Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-10
Address Issued in Behalf of Washing
ton Memorial.
UNIVERSITY OF TEE UNITED STATES
Contributions Solicited, to Be Paid
in February %, 1898.
THE COMING CONVENTION


stated in The Star. will meet in Washing
ton next week for the purpose of formally
inaugurating the movement for establish
ment of the University of the United States
as memorial to George Washington will
be called to order at the Hotel Raleigh at
1890 am Tuesday.
The program of exercises has already
been printed in The Star 1t is understood
that the address issued by Mrs c. s. Brice
to the women of Ohio, relative to the pro-
posed memorial, which has been enthusi-
astically received by those to whom it was
addressed in every part of that state will
be adopted as the official expression of the
views on the subject by the convention.
In part the address is as follows:
In order to make plain what 1 wish to
say of the George Washington memorial 1
must first speak of the University of the
United States. which it was the desire of
Washington to establish, and which he
urged in many of his public utterances
quote from his farewell address: Promote
then, as subject of primary Importance
institutions for the general diffusion of
knowledge:' In proportion as the structure
of the government gives force to public
opinion it is essential that public opinion
should be enlightened
In his message to Congress, 1886 he
says: L have heretofore proposed to the
SpiSiucIdtltH VI congress the eSDeQlSncy
of establishing national university. and a
military academy
Bare of Improvement.
IF his eye beholds the present state of
his beloved country. he sees in West Point
and Annapolis adequate fulfilment of his
desire for the militant protection of the
nation, but alas, the land set apart as the
site of the national university of his hopes
Is vet bare of m
request made in his will for the perpetual
endowment of an institution Of learning.
devoted to the arts and sciences of peace.
is lost, lapsed, almost forgotten. Had his
request been conserved as the property OF
an individual, 1t would today amount to
more than four million dollars. Have we
not the right, then, to ask Congress for an
accounting, or for an equivalent Of his
sum, to be used for the purpose for which
he 1ntended-the establishment of a great
university, which should gather all knowI-
edge. and disseminate it, by educating the
youth from all parts of the land, in science,
letters and statecraft, and in so doing in
sun such pure patriotism. such a pro-
found love OF the whole country that they
could know no north, no SOUTH no east no
west? BY the association and infusion of
common Ideas to so impress the spirit of
our institutions upon the rising generation
OF citizens as to weld the diverse interests
or "a country embracing so many varieties
or SOIL, climate, products and people; bind
the strong cord-love of country so that it
cannot be broken asunder
IL must he an institute to which men
may come for the learning higher than the
School and state college, but which must
be the crown and roof-tree of our whole
educational structure. AS the state fur
nishes the free schools and colleges for
children and youth, SO should the nation
vanced student. This university, planted
in the land of universities must become
one of the leading Institutions of the world.
An Early Reminder.
Samuel Blodgett, conceiving it 10 be an
indispensable duty after the death of
Washington TO follow the commanding adj
vice and noble example of the father of his
country, so irresistibly portrayed in his
farewell address and the bcquest of his
will. called, January 10 1909. the attention
OF Congress to this bequest, and SO full
filled promise made to more than one
thousand subscribers. whose names accom-
panied the memorial. requesting that a
committee be appointed to consider the
setting apart Of public lands in the west
ern territory for this important institution
Again, December %, 1905. he presented
another memorial, representing subscrip-
tons to the number of eighteen thousand,
and the sum received Of $4,000. requesting
Congress to designate one of the sites al
ready contemplated in the city of Wash
inston, and suggesting the plan of an
equestrian statue of the original founder of
the National University as beautiful CEN
ter-piece for the entire plan, to be sur
rounded by halls and colleges. as they may
be built by the fund to which the whole
people, from Maine to Georgia, were then
contributing. Let add from the Allan
tic to the Pacific, and realize what they
planned.
THE need for it is as great today as
when the nation in it's infancy, since
more than 1000 students annually seek in
the institutions of England, Scotland, Ger
many and France the results of research
which they do not find at home.
"The national institution which Wash
ington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison
thought necessary has not been estab
lished, and in these later years the idea of
a great national university constitutes no
part of the plans Of our legislators. 1t
seems to have been lost sight of by the peo-
pie. In the meantime, bureaus Of science
have grown up one by one under the fos-
tering care of the government. Observable
ries, laboratories, museums. libraries, until
the whole range of physical science is rep
resented by national institutions estab-
lished and supported by the government
for the purpose of prosecuting researches
in astronomy, metcorology, geography Of
land and sea, geology chemistry, statistics
and mechanical inventions.
Great Possibilities.
'If these various commissions, bureaus
and divisions of the executive DEPART
ments. which have for their object scien-
tific research, could be combined parts