The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14

ION Oh AZ Lay, JOSSpnuS Ian. /
ieis. Secretary Of the Navy. said:
Sometimes q greater event suggests
he lesser. On arriving At or depart
ing from the very imposing terminal
station at Washington. one is delight
ed with q view Of q snow white statue
W Columbus surrounded by some sin
rularly beautiful figures. 1t suggests
that on the twelfth day OF October
our continent greeted his eagera but /
confident quest. So on h twelfth |
day of October a university for future !
BORN citizens Of North Carolina was |
made a possession and An inheritance. !
The great discOverer saw but the
fringe Of the great continent and never
knew the immensely Of his gift to the
world whose service ne was doing.
The congress at Halifax, when in its
liberal wisdom it made provision for
"'onc or more universities for teach
ing useful knowledge" could not have
understood, without the endowment
Of prophecy the scope Of the bene-
ficcnt phrase, which made his uni
versity possible. We are with each
other today to acknowledge u graft
tIYdc for the endowment Of a part of
The priceless legacy and to pledge our
selves in the course of our good and
growing fortunes to a further justi-
location Of their foresight.
IT may be as well TO say. while the
feeling is on me that I have high
hopes that you and I will see the dea
North Carolina University, the assem-
bling Of professors and pupils from
every county in North Carolina, and
from every state to which North Caro-
linians a gone: n community Of
schools which shall embrace the great
institution here, the Agricultural and
Mechanical college at Raleigh, the
state Normal at Greensboro. the East
Carolina Training School at Green
vile, and all other educational insti-
tuition of equal dignity brought into
being by the State. l wish to live to see
it expand and be free to he children
of the State, one university, one de-
gree. one diploma.
Such q place will be not only for
scientific research, but for a currency
of thought by persons, communities.
and institutional intercourse. I am
much attached to the idea, and I hope
that you share it with me, that this
personal communication Of knowledge
engenders the spirit of q university.
and that the spirit Of the State is the
prototype Of the spirit of the univer-
grow from imperSOnal correspondence
schools and colleges and from leaves
of books and papers which litter the
worlds way? The prOphesies OF the
Sybil were said to a been written
on the leaves Of the forest That Is
poctical. Literally today litera-
ture is written on the trees Of the
forest.
Why the great Cardinal Newman
asks. need we go up to knowledge
when knowledge comes down to us
We have sermons in stones, and book
iii the running brooks; works larger
and more comprehensive than thOs'
which have gained for ancients al
Immortality. issue forth every morn
ends OF the earth at the rate OF hun
dreds of miles q day. Our seats ar
strcwed. bur pavements powdered
with swarins Of little tracks; and tn
very bricks OF our city walls preacl
wisdom by informing us by their pla
purchase ii. Nevertheless, after al
even in this age. whenever men ar
really serious about getting what i
the language of trade is called
good article" when they aim q
something precise. something REIN
cd. something really luminous. some
thing really large. something som
choice, they go to another market
they avail themselves in some shap
or other of the rival method. the ar
cient method Of oral instruction, tn
present communication between ma
n q Of teachers instead Of learI
Ing, OF the personal influence or
master. and the humble initiation {
u disciple, and, in consequence. {
great centers OF pilgrimage, an
tarOngs which such a method OF edit
cation necessarily involves"
Necessity For q University.
Here we seem 20 get to the vel
heart Of the necessity for Il unive
sity. We can get the books, II
body Of knowledge. elsewhere. o.
We cannot so easily get the spill
that animates the body. We ca
read their fullest thoughts anywheF
but a university enables us TO lea!
the art and get the habit OF thin
ing.
IT is this thought which the unIve
silly teaches US and that will dlsta
Suish US as individuals and as q cor
nunity. The latter aspect is partl