The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-07-10
An infringement Upon States
Rights.

1Uurtcr, and also IN the Golumpla ne
gt;ster, that there is an effort on foot to
remove Col. Thomas North Carolina
Military Institute to Columbia. In
short, to absorb the South Carolina
University and convert it into North
Carolina military institution. There
is never better time to correct an evil
than to check it in its very incipieucy.
In other words. SO nip it in the bud"
And right here we raise our unqualified
uisapproval. Yea, more than that, our
strong condemnation of any such pro-
jcct.
What reasons are there for such a
course? What inducements can be
held out to the State to allow any such
thing to come to pass. AS Tar as we
can soc, there are none, while there are
MANY that forbid such change. In
our humble judgement, our last Legls-
laturs eyinced degree of lcthargy and
indifference in regard to the reopenipg
Of this University which, to say the
least of it, was not commendablc, and
now this Indifferent spirit is assuming
the proportion Of complete ABSORPTION,
!or if Col. Thomas does by any posi-
BILE means establish his academy there,
we look upon it as nothing more nor
less than an utter apnihiation of our
University. This is dreadful to con-
template; but it is to our mind clear
sequence, and now, in time, we raise
our voice against it.
South Carolina needs nothing to de-
velop her resources and make her the
peer of any State in this Union more
than the thorough education OF her
youth. This must be done, and nothing
can do more towards it than keeping
open to her young men schools of a
nigh standard to which they can get
easy access. What could conduce more
to this than the reopening Of this grand
cid institution What more powerful
lever 10 raise us to wealth, education
and refinement? 1t is want, a burn~
ing want, in the midst of our teople,
and its necessity, sooner or later, must
press itself upon ali. la by gone days
the South Carolina College was an Or
panent and pride to the State whose
H,ame it hore. The graduates reflected
-tAendsr ndsrsssdd rSeiit in all ofs:hc ex-
allied positions to which they were
called, and no one ever carried his G!
rloma from the "Alma Mater" but he
felt kind of reverence and affection
:or it The stern changes inflicted by
war forced US, however, to change it into
a university, and most auspiciously did
i. open and go on until the poisoned
grasp Of Raaicalism took hold Of it.
We have, however, torn that Infamous
grasp from it, and trampled it under
our feet, and now there stand the beau
siful buildings, the splendid library, tie
fine chemical apparatus, all ready to vel.
come our sons. 1t seems strange, pass-
ing strange, that even day should
be spared in not doing our all to reopen
it. We have able men, too, second 10
none in the country, whose services
could be commanded to bring it up to
the high STANDARD that it bore previous
to the war. Now, talk about turning it
into a North Carolina Institute! Why.
it is too bad
In 1898 the State Of Georgia estab-
lished her University. Though perhaps
it has not the national reputation that
Firginia's has, yet it is pleasing to OBJ
serve the tenacity with which she has
held to it, and how she has frowned
down every effort ;hat has been at.
tempted to iujure it: In hcr Constitu-
tional convention, which was held two
years ago, there was some scaling down
of the educational tax, which indirectly
would have seriously effected the well
fare Of this University. 1t was soon
discovered, and c!oqueuce, strength and
power Of intellect were all quickly
brought into playso crush out any such
: thing; and almost with one voice did
she sustain what for nearly one hun
Grcd years she had tostered, loved and
cared for. This is what the Empire
State of the South does. So also does
Virginia and many Others. Shall We
then be behind? Surely not. No where
IRE advantages better than in Columbia
climate. health, its central position, its
easy access, all make it most desirable
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