Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-10-01
THE xINRVEf.SfvY.

f vention assembled, at Hulifax, in De
$ cember, 1776, they laid their command
: upon the government they established
In obedience to this command the Uni
: versity was founded And now tho
IL Is once more in operation, people
naturally desire to know whether the
programme laid down for it will ae
cure that purpose, that is to say
"letht r it will encourage and promote
all useful learning.
Any one who will take the trouble to
examine the plan upon which the insti-
tnt'on was re-Organized, must be sat
lsiied that to-day IL comes Dearer 10
the compliance with the old coustitu-
tlonu requirement than ever it did
Ihe University, as re-organized, is OF
merely the University of the olden
time. 1t is that, and it is much more
than that. The Interpretation now
gwen to the words. all useful learning,
Is no longer narrow and contracted,
but broad aud comprehensive, and
correctly so. .. .....
Latin and Greek and pure mathe-
matlcs now lack very much of being
the sum Of all useful learning. There
is very much other learning that is
usetui, and that needs to be promoted
and encouraged, nowhere so much as
/ at the University of the State Let no
one d'.s pise or eff, ct to dfspise either
Latin or Greek, or Mathema atics. They
| uaye a value aud a very great one is it
but uEou tue principles of doing the
greatest good to the greatest number,
/ 1t seems clear that they should not
/ monopoizs the time of students at
! Cha pei Hill.
This would be a correct view of tho
case at any time, but certainly it is
! SO at the present time owing to
the impoverished condition of our
| people. The old theory was that col
legs were not Intended to imrart the
t-c;rlcal knowledge of any profession
bot norcly to train and dlsci Diiuc tla
nlnd so that after wards Professional
sft;dirs IL ight be entered upon to nuch
advantage. Latin and Greek aud Ma
! thematlcs were found to answer this
purpose admirably. The result was
hat after graduating, young man had
Ii" Professional knowledge whatever
although he had his mild in admirable
condition for the acquisition Of such
Knowledge, ard as matter of course,
other years were necessarily to he de-
voted to the study OF his profession
before he could tnt' npon its practice
studies that trnin ard discipline the
mind. The very studies necessary to
~" mastery If profession may bp
u@e1 also to train and discipline, the
mind, and thus by serving double
purpose, save both time and money.
here have always been, from vari-
0ns causes, a large number of young
men whose command of time and
money has been too limited to permit
them TO pend four years ut college in
training their minds, and then to de-
vote othor years to the acquirement of
the technical knowledge necessary to
be acquired before entering upon the
practice of q profession. To meet the
wants of such, the courses of study
have been much enlarged and an op
tion given to select such studies only
as might bear upon the particular pro-
fession intended to be followed, there
by enabling student to acquire pro-
fessional knowledge, while in the
process of training and disciplining
the mind.
It was to meet this very condition OF
things that the Faculty desired and
the Trustees adopted the present
course of study for the University
upon its reorganization. There are
now five courses open to q student at
the University.
The arts course, which comprises
substantially the Latin and Greek
studies of former times and most ad-
mirablv adapted, it is too, for those
who have the time and means to de-
vote to the acquisition of a classical
education.
2. The Scientific course, which as its
name indicates, is specially adapted to
the wan of those who prefer modern
science to ancient classics.
g. The Agricultural course which
enhances such studies as are necessary
to an Intelligent und erstandmg of the
business of farming. t..
4. The Optional course in which a
student may select for himself such
studies as he may desire to pursue,
tie only requirement being that his
whole time shall be occupied. For
example, if man desires to perfect
himself in the Chemistry or Agricul-
tional course be permitted IT, devote
his whole time TO that study and so of
Civil Engineering. of Mining &c.
5. The fifth and most difficult of ali,
is that necessary to be gone through
in order to secure the degree of Master
OF Arts. sn.s.5". .t-..t' "-
1t will be seen from the above that
the University. as at present organ
ized, seeks to meet the wants of every
class of students. If thorough clas-
! steal education is desired, it can be
had-if pnreIy scientific education is
| desired. that can also be had. If a
purely agricultural education be de-
| sired, that too, can be had. And if
! limited means forbid the selection of
either of these courses, an 1 permit only
special studies, looking to special pur-
poses, that too, can be done. s-si ID
! And thus, so far as its means will
permit, it has come to pass that the
University is a place for the promotion
| and announcement of all useful learn