of his Alma Mater ; for the American
institution does not surfeit him with
theory nor starve him with the absence
of its application. The European one
does both ; therefore, our collegians are
eminently men of use, of action, while
theirs are either philosophers or soph
ists, becoming the latter—mental dys
peptics from feeding on dry dogmas—
when the student has not the strength
and capacity for enduring in the realm
of pure reason. The American college,
then, has grown to be the handmaid of
citizenship in its broadest sense ; and
College Journalism is an additional
step on the part of students to make
her ministry more complete.
The College paper should be a
tripple bond of union : as an organ of
the students it sums up their individual
sentiments into a “collective will,”
whereby they may assert themselves ;
to the Alumnus it keeps fresh the mem
ory of his Alma Mater;, between
colleges it promotes friendship and
wholesome competition. With, these
points in view the Free Lance launches
on the college ocean. She hopes to be
cordially received at all foreign ports
advocating in this respect “free trade.”
She will join in any alliance to rid the
sea of pirates ; she will consider herself
responsible for all matter found on her
deck and all property entrusted to her
care ; and, above all, the great cause of
inter-collegiate commerce demands her
share of influence towards securing that
THE FREE LANCE.
perfection of our System of Education
which holds out to every American
youth the means for attaining to the
highest possible freedom, enjoyment
and manhood.
Subscriptions from our friends
have been coming in very slowly.
No doubt a want of confidence in our
undertaking is the cause of this delay.
We remove this impediment as far as
possibly by sending sample copies of
our first issue free to all those who have
been closely connected with our-institu
tion, remarking at the same time that
we have surely come to stay. No forin
er student, especially no Alumnus , can
afford to let his college feeling lag,
when the mere satisfaction, in monthly
perusing the news of his college, is, of
itself, worth the price of subscription.
The Free Lance is largely intend
ed for the information of those who
have been students, and support is
accordingly expected from them. It
should be understood by all that the
editors receive no pay for their work, so
that there need be no fear of selfish in
terest on their part. The expenses for
the first few issues will be heavy, and" in
justice to college pride we venture to
remind our friends of their duty. Fur
thermore, with an extended circulation
of our paper, the influence of the insti
tution widens, stimulating at the same
time the desire of the editors to make
the tone of its literatum and news
worthy of such, patronage.