The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-07-15
COLUAEBIA,, IS IS. G.
Friday morning, July 10. 1870.
The Cornell Untvers1iy- Its Peculln,
Features *

AT Ithaca, New York, the Cornell Uni
vsrsity is located. This is emphatically
a modern inetitution-based upon the
utilitarian idea. The effort is here made
to combine tlfe practical with the theoreti-
cal. Colleges of Agriculture and the
Mechanic Arts have been established,
and ''the bread and butter sciences"
clearly predominant. The drift of the
institution is thus apparent. Antiquity
is not the meat upon which the profes-
serial Caesars fed. It seems to be the
object Of the founders of the Cornell Uni
versity, to show that learning for its own
sake, and learning for, the sake Of the
material rewards connected with it, are
not objects of inconsistent interest. It
has been said, s'The men of letters are
priesthood. Upon this idea. universi
ties hitherto have been built But in the
Cornell scheme, ''it is attempted to build
cloister round about factory" We
shall watch with interest the progress OF
this experiment and the development Of
this new scheme. We are informed that
the work will be carried on under ia
vorable auspices. The professors are
said to be young, enthusiastic, able and
energetic, and will, therefore, give the
experiment fair test. The effort is to
carry on at the same time education that
is liberal and inlustriul-to add general
culture to course of special training.
We are told that Cornell is also peculiar
in this, viz: that it is ''unsectarian, "and,
therefore, "unreligious. On this point,
correspondent of the New York World
very correctly says:
''To its character as q place of special
education in which it only pretends
to make experts, this is of no impor-
tance. But surely no one will say that
it is unimportant to its character rs
place of general education, in which it
pretends to develop men, that the source
and soul of manhood should be left alto
gether out of its account. The old uni
versities were established for the promo
tion of true religion and sound learn
ing The formula is, indeed, outworn.
But there was no question when it was
enuncinted what true religion meant, or
rily suppressed. But every two men you
meet now, will give two answers to it.
And as Sound learning now as then,
means the sort that tends to promote
true religion, it is equally debatable.
The chapels ut Oxford tell the same
story as the lecture-rooms, albeit, both
may be something musty. In this coun-
try, every sect has its colleges, where
studies are planned into some sort of
conformity with spiritual idea. Even
at West Point, there is q pipe-clayed
piety and worship of God according to
the regulations. But the founders of
this university have recognized that we
are in that condition when old things
are passing away, but when all things
have not yet become new. That consi-
deration seems to be good ground for
deferring the foundation of university
until the founders have arrived at q con-
clusion about what must be in all educa-
ton, as in all human transactions, the
chief corner stone. But they have pre-
ferred to solve the problem by rearing
superstructure and leaving the founda-
ton for more settled times. They have
provided, and believe they are admi-
education which will enable those who
to the top of the social ladder. The old
universities we're protest against, this
is compliance with, the spirit of the
time. The old universities stood for the
spiritual, and against the material, as
pect Of things. This espouses the mate
rial side, and shows its students how to
make the very best of it. AS techno-
logical school, its apparatus and its in
structors insure it success. Philosophy
Novalis said, can bake no bread, but it
can find US God. Freedom, Immortality
Philosophy, according to the scheme of
this university, can bake bread, and,
moreover. butter it, but it is extremely
doubtful whether it can do the other
things. 1t is easy for the American
scholar to perceive said another writer,
that he lives not to receive the loudest
plaudits nor to win the richest trophies
of his time. But he lives to utter q
truth The Cornell tells him that he
can do both, or in any case, the former
I nm speaking, of course, OF the perma-
mont purport of the institution, and not
of the many able and devoted men who
are at present engaged in it. So speak
ing, as place Of practical education, it
is full of promise, and not barren of por-