Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-03

~ Blr1LEpsEv11LK, December s1.-For several
months past have noticed in print and heard
in addresses and elsewhere remarks calculated
to fnjure the State University. The imputation
has been put upon the legislators of the State
that they have attempted to drum for the
University Now, the truth is that it is the
only male college in the State which has no
''drummers' out, and that 10 some extent ac
counts for the fact that the number of pupils
is not so great as it has been several years
SINCE The UNCONVENTIONAL colleges have two
"drummers" in the Wesleyan Christidn AdUo-
cate and in the Christfan hlder. which deal out
praise constantly and unstintingly Of Mercer
and Emory Colleges, and in which appear as.
sertions Injurious to the interests of the State
University. Besides, Emory never fails to be
represented at the various District Confer
enees, Of which there are about thirty during
the year. and at the annual conferences and
camp-meetings. The same is true as regards
the associations and convention in the case Of
Mercer. Thus every minister becomes sub
agent in the interest of these colleges. An
agent is employed to travel in the interest of
each institution to drum" up endowment aud
patronage. The wonder is under this system
that in the case Of a denomination having $780,
| 600 members, its institution Of learning
averages under hundred pupils yearly. Surely
this can not be attributed to the system. 1t is
a wise system. and the denominations are per
| fectly right in using it. merely mention it to
/ show that the opinion generally held that the
| UNCONVENTIONAL institutions are at q disadvan-
tage in competing for patronage is to a great
/ extent incorrect. The University Of Georgia
has no organ by which it may speak to the peo-
pie and tell them OF the advantages to be derived
| from course pursued in its halls. The press
| Of the State never take any especial notice of
| the University. | read constantly two leading
| dailies in which the advertisement Of free tut
tion occurred, and no attention was called to
| the same at any time, and notice taken
/ OF what may be called an epoch in
| the history of the institution. OF
press should become 'drummers for the Uni
versity. but do not see that the interests of
the State will be injured by kindly notice and
| praise being given Of the institution at times.
| The University has no access to any public
meeting during the year except directly before
| the Legislature once, and indirectly by the ap
pearance Of its professors before the State Ag
| ricultural Society. 1t will be readily SEEN
then. that if the patronage OF the University is
not what it ought to be, it is the fault OF cir
| cumstances, and not ia the University.
| OF course persons intent upon benehting the
| UNCONVENTIONAL colleges disavow any desire of
| injuriDg the University Of Georges. May be
that is so, but there are assertions
| made which have doubtless caused in
| jury. Some Of these / know. l know
/ not how many others of a similar nature there
| have been made in the still hunt all over the
/ State wish to notice and answer some Of
| these.
An agent of one of the denominationaI col
| leges stated within my hearing, that even with
| free tuition at Athens a student could 90
| through the institution he represented at less
| expense; this he said was because Of the extra
| VACANT mode of living at Athens. / cannot inn
| agine how he could believe this He certainly
| could not have tried to inform himself on the
/ point Of expenses, or he would certainly have
| known that Athens is a much cheaper place to
| live in than the place in which his institution
| is situated, having, I suppose, the best wagon
| trade in the State, and this causes the products
| necessary to a boarding house to wbe
cheaper than elsewhere. 1t may safely
| be said that Athens is the cheap
| est place for a college for males in the State.
| Extravagant habits in Athens are not known.
| This might have been the case before the war,
| but not now. The young men who go there do
| so with a purpose to acquire knowledge, and to
| be fitted for the conflict OF life. / have not
| specified by name the author of this assertion,
for 1t was made In private. It certainly does
| not bear publicity.
have been Informed that a person author
/ tied to represent another institution stated at
| ThOmasville, where the State University has
| branch college, that a student at Athens en-
/ joyed no religious advantages at all, little or no
/ religious influences were brought to bear upon
| him, and the Agent of Mercer University states
in his lecture delivered in different parts Of the
| State that the State cannot teach religion,
| that this is entirely outside of its province,
/ ana hence J0aL eQuCaIlOn &C a State university
| must OF necessity be one-slded education.
| Now, what is religiOnf Is it a belief in predes
| tnation or freedom of the will, in immersion
or in sffusion, in the Episcopacy or in the Pres
| bytery, etc.i Doubtless many would say so. If
| so then is the State University 0ebarred from
| intoxicating any such particular set Of views on
| its pupilsf But religion has been defined to be
| 1.-THE recognition Of God as an object of WOr-
| ship, love and obedience-right feelings toward
| God as rightly appTehended" In this sense
the University is not debarred the precious
| privilege Of attending to the spiritual welfare
| of those committed to her. And if it is said
| that she can not have any reference
| to religion, l say that she does. l scruple
| not to say that the University is not the least
| behind the UNCONVENTIONAL colleges in this re-
/ spect. / know this, for have eXpel fenced it.
| Well do remember the regular Sunday even
| ing meeting of the Young Mems Christian AS
| ISOLATION Of the University. This has been
| kept up for years. Also on every Sunday
| evening the Chancellor is required to give
| lecture to the students. who are required to
| attend. These are always excellent and do
| great good The professors themselves are all
| church members and as cody men as are to
| be found anywhere and in this way by their
| examples they are always doing good. What
| religious instruction from books is equal to
| the pure character of a respected professor
daily to be read by the pulls
! who appear before him. Athens
| itself, verify believe, has more religious ser
| vices than any other place in the State.
| person could be at church nearly ali Of Sun
day, and actually attend q PRAYER meeting
| each night In the week if he SO chose re-.
| peat that pe rsons attending the University OF
| Georgia have as good religious advantages as
| elsewhere.
! The State cannot teach religionl WHY In the
very first act Of the United States appropriat
| ing lands for educational purposeG we have
| the following language: Article 3 Religion
| morality and knowledge being necessary to
| good government and the happiness Of man
| kind. schools and the means of education shall
\ forever be encouraged Encouraged for
Hhat1 Why the inference can only be
Ateach religion, morality and knOwl-