New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-18

| nothing OF those indispensable AIDS
health. bathrooms and a gymnasium. An
all this is true, setting aside only enoug
lodging rooms for seventy-twO cadets.
Some persons even express surprise ths
we require more room now than forlnerl.
As well might they wonder that the JACKIE
of boy is not large enough for man!
our facilities for education are not create
and our ideas ON the subject not brOade
now than they were then, why, most a
suredly, are we here in charge of this il
situations to very little purpose. Let an
Judge of the needs of such school com
here and examine fully, l think he must e
away with this opinion: the university ha
not sufficient quarters
think it should be the object to make tn
ion here absolutely free to all. To do thai
either special appropriation of not less tina
$50 900 in currency must be made annual
or the Agricultural and Mechanical Coileg
fund should be given to the university
The interest on that fund is about $50, 00C
which. together with the annuity of tn
university ($S2S0). would be sufficient T.
maintain tolerably good faculty. leavin!
a sum still to be voted, from time to time
| for the necessary increase and preservation
of the library. apparatus. cabinets, etc.
I am firmly of the belief, as have eve
been. that the State would consult its bes
interests to combine the Agricultural ant
Mechanical College with this university
Twenty two States Of the Union have simi
larly disposed of that fund; and if Connect
cut dscreed ii advisable to give her agri
cultural and mechanical fund to Yale, anC
New York hers to Cornell. and Kentucky
| and Georgia all theirs to their respective
State universities may it not be well FOL
Louisiana to consider If there is not wisdom
in such policy!
Liebig. the father Of agricultural chemis
try, gives his opinion in favor of combining
| technical with intellectual training of a
| general nature. He says that the special
scientific students who have first had q
| good collegiate education. excel those whose
! mental discipline and range of study have
! been less, and that agricultural colleges
! ought always to be connected with institu
! lions devoted to other departments OF in.
structiOn."
And the able Senator. Hon. Mr.. Morrill,,
of Vermont, must have had this idea in his
mind when. as q Representative in Con-
gress in 1862, he caused to become law the
act establishing the agricultural and me-
chanical colleges, "where the leading OBJ
jecf," TO quote from the law ''shall be-with-
out excluding other scientific and classical
studies and including military tactics-to
teach such branches OF learning as are re-
lated 20 agriculture and the mechanical arts,
in such manner as the Legislatures of the
OUAUSS HAY Respectively pItbCTlDt, Ill OIutE
to promote the liberal and practical educa-
ton of the industrial classes in the several
pursuits and professions of life."
We believe it was the object Of the law
60 establish an institution (which should
touch with one hand the workmans bench.
and with the other the astronomer OBJ ,erv-
atory, bringing practical and scientitic cul-
ture within the reach Of the apprentced
workman for his elevation to the rank Of
.,x<a eli Jal Ill, sd A1a
time Offering to all Who are ready to re-
ceive it, the best advantages Of tho highest
education"
am in favor Of having tuition here abso-
lutely free 70 all, because the State needs
this. ALI her manifold industries and en-
terpTies, many thousands Of persons who
have more than the rudiments OF knOwl-
edge. the supply OF persona of such ad
vanced culture, the private institutions of
need, and hence the State should interfere
to supplement the work. The same may be
said, with even greater truth and emphasis,
Of that profounder learning, that higher
and wider culture, which it is the province
OF the university to bestow. The loss
which nearly or quite all the States Of this
Union sustain because SO few of their young
men are qualified to act as leaders in the |
discovery, development and utilization of |
OuCh WOuNCllul LCNOuICSD, dul La I
lighting the people onward and upward TO- |
ward worthier and grander civilization, |
is, believe, simply incalculable.
ITO do this on The grand scale Of the |
whole body polite, by providing common
schools for all, and high schools and uni |
yersities for as many as desire to enter
them, is sound policy for the State
Louisiana should have one university N
Fact, and her facilities for higher education
n 49, t,ar
7ersity or college. Why, then, be guilty of
dividing even the little means we have7
The Agricultural and Mechanical College
hOuld come to the State University, or the
State University should 20 to the A"ricul.
ural and Mechanical College, wherever L
nay be located. BE sure to combine the two.
The State University needs the funds OF the
agricultural and Mechanical College to help
maintain its professors Oflnathematics, phys
cs, chemistry, engineering, natural history.
english, French and German, and its mill !
airy instructors: and the Agricultural end
College needs itself not only I
hose professors, but the buildings, lnot .
ollar of the Agricultural and Mechanical.
,ollege fund can. by law, 90 into brick and
lortar,) grounds. libraries, laboratories,
pparatus. cabinets, museums etc, G. the
tate University.
The State OF Louisiana has accepted the |
gricultural and Mechanical College grant
land: she must use this fund soon. by |
uly I. next, or forfeit it; and by tho terms
the grant, the State. or private ;ndi-
iduala, must erect the necessary buildings.
.Ov can Louisiana now. in the midst OF her /
overly and distress. supply this all essen. /
al want. Why, by combining the agricul. ,
lral college with the university, and put
ng the joint institution in this building. | (
he Deaf and Dumb Asylum to be accom-
Odated in much smaller and less costly
Hiding.
By that plan, an expenditure Of $50,00O
light suffice to give proper quarters to the !
rec State institutions; but if the Joint Ag- 4
cultural and Mechanical School and the
ate University are not given this building
Q State must incur an expense Of not less F
an $20O,0OO for their accommodation:
I'd ii the two State schools are not made
10, that expense (abOut) must be incurred |
r each; or for two college buildings, about
100000 And in that way the Agricultural
i'd Mechanical College can go into opera
N at once; but if buildings are to be B
ected, there will be delay of two or
rec years. 1
Now, if the State acts IN this matter, as +
,uld a private individual in managing his
airs, will 1t hesitate moment to combine
Q university and the Agricultural and S
College, and to locate the Joint
hool here in this large State building
srely going TO the comparatively small
pense of $4,000 (say) to give the Deaf F
d Dumb Asylum suitable quarters. T
A due regard for Louisiana in her tinan- A
i distress, demands the union of the two =
ate schools; the best educators in the c
Id recommend it; twenty-five States of q
. Union have given their Agricultural n
d Mechanical College fund wholly to :,
Dir leading literary and scientific school;
d two years ago the Legislature of Louis
IA was asked to do likewise, to give all
: grant to this institution, by several a,
ndred OF her chief citizens from every y,
TT of the State
While I would locate the Joint school,
ERE fha greatest niaru ind