Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-03-29
EDUCATION.

ED UCATION.
From the New-York Evangelist.
To the Friends of Sound Learning and
True Religion.
Dear Brethren-I am 10th to saw any
thing to the pre- udice of our Education
Societies. How few can be expected to
hear me with candor or patience How
many will suspect my motives, and mis-
interpret my Ianguage! What ungra-
clous insinuullonS may | not provoke !
None but superficial Scholar" one
fippanty eXcIaims, " can be untriendlv to
thorough education" But | am most
earnestly in favor Of thorough education
The more thorough the better. But why
a superficial knowIrd &c ofrhe "dead lam
guagcs" should be thought essential to
Moroughncss of mental discipline, let
those explain who feel themselves compe-
tent to such task. MY own claims to
scholarship, | leave to be disposed of by
such as may take an interest in such
matters.
With college life l have been some
what familiar, both as a student and an
officer. Neither in the one relation nor
the other did any thing occur to sour or
mortify my feelings towards those with
whom, IN giving or receiving instructions,
| was connected. am not conscious that
personal ill.wiIl toward anv body-that
personal considerations Of any sort, have
at all contributed to bring me to nv
present position on the subject Of educa-
ton. In connection, both with colleges
and education societies, the treatment
have met with has been sufficiently re-
spectIuI and fattering to satisfy any feel
ings CT seIf-compEacency | may be sup
posed TO cherish. AS much as this | feel
bound, however re uctantIy, TO say to
protect the sub jectunde reconsideration from
any blows " to which, through me, it
might be exposed.
Soon after entering on my official course
at the Oneida Institute, it was found to be
under great pecunlary embarrassmcnts.
Not a few, who looked upon it with an
unfrlendly eye, seemed quite willing to
believe and to declare, that ruin awaited
it. An impression was made upon the
public mind, that its bankruptcy was in
evitabIe How harsh bearing this must
have had upon the Institution, any one
without my help can readily perceive
No body will wonder, that amidst labors
sufficiently sew re, we were more or less
the prey of anxiety and apprehension.
We had among our students a considera.
bic number who were aided by the pa
ronage Of the Education Societies. Their
character was admitted by their patrons
TO be excellent; yet the assistance by
which, under the pressure Of deep power
tv, they had been sustained and cheered
in their efforts 10 prepare for the pulpit,
was Withdrawn, on the ground that in pur-
suing our course of study, they must en-
ter the sacred Office ignorant Of Latin
The treatment which we thus received,
have always regarded as exceedingly
harsh and in urious
l. The eagerness and haste with which
the names Of our Young men were bIotteG
from the list Of their bencfciaries, seemed
to indicate a willingness in the MANA
gers Of the Education Societies, 10 see
us crushed under our accumulated bur
dcns. Had the Oneida Institute been in
their esteem a strong institution, high in
favor with the "Iea ling Influences in
''church and state,'' no task would have
been easier than to satisfy the Christian
public that our course of study invoIed
all that the spirit of their acquisitions de-
manded.
2. Our institution was ruGely attacked
by writer, as fippant as he was shallow,
IN the New York Observer and EvangeI-
ist, over the signature of Par, who was
understood to be one Of the Mana gers of
the Education Society, and to have been
urged by his fellows thus to break our
hold, 1t possible, on the confidence Of the
public. His articles were remarkable for
the mock-learning which they displayed,
and for the imposing professional style, in
which they were written. An appeal was
made to our young men, manifesdy de-
signed to break up their confidence in
their instructors, and to induce them. to
abandon our lecture rooms. wrote in
reply, over nv own name, what the Evan
geiist admitted and the Observer refused
to admit to place in its columns.
8. No Education Society ought to be
entrusted with sfhe keys of the pulpit.
tits not theirs to Determine on what con-
ditions any portion q the Christian church