New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-07-20
THE BABES OF ALMA MATER.

Our institutions Of learning are again holding
high festival. With chirpngs more or less melo
dous. the chickens of the colleges the quadrennial
incubation over, peck at the shell, and escorted by
their learned purses in silk gowns, are emerging,
some well and some i'll enough feathered, into an
active, earnest, practical world. 1t is a consdera-
ton at once curious and entertaining that, within
few future weeks, the number will be more than
doubled of those who will have the highest author
ity-that of a sheep-skin covered with Latin and
bound with blue rbbon-for proclaiming them
selves adopts in old humanites and in new. What
is Bachelor Of Arts AT the best, one who
might hobble through the De Corona, 1t 1t hap
pened TO be the Greek with which he was finally
polished. but who might lamentably fail IN the
Memorabilia, which he read by the aid OF Sarah
Fieldipgs translation in his second year-One who,
By dint of drilling is tolerably familiar with the
First Book of the HAD but who knows nothing of
the last-One who might render the simplest and
prettiest odes of Horace but would at once break
down in the Andria or Adslphi Of Terence-One
who studied Mathematics with notable determl-
nation to forget them as soon as possible, and who
has been taught the termnology Of logic, without
the fantest idea of its uses-one who has been
drilled in such wonderful work us Campbells for
his rhetoric, BY some Professor who has studied
words until he mistakes them for thoughts-one
who, if he can write correctly and tasteiully, has
nothing to write about-one who may have ac-
quired the cheapest elements of Geography, AS
tronomy, Chemistry and History, but who has done
no more.
An entire class, with two or three exceptions,
may be in this category. Those young gentle
men who are grossly illiterate and many OF
the Artistic Bachelors are no better, upon the
grand show-day are sternly suppressed-al-
ways to the regret Of those who are partial to the
the odd and amusng-and are srnugged through
the baptismal performances at the end OF the e1h-
bition receiving the priceless privilege of writing
the first two letters Of the alphabet after their
names, by special grace, and through the kindness
of Faculty which may be disinterested, and mag
feel just little natural pride in swelling the
Triennial Catalogue Now, there may be two
objects in these platform performances-the
fret being to show what the boys do know,
and the second to hide what they do not
know. To find, ard honestly accomplish the
first, it is plain that every member of the gradu-
ating class shculd be heard upon Commencement
Day-should be obliged to prove that he is worthy
of his degree. Better il viii be TO prove that he
has taken at least single Step toward the mastery
of his own stout and honest vernacular; but if
he cannot speak English, and write it (Which IS
very probable, LET him give the company an earn
est of his quality in 80 ancient Hebrew, clad with
mysteries in wise Chaldee, the Arabian physi-
CAL" in "ths learned Greek, rich in fit epthets,
Bios; in the lovely marriage OF pure words"
in 1.-The Drawing Spanish or the smooth ton gued
French Let the boy have chance 10 do what
be can do best, bat vigorously compel him, unless
be may be excused upon the certificate Of some
doctor of dyspepsia, TO do something. Erect an
enormous blackboard in the Westinghouse, and
let him. with big lump Of chalk in his hand, give
the gsy company taste of Bourden or Legendre,
whom II will understand quite well it Will the
Salutatory Addresses Or if his tastes be scientific,
though be may have no original thought or infor-
nation Of his own. LEI him show that be compre-
bends the thoughts and discoveries of others The
in the gallery will furnish the ornamental
aud artistic, and there is always some scapegrsce
in TIE class who can relieve the arid perform .nces
BY few verses. But let the main object Of the
Commencement exhibition De- TO show tha. deal