, 1865-01-21
The Colleges of New York.
fErcry III IA E,-rna1,e Tnr.rn1

By the action Of Congress large grants Of
land have been recently plaocd at the dlspo-
sal Of tho separate States to be used for edu-
catlonal purposes. The sn,n which, bY iudi
clous management, may be realized By any
single State from these grants, is sufficient to
literally endow cue university, but will utter
II fail Of securing It's object ii parcelled out
among dozen petty Institutions Of learning.
It behoores those, therefore, who have the IL
| tercsts Of learning at heart to see that this
mnnlfcent giH Of the national government Is
sum is expended in building up great school
| worthy Of the State and the ngc.
We took occasion, in an article published
some months ago, to call attention to the
W;etched state Of our chartered collegiate in
stltut'ons. We endeayored to show how, by
lhe application of seciarian IDEAS to the sys-
tem OF education, number OF schools, dis
gracing the honorcd title Of university had
grown up in various parts Of the State. We
asserted, and no man will venture to contra-
aiet us. that ,, each Of these pscudo-eollcgea
small cabinet Of natural history. small col
teciion Of Illustrative apparatus, and few
feebly endowed professorships, when. If their
means had been united, all these various de-
partments. Of university might have
oesa oesS a%WRy attcmated aatnisaed and y devs
and how It Was that the great State of NeT
York, in its facilities for higher instruction.
was not only far behind the countries Of ths
old world, but greatly cxcel1ed BY sucn info
rlor States as Massachusetts, Connecticut
an and Michigan. An opportunity, and proba-
ofy tae 1ast one for some generations, h now
simple: The various colleges outside Of New
York city should agree to unite, aud form
one grand institution. The theological far
nlties, wherever there may be such, might be
1p 1kept separate, and might be endowed as
neasnS as tne different sects choose. The
should receive the land grant. The professor.
that ail The 10 present es 50 incu%SIata diylafa
might retain their chairs. Thus the
profsssorship Of mathematics might be
dl:'dcd into pure and applied mathematics,
mechanics, engineering, astronomy, dynamics'
mathematical istory, and so on the PROBES.
soorship Of belies-lcttrcs wonld naturally give
place to group Of profcssorships cmbracin~
Old English literature, modern English liter
aturc, French literature, German literature
and the literature Of divers countries and pe-
RODS; the classical professorships might he
literature and Greek llterature, into Latin
history aud Greek history: and the same
manner of subdivision would be carried ont
through all the faculties. In this way the
ptrson"t! Of the colleges would be retained. |
ana me present professors would
t%tinm 9efSme members an an,n'. Of The new insti-
ships, resident and travelling fe11owshfps. and
other Hipendia, should be established. The
combined funds Of the colleges, Together With
the land grant, would suffice to erect d lahor.
a,ttory aud an observatory, to purchase a
library, gallery Of art, and collections Of
sardsn-.all upon scale hitherto unknown in
me United States. After the Arrangement |
nas been fully matured, let the directors OF
ne institution soy to our central cities
Aoenester, Elmira, Auburn, Syracuse, Ullca
l9d aba seRsnsctadth2t the great University
2 the vicinity fthat town which should mast
iberallT contribute to its funds.
such course as that which NC have hastily
ketched would give us q school which Hon1d |
g q true Uni,vTs&as in the broadest meaning
II the term, and which would nic1d q healthy
nd powerful influence similar to that e1ef.
ieed IN Old England By Oxford and Cam
ridge, Or In New England by Harvard and
ale. 1t wonld become center of unfndtnt,
'ght and learning. Itcould afford to place the ,
aeans Of the highest instruction within the
each Of the poorest youth. It would enable | !
he student to pursue branches for in. Z
'hich arc now taught nowhere In The land. !
would DC proper complement to onr wise :
I'd liberal system Of common schools.
ne appeal, therefore, to those interested. ] !
nd especially to Union College, Hamilton !
olisge, Madison University, Hobart College, 4
ge,' to take the proper action in he prem. EN- r
es. Nc appeal to them ip the name Of the p
commonwealth of New York. which onrht 4
J, possess university unexccllcd by any =;
hool in the world. We appeal to them In c,
,e name Of that maxim OF common sense. Il
htch teaches that in union there Is strength a.
e APPEAL to them in the name of future zen. p1
nt1Ons Of YOUTH Win will alaa ha oorcra11.a Il