Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-12-22
A SUBSCRIBER.
Academic. and College. Among the Baptls,s.

Academies and Colleges Among the Bapfists.
The interest felt by the American people in
popular education finds an illustration in what is
now being done by the Baptist denomination, in
quiet unostentatious way, toward providing
first-class academies designed to occupy an inter
mediate relation to the common school on one
hand and the college on the other. This move
rnent received an impetus at the General Educa-
tional Convention of that body, held in Brooklyn,
N. Y, about year since, though previously they
possessed number of institutions of the class
mentioned. Fortune seems to favor them in this
work. They opened, few months since, at
Hightstown, N. j., an Institute for males and
females, the grounds and building costing
s15O,OOO, all of which is provided for, Mayor
Peddie, of Newark, contributing s25,oOo. During
the last month they opened another, of the same
class, in Bridgeton, New Jersey, costing $75, ,000
In Pennsylvania they had three schools OF a
similar character in operation located in Factory
vile, Luzerne Co., Reidsburg, Clarion Co., and
Upton Blair county. Recently the Baptist church
in Greene county, and in the adjacent counties of
that State have agitated the subject Of first
class Academy and are now engaged in raising
S100, 900 to begin the enterprise, toward which
sum one gentleman has subscribed $l0, ,000. MIR.
Cook, gentleman of large wealth, residing in
1dVdnh, Dtdto VI NtW 1olh, han ieOohoiy. Poh
chased the fine grounds and magnificent build
ings known as the Peoples College, located at that
place, and which competent judges report could
not be replaced for less than from 200 to
5000, 900, and presented the same to the Baptist
denomination in his section of the State for an
Academical Institution of the highest grade.
Another institution costing $50 900 in Missouri,
erected as an independent enterprise, has recent
ly been donated, to which donation gentleman
in the town where it is located has added the gift
of $50, 500 as an endowment. In Illinois the
Almira Female College, heretofore belonging to
private corporation and valued at SlO5, ,0O0, has
been donated. There have been recently other
instances Of like generosity, while at other i'm
portant points it is proposed to found similar
institutions at an early day. The purchase of
Wyoming College, in this State, was only in
accordance with the general aim of the denomi-
nation in the matter of education. These schools
are purely for scientific and literary culture,
nothing of distinctive edenominationalcast being
taught, while, of course, they are the property
and under the supervision Of the Baptist denomi-
nation. In this movement the freedmen OF the
South-a large number Of whom are Baptists-
are not forgotten. An effort is now being vigor'
| ously prosecuted by Rev. DR.. j. b. Simmons to
raise $5O0000 toward founding and endowing
schools for their benefit. A considerable portion
has been raised, properties purchased, and
schools established at number OF important
points in the South
The design of these schools among the freed
| mon is to raise up from among themselves
competent teachers and religious instructors
Religious enterprise of such nature mus
tend to impart stability to our free institutions