PLAN OF A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY

[Fromthe Pennsylvania Gazette, 17SS. QuotedintheMassachusettsCentinel, Saturdaj-,Novem- ber29,17S8.]

"

Your government

cannotbeexecuted. It is too extensivefor a republick. It iscontrarytothe habitsofthepeople," say the enemies ofthe Constitution ofthe UnitedStates.

However

opposite to the opinions

and

wishesof amajorityof the citizensof the United vStates these declarations

and

predictions

may

be, theywill certainly

come

to pass, unlessthe people areprepared forour

new

formofgovern- ment,

by

aneducation adaptedtothe

new and

peculiarsituation ofour countr}-.

—

To

effectthisgreat

and

necessarywork,letoneof thefirstacts ofthe

new

Congress be, to establishwithin thedistrictto beallotted forthem,a

Federai< university

intowhichtheyouthof theUnitedStatesshallbe receivedaftertheyhavefinished their studies,

and

takendegreesin the-collegesoftheir respectiveStates. Inthis Universitylet thosebranches of literature onlybe taught,

which

are calculated to prepareouryouthforcivil

and

publick ^life. These branches should be taught

by means

of lectures,

and

the followingarts

and

sciencesshould bethe subjectofthem:

I.

The

principlesand formsofgovernment, appliedin aparticular

manner

tothe explanation ofevery partofthe constitution

and

lawsoftheUnitedStates,together withthelawsofnature

and

nations,

which

last slu)ul(Iincludeeverythingthat relates topeace,war,treaties,ambassadors,

and

the like.

National

Scicnfific

and Educational

Institntions.

325

2. History,both ancientand modern, andchronolo.ij^y.

3. Agricultureinall its

numerous and

extensive branches.

4.

The

principles

and

practice ofmanufactures.

5.

The

history,princijiles,objects,

and

channelsof connnercc.

6. Those parts of matliematicks

which

are necessarytothe division of property, to finance,andtothe principles

and

practiceof

war —

^{forthereistoo}

^much

^reasonto

fear that

war

will continue, for

some

time tocome,to be the unchristian

mode

of decidin,^-dispi;tesbetweenchristian nations.

7. Thoseparts ofnaturalphilosophy

and

chemistry,

which

admitofanapplication to as^riculture, manufacture,connnerce,

and

war.

8. Naturalhistory,

which

includes the historyofanimals, vegetables,

and

fossils.

To

render instructioninthesebranchesofscienceeasy, itwillbe necessaryto estab-

li.sli a

nmseum,

as also a garden,in

which

not only^all the shrubs, etc.,but all the

forest treesoftheI'nited Statesshouldbecultivated.

The

greatLinuLtns,of I'psal enlarged theconnnerceofSweden,

by

his discoveries in natural history.

He

once saved theSwedish navy

by

findingoutthetimein

which

a

worm

laid itseggs,

and recommending

the innnersionof the timber, of

which

the shipswere l)uilt,at that season wholly under water.

So

great were the services this illustrious naturalist renderedhis country bythe application of his

knowledge

to agriculture,manufac- tures,

and

commerce,thatthe present

King

ofvSwedenpronounced aneulogiuni

upon him

fromhisthrone,.soon after hisdeath.

9. Philology,

which

shouldinclude, besides rhetorick

and

criticism,lectures

upon

the construction

and

pronunciationofthe English language. Instruction in this branchof literature will

become

the

more

necessaryinAmerica, as our intercourse

must

soonceasewiththebar,thestage,

and

the pulpitsofGreatBritain,from

whence we

receiveour

knowledge

ofthe pronunciationoftheEnglishlanguage.

Even modern

English books should cease to be the models ofstile in the United States.

The

presentistheageofsimplicity inwritinginAmerica.

The

turgidstileofJohnson

—

the purple glareofGibbon,

and

eventhe studiedandthicksetmetaphoursofJunius, areallequally unnatural,and.shouldnotbe admittedintoourcountry.

The

cultiva- tion

and

perfectionofour language

becomes

amatterofcon.sequence

when

viewed inanotherlight. Itwillprobably be spoken

by more

peoplein the courseoftwoor three centuries, than everspoke any one language at one time since the creation of the world.

When we

consider the influence

which

the prevalence of onlyIrco languages, viz, the Ivnglish and theSpanish, in the extensive regionsofNorth

and

South America, will have

upon

manners, commerce, knowledge,

and

civilization, scenesof

human

happiness

and

gloryopenbeforeus,

which

elude fromtheirmagni- tudetheutmostgraspofthe

human

understanding.

10.

The German

and French languages shouldbetaughtin this I'niversity.

The many

excellentbooks

which

arewritten in both the.sclanguagesuiK)nallsubjects,

more

especially

upon

tho.se

which

relate to the

advancement

of national improve-

ments

ofallkinds, willrendera

knowledge

of

them

an es.sential partoftheeduca- tion of a legislator oftheUnitedvStates.

