WORK IN HAND. . 69 



ested in agriculture during the last fifteen years in the Com- 

 monwealth, are indications of this popular feeling, that Greek 

 and Latin, sometime or other, are to be accomplishments, and 

 not the means alone of training the youthful mind ; and that 

 mathematics, that geometry, that astronomy, as they arc to be 

 taught hereafter, are to be taught by men who are endeavoring 

 practically to draw lightning from the skies, and devote knowl- 

 edge to some use, rather than to the purpose merely of training 

 the human mind. 



. But it seems to me that we here have something practical to 

 do, if we agree in the hopes and the faith which have been 

 expressed by the gentleman who has addressed us this evening. 

 It is well known, and must have been perceived by the remarks 

 made by our friend, that this College is now in a position where 

 it must be dwarfed by the Commonwealth, and on the responsi- 

 bility of the Commonwealth, or it must be allowed to grow ; 

 and I .understand that the trustees propose to ask the legisla- 

 ture this winter for an appropriation for the purpose of building 

 a dormitory which shall be sufficient at least to hold the next 

 class, which, as has been suggested, will be as large, and prob- 

 ably larger, than the one which has already entered ; and I 

 think we, as gentlemen from varipus parts of the Common- 

 wealth, can do no better practical work than by seeing the 

 representatives and senators, with many of whom we are person- 

 ally acquainted, and witli so many of whom we can bring 

 ourselves into contact, and ask them to assist us in obtaining 

 such an appropriation. The State is now in a position from 

 which, it seems to me, it cannot withdraw itself with honor ; 

 and while there will be, and should be, a very great pressure to 

 reduce the expenditures of the Commonwealth, in all legitimate 

 ways, this year, and for many coming years, probably, I do not 

 see that there can be but one course for the Commonwealth to 

 pursue, in this emergency, with regard to the Agricultural 

 College, and that is, to give it a chance to breathe ; and I hope, 

 sir, that we may be able to exert, legitimately, such an influ- 

 ence upon the legislature as the gentleman who has put the 

 question has so often done by his own personal eloquence and 

 power, in behalf of the museum at Cambridge ; and that it may 

 result in such a grant to the college, as shall enable the tr\istees 

 to make the necessary, almost indispensable, addition. 



