The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-01-28

practice Their annoying trials we're the same, II
act, aud fully exhibited, under circumstances Tar
rom being 30 adverse, 10 the history Of the Uni
rersity Of Michigan, for many years, aud in fact
down 70 the tine, when the master mind OF Pres
dent Tappan brought system, order and some
thing Of character, at home aud abroad, TO that
With the Agricultural College, We are now
advised bv Governor Blair, that in rs opinion,
he Transfer Of the management Of the College 4
by the Legislature of the last regular session
was With good effect" that very eonsiderA
Die Improvement. have been made within t~o
wears past, aud tha; the Board have kept vel
within the appropriation. This i certainly en-
to the people, coming from one, who
10 bis whole history, a. the Executive Of the
state, has been wa'chfal that unwise and prodi-
.,.I Expenditures should not be made.
The present Board Of Agriculture have
been enabled by careful economy, during tie
Two past wears, 20 a tain point, IN the improve
ner.ts OF the College farm which all afford the
College Faculty at opportunity 70 inaugurate
-g-iem Of scientific experiments in connection
sih daily teachings aid labor Of III staden,-
siich heretofore they have been preciuded
from, by reason of the primitive condition Of The
arm TIE erection during the past season, OF
ore of the most extensive aud conveniently ar
jagged Daru-. ~iu enable the farm manager and
professor Of animal physiology to avail them
selves Of liberal propositions that have been
made by distinguished breeders TO donate to the
state, valuable stock, and see that it i properly
cared for aud used with advantage 10 the College
After viewing the farm aud learning the past
history Of the College, it would seem exceedingly
unuise. TO abandon State enterprise which Jsst
begins 70 unfold fair prospects Of usefulness Ia
the future, because 10 lie past history, some"sat
Of error. At times, NAV have been exhibited 10
- management. II must be remembered that
this Institution, above all others, vas intended
10 serve the interests Of the whole State that il
was emphaiicaIy the property Of the people :
that lis largest benefits TO reach the sons Of
the farmer and mechanic the vesy classes Of
men. on whose broad shoulders rests our whole
-ocial fabric that encouragement should here
be given to a class Of men, 10 acquire Oy their
own manual labor that mental culture, which
should fl them to occupy high position, as the
intelligent cultivators Of the soil, IN country
that must a. all times rely on that class OF it,
people for the purity, preservation and perpetu-
ty of our Government
But il Is said bv the " Adrertissr d Tribune, "
that a . these beuef. to the State, may be reach
ed through other sources and At less cost it
suggests that during the past year, the number
Of students at the College has fallen off, and by
this statement it l. intended TO create the i'm
preston that the Institution is osisg in favor
Nth the public: it is always unwise 10 attempt
90 sustain an argument by statements Of alleged
isc.s. unless the statements are carefully exam
iaed aud are found TO be entirely reliable. The
facts, on examination will be noticed. as dana
gug, 10 this broad assertion. The College open
ed ia February last under very favorable circum
stances, considering the excited state of the
county and the patriotic impulses Of our yOun.
men to enter the army. As many students as
couli then be conveniently accommodated pre-
scented themselves for admission. and all wenI
well, until the latter part of June last, when
several of the students were attacked with dip
iberia, in its most malignant form, and in five
cases it resulted fatally. Under the circum
stances, the Board were compelled TO suspend
the exercises of the College for weeks, which OF
course operated TO some dsadvantage during
the remainder Of the Term. In view Of this
Provid initial sfl ction 20 say that the College
was permanently disabled, or was loOsing it'
hold upon the aft ctons Of the people, is Wii,
Of the truth and damaging only, to the charac
ter Of the person making the assertion.
Again the suggestion is made by the " Adver
tiser aud Tribune that the University at Aur
Arbor could with little additional outlay, furnish
all the necessary instruction, to be obtained il
an independent College. Experiments hav,
been made again and again in Germany anC
other European countries, to combine in thei
Universities and Colleges two classes OF students
one OF them supporting themselves in whole or il
part, by their own labor in mechanical or agricul
rural pursuits, while pursuing their studies, ant
the other class with resources OF their own, OF
derived from parents or friends, and not devo
ting any part %; iher time to manual labor
and the failure has been to an extent, that Ia,
induced the abandoning OF all efforts to combin,
the two classes OF students in one and the sam,
Institution. Let il lot be said that the same
iuviiious distinctions would not present them
selves 10 the minds OF young men in this coun
try. it those choosing to be idle aud Others in
Ginning to honest manual labor were associated
together in our University and Colleges In Two
marked instances in our own country the same
seemingly inevitable results, have been had Al
Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, and Wash
ngton College, Connecticut, the manual laoor
system has been tried with such portion of their
students inclined TO adopt it, from lack o.
means, or from considerations of health and ha.
been abandoned. because It created classes and
dsuctiOus among the students that we're seem
ngly invidious. It is lamentaby too true. tha
honest toll, even under our boosted free institu
tons. does not command that respect to whict
t is fairly entitled, when contrasted in youns
mind, with the dsshiug display OF accidents
wealth. There is too often, the inclination o
the son to abandon a well regulated system o
labor and economy Of the sire Let us theI
pose 10 devote themselves to agricultural snt
mechanical pursuits, and who desire at the sam,
tine to acquire all the secrets OF the highes
science, the proper surroundings &c accomplish