The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-03
Universities.

IdA OplnlOui LudJ Jnb I6W6r universities We nave
and the more literally they are endowed the
better the interests of education are subserved;
at least we do not share in all of it, In a re-
public, and, above ALL in republic like ours,
embracing probably every shade Of character
and habit Of thought, there is need, we think,
Of as many colleges as the people are willing
cordially to support-one in each State, if pos
sible. If all the endowments which have gone
TO found new Universities throughout Pennsyl-
Vania-endOwments large enough to be bene-
fetal to an established University, but barely
sufficient to enable new one to maintain the
credit Of school-if all these endowments
had been given to any one college, We would
have to-day, in deed and in truth, a University
worthy Of Pennsylvania. 1t is the mistake
of gentlemen who have money to bestow upon
education, that they are willing to give hun
dred or two hundred thousand dollars to lay
an inefficient and insecure foundation which
shall bear their name, but they hesitate to con
tribute any sum towards strengthening founda-
tiOns laid already. We see the sudden
rise of colleges protesting to give their stu
dents the benefit of a full University
course and its degree Of Bachelor Of
Arts, when their entire endowment is
probably insufficient to comfortably support
three chairs in any University in Germany
Americans know how to give to benevo-
lence, to trade, and to politics, but the science
of giving to education, which has attained such
perfection in England and over the continent
of fg IN ffg inf ms
We are too prone to consider ourselves and
our own glory before the true interests of the
community we desire to benefit, and thus
much of our seed is sown in stony places,
and its fruit is insignificant short tlived, and
unsatisfactory. We point to the educational
system of our own State as witness of the truth
of what we say. What wilderness of col
leges it is How many half-reared structures,
how many Aladdin's towers are awaiting COM
pletion, with the difference that his strue-
ture wanted but window, while these are
destitute Of respectable foundations What a
mistake in those worthy gentlemen, so jealous
to lay many foundations, and not content to
build upon and insure foundations already
laid Let us hope that the future benefactors
of learning in this State will be progressive
and disinterested enough to recognize and rec
tify it. If Lafayette is to be the University of
Pennsylvania, be it Lafayette; if Lehigh, be it
Lehigh; if Gettysburg, or the Art De-
partment of our Medical University
here, be it even so. Wherever the
University of our State shall be esta-
blished, let it be established; let its
foundations be secure, immovable, independent
of all scholars fees, with the best intellectual
material that can be procured generously sup
ported, and the whole edifce one to which
Pennsylvania can point with pride and say
cher degree is worth something" 1t seems
to us the existence of any other than such a
one is a negative injury to education. 1t
receives into its bosom men who, with strong
talent and zeal for study, very quickly cease
TO exert themselves when they find there is no
incentive to industry, and that honors and
degrees can be taken as well without as with
a great painstalrng. 1t has an entire college
roll of ninety or hundred students, when it
ought to have, and would have If it was worth
anything, seven or eight hundred, and even a
ating at such an institution owe little of it, It
may be supposed, TO their Alma Mater. II
they die rich they are little inclined 10 leave a
rich legacy 10 parent that has been anything
but alma 70 them, even II, indeed, they have
not by that time forgotten all about her. And
yst, strange 70 say, through all this coldness
and neglSes the college win continue TO live,
no RICHER, no poorer, Just able 70 maintain an
existence.
We have been lea 10 these observations in
yAsw OF the appeal Of the Trustees Of The uni
yeEsity Of pennsylvania for funds for the en-
dowmsnt Of two additional professorsbips Of
ErenOh and German We earnestly hope that
the public viii appreciate the appeal, and
gensrOusly respond to it, il upon inquiry, it IS
found that the efficiency OF the College would
be in any degree increased by the gift, 80 ap-
piled. AS for as, we are free 70 say that the
system of voluntary course eOmmends Itself
10 us by every possible argument Of education
And yet we know Of many, and the best
American Colleges, that have no such system
and are very efficient, according to the presen
scheme of College instruction, without it
Yale, for instance, and Princeton. When any
Board Of Trustees have their professorships 81
we'll endowed that they can place thu
best talent In every one of them, W,
heartily exhort and praise the effort Il
enlarge their sphere Of usefulness and inhu
snoe. but when large endowments are needed
n. loo. sI,fa II. III