PROPOSED COLLEGE IN THE INTERIOR.
As one result of the establishment of "Robert College" at Constantinople, a desire was awakened among the Protestants of Central Turkey for a similar institution, though on a less extended scale, and somewhat differently constituted; to be established either at Aintab, or Marash. Both places were anxious for the location, and set forth their claims with much ability, but the decision inclined in favor of Aintab. The subscriptions pledged by the people of that city, on condition of securing the college, were regarded by Dr. Schneider as equivalent to $60,000 of American money, or more than twenty dollars for each church-member, Nor were the offerings at Marash less liberal, in proportion to their means.
The idea appears to have had its origin with the people of Marash; who state that their own condition, the number and power of their enemies, and the baneful influences of infidelity among them, made them feel that the standard of education in the Theological Seminary ought to be so raised as to meet the exigency. The failure of this proposal suggested the college; and the plan of one, elaborated by a committee, was brought before the "Union." By that time, however, the Protestants of Aintab had become fully awake to the importance of the measure, and the claims of the two cities were so earnestly pressed, that the Union declined deciding between them, and referred the decision to the Prudential Committee of the American Board.
The very able pleas by the Protestants of the two cities drawn up in the spring of 1872, are before me, in the English language. The Aintab document opens with an interesting statement of their past progress in the matter of education. "We well remember," they say, "what our condition was, twenty-five or thirty years ago. We had then not even a thought about the necessity or advantages of education. A population of ten thousand Armenians was content with a single common school, where only reading and writing were taught. When, however, through the agency of the American Board, the Bible was translated into our modern language, it soon changed our opinions as to the importance of education, we can hardly explain how. Soon, the evangelical Armenians, not to speak of members of the Old Church, were not content with even three or four schools, nor were they satisfied with educating their sons, but began to plan for the education of their daughters. We discovered that mere reading and writing were not enough, and saw plainly the necessity of a higher grade of studies. Whereas once, we were hardly willing to send our children to schools where all the expense was borne by the missionaries, we were now anxious to open schools of a still higher character, and support them ourselves. We now realized, under the light of God's Word, that if men are to be good Christians, good fathers and mothers, and useful members of society, they must be educated. In this respect, our desires have been greatly strengthened by watching in our churches the constantly increasing demand for a stronger class of preachers and teachers. All the churches within the bounds of the Union are convinced of the necessity of a more thoroughly educated ministry. Hence the desire for a college in this section of the country."
The decision was in favor of Aintab in view of its greater financial ability, its centrality, its comparative healthfulness, the abundance of good building materials, the lower price of skilled labor, the prospective railway communication between the coast and the interior, the proper distribution of educational advantages (the Theological Seminary being already at Marash), and the interest felt by all classes at Aintab, including the Old Armenians and the Moslems.