Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-12-18
The AgrIculturaI CeIIege Meeting.

submitted, through their Chairman, Hon. l. a ~
Nelson, the following report, which, on notion was
unanimously accepted and adopted:
REFoRT
The Committee, to whom this subject refer
red respectfully report as follows
The object of this report is threefold FIRST To
place the question Of an Agricultural College in
such light as 10 be clearly understood By those not
familiar with the act Of Congress. Secondly To
show what course is most consistent with the best
interest of the whole State Thirdly, To point out
the duty Of this community with reference to the
whole matter.
l. Congress by an act entitled An act donating
public lands TO the several States and Territories
which may provide colleges for the benefit OF agrl-
cultural and the mechanic arts, approved July I'd
1862 granted to each State for such purposes, an
amount Of public land equal TO thirty thousand acres
for each Senator and Representative in Congress- to
which the States respective entitled by the ap
portionment under the census of 1860. Tennessee
under this act is entitled to 100000 acres OF land
Where there are no unappropristed public lands
within the State, the act provides that script shall
be issued in lieu of land at the rate OF S42o for
every acre. This gives Tennessee fund Of S375,-
600 for the purpose of endowing an agricultural
college. The act leaves it optional with the state
whether this fund shall 90 TO the support OF one or
more colleges whether they shall be independent
institutions or connected with other colleges, or sg
rjcultural departments. Seeing how many institu-
tions have been ruined contracted in their use
fulness, by extravaganza in the external manage
ment of their affairs but especially by extravagant
buildings the act provides that no portion ofsald
fund.- nor the interest thereon, shall be applied di
rectly or indirectly, under any pretense whatever,
TO the purchase erection, preservation repair of
any building or buildings" The general object and
character of the colleges thus TO be established Is
briefly stated in the fourth section of the act which
provides that the interest of the fund shall be inVi
olably appropriated by each State which may take
and claim the benefit of the act, to the endow
ment, support and maintenance of at least col
ege where the leading object shall be, without ex
GLIDING other scientific and classical studies, and In
GLIDING military tactics, to teach such branches of
learning as are related TO agriculture and the me-
chanic arts, in such manner the Legislature of
the State may respectively prescribe in order to
promote the liberal and practical education of the
Industrial classes in the several pursuits and profess
siens of life
Although the primary object is the education of
the industrial classes, it is not intended so to conduct
their education as TO confne them TO any class or
profession in their after life. The object is rather
TO offer to the industrial classes such facilities for
education as they most likely to use, to give
them instruction in the branches relating to agri-
culture and mechanics to offer them instruction in
scientific and classical studies, and finally to pre-
pare them, by liberal and practical education"
not only for farmers and mechanics but for success
" in the several pursuits and professions of life"
II. The question has been raised, "Where shall
the Agricultural College be located?' Murirees-
boro' offers one hundred and twenty acres of land
and the buildings belonging TO Union University,
provided the institution is placed there and it is
understood that strong and respectable influence
is being brought TO- bear the present Legislature
TO have the entire fund 90 to Murfreesboro for that
purpose. A moments attention will show that such
course is not only unwise, but manfestly unjust.
The object of the act is not TO provide an education
which shall benefit the agricultural interest alone,
but which shall be Of equal advantage to those en-
gagged in mining, manufacturing, and commercial
pursuits The mining interests Of this State al
ready Of vast Importance and constantly increasing
value. Thousands of acres of mountain land, as
useless and barren for all agricultural purposes
can well be imagined row lie idle and untouche1
which contain hidden in their recesses eXhaustless
sources of revenue to the State and TO individuals.
The mining interest is second TO none in its general
importance. Manufactures depend on il as the very
basis of their existence. Agriculture finds in its
cessities home demand for native products. Viii
lagos and towns spring into being parts Of its
ganization. II brings more foreign capital and
larger proportion of intelligent labor into the State
than any other influence No surer guarantee of
the material prosperity of u State exists than in
we'll protected and largely developed mining inter
est. If it thrives manufactures abound and all the
mechanical arts and trades follow naturally in its
track. Now how much of this mining interest ex-
lists at Murfreesboro Does il offer peculiar advan-
tages for the study of mining, by being placed in
the very centre of the mining district? Does it SO
far excel Knoxville in its actual prospective manu-
featuring interests TO ofer better inducements for
practical demonstration in teaching the higher
| branches of mechanics There is only one answer
to be made to these questions, be clearly seen
by any at all familiar with the facts of the case
| We do not wish, however, TO make any invidious
comparisons between Knoxville ard Murfreesboro',
or between this section of the State and Middle and
/ West Tennessee. Tennessee is a large State 1t is
divided naturally into three portions, not SO much
by geographical lines as by diversity of interests
| What might be regarded as a central location in
Middle or West Tennessee, would not be so near
nor so available to US, some point in Georgia
Kentucky ar Virginia.
The location OF she institution in Middle Tennes-
see would certainly benefit the people liz that sec
ton of the Sate but the practical result would be-
that far the people Of East Tennessee are con-
cerned, there might we'll be College ut all as
located at such distance that the cost of trans
portation alone would be enough to deter many of
our farmers and mechanics boys from going We
| think it would be equally unwise and unjust to de-
vote the whole fund TO the support of similar in
stitution in East Tennessee but it is certainly rea-
sonabe and proper that the fund should be divided
and that East Tennessee should receive ne-third
By such course the different sections of the State
would be consulted, and no cause for COMPLAINT
from any quarter could exist. The fund is large
one. Three hundred and seventy-fve thousand dol
lars would De SUBSTANTIAL endowment Tor Col
lege. But it may be argued if this fund is divided
into three portions for each section of the State
there will be Just enough TO sustain three weak and
inefficient Colleges. This is true If it is the inten
ton to make the Agricultural Colleges separate and
distinct from all other institutions but where Their
are already too many inefficient Colleges as is the
case IN East T9nnassee such course is neither ne
cessary Advisable. The history of Agricultural
Colleges in this country has established the fact that
when they maintained as separate institutions
they have practically failed in their object where
they have been Incorporated as departments Of Uni
versities they have succeeded. The Agricultural
College of Michigan is a standing proof of the FIRST
proposition, and the Agricultural department en-
braced in the scientific school of Yale College
proves the second The advantage of combining an
agricultural department with sn already existing
college, will be seen when we consider, that
lst The great cost Of building for lecture and re-
citation rooms, halls, libraries, laboratories and
many ether accommodations, may for the most
part, be saved since in colleges there are ac-
Communications for many more students than now at
tend
ID. Existing institutions are already supplied
with museums Of mineraogy, geology and the ma
turai sciences, and with libraries for general and
scientific reading, all of which may be available 10
larger number Of students 1t requires long PC
riod Of time, as well a large amount OF money
10 form such collections, and without them an AZ
rlcutural College could not be expected to maintain
position of dignity or usefulness
3D. Existing Institutions have organized corps Of
professors, many Of them as of chemistry, natural
sciences, Mathematics, English literature, e,,l the
same, that would be necessary in an Agricultural I
College; and those, with slight additions to their
numbers, could give i the theoretical instruction
required in an Agricultural College
4th Many students will desire 70 take a course Of
study neither purely classical nor purely scientific
or practical and facilities for this can only be af
forded By combating both in one iustitulion.
0ne-ihird Of this land lsl25000l would endoU
an agricultural department in our University that
would be Of far more advantage 10 us, here in East
Tennessee, than 20 locate she whole fund in an in
stituiion in The middle or western sections Of the
state II is not only wise policy Ger our leeisla-
tors 10 pursue with reference % this question, but