The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-11-03
THE UNIVERSITY REGENTS.

Wis city W DcBlu tuc WOTh VI OF
ganizing this institution, and GER
tainly no set of men have ever been
called upon to undertake anything
of more importance to the state.
Hereafter, in a great measure, Texas
will be judged by the character of
her educational institutions, and at
the head of these should stand the
University of Texas, proudly usurp-
ing the field of learning and science,
and contesting ground with the
most noted universities of the world.
1t may be hoped these regents prop
erly comprehend the magnitude of
their undertaking, and that they
will enter upon it with minds and
hearts responding to the task de-
mauded. They have accepted a
most important trust, and the spirit
guiding them at this time should be
such as ought to be moulded into
the being and conduct of an educa-
tional institution having no supe-
rior on this continent. Texas,
through the wisdom and foresight
of its early patriots and statesmen,
made provision for an educational
system, the equal of which has never
been and never will be surpassed in
bounty by any country or state on
the face of the globe. Think of a
hundred millions probably twice
or thrice this sum, if properly man.
aged-being provided by state as
a perpetual fund for the education
of its children and youths, and some
conception may be had of the intent
Out of this great bounty, year by
year, the system is to grow and be
improved upon until at last it will
assume the form of vast and SUBJ
stantial structure, whose browning
glory must be the state university.
From its fountains of learning and
science and philosophy should flow
the pure streams that must make
a system of beauteous waters be-
low; from its limpid springs must
gurgle sparkling. draughts, that
when they have inYigorated the
mind and body of youth must pro-
duce the grandest manhood, presid-
ing over field of intelligence more
than coextensive even with the lin
its of the state. Texas is great IN
area, great in productive resources,
and if she be great in the intelligence
and wisdom of her people, her clone
star" must certainly shine more bril-
liantly than all others in the galaxy
of states. There must be a foun-
tain head to make her great in that
element which perfects society, but
that fountain head must be grand
and pure. Our great rivers move
onward to the gulf with supreme
majesty; and never failing in their
courses, they feed the great Mexican
sea, there lives forever this evil
dence of their force and yigor. The
pure mountains. springs that feed
them also live eternal in their purity
and beauty, and Barton and San
Marcos and San Pedro ever pour
their bold and limpid tides into the
never ending, ever flowing rivers,
grand in their beauty, blessings
to active and passive nature. So
we would see this university. The
current of wisdom that flows from
it should be ever present IN our So
cial and political and material
beings. 1t is a grand work, requir-
ing wisdom and experience of no
ordinary sort to make a perfect
thing. These regents can shape for
us a university in name-in fact the
letter of the statute makes that-but
we want an institution in character
equal to the best the world knows.
Why should we not, before many
years, have here at the beautiful and
healthy capital of Texas Cambridge
or Bohn or a Heidelberg or Liepsig.
Why should Texas not foster Har-
ward or a John Hopkins or Vir-
ginia university. She can, provided
these regents enter upon the task
before them with minds and spirits
equal to the purpose. We want no
imposing structures now these will
come in their own good time when
the spirit of the Alma Mater lives in
the hearts of thousands, and when
on, and another who have passed
out of university life into noble and
valuable manhood control the des-
tiny of Texas. Lecture rooms and
laboratories and scientific appliances
are a necessity, and, with these to
begin with, we want some of the
greatest thinkers of the age, whose
names would at once make the
Texas university great. We want q
faculty, not made of factious and
jealous pedagogues, inflated by sud.
den elevation, but we want profes
sors whose names are already well
known in the world, men whose time
and talents are worth inviting sala.
ries, men whose names would make
reputation for the institution, and
whose connection Herewith would
not limit the matricolants to
two or three hundred Texas boys
but whose brilliance in the field Of
learning would attract young men
from the entire Union, and from
foreign states, whose reputation:
would make the Texas university
second to no other university. Lei
the field of learning and science be
fully scanned, and the brightest
lights it contains be gathered there
from to preside'ov the schools OF
this university, and to shape its des.
tiny in the new field of competition
to which Texas properly and proud.
ly aspires.
SECRETARY K1RKwooD reported
that while at Fort Reno he saw six
thousand Indians doing nothing ex-
cept play and eat rations issued by