The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-22

The board, after the most careful aud thorough exami
nation of the whole course OF instruction in civil and
military engineering at this institution entirely
tsfed and unanimously of the opinion that it meets
every requirement o the service and reflects eminent
credit upon the distinguished professor who has trained
for the army so many young and accomplished engineers
the highest approval OF distng and experienced
gnee and veteran officers Of the army who have tested
its efficiency in and in peace give to il most
cordial and unqualified approval.
ASSISTANT rRoEysoRs.
The attention of tho board was particularly attracted
to the present method Of appointment of assistant
fessorS.
The comparative smaness of the corps of permanent
professors and the great importance Of the subjects OF
education ntrused to their care renders the method OF
selecting the assistant professors matter of great i'm
portnce in many points Of view Although the abors OF
the assistant professors carefully supervised by their
principals yet the qualifications of the adjunct proe
should be of the highest order. Facility in mparting
instruction. familiarity with the studies of their depart
ments and experience in giving information are essen
TALLY necessary to the teacher These essentials in
opinion, not attained by the present system Of APP
pointing assistant professors Without consultation with
the members of the permanent academic staff and fire.
quently without the slightest inquiry respecting their
qualifications officers Of the army assigned duties at
this institution assistant professors not only they
required to act assistant professors but they also al
lowed by the rules of the service too short time at this
place TO acquire the necessary information and experience
The department, In opinion, before assigning an
officer to the duties and responsibilities Of the post Of
ssant professor should ascertain that he is perfectly fla
mar with the matter Of the studies of his
The inquiry should be to the eci1lay of the officer
His duties should be made congcnal 10 his favorite sub
jects of study He should bring to the discharge of the
duties of his chair that devotion TO science and enthu
siasm in pursuit Of knowledge without which the teach
or Is never efficient This applies particularly to
the claims of military and civil engineering natural phi
losophy chemistry, geology, mineraogy, and ethics
Great respect should in making the selection of assistant
professor be paid to the wishes and preferences of the
distinguished resident professors They necessarily
the best possible judges of the qualifications and attain
ments of the graduates from this institution. The off
of the army have passed in review before them for
many years past They also vitality interested In the
selection of able assistants. Their reputation to
small extent depends upon the fathuness and in
tcgenco of their assistants and their labors are
materially diminished by those of competent adjunct
professors.
Nothing cam respectfully submit, be injurious
to the interests of the country and the Military Academy
than tho frequent changes in the personnel of the assist
professors especially whilst the present policy of
appointment prevails, which seems to have not the
slightest reference to the attachments and qualifications
of the assistant professors instructors of youth.
An officer for instance graduates at this institution,
and after four months urough is ordered to tho from
tier where he spends five six years, with opportu
mites incentives to scientific intellectual improve
ncnt. His recollection Of the elementary instruction
which he received at West Point becomes each year
shadowy and ndistnc Neither the society the de-
mands Of the service in New Mexico Washington Ter
rtory tempt the young officer to pursue his mathemati
cal and philosophical and ethical studies He is how
ever under the existing policy of the department, liable
at any moment to be assigned to duty assistant in
structor at West Point Unless person Of unusual tall
ents and prodgous memory he returns to the academy
not half familiar with the studies Of the institution
as when no left it as young graduate. Years
must necessarily clapse before he master the details
of the subjects Of instruction ntrustod to his He
required to teach what in point of fact he does not
know and 10 instruct where he needs instruction. He
Is therefore not pDfreqenty incubus rather than
assistant Of the principal professor His own information
is obtained by crammng and is too crude to be valuable
to his pupils BY the present system when the assistant
professor has by intense application the dsad-
vantages under which he abors when appointed and
gins to be useful and valuable to the academy he
dcrd away to other post and his place supplied by
officer fresh from the rough service of the frontier
When is ccolected that the cadets of the junior classes
youths of slender requirements, requiring the most
careful and patient instruction. taught mainly by the
assistant professors the evils of the existing system and
the necessity of such notifications those
mended by the board must be evident to those familiar
with the system of instruction at this institution We
have also made many inquiries and feel assured that
views meet with the cordial approval Of those possessing
the largest experience and most intelligent appreciation
of the wants of the institution.
APPOINTMENT CADETS.
The attention OF this, of many former boards was
directed the fact that of the eighty or ninety
diets who annually admitted ut this institution rarely
than third graduate. The government in con-
sequence of the difference between the number of adms
and graduates ncu annually large aud utterly
unnecessary expense the maintenance of young gentle
who after two years spent at the Military
Academy, either dismissed required to resign In
consequence of alleged ncacity to master the
studies designed prepare them for military usefulness
to the country How to relieve the government Of ths
annual expenditure, from which advantage is derived
and also how to avoid the modification which the failure
of large number of young men carries home to SC
many families and friends in every section of the Union
subjects well deserving consideration and attention
very large majority of the cadets who fail to gradu
ate are not dismissed for misconduct in the violation
the laws for the government Of the Academy. Those
who cannot maintain respectable standing in the
classes and have from failures at recitation received thu
fatal number Of demerits required to leave Ment
ncapacity and ignorance which is the result of povert,
and neglect in early youth, not crimes, although
their effects at institution of learning like ths
classcd amongst offences The present method of ap
pointmcnt secures for West Point large and fail
ing supply of the material out Of which such offences
are made wise discretion is rarely it ever exercised
in the nomination of cadets for appointment by the Pes
dent Inquiries seldom made respecting the talents
education and peculiar mental fitness Of those who
nominated Personal friendship, and still more frequent
" political consideration control those who possess the
power Of nomination for appointment Hence it hap
pens that large number of the cadets have mo-
the requisite qualifications for at this atany ohe
college in the Union where graduation is not amatcr
course after the payment OF fees for matcuaton Man.
candidates for admission present themselves who are ig
norant of the elements Of education We desire merely
in general TERMS to recommend change in the
isting system, leaving TO able and cxpeeencet
men to work out the desired reform. The field from
which to select cadets should be enlarged by allowing