Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-06-11
From the Raleigh Sentinel.
Pen and Ink Sketches Of the UniVerSi-
ty OfNOrth Carolina, as il Has Been.
To THE ALUMNI OF THE UNIVERSITY.
NO. II.
THE NEW DI. AND PHI. HALLS.

THE NEW DI. AND PHI. HALLS.
In 1859, tho corner stone of two eddi.
tiQnal buildings which were to contain the
Libraries and Debating Hall of the two
Literary Societies and also to afford new
recitation rooms and dormitories, were
laid. The number Of students which had
| huctuated a good deal during the first ten
years of Gov. SWANS administration had
however on the whole steadily advanced.
! and for several years previous to so had
exceeded the capacity of the college build
ings And the students accordingly had
overhowed into the village, occupying
every spare room and office. This led
Chapel Hillians to the erection of neat lit
tie two roomeG Offices all over the town.
Whoever was lucky enough to have con-
venient corner in his yard, or d vacant lot,
filled it up with an office or two and forth
with rented the same at any price he chose
to ask. This soon became q popular way
of investing surplus capital. The new col
lege buildings it was supposed would ruin
tL csc investments, but it seems they did
not, for being warmed with furnaces they
were found on trial to be unpopular as
dormitories with the young men. The
new Debating Halls were splendid apart
ments, and elegantly furnished by their
respective Societies.
THE PORTRAITS.
Not the least interesting objects Of atten-
ton about the University buildings are the
portraits of distinguished North Carroll
mans which adorn these Society Halls
There are Davie, and Bakely, and VIM. r.
King, and Mangum, aud Hawks, and Dob
bin, and Badger, and Mebane, and Polk :;
there too are Gov. Swain, and Drs. Caid-
well, and Hooper, and Mitchell. and Phil
lips. Many Of these are valuable not only
as admirable Hkenesses, but as fine paint
ings and by distinguished artists.
DO these faces which seem instinct with
life look down unmOved on the silent desc
lation which now surrounds them ? Have
no glances of wondering SORROW and dis
may been exchanged among these men, or
naments Of the State while they lived, the
pride and boast OF their respective Soce~
ties, to whom the honor Of their UNIVERSE
ty was desrer than life ? II ever "more
their echoes talk along the walls " methinks
one may now hear the accents of indigna-
ton and contempt in those Halls if ever
shadowy forms are seen to glide along the
corridors, those empty buildings are now
haunted. Into what hands have we fallen,-
they may we'll exclaim, what poor and beg
carly preience is this OF University :
What daily farce is this upon which we are
compelled to look Is this North Caro-
iina's gratitude to US !? Is this Der venera-
ton for our memories, and for tie precious
heirlOoms which we bequeathed her
All no If there be any one rcdeem;ng
thought of the present situation Of North
Cardinals University as contrasted with
it as it once was, it is il the fact that North
Carolina as State has had no hand in it's
degradation. So far she is clear, and
stands aloof, " consenting not to the coun-
sci and deed of them" As yet she looks
on. in significant inactiOn. But the day
will come ye fathers Of the State, when
with sounds of rejoicing and tears of glad
ness we will go up to place our University
once more in hands worthy Of the trust, |
fit to succeed those who are gone and
who will restore that ancient scat to It's
former pride and place and lift it to an
even higher stand in our confidence and
affection. Till then North Carolina will
be patient She will do nothing unworthy
OF herself, or of her fair rcnown in the |
past Her strength in regard to the Uni |
versity is, for the present, to sit stiU Let |
those. who have been placed there now
by the blind folly of party and who are
endeavoring to carry on the blind farce of
a political institution of learning, stay
there if they choose and eat the bread OF
idleness at her expense, North Carolina
will see with a smile that they do it IN
idzeneSS.
THE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.
In 1923, the first series of the North
Carolina University Magazine was issued,
edited by committee of the Senior Glass,
and supported by nobody in particular.-I
Under the latter condition, therefore, it
lived but two Or three years. After the
of College Magazines it referred
frequently to Thermopylie, Perlcles, and
tle Gracchi; it dreamed its '' Dreams" in
scribed Lines to Miss --;" and sang
hating measures in praise of 60 Long ago"
and 'Never More" All young people are
given to melancholy. There
were also elaborate reviews of Byron,
Shelly and Macaulay, and Papers
touching certain statesmen, the heroes of
College imagination. [ remember No. l
was devoted to the merits of Sc Hon. Lewis
Cass, the first of living American gen
fuses"
In 1851-'52 began the second series,
which, as long as it continued in existence
till the outbreak of the war-was we'll
sustained blythe public and bore the impress
of Gov. SWANS guiding hand. He took
a very keen interest in it. Every number
contained something from his stores of the
Revolutionary history of the State, and
though young 1aOJ Olu say once LndI
there never was anything in the University
Magazine but dry stuff about the War of
the Regulation, yet [ will venture to Say
that it is to its pages, disregarded in their
day, that the future historian of the State
and the University will turn for much of
his rarest material. Even now inquiry is
being made for it, and stray numbers arc
picked up eagerly. There was visible all
through the course of this Magazines
career, marked improvement from year to
wear. There was also a marked improve
ment visible in the tone of the College. The
young men were moro amenable TO public
opinion. Things that were done openly
and without rebuke in 1916, would have
been generally condemned in 1855, and
things that were tolerated in 1856 would
have been utterly secuted among the stu
dents in 1860.
AS To MORALITY.
And this brings me to rather delicate
ubiect of consideration, and yet it IS a
subject that needs airing. It has often
been urged against Chapel Hill that there
was more vice, profigacy and dissipation
of every kind going on unchecked
there, than in most other Colleges.
T do not claim to be well posted