TAX UPON THE UNIVERSITIES. 387 
tax is certainly oppressive upon those who least 
merit such a “ reward.” But even allowing it to 
remain as it now ts, the character it would assume, 
when its proceeds were applied to the liberal endow- 
ment of professorships, would be quite different. It 
would be like a private subscription, raised among 
friends, for the purpose of making up a purse for the 
benefit of some one or more of their own number: 
each member would gladly contribute his share, 
under the conviction that the prizes will be awarded 
to the most deserving; and that, with proper exertion, 
he has as fair a chance as any other aspirant of re- 
ceiving back his fee, augmented an hundred-fold. 
Were it customary to choose the members of our . 
universities more from the ranks of science, than 
from those of politics or of arms, this grievance 
probably would not have so long continued in oper- 
ation. At all events, it appears so easy of redress, 
and will so effectually remove all further complaint 
against the government in connection with the state 
of science at our universities, that we trust in having 
the power of omitting all such censure in another 
edition. There can be no doubt that the heads of 
our uniyersities will most joyfully accept of such a 
boon, and be glad to be thus rid of an appearance 
only of receiving government bounty, while it can- 
not be doubted that they will use it freely and 
effectually for the promotion of that philosophy 
which is properly connected with Christianity. 
Every reflecting mind must participate with such 
authorities, in their fear and dread of hasty and in- 
considerate changes, or of that “ radical reform,” 
now so loudly called for. The whole analogy of 
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