The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-12-06
The South Carolina College.

Carolina College have been suspended,
rs one OF the evil results of the inglorious
war, through which we have just passed. 1t
is quite desirable that they should be
resumed at the earliest practicable period
But how is this desired object to be
obtained? The College heretofore has
been dependent, mainly, on the yearly
appropriations OF our Legislature. Our
State now is indc5t, her financial resources
arc exhausted, and how can she make her
accustomed appropriations to all the Iinsti-
tutions which need her aid and even claim
her benefccnce. It is certain that she
cannot meet all these demands. Can the
College become self-sustaining? All, who
are familiar with her past history, know
at the usual rates of tuition, would not
give sufficiently large salaries TO her
Faculty. But onc-third Of this number of
students cannot DC matriculatcd Mt pre-
sent. Very few Young men, in our State,
are prepared to enter even the Freshman
Class, and what is saddcr still, very few
OF our citizens, even among those who
were formerly wealthy, are prepared to
give their sons opportunities OF liberal
education. What is to be done i'll these
circumstances? Some have proposed to
convert the College into a University.
What do they cont cmpiate by this change?
Do they expect to make the institution
more self-sustaiEing, and also, better
adapt it to the uneducateu condition of
our young men? These, we presume, arc
the objects OF those who propose the
change. But arc these desired objects
likely to be obtained by the proposed
change? Suppose we make University,
We must add several more prosrss to
the present number, and incur various
other expenses, in filling new libraries.
and procuring necessary apparatus. And
where are the candidates for admission
into the several classes? Young men,
who, in favorable circumstances, would
enter such University, have not the
means of availnS themselves of such rare
opportunities. And hence, the expense of
this institution to the State, would be far
greater than that of the present College
expense. o! but, says one, we want a
University, so that an Uncducatcd young
man can entcrit, and III two or three wears
come out Il Bachelor OF Law, Medicine or
something else, without having studied
much, or having expended much money:
and we will cali it n Euiceysty, and the
world won't know otherwise, for it will
have big name, and 4 name is everything
with many persons. | understand You
now, YOU merely aim to make school of
irregular classes, where a little ;utoyn,G-
ton will be rcta;lcd, in the form Of lee
threS, without he great trouble Of study
on the part of the student. This is one Of
the great modcru improvements of the
present day. Everything must be practi-
cal? There isno use of studying e dead
languages, etc. If our young men learn
to be successful in business, that's quite
sufflclent. This language expresses what
we regard as the sentiment of too many
at the present time. There is too great Il
tendency to popMd,'ize everything What
are the Universities of our country? Are
classes and doubtful gradations? Wien a
young man has passed through the regular
curriculum of study in a College of high
grade, he may then enter University for
the purpose Of pursuing further some
favorte study and thus becomes better
department. We don't object to Uni
vcrsity Of high grade, like some of those
in Europe, but We do cmphatically object
to calling mere schools, of an indefinite
standard OF scholarship, Universities,
simply for the sake of name. Education
does not consist in the mere accumulation
OF knowledge; but it is a dra,ring forth ct
the mind, as the literal meaning of the
word lmpliesa thorough training of the
mental faculties, by which they are
strengthened, and prepared for future ac-
tivity and glorious achic c:ement in the fields
ofscience and literature. One ofthc greatest
men that this country ever produced, said,
in substance, that if a young man on the
day of graduating were to forget every
thing he had learned, still the highest
ends of an education would have been
attained. His mind would have been pre-
pared for proper and well directed study.
Englands greatest historian had very
nearly, If not quite, the correct idea of an
education. when he said Educdtiom is
practice.
We feel, in common with many of our
fellowcitizcns, tho greatest possible in
tercst in tho fnture welfare Of the South
Carolina COLLEGE. and therefore we do not