Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY.
washington's Desire % Establish it IN
the FEDERAL City.
WHY HE FAVORED A GREAT NATIONAL INs9J
TUTIoN-THE DANGER OF EDUCATING AMERI
CANS ABRoAD-How HE THOUGHT SECTIONAL
PREJuDIcEs MIGHT BE oBLrrERATED.
The bill recently introduced in the Senate BY
Mr. Ingalls, to establish and endow a national
university in this city has brought forward
again for consideration scheme which was first
proposed by George Washington, and was "a
vored by many distinguished statesmen in the
early days of the republic. Washington's mind
was busted In the latter years Of life with many
great schemes concerning the future welfare OF
his country. and he was especially interested
In the future of the Federal City. Among the
projects he favored there was none to which
he attached more importance than the estab-
lishment ofa national university. HeIselected
site for the university buildings and set aside,
As his contribution towards the endowment
fund, fifty shares of stock in the Potomac Navi-
cation company, which had been voted to him
BY the Virginia legislature. This gift never
became available as the Potomac Navigation
stock never acquired any value.
THE GENEVA PROPOSITIONS.
A plan was proposed at one time to trans
fsN' W. -AAAASA W. VIC Va uOn0No, Out
the proposition never met with favor from
Washington. Writing to John Adams No
vember "a, 17o4, Washington said:
nave not been able to give the papers here
WIN enclosed more than a hasty reading, re-
turning them without delay that you may offer
the peruSal of them to whomsoever you may
think proper. The picture drawn in them Of
the Genevese Is really interesting and affect
Ing. The proposition of transplanting the mem
Ders entire of the university of that place to
America, with the requisition of means to es-
taDi1Sh the same. and ha ma mi d hv a
considerable emigration, is important, reauir-
ing more consideration than under the circuln-
stances OF the moment am able to bestow
upon 1t. That a national university in this
country Is thing to be desired has always been
my decided opinion, and the appropriation Of
ground and funds for 1t in the Federal City has
long been contemplated and talked of; but how
lar matured, or how far the transporting OF an
entire seminary of foreigners, who may not I'M
derstand our language, can be assimilatsd
therein, is more than am prepared to give an
opinion upon; OF, indeed, how far funds in either
case are at:ainahle."
wAsHINGToN's WILL.
On the 18th Of December following Washing
ton wrote to Edmund Randolph: "For the
reasons mentioned to you the other day,
namely, the Virginia assembly being in ses-
sion, and plan being on foot for establishing q
sS tIl OF learning upon an extensive scale
and Mr.. Madison would endeavOr to mature
the measures, which will be proper for me to
pursue, in order to bring my designs into view
as soon as you can make it convenient to your
selves He enclosed at that time tor Mr..
Kandoiph's Information, an extract from the
Will he had drawn making some provision for
follows:
~ proceed. after this recital for the more cor.
rect understanding Of the case, to declare, that,
as it has always been source of serious regret
with me to see the youth of these United States
sent 70 foreign countries for the purpose of edu-
cation, often before their minds were formed,
or they mad 1mbibed any adequate ideas of the
happiness OF their own; contracting too fire..
quently, not only habits OF dissipation and ex-
traVagance, but principles unfriendly to re.
Pupncan government, and to the true and gen.
ulne liberties of mankind, which thereafter are
rarely overcome; for these reasons it has been
my ardent wish to see q plan devised on a lib.
eral scale, which would have tendency to
spread systematic ideas through all parts OF the
rising empire, thereby to do away with local at,
tachments and state prejudices, as far as the ma
ture OF things would, or indeed ought to admit
from our national councils. Looking forward
anxiously to the accomplishment of SO desira
BILE an object as this is Gin my estimation nv
mind has not been able to contemplate any
plan more likely to effect the measure than the
establishment of a university in central part
Of the United States, to which the youths of for
tune and talents from all parts thereof might
all the branches ofpolite literature, in the arts
and sciences :, in acquiring knowledge in the
principle of politics and good government
and, as matter OF infinite importance
in my judgment, by associating with each otner
and forming friendships in juvenile years. be
ousies, which have just been mentioned and
which, when carried TO excess, are never-failing
sources OF disquietude to the public mind, and
pregnant with mischievous cOnseo uences To
this country. Under these Impressions, SO fully
dilated. give and beaueath in perpetuity the
fifty shares, which hold in the Potomac com
pany under the aforesaid acts Of the Legislature
OF Vlrginia) toward the endowment of a uni
verslty to tie established within the District OF
Columbia, under the auspices of the general
government, il that government should incline
To extend fostering hand towards it; and until
such seminary Is established, and the funds
arising on these shares shall be required for its
support, my further will and desire is, that the
profit accruing therefrOm shall, whenever the
dividends are made, be laid out in purchasing
stock in the bank OF Columbia, or some other
bank, at the discretion of my executors, or by
the Treasurer OF the United States for the time
that honorable body should patronize the
measure; and the dividends proceeding from
the purchase of such stock are to be vested in
more stock, and so on until a sum adequate to
the accomplishment of the object is obtained OF
which 1 have not the smallest doubt before
many years pass away, even if no aid or en-
or from any other source"
WHY HE FAVORED THIS CITY,
Washington announced to the commissioners
or the federal district his intention OF con.
tributing towards the endowment OF a national
university in letter he wrote to those gentle
men January IS, 1875. In this letter he said:
"A plan tor the establishment of q university
In the Federal City has frequently been the
subject OF conversation; but in what manner il
is proposed to commence this i'm portant insti-
tuition, on how extensive a SCALE the means by
which it is to be effected, how it is to be SUP
ported, or what progress is made in it, are mat
ters altogether unknown to me. 1t has ALWAYS
been source of serious reflection and sincere
regret with me, that the youth of the United
States should be sent to foreign countries for the
purpose OF education. Although there are
doubtless many under these circumstances who
escape the danger OF contracting principles un-
favorable to republican government, vet we
ought to deprecate the hazard attending
ardent and susceptible minds of being
too strongly and too early prepossessed in
favor OF other political systems before
they are capable OF approaching their own,
For this reason l have greatly wished to see a
plan adopted by which the arts and sciences
and belles-lettres could be taught in their full
est extent, thereby embracing all the advant-
ages OF European tuition, with the means of
acquiring the liberal knowledge which is neces-
sary to qualify our citizens for the exigences of
public as well as private life, and (Which with
me is a consideration of great magnitude) by
assembling the youth from the different parts
OF the rising republic, contributing from their
intercourse and Interchange of information to
the removal OF prejudices, which might per
haps sometimes arise from local circumstances
The Federal City, from its centrally and the
advantages which in other respects it must
have over any other place in the United States
university"
THE BENEFITS OF CONGRESSIONAL DEBATEs
He wrote to Thomas Jefferson March is 1898.
IN vV NfvNxx IL v,aH 1.xA 81 81