The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-01-16

probably VIII not ue more than OUO re-
naiuing in the schools Sbonld the term
be reduced to fifteen years, as has been
proposed by some, fully one-fifth Of the
lumber now in the schools would enter
upon trades or business within the present
year
No calculation can furnish an estimate
ef the benefits and blessings that are con-
stantly flowing from these institutions
Thousands of orphan children are enjuy-
| ing their parental care, moral culture, aud
educational training who otherwise would
J have suffered poverty and want, and been
left to grow up il idleness aud neglect
| Many widows heart has been gladdened
! by the protection, comfort and religious
sOlicitude extended to her fatheress Off
spring, and Thousands are the prayers de-
voutly uttered for those who have not
been unmIbdful OF them in the time of
their af1ictiou. Ic making the generous
disposition it has done for these destitute
ard helpless orphans, the Legislature de-
serves and receives the heartiest thanks Of
every good citizen, all Of whom will cor
daily approve continuance OF that be-
nehcence. La shielding, projecting, aud
educating the children of our dead sol
diers, the Legislature is nohly performing
its duty. Those children are not the mere
objects OF our charity, or pensioners upon
our bounty, bnt the wards of the Com
monwealth, and have just claims, earned
by the blood O. :heir fathers, upoa its
support and guardianship, which eau ouly
! be withheld at the sacrifice Of philanthru-
~, honor, patriotism, State pride, and
every principle of humanity.
The act Of Congress OF July 2, 1862,
granted land scrip to the several States, to
be appropriated TO the maintenance of
5 colleges, whose leading object it shall
[ be ru give instruction iu the sciences
which minister TO agriculture and the
inechanic arts BY the rule of apporti0n-
, neut, adopted by Cengle ess, 700 900 acres
tel' to the share Of this Commonwealth.
The act of Assembly of February 19, 1867,
appropriated the benefit of the whole of
that grant to the Agricultural College OF
ennsylvania, which has thereby become
subject to the supervision aud guardian
ship Of the State. / therefore invite
your attention to the organization and
condition Of that institution, as exhibited
by the president of the board of trustees,
III his report for the year 1867, which
will be laid before you. The commission
2 crs appointed by the Legislature TO sell
! the land scrip have compleTed the sales,
which amount to S439, l86 80. In accor-
dance with the act of Assembly, the
e one-tenth of the proceeds has been applied
to the purchase of sites for IN ode1 and
Experimental Farms" aud the residue
invested as follows S126 000 in United
States 500 bonds $4,000 in Pennsyl-
. vania war loan, and S235, 900 In the
Pennsylvania hon IS OF 1867.
TIE college has been thoroughly
0 -e-Urgauized in order to make il fully
respond to the objects ana requirements
, nt the act Of Congress and to The educa.
riunal Interests OF the industrial classes,
aud 10 meet these ends 1t now gives
courses ot instruction in general science,
agriculture, mechanical aud civil en- ucineer-
ing, metalur2y and mining, ancient and
modern languages, and military tactics,
employing faculty comprising six pro-
iessorS aud two instructors in the college
y department and three Instructors in the
grammar school. This Important educa-
tional enterprise in the Interests of agri-
culture aud the mechanical arts deserves
favorable consideration.
, An adequate preparation in time of
peace is preservatIve against the prnba-
bilities and contingencies of war This
OFT repeated axiom was not sufficiently
realized before the rebellion, for, when il
broke out, it found the nation wholly
unprepared. Had it been otherwise. the
war which continued through a period of
four years, and cost the country millions
Of treasure, hundreds of thousands of
lives, and au incalcuaole amount of suf-
iering and want, would have been of
comparatively short duration, if not
crushed in Its iucipiency. ThOt war,
however, has not been without its useful
lessons. 1t has taught the necessity of
adhering to principles il, practice which
we have heretofore only acknowIed ged ia
theory. 1t has trained many thousands
| of our young men in the science of arms
aud Infused among them a spirit of mill
tary ardor which may safely be relied on
} in any future emergency, and paved tho
way !or the establishment of military or
ganizatous that will prove a safeguard
and honor to the state. The Legislature,
availing itself of these facts, should ad-
opt liberal aud effective system for in,
creasug aud regulating The volunteer
uiiiila. The law OF 1864, though excel,
lent in many respects, does not maes tho
requirements Of the timo>. aud alterations
aud amendme ntS are needed before it can
accomplish all the plated aud de,
sired objects. The minimum of mcn
necessary TO ioTm company is entirely
too high, aud in lAanY places vheT,
smaller companies would ba formed, i, is
! impossi5.e TO raise ihem IN accordance
) with the ratio established by the ao..-
From the report OF the Adjulant General,