Documents in the matter of an application to the honourable the Legislature of the State of New-York, for a charter for Manhattan College.

Date:
1829
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Documents in the matter of an application to the honourable the Legislature of the State of New-York, for a charter for Manhattan College. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    the rights of the humblest citizen, they venture to call your attention to a few circumstances having imme- diate bearing upon their case. The principles of the government under v^hich they have the blessing to live, are such as to secure to every citizen the privilege of exercising his talents and industry in any honourable and useful calling so long as he neither directly or indirectly interferes vi^ith the rights of others. Experience has clearly proved that the exercise of this invaluable privilege has universally tended to elevate the character, and augment the resources of the country which pro- tects it. The medical profession derives its excellence from the united labours and experience of all those who are devoted to its cultivation. Those who are most experienced and most learned, have it most in their power to benefit students. If the right of teaching be exclusively given to a few, either by direct enact- ment, or by throwing disqualifications upon others; if those who have expended their best days, and a con- siderable portion of their earnings in search of pro- fessional knowledge, are to be excluded by law from competition and emulation, from aspiring to the ho- nours and rewards in the free gift of the profession, whence is the improvement and advancement of the profession to be expected ? The instances occurring recently in neighbouring states, are immediately in point. When the Jefferson College in Philadelphia petitioned for a charter, the University of Pennsylvania and its friends were ex- ceedingly alarmed, and set forth various manifestos, showing, by very plausible arguments, that it would be highly dangerous to the profession, and injurious