The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-10-10

from the muck in which they are ra-
things never die. The great
heart of man always has, and always
will respond to that one touch that
ulakes the whole world kin. And it is
we'll that it is so.
Columbia is admirably situated, in
hygienic point of view, to bring to the
South the Northern student prevented
by the climate from prosecuting his
studies at home. And here comes iu
view sufficiently practical for the least
roetic. The Northern student, drawn
by assurances of respect and considera-
ton, would do much eventually to at
tract by an intelligent report that
inquiry into the resources Of Our coun'
try that would result in bringing
capital for investment in factories, and
other schemes of improvement. No
place suits in the whole South go we'll
as C Columbia-in the heart of the great
pine belt-neither too far north for the
Southern nor too far south for the
Northern students. With the Atlantic
depot Of the great Southern Pacific
Railroad, to be most peobably at Char
lesion, what more could be asked ? The
establishment of tho University at this
time would then be a powerful lever tc
bring about these most desirable re.
suits.
As regards the much vexed and deli
cate question of sectarian colleges
Complete, we grant, in thcmselvss) TAX
ing the place of universities in th'
entire scheme of liberal education, w
will simply quote the language of one o
Englond's most distinguished men, il
an address before the the University o
St. Andrews, when chosen to the com
plimentary position of Rector, uni7er
sity man himself, a scholar and states
man, with the experience of centuries
at his hands. He says:
"The moral or religious influence
which an University can exercise, con
sists less in any express teaching thar
in the pervading tone of the place. L
is no. much the teachers business t
take side and fight stoutly for some
one against the rest, as it is to direc
them all towards the establishment ant
preservation of the rules of conduc
most advantageous to mankind. Chris
tianity being an historical religion, the
sort Of religious instruction which seems
to me most appropriate to an University
is the study of ecclesiastical history. l
teaching, even on matters OF scientific
certainty, should aim quite as much a
showing how the results are arrived at
as at teaching the results themselves
Far more, then, should this bs the case
on subjects where there is the widest
diversity of opinion among men ol
equal ability, and who have taken equa
+
Ing should not be in the spirit Of dogma
tism, but in that of enquiry, The pupi
should not be addressed as if his reli'
gion had been chosen for him, but as
one who will have to choose it fol
himself. The various Churches, the
established and unestablished, arc quite
competent to the task which is pocu-
liarly theirs that of teaching each its
own doctrines-as far as necessary to
its own rising generation"
The proper business of an University
is different not 10 tell US from authority
what we ought to believe, and make us
accept the belief as duty, but to give
US information and training, and help
US to form our own belief in a manner
worthy of intelligent beings who seek
for truth at all hazards, and demand to
know all the difficulties, in order that
they may be better qualified to find or
recognize the most satisfactory mode of
resolving them. The vass Importance
Of these questions-the great results as
regards the conduct Of our own lives,
which depend upon our choosing one
belief or another-are the strongest
reasons why We should not trust our
judgment when it has been formed in
ignorance of the evidence, and why we
should not consent to be restricted to o
one-sided teaching, which informs us of
what particular teacher or association
of teachers receive as true doctrine and
sound argument, but Of nothing more.
NEWS ITEMS.
A FIyE-YEAR old daughter Of Gov.
Nichols, of Louisiana, died Of yellow
fever at Thibodeaux on the 9th inst.