The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-18

quarter OF a century will see some un.-
versities with the income Of empires.
and a power upon which cities and
states viii lean heavily for guidance.
+!
All this shall be placed In a setting
OF a little world OF libraries. labora-o-
ries, loan funds. fsllowships, mechan-
ism beauty, and the whole vital
lied and s~piritualized by men In such
force that their spirits shall not break
and their hopes shall not die. We do
not need many such universities but
We need them strong and in the right
places The multiplication OF weak
ness by weakness yields weakness still
The south needs them to protect its
real reconstructive era from the dan
gers of empiricism, industrial Deepen
dence and the perils that beset cha rae
ter in all demecracies. Virginia needs
such a university to guarantee that
educational leadership to which it has
OWED its greatness for two generations
to light its path TO that point of use
fitness and power which General Lee
saw in the dark days, when he said
simply: Let us work to max Virginia
great again"
The largest social task of this uni
versity, cooperating with all educa-
taonal forces, is to strive for the ac-
co~mplishment of these ~unrealized
ideals. Not only in Virginia, but
throughout the south there is enthus-
iasm, growth under difficulties, sp.en-
did determination and progress and in
dividual excellence, but our educational
systems are unorganized and bear
.omewhat the relation to what they
will finally become that the old volUn
teer fire companies bear to the organ
lied fire department. Their prope.'
coordination will come as a result Of
community effort and a conception of
educational unity. Education is one
compact interest OF society, and no one
part can be prOfitably studied alone,
as no individual can be studied isolat-
ed from his fellows. His cadaver may
be valuable for such purposes but not
his personality. / know of no more
fruitful field of inquiry than that
which has to do with the relation OF
part to part in III systems of educa-
ton, and of the intrinsic relation OF
the whole to state and church. The
University of Virginia is essentially
not this particular City of Light, but
a composite institution, including eve
~ school house, academy, denOmina-
tiOnal college, state school tied tOgeth-
er in a union of sympathy and help
%fulness, and it somehow must become
this or confess failure.
The adoption of the mill tax idea as
a method of raising evenu to insure
unified and stable educational growth
-, %h> ~%~sI-.o c 49, ~;
Valley. 1t is the result of the teach
ing of Thomas Jefferson and the COM
mo sense of pioneers and state build
ers. | commend it to our lawmakers
for their thoughtful investigation, for
nowhere have the dreams of Washing
ton and the hopes of Jefferson ap-
preached so nearly to realization as in
this alert and unhindered territory,
We should cherish the hope that the
time will come when the higher insti-
tutions OF the state will be united in or
ganic union. since local pride and IN
thusiasm have denied us physical uni
ty. Nor should the reciprocal obliga-
the state ard the private and denom-
tons be forgotten that exist between
national colleges. chartered by the
state. protected by its laws. educating
one-third of its youth. We should
W01ct1l1e Inc oStdDllS1lIIlSI1 here VI
halls and dormitories controlled by
them. availing themselves of the 3D.
pOrtunities Of the University. n if
this be imrracticable. we should at
Least strive without ceasing to banisn
from our life any semblance of inter-
collegiate hostility. Let cooperation
supDlant rivalry in the service of men.
This problem Of unification is as diff
cult rs it is inviting. The university
that solves the problem holds the flu
ture. The first forward step would be
the establishment here of a school of
education of such power that its
teachers could approach this and 9TH
er problems of educational statesman
ship with insight and. authority. This
| school should comprise not only the
! philosopher. but the sociologist, the
| organizer and the sympathetic pub
| licist.
Our distinctive contribution to
| American life has been political lead
| ership. A necessary condition for the
the holding of this position would be
the development here of a great
school complimentary to law. embrace
ing the studies classified under politi-
ca, political science. socio-
losy and history. These are no long
er subordinate studies. They are the
studies that enable the mind to reach
results. not so much through obstruc-
tive criticism as through progressive
understanding Of the soul Of the time.
in which it lives. and through insight
into conditions unfamiliar to daily ex-
Derience. Men trained in such studies
get the enlightenment upon which
wise social action must be based. and
in them lies the hope of advance N
society.
For some decades the ~intensest ex-
preston Of our power IS to be along
industrial and scientific directions.
The application of the sciences to the
enrichment of life in engineering. in
agriculture. in business. in manufac-
turing. is not only a movement inevi-
table to the national development. but
is also a vitalization and emancipa-
ton of the liberal studies. In the past
five years the growth of engineering
students over those enrolled in the
courses in letters and languages has
heen one hundred per cent. This does
no. mean materialism. but is simply
ar expression of economic need. Mod
ern competitive living needs the trained
man, not alone in law n medicine.