The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-02-29


hour, wisely base their superstructure
on the real wants ana enduring inter-
ests Of the people.
OF all thess the interests Of education
constitute our highest glory and onr
truest safety. II thsre Il anything
which the history Of the world of the
last two hundred yezrs especially
should sngra7e as a with pen ofiron OF
the heart Of every legislator, it Is this
simple but too much neglected. truth
To give stability 70 sdvances siEeady
made, and secure advantages yet to be
desired, this is our one great pressing
uecsssily.
We had occasion to refer in recent
article TO the vast aggregate of iEno-
rance which the census SHOVE obtained
in the bounds Of the Old Dominion.
/ The counties constituting the new
State had only their share OF this, but
for nothing else had they so much
cause ts blush and be justly inesnsed
against the Richmond soIigarehy. A
wise and liberal provision has been
made TO remedy this evil so far as our
common schools are concerned. The
College is the natural and necessary
complement OF these, depending upon
and in various ways being helpful to
them.
Ifthe College depends upon them for
pupils they Ia their turn are equally
dependent on it for teachers. Leyies
have been made and school houses in
large numbers and at great expense
erected, but, as might be expected.
tHeEs is q greviouH dear(b of we'll quail
ned Instructors. In many cases young
men, painfully conscious of their own
deficiencies, have reluctantly consent
ed, at the urgent request Of others, to
assume those duties. In other cases
teachers have been imported from Ohio,
PennsyIvania and other States, whose
interests are not identified with our
people, and who regularly return to
expend the proceeds Of their labor in
their own States, thus making US an
nually and for many thousands of
money tributary to those States. We
do not refer to these things to find
fault. 1t is perhaps the best that, under
the circumstances, could be done. That
this has been the case in many of our
rural districts is only too we'll known
to County superintendent and school
directors. In our College our young
are. in numbers, and under the best in
structiOu, qualifying themselves for
this work. And this is a sufficient
answer to the charge that the interests
Of the College are opposed to those OF
common schools. On the contrary thew
are Identical and the most immediate
wants Of the schools are best supplied
by aiding the College.
Another objection is that the Board
of Visitors had no right to organize the
College on such a scale as to require
legislative aid. The act ofthe Legisla.
ture, in perfect accord with that OF
Congress, expressly authorized theuA
to organize departments of instruction
in Literature, Science, Art, Agriculture
and Military Tactics. This they have
done, in part, and on the most econom
zeal scale. They are men above sus
Picion either as to Judgment or integ
rity. They supposed the State havint
accepted the grant from Congress anC
engaged to provide a College, did 30 il
good faith and would. as other StateI
have done, sustain it. They are no
the men to act part or play at gam
of make believe. They elected as Pro
fessOrs men OF large experience, men
tai power, energy of character an,
thorough education. Their halls hnv
already been filled with the best youtl
OF the State. The question how thes
are to be taught In any one of the a bow
departments is no secondary matter
Take that of Science for instance, an,
see what it has done and Is doing
Through II the elements have beef
seized and harnessed and compelled L
serve us. II has entered our dwelling
and revolutiOniEsd social lIEe-has in
vaded the domain of Agriculture
fertilizing the soil, planting tn,
seed, gathering the crops and pre-
pairing them for market by other thai
human hands-hAs monOpolized ever,
department of manufactures-ente
the realms of trade and commerce, an,
become the most helpful handmade q
rel Eion in regenerating society. ShaI
1t, In effect, be said to the youth of on
State, Boys. we would be very glad Z
see you get a good education, but realI,
West Virginia is too poor to provide
College for you, or is too busy locating
her capital just now, so you had bette
go elsewhere. Your College, place.
above uncertainty and huctnation b,
"A competent endowment, should be a
firmly founded as our West Virgins
mountains and perpetual as tn
springs which dow down her hilIsides
but really we must first expend half
million each in taking care OF our jai
birds and imbeciles before we can pro
vide, on ever so modest scale, a tith
of that sum for your education
Shall it be said in effect to those teach
ers, Gentlemen, we expect you to dc
very substantial work instructinR on
sons, but you must teach suryeyin,
without compass, or level, or chain; anC
as 10 mechanical philosophy, or optics
or pneumatics, or hydrostatics. o.
electricity, or magnetism, or chemis
try, &C., &C., II you cannot get alon,
without apparatus, or library, OF cab,
met. or labratOry, you had better &C
elsewhere"
But did not the people of Morgan
town give largely to havethe College In
their midst, and has not Congress also
provided means? The citizens of thai
place have, to their great credit, done
most nobly in this behalf Their gin