The organizer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1849-05-26
KYFRAmS FROM THE ADDRESS OF THE
HON. EDWARD EVERETT,


TrDon being iaaHgurdtsd President Of Hdr-
uard Univsrsity, at Cambridge, Mass.
TIN knowledge to be acquired at the
University may Be and sometimes Is at
tanned at . later period, by private study !;
but the loss Of these four precious, i'm.
pressible years IN The discipline Of tte
understanding, is far less easily retrieved.
The efIicacygof a well conducted uniyer-
sity education in this respect is not suffi-
ciently considered; and in confoundlng IN
vague way,the acquisition Of ksaOirtedge
in the usual. branches of study, with the
general formation and training o. the
facsaties, erroneous conclusions are iorn-
ed, both as to the value OF particular
branches Of study and Of q liberal educa-
ton ia general.
IL is perhaps the general opinion, that,
as A man. in the course of nature and
without any particular discipline for that
purpose, grows up to the possession OF
ali The usual faculties Of the body accord
inc TO his natural organization, he viii,
in like manner, and without any discipline
to that end, grow up to the possession of
all the great intellectual faculties of a
rational being ;-that he viii find himself
at the age Of manhood, endowed with the
powers Of reason and Of judgment, as
surely us BE- win of sight, hearing, and taste.
We have already observed that the first
part Of THE proposition needs some quail.
fication, in reference even 10 the corporeal
powers. In every thing which touches the
grand. mystery Of the mind, il becomes US
10 speak with twofold caution, but l am
disposed totbink that the more we mediate
upon the subject, the more we shall incline
to the conclusion, that the mental faculties
are in some very peculiar manner modified,
strengthened, aud perfected by discipline.
The great cardinal powers Of Attention,
Perception, Memory, Judgment, Abstrac.
ton, and Imagination, seem to be-not all
indeed to the same degree, nor equally In
aIlmen--dependan for their growth and
power on culture. This, in fact, as has
been often observed, is the chief difference
between the instinct Of brutes and the
reason Of man. The powers Of instinct,
admirable as they are, appear to exist, II
not to the same degree in each individual
Of the speci or variety, at least TO the
same degree in the successive generations.
The lower animals have little power Of
self improVemeni,--slill less of deriving |
benefit from the experience ofOthers of the
same race,-and but limited capacity Of
being trained by tho superior Intelligence
Of man. Tho human intellect, on the
other hand, appears to be given us by the
Great Author Of our being as principle |
Of boundless capaciiy--susceptible Of UNI
limited improvement in the individual, and
Of being carried in the steady progress Of
successive generations, 10 point of per-
lection hitherto underlined and probably
indefinite. Or il the laws Of our present
compound nature impose any limits on the
prOgress of The mind in the present sphere
Of eXisience,--a proposition much more
easy to take for granted than to establish
by conclusive arguments,--we have abund-
ant reason 20 conclude, from all we know
Of lis nature, that It is designed and adapted
10 a higher stage Of being, where 1t will
enter unshackled on career Of improve {
meut absolutely without measure.
Now Il is tho object Of UNIVERSITY
EDUCATION TO carry on this great work.
already commenced at the freside and at
fOlloring Gad developing By
else discipline de pariOus mental pOloers,
rot merely 10 teach the meaning Of a few c
thousand words in the ancient and modern
or 10 impart critical acquaint- I
nee with their authors alone 70 af.
ord d knowledge Of the elementary truths
4 science or Of the facts by which they
re illustrated, nor OF the speculations Of !
Ingenious men on che philosophy Of the !
mind; bot in a well conducted and earnest a
Judy Of these and other branches, 10 train
} nc highesi atiainablc degree Of method,
romptasss, and UigOr fhe faculties BY rhicA
bey are PiEsued. A
ITO Be eonlinued.l