Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-02-18
The south Carolina college Buildings

lninrr it was thought thrtsa stronS fight would he
lnalc as,insiI9he Report Of the natc Gs,s:nittes
5asfducsfip5 oaafihe suliysst GnfSfts coniia1olIsaass
offSIbe c.I.elges Rnifd;ng s 50. Haspitn'. The: hsasssi
corr mittsSes ind reported nlyersilg and thcraa !
anssRort makingstp ovsrbsas tIe::senats Reports
Aferwnrdsaatheefoi was abshdoaed and The two
'c"in mittetasidntg creed to adopt in substance the Sea-
ate Rrp6tg ind the measure, c0ptinuing the COL
lsgr us Hospital passed with little or no OppOsi-
tom. Previous To this agreement. we had hastily
thrown together SONS views upon.the matter, 9th
the intention Of urging them, fog what they were
worth; If il .became;necessary ttedefsnd. our Sen
ae Report. We cnnnot pcrhsps.i di'e any thing
more suitable to our editorial columns this week
than rhesc remnks as pcnned ii the spur Of the
moment. We nrs we'll aware they possess no es-
peciul. merit but Mes particularly wish our tnenin IN
the service to know our sentiments on th s ques-
lion, and which, we believe, were the sentiments
of the whole Edgefeld delegation. We therefore
print as follows, emitting predatory observations
and jumping in medias res:
A. prominent paper in this State has denounced
the Report of the Senate Committee on thissub-
ject, rs o measure "ignoring the education of the
rising generation and extinguishing the lightof
learning in South Carolina" That Report recon-
mends that the College Building be continued for
tho pre- sent us a Hospital for our soldiers and that
the College exercises be suspended during such
use.
Now to charge the Senate Committee in terms
like these is simply preposterous.- The :" eduoa-
ton of the rising generation" 50 far as the South
Caro'ins College wasconcerned, had BON estoPped
for many months by the sheer force of circum-
stances. The doors of the College were closed
because there were not applicants for admission
sufficient to gil q single bench in the lecture
Room. There stood the College Buildings, empty
md useless. BY a regulation OF the Executive
Council, they were appropriated to the purposes
Of n Hospital for our suffering s%"ldicry. They
h d been subscribing this purpose admirably f9r u
large part Ct the year when the Legislature as
sembled. The use thus made of them w,ls %justi-
fled by the amount of COOL done through their
instrumcntality. It WAS a timely and an adnira-
bic use .raa.,e Of them under the circumstances
When tho Legislature met, tho buildings were
wholly occupied by our sick aud wounded men.
Upon investigation, it appeared that the manage
mcnt was complete and that no injury Of any sort
WAS occurring in any portion Of the College tene-
mcnts On the contrary it was manifestthat neat
ness, cleanliness and order prevailed in a relnarka-
BILE degree throughout the establishment. The
noble charity was appreciated by our ro"r sick
soldiers, and they all conducted End deported
themselves MS gentlemen receiving gratefully Ibis
manifestation Of the States estimate of. their SER
vice.. In short, it was an arrangement honorable
to Soutl. Carolina aud fully meritcd by her brave
but suffering sons.
The matter standing thus, the Senate Committee
held it's first meeting to deliberate upon the ques-
ton Of restoring the College Exercises aud abOl-
ishing the College Hospital. Every member of
that Committee was impressed with the Importance
Of this question, and desired earnestly to discharge
his full! duty, as well to tho "rising senern.i n as
to the nublo army Of martyrs whose pule faces aud
gaping wounds appealed to his patriotic sympathy
As one of that Committee, I cen testify that the
matter WAS carefully weighed in all its bearings
and Il decision made only a!tor Il scrupulous COLI
sideratiun of every point involved. 1t clearly sp-
peared to the Committee, with the information
then before them, that the Same circumstances
which had closed the College we've still in full force.
There wa. no probability tbat a number OF STU
dcnts, sufficient to. warrant u reopeuins Of the
College, could be obtained. The preparatory
academies throughout the State were suspended,
and the facilities OF lii. rary education for boys
were for the prescnt alta. pause. There was no
help for it; aud it was not q matter after II! to be
50 deeply regretted. It was doubtful whether the
youth Of the country would, or could, embrace
such facilities tu any good purpose amid tue ex-
citing events that are literally laundering around
US. At the same time there was ground IL hope
that what they lacked in literary culture would be
more than mnde up in the practical teachings Of
tho day. In u revolution like this, young men
can scarcely be expected TO devVtv Themselves to
their Classics snl Bellies Lrttres with any relish
or will. But their mental faculties are not on
THAT account deterivrating, when there is sn much
in the living book Of history, which they, now
study with unavoidable zcst evcry day, u quicken
thought and provoke enquiry after truth. AS
much us l love the halls and reverence the philos-
ophy Of Collegiate lore, am not unwilling to
risk n temporary shading Of thvir ancient excel
lencc when I know that times like these, which
&" try men'a SOULS are also fraught with lessons
Of wisdom and patriotism and virtue TO the youth
Of ourcountry. Ifths result be that Literature und
Science irs not to grace the political, ~cOuusoia or
the sociul circles of the next generation as bright
ly and bcnignanily Us they do those Of the present.
yet the fiery ordeal of this great war will temper
anew tho sulid wyiih Of our men while our blessed
women will sec to It thu. this improved metal
shall not long lack ths polish aud adornmcnt
which it merits. 1t il In this view Of the matter,
that I see mn grcatcvil To come from a tenlprary
suspensionof Colleges 70. ~our'boys while / would
most earnestly deprrca,e any diminuiion of Lite
advantages for our girls. il the minds Of
.he mothers uf the next generation are imbued,
u lively appreciation Of the beauties and en-
sciences Of knowledge, shall have 10 fear for
he Literary bias of the suns no Aevever deficient
he fathers m,y have become in, the one article Of
, ,aite> LeGrning. / have understood that The