An Address [pp. 760-769]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
business and interests, with the policy and welfare of
nations; that philosophy which dwells not in vain im aginations and platonic drearms, but which stoops to
life, and enlarges the boundaries of human happiness;
that philosophy which sits by us in the closet, cheers us
by the fireside, walks with us in the fields and high ways, kneels with us at the altars, and lights up the
enduring flame of patriotism."
Deep and extensive knowledge is, above all things,
requisite for the success of him who aspires to an elevated stand in this honorable profession. Well, then,
have the officers of our institution ordained that the
degree in this department shall not be conferred for a
mere knowledge of laws. The candidate for this honor
must have studied, beside the municipal law, the subject ofgovernment and national law, together with some
exposition of our own system ofgovernmnent, all of which
subjects are taught by the Law Professor. He must,
moreover, have obtained the Baccalaureate honor in
this, or some other institution, or if not, must have
attended a full course of lectures in some one of the
scientific departments of this institution. With the
collateral information thus obtained, the graduate in law
will go forth, not a mere lawyer, equipped only with the
forms and technicalities of his profession, but with a
mind deeply imbued by the principles of science and
the spirit of philosophy. With a mind thus furnished,
every hour of study in his profession becomes efficient,
and moves him forward with ease and rapidity in his
career, enabling him to encounter all the difficulties and
obstacles which beset him on his way.s For a full
exposition of the courses of study in the law department,
I must refer you to the introductory lecture of the Professor, which will impart all the information which you
may desire on this subject.
Before speaking of our Master's degree, I will say
a few words on the school of civil engineering, lately
established by the visitors in this institution. The
United States of North America present at this moment
one of the most sublime spectacles which has ever been
offered to the eye of the philanthropist-the spectacle of
a people few in numbers at first-rapidly increasing and
spreading over one of the fairest quarters of the world;
building up institutions, the admiration of the age in
which we live; and rearing up, by the mere development
of internal resources, a fabric of greatness and empire,
unparalleled in the annals of history. The original
heterogeneous interests of the different portions of our
Union, are made to harmonize more and more, from
day to day, by the magic influence of internal improvement. The canal and the rail road, the steam boat and
steam car, constitute in fact the great and characteristic
powers of the age in which we live. Throughout our
extensive territory, covering so many degrees of latitude
and longitude, embracing every climate and yielding
every production, nature calls on art to aid her. Although we have already executed works of improvement within the limits of our system of republics, which
* One of the great advantages of establishing a Law School
in a collegeis,that the student, whilstpursuing his professional
studies, is enabled at the same time to give a portion of his attention to other subjects of a kindred character, and thus ultimately
to enter his profession with the great and inestimable advantage
of a proper elementary education, which tmust ever five himn a
decided superiority to him who is educated in the law alone.
rival in splendor and grandeur the boasted monuments
of Egypt, Rome or China, and far surpass them in use fullness and profit, yet the work is still in a state of
incipiency-a boundless field is opening to the enter prise of individuals and states. In the peculiar phrase ology of a favorite science, there at this moment exists
a vast demand for internal improvements. From one
side to the other of our immense territory, turnpikes,
rail roads and canals are constructing every where; the
engineer is abroad in the land, almost annihilating by
his skill, time and space. Yet his labors are not com mensurate with the demand. There is, at this time,
scarcely any profession in our country which rewards
its successful follower more highly and certainly than
that of civil engineering. The visitors of our institu tion have therefore very wisely attached a school of this
description to our college, placing it under the direction
of an individual who combines, most happily, profound
scientific knowledge with great practical skill-an indi vidual who for years zealously and successfully pursued
the business of engineering in another country, until
called off by other employments. I would therefore
warmly recommend this school to all who are anxious
to follow this profession, as soon as their attainments
will enable them to join it with advantage.
In the supplemental laws, published since the last
session of our board of visitors, you will find a detail of
the studies requisite for the attainment of the degree of
A. M. This is the highest honor in our institution
which can be won by the student during his collegiate
career. It will require generally two years additional
study after obtaining the Bachelor's degree; few of you,
consequently, can be expected to aim at its attainment.
Those however who shall have an opportunity, will
find themselves amply rewarded by the advantages
which may be derived from it. In this course, all the
studies which are pursued in the first portion of your
collegiate career, are extended and amplified. In the
first portion of your studies, you master the great principles of science; in the latter, you enter more fully
into your subjects, and begin the great work of applying your principles to facts. He who shall have the
good fortune to obtain this degree, will have amassed a
fund of knowledge which will enable him to grace and
ornament any of the walks of life into which he may
choose to enter. His mind will have been trained in
the most important of all arts-that of acquiring knowledge and generalizing facts. He will almost necessarily
have attained the great desideratum of literary menlove of study and the power of discrimination. So that
in his case there will be afterwards no waste of labor
and time, no useless expenditure of frivolous and unprofitable thought. To a mind thus trained, all nature
furnishes lessons of instruction and philosophy, from
her least to her greatest operations-from the falling of
an apple, to the complex movements of worlds inpumerable, all is harmony, concord and wisdom. Such a
mind can draw the lesson of philosophy alike from the
prattle of the innocent babe, or the deeply studied conversation of a Bacon or a Newton.
I have thus, gentlemen, endeavored briefly to present
an expose of the several departments of study in our
college.* I have given you the bill of fare, and we hope
* I have dwelt in this address very little on the subjects requi
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