Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-10
FELICIANA SENTINEL
STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICUL-
TURAL AND MECHANICAL
COLLEGE.
-four Home Jourpal.l


Since the PRONUNCIATION ofthe bill
fusins into one establishment the
Agricultural and Mechanical COL
leee and the Louisiana State Univer.
sity we have awaited with much pa
thence and considerable interest un
til such time as the provisions OF
the law should be put into opera
ton, and have eagerly looked for
ward to the time, which we sup
posed close as hand, when Louisiana
should possess al institution, one
of whose principal objects should
be to further the interests of agri-
culture. and to disseminate scientific
and practical information to our
planters and farmers.
We knew tina: a college called
Agricultural and Monchanicap
had been in operation in this city
for the past three years, but which,
from want of funds, had never
been able to give practical irstruc.
ton in mechanics or agriculture;
and while we heartily concede to
the faculty of that Institution all
the praise due them for their sue
cess in spite of the many difficulties
in their way, yet we were not
satisfied with the general direction
of the Institution, and hailed with
pleasure the accession Of new
Board of Trustees, several of whose
members were men Of talent and
energy and devoted to agricultural
interests.
This new Board has met delib~
Grated and decided, and has most
cruelty disappointed all hopes en-
tertaiDed by US, that the intentions
of Congress when making the
special grant, would at last be car
ried into effect.
The so-called Louisiana State
University and Agricultural and
Mechanical College," has been Orr
organized-but where we ask is
the Agricultural Department ?
Where is the farm? Where, in
fact, 60 we find any one OF the
provisions Of the Act, put into op-
grafton?
We were opposed from the first
to grating, so to speak, a young
institution upon an old withered
and barren stock, like the State
University. We deprecated the
eDtrustiug of the new Institution to
the control of any one who had
previously been so very unsuccess>
full; but we were partly satisfied by
the intimation that the combined
colleges would be put under the
direction of well-tried and we'll
known men, and we were some
what consoled, when we saw that
the agricultural interest was so
we'll represented on the Board.
What then was our astonishment-
shall we say our disgust-whcn we
found that during the absence of
the President of the Board. meet
ing took place from which the chief
repr esentatives Of the agricultural
interest were conspicuously absent,
and that the new Institution was
organized, not according either to
the wor ding or even the spirit of
the law, but simply, and solely in
the interests and for the benefit of
the old Louisiana State Uniyersi-
The only funds spoken Of, the
Dnly sums appropriated for current
expenses, come, not from any join;
fund Of the two old colleges, but
from the Agricultural fund alone.
The only course of instruction or
,anizea. the only faculty provided
ire simply to carry out the usual
curriculum of the University. 1:
9 true, an eminent chemist was APP
pointed Professor of Agricultural
at the somewhat liberal
,alary of $4,000 a year; but we can
practice and study agricultural
just as we'll, aye and bet
er. in New Orleans than we can in
Baton Rouge-and we arc there
ore brought, much against our will,
O the unsatisfactory conclusion
hat the bill passed during the last
,urried moments of Kellogg's final
legislature; the bill which could
,e nowhere found when our present
Governor took possession of the
State House, and which suddenly
md mysteriously came to light
Wien our Chief Executive had al
.eady given it up for lost; which
was promulgated on the lst OF
June last, was drawn up and pass
ID, not to further the objects mem
I:s.,ad IN tho hadC of the hill hut |