The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-19
RAR UPoN LE1RNIN0.

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The action Of the House of Represents.
tives on Friday touching the bill for
the relief of the College Of William and
Mary should put at rest any real or pre-
| tended fears concerning the payment of
| war claims by Democratic House. Tt 4
| unfortunate that this should be done in AZ
bad cause. The principle building of
the College of William and Mary was bSrn-
ed by Federal troops on the 9th of Senfern-
Der, 1862. A bill to reimburse the College
has been before several Congresses, Tbe
bill asked for $65 900. less than the actnaI
value Of the burned building, without in.
terest. 1t was not really "war claimn an
much as it was the plea of venerable
institution of learning for reimbprsement
for actusl damage done by the Federal
Government. 1t was fairly and ably aronaJ
| on the floor of the House that the passaos
of the bill would in no sense be daneesS
| ous precedent, in opening wide the door
to the passage of countless "rebel claima y
for it stood by itself. It was conseDted
that the bill itself should declare that IL
should not be regarded as q precedent for
future bills. It was defeated, however. as
"war claim" !" The vote on Friday show
ed l27 nays to 81 yeas.
This request came in attractive and for.
chile shape. II such bill could be rejected
the country 10 not in danger Of having its
Treasury depleted by the passage of "rebel
claims" by q Democratic Congress. No
claim could come with juster appearance.
The College of William aud Mary was
founded lS6 years ago. We have before
called attention to her contributions to the
country. She had given us three Presi.
dents-Jeferson, Monroe aud Tyler. She
has furnished seven Cabinet officers for
the Executive Department of the Govern.
ment. To the Judiciary she gave Chief
Justice Marshall. She provided the chief
auther of the Constitution of the Uaited
States, and for the first American Conpress
its President. She educated four of the
siguers of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, as well ss it's author. She has
taught fifteen United States Senators and
about twenty members of the House of
Representatives, and seventeen Governors
of States. She gave General Scott to the
army, and Warrington and Catesby Jones
to the navy, aud host of others. She pre-.
sented an eminent historian aud many
writer's to our literature, to Virginia and
the country thirty-seven Judges, TWENTY
twelve of her own Professors The College
gave to George Washington his first COM
mission in the service Of his country, and
was Chancellor of the Uni
versity when he died. These, as one might
say, are some of the public services of the
College of William and Mary. 1t is a prin-
ciple everywhere recognized among lcivil-
ICED nations that no " ar shall be made upon
learning. 10 the bloodiest wars monuments
and public libraries and collections in art
aud science and hospitals and C ourches are
Institutions of learning are
held in special reverence by devastating
armies.
In this country of universal education it
would seem that they should have special
respect. And an Institution of learning
that is altogether impersonal aud almost
is neither capable ofloyalty nor
1isloy atty. 1t is fountain of learning, from
which all political creeds may be drawn.
The University can do no disloyal act, and !.
should be punished for none, and to wage
war upon letters does not become Repub-
ic. The College knows no sectionalism; it
should be the victim of none. But il
claim of wounded learning, and such
claim, is rejected by the House on the
ground, plainly untenabie, that it is
war claim" there need be no more terror
about the payment of those ':rebel claims"
Bot to establish the precedent that the
United States, alone of civilized nations,
nay make war upon learning is more per-
,icions than to pay claim of $65. 600.