts whereon this declaration il
made, ia beyond the pale Of my knowl
edge, (Which, by the way is very limi
ted.) But so far as it has been my
privilege to learn the facts in this case
they are unqualifedly the opposite
have heard it given "striCtly in charge,
time and again, to those who have beer
80 unfortunate Gas some would have yol
think as to have been inmates Of thosu
walls where Gas many supposo) cal
things perfect are taught, ITO remem
Der, above all things else, that all the.
could there learn was only the rudi
ments, the drst principles, so to speak
Of that which was yet to be learned b.
the delving, penetrating power Of tn
human MIND, into the vast aud (to man
boundless mechanism Of NATURE, an
the ever-aetive, vitalizing and yivifyin
principles and laws therein existing b
Divine command, Also, 10 be alway
active, earnest and assiduous in thoir Ia
bors, to learn and know more and yC
more Of those truths in Nature upo
which depends the husbandman's 3 success
or failure in the pursuit Of his calling
Again, your correspondent has said
he would have no objection to thes
institutions If their advocates woul
pay hs blu Yss make all the pro
1ision5, furnish the facilities, provid
oiles aapetent persons to impart the prof
7g 3 knowledge, and pay expenses ou
OF their own pooketsl-all for the ben
eft Of the (armsri Quite a grand an,