Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-08-14

libraries and this was followed as carly as
tho year 1710.by tho establishment, by an
act of tho Legislature, Of "froe school in
Charleston for the use Of the inhabitants Of
South Carolina" This was soon followed
by tho erection of selninarics Of learning iu
various parts Of the territory, with tho 40.
probation and material support of tho
Governor of tho Province, which were
aided also by "public bounty and private
donations" So that, ''at any time after
l7l2, or tho forty second year subsequent
to tho settlement of tho proyinHaj" Ramsey,
the historian, says, "the Knowledge Of
grammar and Of the Latin and Greek Ian
guages, aud of mathematics. could bo
obtained in Carolina at any time" This
was good beginning Tho early settlers
about Plymouth could scurccly show q
better record. Besides, Mr.. Ramsey says,
"nonc of the British Provinces, in proper
tion to their numbers, sent SO many of their
sons to Europe for education US South Caro-
lima" AS carly as l7G9 a proposition to
erect college of high grade was introduced,
but for some reason it failed. In 1885,
three colleges, OH paper, were actually
erected by tho Legislature, viz: one a.
Charleston, one at Winnsbovo', aud one at
Cambridge. Ten years afterwards fourth
was started at Beaufort, with handsome
endowment for those days. Two years
after this (l707) another college was started
under the auspices OF the State in Pnck-
noy District, which was called the College
Of Alcxandria.
Only two Of these institutions ever ac..
complished anything of Importance, tho one
at Charleston and the one at Winsboro tho
ono at Cambridge, Cor Ninety Six VIC arc
sorry to say, waB a maeniieent failure. 1t
wen: into the lottery business, for tho purpose
of raising funds, and as is usual, it lost its all;
and the trustees were authorized to sell the
property, pay the debts, and apply the
balance if any, to the establishment Of
grammar schools IN Ahbari'!o District; and
the grammar schools were never established
The College Of Alexandria, who can tell
where it was located? The very nan.c has
passed into oblivion. Thus the carly efforts
OF the State to furnish facilities for obtain
ing an cducation for her sons proved ia Il
large measure abortivc. Eor this there
were, as VIC conceive, two rcasons First,
because there were too many colleges;
second, because the commoa achools and
academies were neglected The system
adopted vas fatally defective, in that it
attempted to erect house without laylog
foundation to build upon. The masses
were uhcuuea'ca' common schoo's were NC,
nol common, ana ac"'em.eS very rare nc
ncnianu ior h'Sner cuucat'oh was, therefore,
no''tea' Vnc coi'cso "ou'o nave oceh
cuo"s"' . ncs,ues' 'hc Apc"sG oi sustaining
lou' OF hVo co''cses IN inc o'n'o ae tha'
carry Pe,loo was cGt'al"'y poyo"a Tue
mr'ns Oh 'ne people, ~ was WEI, meant
oe! i1'-aoVlscu sc"c'hc' anu II oioEe down
ot It's own weight
Thus matters stood at the beginning OF
tho present century. About thH' time
originated the idea of having ono college
for tho State, and placing that at tho CAPT
tai. Of t,is important measure DR..
lIaBorde, in tho history of the South Caro-,
lima College, gives tho following account:
"Thls measure originated in tho contest
wh'eh had arisen between inc upper ana
lomer country Q. Inc "ta1e' "i,h re"p'Gr Mu y
reP'cSeH'a''o" I'D INC '1eg'"'a'uio' nc
upper county,, "mcn r1ro at inc auop'.?n o. Q,
'''o oons'1tu''oh u ! 80 %as o'l"'a.i'I'y
pooi a"u u"PeoP,ou, n"o "',o.'s. " ~, "
lno PROVISIONS o. !lo cons','us'on' 'hucn
s"a"ci -. osoh'".''". - INV "om s.o""
III "ea''n. lar oot-nunioc''": '"e 'o"e'
ooupuy III nS poPu''.,on' lmp'lat,!ely
aonana'"s reform ~ '"o fepteS'n.a''o"
this the people OF the lower country feared
to grant, on tho ground OF the general de-
hclency OF education and lntelliscnce Ia inc
upper country, Winch would render 1t IN
conpetenc 10 exercise w.se'y ana ]us,'y inc
puhci Mhicl sucIl ICiO|m Houiu piacc VI