New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-04
. ',es and speculatons, and thus enrich themso,v,,
les. All this the community which profit.

small is rationa'''v composed. Itsconsists princi-
pally Of text. books md works of reference The
| putils Of the higher ,Nlasses can easily complete
tLeir reading through tie public Libraries. The
departments OF instruction sre VARIOUS, and form
complete system. Laying down broad foun-
dations for general and special culture, they are
we'll adapted to prepare youth for he sc'enHhc and
nractical OCCUPATIONS of serious and isborous he
The textbooks. though uneXceptiOnsby chosen on
the whole. might, however, be modified IN some de-
tails The moral and philosophical branca inish
bear some change bringing its textbooks nor i'"
harmony with the hig comprehension oil ourda'irs
as men or as members of great social and political
body. The study of history might also be more Be-
riousy considered History, it is hardly necessary
to repeat, is not simply an enu1'raton oil the sue
cession of events but well ma erstood' so''e"' 'ns
heart, briehtens the soul, and Largely temPers 'ne
characte. of the MAJ. For sscA an END " eoe's
Universal History does not answer at all. "'o~'
the only trne and sound exposisOr OF the en're
mental and political Grecian world, ought W 20
used in teaching Hellenic history; and Arnoia
deserves the same honor for the Rom IN. In tno
Natural Sciences the sterling autSo rs OF TINS
country and of Europe form the text-A. oks; ana
we are Glad 10 learn that Mrs. SomerylA is wei
appreciated. her work on Physical Geogrsr y being
better than any other commonly used in th New
England schools. The lectures too. deiir Heu
various classes we'll adapted to their purp use.
The Report says that no provisions are MA -" lof
physical education. Why should this Illogical, tnis
nhuman deficiency exist Mems sanaineo rpor,S no,
ia an adage as trte as it is true. Especially shN I'd
this branch Of education not be neglected in ci "
crowded like New-York, where 30 little regard 3
paid to general hygiene and where careful OBSERVE
ton demonstrates the fact of decreasing hcslthfu-
ness Gymnastc exercises, stimulating the actiy-
ity ard the normal harmonious development of the
muscles, would form compensation for many other
Deficiencies whose superintendent is beyond the
reach Of the Academy.
The division Of the course of studies forms tho
crown of the whole. Upon il depends likewise the
comforting of academical degrees-that powerful
stimulant to young imaginatons. We find that the
Academy has not freed itself n this particular from
an DID, musty piece of routine, as higher degree
is given for full of ancient than for one OF
modern languages. This is a direct encouragement
to neglect modern languages, and, joined with
others, largely influences the choice OF studied
Accordingly, the number of students OF the
classics is nearly twice as great as those o.
the modern languages. With all due defer
ence to opinions in favor of ancient Ian
gusges we persist in asserting that for
all scientific and practical pursuits, knowledge
of the modern tongues is paramount to that OF the
ancient In the present state of mental expansiso
and culture ancient languages form the orna-
mental. modern the fundamental requirement. II
il traditional scholastic idea, which should DO
obsolete that Latin and Greek form the best discp
line for the mind. Formerly the modern languages
were rot admitted into the sanctum of sciences but
now the nexhaussible labOrs, utterances and crea-
tons of the mind everywhere conducted and re-
corded through our vernacular tongues. However
great classical scholar may be, he will still prove
poor writer or scientific man, an Indifferent his
torian. jurist, theolOgian, physician, astronomer.
chemist, or engineer if he do not know French and
German For these reasons the speoalities Of study
at the Academy ought to be more appropriately
distributed
The German language, indeed is much Neglected.
In one class there is but single pupil. We are
sorry for it, Useful as the French is for practical
life German is equally so for the scientific and stu
dous man. 1t is q fallacy common among SUI
perfcial readers, that the German mind 10
exclusively abstract, metaphysical and ideal.
Nothing can be more erroneous than such q notion.
In the history and progress Of the exact sciencies,
we point to Copernicus and Keppler. forerun-
pers of Newton and sm0Otbers of his path. Then
| Leibnitz, Euler; and even Sir John Herschel was
| German by birth and education. The manifesto
IL Ham spa al
most every drectOn-in abstract speculation a.
well as in positive science. At the beginning Of
our century Oxen founded the science of compare
tive anatomy. More than thirty years ago Francis
Baader, though a profound metaphysician, pub
lished the best treatise on railroad communications.
1t is only year since Gsus died at G0ttingen the
| first of mathematcians. Among the positive SCI
ences now led by Germans we can name chem3
istry by Leibg physiology by Muller; anatomy BY
Haene, the dscoverer of microscopical anatomy.
Pbiloogy Medicine, Ethnology, Geography, can
not be mastered without knowledge Of the Ger
man language Especially has the German mind
been devoted with all its patience and earnestness,
to positive science during the past twenty years;
and these tendencies supersede more and more tho
former prOcliyities to metaphysical speculation.
| The German technical and normal schools are tho
best in Europe as regards practical Information, and
for the thorough learning Of their various teachers
We trust that our teachers and youth may not
overlook the bearing Of these observations.