The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-06

COLLEGES AND LEARNING IN TIKI UNITED SrATES.
From the number of colleges and academies
scattered through the United States, and from
the great number Of young gentlemen who annu-
ally graduate at these establishments, it might
be supposed that the United States produce more
finished scholars, in the most comprehensive
sense, than any other nation in existence yet
the lamentable fact is apparent, that we have not
a superabundance of flushed scholars, although
it must be admitted that, general thing,
education is more abundant here than in any
other country What we mean to say is this, that
the United States do not produce as many finish
ed and perfect scholars, proportion to the faci-
lities enjoy, and the means we have at our COM
mand, as we ought to do. A large majority of our
people in every State in the Union cen read and
write, and cypher too; J" but how few are they
whose extensive and erudlte learning entitle
them to rank as lights in the world at large! To
be sure, wherever the English language is spo-
ken, the name of Webster is heard-wherever
the dead languages are perused a study, the
name of Anthem and other distinguished scholars
are household words but in proportion to our
means, we cannot claim as many brilliant names
we might.
The causes which have produced, and are pro-
ducing this backward state of things, are worthy
of thought and consideration; and the first and
principal of these is in our opinion, the railroad
go-ahead, hgh-pressure and burst-boiler system
of education adopted in our colleges, schools,
and academies-a system which is peculiar to
the United States, and quite at variance with
that pursued in England, and other foreign
countries. We claim superiority for the United
States over every other country, in everything
except this; but when it comes to this, it grieves
us to admit that we are behind them. Our young
men are taken from their studies when their
minds are, strictly speaking, only sufficiently ex-
banded to commence and pursue them. A youth
is sent to school, or the academy; before he
knows the elements of his own language the
Latin gra nmar is placed in his hands; with
smatterng only of this, and rough idea of the
construction of that language, Virgil is put before
him-the Greek grammar follows next, and so
on to the end of the chapter BY the time the
period fixed for the termination OF his education
has arrived, he is sent out on the world with
heterogeneous mass of half digested Latin and
Greek in his mind, of no earthly use for any
practical purpose, aud the chances are that he
will forget the little knowledge he has acquired
in one year after he receives his diploma. How
many of youth are there who have not submitted
to this grinding process of being taught, this
high pressure system Of education!
The design of our higher colleges is to pro-
duce finished scholars; but how can they do it
with such system of education as we speak of?
How often, says Bishop Doane, :" are the names
of Plato and Tully upon tongues that have not
mastered the elements of their respective Ian
guages. How many have gone over Virgil,
without trace OF his refinement, or Homer,
without dream of his immutabe truth TO
ture!' True for him, and sorry are we that we
have so many living evidences of the truth of
the remark.
The present system is bad. Erudtion or scho-
larship cannot be obtained by the high pressure
system at present adopted. They must be &C.
quired by slow degrees The student should be
perfect in the elementary principles of a Ian
gusge, before he is permitted to move step far
ther The foundation must be solid, or the su-
perstructure will totter and tremble. youth
cannot be finished scholar in a month, or
year, or five years; and parents who expend their
money in having their children educated on the
supposition that they can, will be mistaken in
the end No; the sooner this lightning pro-
cess of educating American youths be abolished,
the better.