The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-01-12
An Appeal 10 the Legislature I'm
IBehaIf Of an Agrieu tural nnd
Mechanical College.

Mechanical CO1I~Se.
EDI1oKs CLARION: desire IN this CON-
munication 10 call the attention Of the Ley
islaturc 10 matter which conceive to be OF
great importance 10 the agricultural and
mechanical interests Of the State. | refer
IN the establishment OF an Agricultural and
Mechanical College. Some years ag1 the
Congress OF the Umted States donated 10
the State what Is known a. the Agrcultu
raj Scrip Fund. amounting to something
near two hundred thousand dollars, the in
terest Of which was ~ be use for the estab-
lishment and maintenance Of Pm institution
OF this character In this Safe. Has MISS
sippi carried oIt Ia good faith the intrn ion
Of Congress and appropriated the Interest
on the fund In proper manner! ] answer
emphatlcally, no. How has she appropriated
| IL? By lacking on N the tail end of OK
| ford an Agricultural ID 'paftment, which Is
a humbug aud delusion, have heard.
aud have no doubt Of its truth, that stu
dents who enter this department at Oxford
are sncercd al. This Il the natural conse
quence v hen the supreme folly Is commit
| ted of attaching 10 purely literary iBsti-
tuition an agricultural department, aud
hold 1t Is not carry Ing out In good faith the
intention OF Congress In making The dona-
| ton. | would not be understood In this as
censuiing the management OF Oxford. She
| fiits " NOtk W DtIiOlHl lOl lut Dtdhff Aiu i
think Is doing 1t well, but In the nature OF
things she can't do this work. IL IL entirely
foreign from the purposes OF her found
ders, and IL Is folly, the worst Of folly, to
impose IL on her. What we want aud what
the State needs IA an institution In which
the leading idea Is agriculture and me han
les.
IL Is fa.hionabla with some people 10
sneer az anything like science In agrlcu'-
.A.... %. Ii.
muscle Is necessary TO successful farming.
This is certainly great mistake. One Of
the greatest needs of the farmers OF Mis-
slssippi Is the civilizations OF their brains, So
that they may intellgently direct the Ia
Dor Of their hands, shorten their hours OF
toll, and make their avocatiOn o pleasant
and pleasing pursuit rather than anirksome
task, None will deny that we are peculiar.
ly an agricultural people, and that thl,
great Interest from which most OF our
wealth Is derived, underlles all Others, and
Il IL langushes all others must feel the bale.
ful effects, and hence it Is the duty of the
State to foster 1t by every Legitimate
means.
The agricultural industry Of this State
trust has touched bottom In the dow nwarC
3 road, and I hope viii now change front ant
move forward on career OF prosperity
One OF the means to this end, Is an insttu
ton ~ which our young men whose capGc.
tiles and inclnatlons lead them to follow
agricultural and mechanical pursuits, may
receive practical, scientific education, thai
!, will qualify them to become useful, perhap,
eminent, In these avocations. How many
, young men Of the country have gone into
some OF the learned professions, Tor which
they were wholly unsuited, because. 1t wa,
fashionable to do so, being educated In som,
institution where the leading idea pointcc
! In that direction, who drag out existence
! as mere cyphers, drOnes in the great hive o
! humanity, and fall in all the purposes o.
I life, aud pass away without contributing
anything to the great storehouse of wcaltl
| In the world, simply because their naturs
= capacities and inclinatlons were not prop
eily educated aud directed.
) think the agricultural aud mechanical
D interests OF the State can reasonably ash
the Legislature to carry out the intention
\ Of Congress in making the donation ant
establish a school OF this kind on safe ant
! economical basis, placing 1t within Oh,
: reach OF men OF moderate property to edu
cato their sons In the branches which will
best promote the agricultural and mechan
, zeal interests OF the State.
? A FARMER OF EAST MISSISSIPPI.