Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-08-17
College Mcr;tis.


It has Lccn too much The habit in portions Of
South Carolina, To rail against our State lnstiiu-
tion aS rather II whirlpuul of dissipation than II
nursery of learning. The opinion las prnccr'lr,l
upon knowledge Of the disturbances which have
from time to time interirrc'l with the quiet progress
young men aTtur graduation Us if these things
not well nigh insrparahle from ill institutions
for youth Or, us if, by such mode of Judgment,
the church itself would not fall under condcmna-
ton. Our own experience and observation lead
us to second the opinions upon this subject ad-
vanced hy DR.. LABvHnE in his History of the
South Carolina College: and these opinions We
herewith copy in part, rs worthy the careful con-
sidcratiuu Of those who have too readily received
these wrong impressions:
The reader will remember how frequently
have had To record III these pages, disturbances
originating in the Commons: and that with the
view of promoting greater peace and quiet, the
Trustees, in ISIS, gave permission to the Students
under certain limitations, 10 huard elsewhere
These limitations would seem to hr cntrr Y proper
The permission was TO he asked by the parent or
guardian: students were not to board Mt hotels or
tavcrns and the houses ere to he licensed BY the
Faculty. What more could he asked? md yet
according to the report nr DR.. Cooper, the new
plan produced such other miSchcfs that VIC must
conquer them, or rrcur TO the former arrangement
ut whatever risk. This, them was the chief
trouble of lS:n There were other disturbances
disSa,isiactuns and niscbicvous proceedings: hut
according to the report, nUue murc thun may he
expected from ono hundred and fifteen young men
must of whom have been very nrGiigcntly man.
aged, before they came here" So writes Dr.
Cooper, and will make il the text for Il remark
My own obacrration satisfies me that the College
is charged with running many who come to it with
confirmed habits of idlcncss and immortality.
Parents must visit the sins Of their sons upon
some one. and most readily will they lay them
upon The College If they ever brcathea for Il month
its polluted atmosphere grant that it is some
times The case that IL good youth is injured in
College; but it is rare. II he comes with all the
detenccs which good training at homo will throw
around him, it is never to be expected that he will
fall victim to evil influences. The wise counscls
of father, the attoctionatc and pious lessons ufa
mother, cannot he so easily forgotten. There is
certainly, tuo something in the earnest advice and
constant atlmonition of his instructors and more
over, there is q large number among his fclow
students and daily associates who sympatlise with
him in his virtuous affections. insist then that
it is no terrible ordeal to good youth that the
dangers are grossly exaggerated; and that every
pnrcnt who hns done his duty ut home, and sends
u vrtuuus boy TO College, may expect him to
return with his intellect enlarged and expanded.
and his morals strengthened and confirmed.
Could believe thata College was school of vice,
TINT it was q mighty whirlpool which engulfed
thousands of tho innocent and unsuspecting,
Hould HaFn eTeEy parent against IT. But what