New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-16
PAUPER COLLEGES.
Z of The \. i. TfibNRe.

To The Editor Of The y. y. Tribune.
SIR: Having observed q short remark in TIE
TR1BrYE Of the 10th inst against further appropra-
tions to free Colleges and High Schools, permit me,
through the columns of your widelycircuated paper,
to offer few remark, on teaching at the public ex-
pense the dead languages and higher branches.
The good. natured public pay very high price for
these pet institutions, without inquirng whether they
do not pay too much for thu whistle. How few of the
pupils Of the poor OF even rich, who pass through
these institutions ever realize any permanent benefit
from their hgh.schoOl studies And why should other
citizens pay the tax when they do not intend to avail
themselves of the benefit 1t Is like the Catholics IN
Ireland being compelled to support the Episcopal
Church The poor mans son. when he has finished
bis education has i'll general to toll for his daily bread
so that he has little time, with all the inclination, to
improve himself in classical lore or astronomical
ipgs The higher branches of learning belong to those
who have the means of turning them to some useful
purpose they may serve as toys to beguile the IDLE
hours Of the rich. 1t is preposerou, to hold out IN
ducements as these schools do TO misead the Amer
lean Youth to such useless waste OF time. 1t IS also
yey questionable whether any real classical scholars
emanate from these establishments tor IN three
years it is hardly possible to make Latin scholar 1t
lakes one year to learn the Latin Grammar properly,
then six months in some preparatory WORK, SIX in
Caesar, and then hurry through OVID ana virgil.
Juvena Perseus, Tacitus and others In order to
read Latin with facility and enjoy the language, 1t
will take .eyen years. l shall not allude to Greek,
which is still more difficult language, aud can only
be mastered by time and diligence.
Instead, therefore, Of wasting the public money on
these establishments render the Grammar schools
thoroughly efficient. In them let thorough practical
English education be gwen, including, when desired
Algebra, Geometry Plane and Spherical TrigOnometry
and Surveying. As an inducemeht to good behavior,
il might perhaps be well to permit deserving scholars,
in the last year of their time at school, to learn either
the French, German or Spanish languages. A boy
education the reuuisite talents and the
will could as many eminent men with no such helps
have DONE climb to any hight in learning to which his
faI cy might lead him; but how few would ever make
the attempt. Leaning, like good tool, very good
in its way but its value bar been Overesthaed, and
il ought to be kept in its proper place.
In conclusion let parents reflect upon the folly OF
crslnming learning into those Of their children who
have not natural capacity to retain It, Some chill
dren have an aptitude for the mathematics while 9th.
trs ACQUIRE languages with facility So it is with the
musican-he mus have for music. But too
many parents blind to the qualifications and de.
fects Of their children, that they imagine it al easy
matter to make silk purses ont OF sows ears: Vanity
il also often motive. 1t sounds SO gentee to hear
their stupid boy styled Doctor for nowadays 1t Is
ta.y TO hang diploma on this ass in lions skin.
Most men are formed for the ranks; why then vic
tinize any by dragging him forth to the ridicue
or annoyance Of mankind Let parents, instead OF
aiming al lofty and unattainable vanities teach their
children TO walk humbly with their God and consider
that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis
"dom" They will then have the satisfaction OF seeing
them pass credably through this life, with the s.re
prospect of attaining that better one promised US by
our Heavenly Father. UaBRlCIes'
JulN 1857