The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-10-21
DIT


to arrive at any method of preventing railroad
collisions?
The practical American has therefore. we
contend, right to proclaim es humbug anv
establishment which fulfils its promises after
TINS fashion However they may try to dis
guise the fact under the sophistries of a trained
casuistry, they practice deception upon parents
and guardians in the course now pursued. They
say; My dear Sit, you quite misconstrue the
term education. 1t means, not to fit your son
for the world, to make him competent scholar,
capable workman, but, simply, by precept, ex.
ample, and little practice, to put him IN the
'oay OF achieving these ends: duco, to bring
out, to develop, to place en- train these facul
ties; not to ill up, to perfect, to establish ;:
but, at the same time, they arc well aware that.
to. the one addressed, education does signify to
perfect, to establish, to make q proper man
of--and, Knowing this, they are go far
guilty OF suppresSiO ueri.
There is happily, however, another side to
the question. The young man does not learn
does learn much that he could not have else
where acquired. He has here his first and
perhaps only experience of veritabe unmti-
gated democratic where wealth and " fami.
ly u" are OF none effect, and only your men of
merit, aHd your genuine Bons Gualtiers," are
Princes. He quickly indie that at home and
here are very different places, and that Z" taking
the honors I" is somewhat more arduous task
than to wear gold medals of school earning.
The conceit with which he has been filed by
iiljodged praise at home, is taken out Of
him rather roughly, it is true, but never.
theess, very benefcially. He finds his level"
and, if he would rise to prominence in one di.
rection, it must be by genuine hard study, and.
IN the other direction, by genuine deserving Of
the popularity he seeks. / am most happy and
proud in being able to say that there is very
little funkeyism among American college
boys. They do not play "toady" to wealth,
nor will they court (erceptio probot regulan,)
man who does not deserve to be courted.
And i think that in this respect we sre vastly
superior to any other nation on the face of the |
globe. 1t is very lamentable to think how soon |
our boys outgrow this genuineness, after they |
ener the great world. Again, our student has |
otter advantages, arising out of the microcos |
mr character of college. He may measure
himself for the outer world by his gymnastics
In his little world. Excepting the humanizing
presence of woman--he has to 90 out into the
graf world to find her, for she likes not the
cioster-he is exposed TO miniature of every
lnnence which the outer world is capable Of
exiting, and is brought into contact with Lii.
liPtian editions of every character that is to
besncountered outside. He has his club, his
ffitdly circle, his parliament. Here is his
libpry, his gymnasium, his barroom-he has
to Grape acquaintance with the latter, some
dapr other, conjecture, and had best acquire
hidxperience among honest folks He learns
bson, too, that home never teaches-de-
petence upon self--worth allthe formulate in
thaCambridge library. More than all-more
TO desired than book craft, or fluent tongue,
or lady pen, or the shrewdness of world-wis
doEhe awakens to the possibilities of FRIEND.
I friendship based upon equality of posi-.
toland congeniality of ssntiment-.he high
ssaing man is capable of, and the blessing of
allher human things most ennobling. Love.
reaf, is selfish. Friendship ia the one thing
intthich our egotism, our hateful yet eternal )
bu1g up for self, enters least of all. 1t hu.
ma,es, it expands, it develops, it perfects. ,,
Fatearer to the unsinning Adam are we in :
euHiendships than in our loves, for the one
renfs with its wild passion, the other Grapes
ourmbs in the purple dignity of its calm =
seae; the one is your many.sided master, the c