Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-07-04

Irpu-h all the z rGd;.tiCES OF SoiiSss'ItS CASi
es and advancement 20 toe Dictatorship OF
:. il they rctain any CT thcir Mathematics
their Philosophv to calculate iSr what por-
In ct them thcy arc indebted &c their college
crhrations, and for WHIT u Subsequent d.
{euCe.
We have sid that the emulation which Is
hpposcd peculiarly TO origli,at', & 10 be We
PRIMARY advantage II all eXtcnsl7e scihi-
.ries of learning, is III our Aheric.1I COLE
Is improperly directed /; and we trust that
rs will not DC dec:lc! q very absurd, or
|Eery bold position, when reference is had to
IKE scale by which YOUTHS abilities are
here estimated, aid tie da'G upon which the
onors of the college ere awarded. Now lii
kreat part tf tine course Of study, this Sole
hid these data are the precision with whlc'l
he can retain by memory Certain number oil
Ideas, and repeat them to tue professor, and
linus the prize of scholarship IS awarded, as
81 may happen, to quick memory OF drudslnS
Industry. We do ret ui"an that this applies
! 10 the Mathematics or the Physics learnt al
k&ollere.-but it does to the Rhetoric and
Moral Philosophy, and rs these last constitute
y very principal part OF IL studies OF the
Hradua1e wear, youth OF talents who IS at the
lame time ambitious of expanding his mir !
18th useful and general knowledge, and OF
.kaining collegiate laurels, merely from rhe
Sant Of quick memory, finds himself reduced
10 the notifying alternative OF renounc:nS
Lie opportunity of Improvement, or submit
ling to see the honsrS borne away by olock'
head 1t is easy to determine the event otsuch
| 4 contest in young and ardent mind and
Thus the tones which adorn the shelves OF the
|rolfege library are condemned to lie there In
.xhe dust, maugre the learning and very use
ful information which we doubt not they con-
. Rain for few Princeton students could speak
.Irom actual knowledge Oh this point) from q
kaise ambition engenelcred in It's pupils by the
xery spirit of the institution itself. When be-
aides this it is recoiiected that it is very I'M
|portant matter when Youth is about to finish
lis studies, to have some sort OF certainty with
|fcspec, to his share Of s,le@:s, to know whethe,
lie have any share at all, and if he have, what
may be their peculiar bent and notification
Ne must be allowed to hnd very great fault
nth system of cdncation which gives u
10 sort of Information On these very csse.Iti
| II and interesting topics Of enquiry.
- We have never been accused OF being pu
&tanically ascetic in our notions yet W,
Ipnfess, when we cor DIN with all these ne
&ative and positive disadvantages which al
resent adhere to educating d youth at am
NE ofour colleges 1--WE mean those which
re most in vogue and considered as offering
lie greatest advantage TO student) the per
fcious faint which they generally comnunl-
,hse to his dispositions and habits, we find II
| Apossible to reconcile such compromise OF
= Peat moral objeces for such trivi advantages
q no advantages at all TO his mind, with :
6bnscientious discharge of parental duty
NC are on very sure ground whenever we
13k of college depravity and though the er-
|tors and extravagancicS of this time OF lite
fke, we know, looked on with All lndulgen1
re as the oyerfowing of exuber,nt spirit, OF
. Indications of lively genius, we shall have
3Sery prudent parent to agree with US, that
bfecocious vices, false and dangerous notions
h&bits of waste, aud te general Geleterious
eEs impaired to young mans dispositions
~ college, are very serious and undesirable
bills.
But these objections" it will be said, a" ap'
. Hly to all extensive semnaries, and every
Fge collection of youths, and if we arc to be
.akterred BY them from colleges TIL these e
&eme unobjec,ionable On this point, we snail
Id none TO which d young man Can be safe
entrusted" We certainly do not loos
ith favorable eve on ANY large collection o.
Sbuth, removed from parental inspection sne
pntroul, having the meals and incentives te
Righteousness at command, and delivered
Der, with only the feeble and nominal re-
Fictions Of college discipline. to the poilut
{ig sutorship of vicious example. But these
Aischiefs swell, in our eye, 10 very mon
Cfous evils, when their influence IS excrted
- youths of fifteen or seventeen, whose pro-
. fknsities are uniformed, or are at that very
enge Of their progress, when the most dccid
| ed and powerful determination is usually 81.
| ~ them, and hose minds are hotbeds, very
Sspahle of producing what is good and praise
brthy, bas giving quite as vigorous vege
hon to any noxious and hateful seeds inject
By bad example. 10 send youth, there
Re, at this age to college, is, We are firm
of opinion, a very hazardous experiment
to send him at later, the Intervening
mrs being dpiv imDroyed and our College: