The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-04
THE UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA.
The George Washington Memorial Unlver-
sity Association 4 ormsd by the Women
of tho CountTy-Rhe Object, TO carry
Out The Idea "a the kirst Presidei Ia

Triend to higher ducation lie was
Father of his country and ohe 1auhSf
of many of the iedaS that nave Tnaoe
it great. When the colleges OF Prince
ton and Yale had suffered IN the reVo-
Iutionary war, damages TO tner puiIo-
ings, as we'll as suspension on 0heLF
work. Washington, in deploring II,
said in substance, these words, remem-
bered and reported for as by one oil
those present: when this war Is end
ed and the United States takes It's
pLace on the roll of nations, we Will
found a grand national university
which will not only educate our own
youth. but draw the young men OF
other countries to u FOUNTAIN VI
knowledge" Pursuing this local ne
left i'm his will the sum or SZo,Ooo 10 LIFTS
cause, namely, of sredI I'M
yersfty Of the United States. inns lacl
has not been generally known but IS
easily verified. The money Tent, IN
,,sad and mismanaged, was lost by 1al-
M Of the securities in which II was
snveeted. 1t would now amount "
"a 400 COO. if it had been cared FOR as
washington directed; he having specl-
fed in his will the manner OF us IA
vestment. Where is the money now
Where are the SHOWS or last Wlhle.
T,1t the idea remains and our obligation
remains.
honor DO we not owe enough 10
Wa Shington. to honor his emo III
4ba manner requested by him! we
have given him a towering stone ope-
gisk when he asked for a monuments
blessing for his country-an lnstlUu1lot
(which should complete the pupllc schoo1
system of the country, ana luiiitl ol9
promise of our rising series OF lnSCIcu-
tions of learning.
"A national university should be an
university, and it should be built on tne
hrnadest lines. The university oL the
limited States should not conl1ct Win
any lesser college or university III ehe
Eand. Tt should only complete anu VI
en- them IT should be a post graduate
dnstitution, beginning where they leave
off. 1T should be ~n-partlS anu -
enctional. like the Smithsonian, the
foot ball of no political spollsmen. NJ
eho1,Td be free to the sons and dauSh-
tnrs Of the people. The poor young
onan of fine talents should nave the
.ora advantages as the heir OF mil
atoms. ANY scientific technical TRAINING
eho1lld be obtainable there, anu IL
should be a part of the ORGANIZED SCI
entifc research so useful in deVeloplnS
fine arts Philosophy should De ldu5nl
cas- profoundly as at n great ullSe1,
sity Of Berlin. Abstruse anu uIlueo%1
.ra nrhps of eruditiOn should mere Hhu
the place which olh1I ooile500
cede to them.
T,bis is a grand dream and worthy OIL
-, orpeat commonwealth. 1t was flrst
dl canned by the famous rather OH HHal
~mmonWea Why should II not Ne
fulfilled?
Ut is objected that we do NOT neeu
arv addition to the educatlohdl "u
vantages we already nave. Leu u9
make the most of them, and we Will
nat nood any thing further. Prominent
educators, heads Of our pest colleses'
nornlain that classroom routine tnrNt-
+Toe the best work of their most pro
prpssiye teachers. Because they lluo'
teach the same oven dsdlh
10 each successive class, there Is no
tiroe for probing deeper into tine Hhys-
teries of things.
The post graduate department %
most colleges is a very small part al
+boir work. though it may be the best
tnart Manv of our young men complete
y+boir education in thus III
hibing principles and learning TO 1ollo"
tho ia shions Of monarchical Germany
and of degenerate France. mo leo9
than four thousand in one year WeHe
TO seek in foreign lands what they cooio
not obtain at home. 20
WhV SnOulu wv hob
these at home? The objection OF COM
melting with the colleges already at
work falls fiat in view Of he scope OF
our proposed scheme.
The United States is rich enough 70
build the university of the world 20
maintain n endoW it, and not Iee4
the extra drain. oa.os
want a. national university hey must
nave it. 1t is the mission OF George
Wa bfngton Memorial Association TO
foster 2, wholesome discomfort with the
daIlying policy of this century III let-
ting our great Washington's bequest
fall into oblivion.
The history of a nation is tine hlsloty
of it's great men. we or the south
must not forget that Washington was
one of us. His life and his sources or
snspiration were ours. His glory is
ours, for the south produced hm. we |
Of the south should join in asking Tor !
the grand advantages OF a natloiLal
for our children. The part
in this work undertaken by the women
of America is called in its concrete or
the George Washington Me-
morial Association. 1t has for its OBJ
iect first, the arousing of interest eV-
eryywhere, so that the people may ask
for the national university as their !
long withheld.
we wish to educate lin this especial
direction, telling how many presidents
have recommended this matter, how
many congresses have neglected It,
how many years have past and moth
ing been done We wish to also dedl-
cate a part of the university-a building
to be given at the proper time by the
women of America-to be erected on
the site already set apart and awaiting
the university buildings in Washington
City. A meeting, the first regular one,
was held in Washington, ID. c., dur
ing the past month. All the great
clubs and socities sent dele
gates with assurance of their o-Opera
and enthusiasm and earnestness
was the order of the day. "A contitu-
ton and bylaws were adopted, and
the George Washington Memorial AS
ISOLATION takes its place alongside OF
other great movements which dig