11. .-VUthose athletickand

manly

exercises.should likewisebetaught intheUni- versity,which arecalculated toimparthealth, strength,andelegancetothe

human

body.

To

render thein.structionofour youthasea.sy

and

extensiveas po.ssible in several oftheabove-mentioned branchesof literature,letfour

young men

of

good

education andactive

minds

be sentabroadaLthe publick expense,to collectandtran.smit tothe professorsofthesaidbranchesall theimprovementsthat are daily

made

in Europe, in agriculture, manufactures,

and

commerce,and in the arts of

war and

practical government. Thismeasureisrenderedthe

more

necessaryfromthe distanceofthe UnitedStatesfrom Europe,

by which means

the raysof

knowledge

striketheUnited Statesso partially,thattheycan beIjroughttoauseful focus,only by employing^suit-

326 Memorial of George Brozvn ^Goode.

ablepersonsto collect

and

transmit

them

toourcountry. Itisin this

manner

thatthe northernnationsof

Europe

have importedso

much knowledge

from theirsouthern neighbors, that the history ofthe agriculture, manufactures, commerce, revenues,

and

militaryartofoneofthesenationswill soon bealikeapplicabletoallofthem.

Besidessendingfour

young men

abroadto collect

and

transmit

knowledge

forthe benefit ofourcountry,hvo

young men

of suitable capacitiesshouldbe

employed

at thepublickexpenseinexploring the vegetable, mineral,and animalproductionsof ourcotintry, inprocuringhistories

and

samplesofeachofthem,

and

intransmitting

them

tothe professor of naturalhistory. It is in consequence ofthe discoveries

made by

yovinggentlemen

employed

forthese purposes, thatSweden,

Denmark, and

Russia have extended their manufactures

and

commerce,soas to rival inboththe oldest nationsinEurope.

LettheCongressallow a liberalsalaryto the Principalof this Universit}'. Let^it behisbusinesstogovernthe students,

and

to inspire

them by

hisconversation,

and by

occasionalpublick discourses,with federal andpatrioticksentiments. Letthis Principalbea

man

ofextensive education,liberalmanners,anddignifieddeportment.

Letthe Professorsofeachofthebranchesthathave been mentioned, havea

mod-

erate salaryof150 or 200

pounds

ayear,

and

let

them depend upon

the

number

of their pupils to sujDplythe deficiencyof theirmaintenance fromtheir salaries. Let eachpupil payforeachcourseoflectures

two

or three guineas.

Letthe degrees conferredin thisUniversity receive a

new

name,that shall desig- nate the designofan education for civil

and

pviblick life. Should this plan of a federalUniversity, orone likeit beadopted,thenwill begin thegolden ageofthe UnitedStates.

While

the businessofeducationinEurope,consists in lectures

upon

the ruinsof

Palmyra

andtheantiquities ofHerculaneum; ^orindisputeabout

Hebrew

points,

Greek

particles,orthe accent

and

quantityofthe

Roman

language, theyouth of

America

willbe

employed

inacquiring thosebranchesof

knowledge which

increase theconvenienceoflife,lessen

human

misery,improve ourcountry,promotepopula- tion,exalt the

human

imderstanding,

and

establish domestick,social,

and

political happiness.

Let^itnotbesaid, "thatthisisnot the^ti))icforsuchaliteraryandpoliticalestab- lishment. Let us first restore publickcredit,

by

funding orpaying ourdebts

—

let us regulateourmilitia

—

^letus build a

navy —

and^letus protect

and

extend our

com-

merce. Afterthis,

we

shallhaveleisure

and money

to establishaUniversityforthe ])urposesthathave been mentioned.^'' Thisisfalsereasoning.

We

shallneverrestore publickcredit

—

^regulateourmilitia

—

^{build a}

navy —

^orreviveour commerce,until

we remove

theignorance

and

prejudices,

and

changethe habitsofourcitizens,andthis can never be donemitil

we

^inspire

them

withfederal principles,

which

can onlybe effected

by

our

young men

meeting

and

spending

two

or three years togetherina national University,

and

afterwards disseminating their

knowledge

and principles throughevery county,town,

and

village of theUnitedStates. Until thisisdone

—

Senators

and

Representatives of the United States,

you

will luidertake to

make

brickswithout straw.

Your

supposed union in Congresswill be a rope of sand.

The

inhabitantsofMassachusetts beganthe businessof

government by

establishing the University of Cambridge,

and

the wisest kings in

Europe

have always found their literary institutions the surest

means

ofestablishingtheirpower, aswellas of promotingthe prosperityoftheirpeople.

Thesehintsforestablishing the Constitution and happinessof theUnited States

upon

a permanent foundation, are submittedtothefriends of the federal govern- ment, ineachoftheStates,

by

a privatecitizen

oK

pennsyi^ania.

ReportofU.S.NationalMuseum, 1897. PartII. Plate65.

\ I^<i"^' -^

yr-

Thomas

Nuttall.

National

Scientific

and Ed neat

ion

a/

Institutions.

327