New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-02-10

,ert fsrth from the bosom Of an elder Alma Mater;
but We have right to look for proper system Of
education, ard for accuracy Of scholarship IN those
Who are teaching all clssses-the present seniors
ard boys who will be seniors four years hence
alike.
Our readers have had some means ofjudgins what
i. the real state of the case. They have seen what
knowledge Of Greek, Latin and good breeding the
Senior elias. possess. They may obtain in another
column an irkling of the carefulness and accuracy
Of the instruction given in several departments oil
study; Of the discipline which the mental faculties
receive; of the yivacity which charseterizes the
recitatiors, and of the competency OF some OF the
Professors for their posts. The facts published
alone-and it should be borne in mind that much
which goes TO make up ones judgment of school
cannot be set down on paper-seem to US sufficient
10 indicate radical defects. Whether they extend
10 the general organization and management OF
the institution and yitisie the whole OF Its sys-
tenn. or no system, of education, or merely reach
the details of instruction in several OF the most
important branches of learning may be question.
The matter demands investigation. II the former
alternative prove correct the Free Academy should
be completely remodeled, unless il turn out, on ex
animation, that there is no need OF It's existence
But. if on.y the eve, ear and finger are diseased
the evil msmbeGs should be plucked out al once.
Whichever be the case, every parent should
hesitate about sending his son to the costly edhce
on Lexington avenue for an education beiore
CONCLUDING 90 TO DO. he would do well to spend
few hours there himself or by competent
PROXY. in attentvely hearing recitatlons; or
if his son has already entered, IN hndlng out
what he has really learnt there. and TO what
extent he has been armed for the WORK
of life-what has been put into him, and how
what WAS previously in him has been drawn out and
developed In some instances, within our KNOW
ledge an inquiry of this description has resulted Ill
the withdrawal of the son from place where Re
was weakening his mind and obtaining no substan-
tial knowledge in return. Weakening his mlhd'
because it's beat powers were rusting from disuse,
the faculty Of memory almost alone having been
really disciplined; because he was contracting loose
habits of thinking, speaking and writing, and ac-
ouiring that small amount of learning which IS such
dangerous thing, inasmuch as it is not real, but
counterfeit, and the parent OF concert; whlie
scarcely anything that deserved the name OF scholar
ship was eyinced by the teacher or encouraged III
the pupil There may be Professors in the Acad-
emy to whom these remarks, which are literally
true of more than one of their associates, do not
apply. All rules have their exceptions.
1t is absolutely necessary for individuals and the
Press to look into this matter, for the Free Acade-
my is under no supervision. There are public ex-
amnatiOns, but no one examines. few clergy
men and ladies' stroll into the recitation rooms, but
no person is present who has the official right to
ask questions, to assist in arranging the scale OF
merit, or to make general inquiries and institute
thorough investigation into the condition OF things
That the members of the Board of Education do
not attend is not, perhaps, to be regretted, since
they are VIGOROUSLY incompetent to pronounce
upon the merits and dement's Of an institution of
learning. but The ois;.ens of Now Norh should see
to it that there he upright tribunal, capable
and willing TO oversee their schools and academies
7-some Commission, whose reports should enable
them to decide where to send their children to be
taught and which should keep the public purse
afe from the depredations of Literary adventurers
and half. educated pedants.