Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-10-21
1.-The College Question"

1.-The College Question:
The Legislature of 1868 passed an Act to Gre
ate corporation entitled the Vermont State |
University and Associate Colleges" with a
provision that the University of Vermont, |
Middcbury College and Norwich University, !
or either one or more Of them, might become
uuted and incorporated with the corpora
ron ~ created, in a prescribed manner. 1t
WAS i.-iyidrd that if either one or more of
the tnfl, institutions above named should
comfy with the acquisitions Of the act. the
corporation constituted by the act should re-
ccryc annually the income derived from the
-al "f ctr'',in public land-scrip donated by
Act at ed. ;ress July .. 1862, the sand in
c..m, bin applicable solely to carrying out
T.. ar IS named in the act of Congress
iur, ni,.f ned. Furthermore it was proy-
dcu rc,'ncr Of the three Institutions should
crmil h the requirements Of the act first
y ,k,l. N or before the first day Of NJ
81 - i'1f, thdl Aht dct euOulu ueCOiuc
v.rd o.. ne corporation created by it cease
g. oAis
J. Is .ablicly known and 50 reported in
a.. tru'. .nor's message, that the corporation
81 t.c [ iyersity Of Vermont has complied
~it. - requirements Of the act. Thus Far
Midi. -Dry College and Norwich University
has" O. q complied, and it i publicly under
st.-a. 1T the former has decided positively
"at r...J -. We have heard nothing sand
p.,,t.. 8 about the intentions OF the corpp
r.l I Norwich University; but the pre-
SUI n. from tie language of the Cover
az, ,essage. is. t5at thus far it has taken
r..-.;s towards compliance, and proha-
p. 1t ioes not intend TO
Governor recommends that the time
.ompliaucc with tic acquisitions Of the
90 GO extended, in the hope that further
c.t. italion and effort win induce one OF
'..' Of those institutions 70 comply.
ith great respect for the Governor and
"a confidence in his sincere wish to have
1, educational interests Of the State cared
f.. N the hest way possible for the public
=, u, VIC are constrained &, say. that we he
iieye no good whatever, hat harm rather,
a I'D come from a prolonged agitation Of
o., questions involved in the general propo-
-ilion To reduce the number Of the higher
educational institutions OF tie STATE; and the
,ner al attempts in that direction are
,..ndon,d ;bc hc:tcr IL viii he. not only for
Ills generation but FOR the generations to
me after it Wcalc also tree to say, that
se have ue,cs believed iJronc moment since
nc measure was proposed last year, that it
would result in the actual consolidation Of
the three existing colleges.
Though satisfied, from n Fiction many
Gears, that the obstacles 20 such a measure
would prove on the trial to he insuperable,
we ssw that earnest and good men, in differ
cnt parts Of the State were hopeful that it
would succeed ami since 1t was seriously pro-
posed in the Legislature by men who had the
public veal at heart. and opened for discus
sion throughout the State, We determined to
refrain entirely from offering objections to it
leaving the matter n the phrase Is, "to
work itself out. at least ill We should see
what aspect 1t would have assumed by the
opening Of the present Session
1t is of very little Importance in consider
ing the bearings of this subject, to say, az
often is said, that 1t would have been better
for the educational interests Of Vermont, If
there had been but one higher Institution of
education-University or College, it matters
not what the name is, for the powers & objects
are the same-establIshed in it. Quite like
", though we do not admit that the argu-
ment is all on one side, on that point. Yet,
it may be said Of that as of many other mat
tiers in human affairs, that when once done
and finally under way, they cannot be I'M
done; and the only sensible thing is to use
them as they are, and to get all the good out
of them possible. 1t is easy to say that if
the little State of Rhode Island had been
made part of Connecticut it would have
saved good deal of expense, and have made
the whole more influential. Grant it; but
no one thinks an attempt to consolidate the
two would be worth making. Moreover, in
the matter of colleges. Vermont is not the
only small State which has chartered more
than one college. Connecticut, for long
time had but one. vet now she has three, and
had them too, before her population was as
great as that of Vermont is now. The ten
dency throughout the land is to multiply not
only the lower but also the higher institu-
time vi learning, and within reasonable hm-
us ttat tendency is a wholesome one, ana
conforms to the peculiarities Of our Ameri-
an system Of Society. o. course 1t can Re
carried 70 excess, thus weakening instead OF
strengthening the bsne6rial influences they
are intended TO exert.
1t beuvoyes our Legislature, after the ex-
perience Of the pas: and the wide spread sen
timeut of the people of the State, that there