Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-07

The GeFman UniVersIries.
We make some very interesting extracts
from letter by President Faircbild, Of
HillsdAle College, Michigan, eonesrning
the celebrated Universities Of Germany;
AGE OF STUDENTS.
IEas disappointed in finding the stu
dents In these Universities younger men
than I had expected. heard 1t said that
the course Of study in the gymnasium
here was about equal to that pursued in
American colleges, snd that the University
course WAS the supplement to that pursued
in the gymnasium. The facts are that the
gymnasium course is sbsut equal to what
our students would have il they should
stop In the middle Of the Sophomore year;
and the age Of the University students Is
not on the average equal to that attained
by American students at the middle Of the
Sophomore year; unless you confne your
observations to the Eastern colleges, where
the average age is less than in the West
From this point Of view the folly Of the
plan adopted in the German Universities
appears only too evident. That plan is
that every student is 8 law unto himself,
and is therefore held to no responsibility
whatever, except to the civil authorities,
and that too, in the foIm Of court es-
tablished solely for the purpose Of trying
ofenses committed by students.
30 RKCIrArIoNs REQUIRED.
No student is required to be present at
any exercise Of the University; and the
facts are that many men are here who pay
their bills and scarcely for 8 whole term
enter the lecture room. Recitstions are
unknown. The Professor lectures unin-
terruptedly from the beginning to the end
Of his fOrty-hve minutes flor in all these
institutions they have long since found
out that 1t is long enough for profit mo
question Is asked by the Professor, none
Dy any student. II thsse who have paid
for the lectures are present very well ;
but if not, no inquiry is made, no discip-
line is administered. So II young man
is disposed to waste his time, and spend
bis months In dissip alton, that is his own
concern, and neither the Professor nor the
President interferes. Accordingly 1 am
informed that the loosest morals prevail,
and drinking, gambling and dueling
abound.
LIBRARIEs.
The Universities are well provided with
libraries; and these are ordinarily admi-
Eably arranged, and constitute chief at
traction to q literary man In these venera
bic seats Of learning. I do not now re
l.. - =
OF them, and my minutes are not at hand;
but the largest that have seen are at
Leipsic, where they have 100000 volumes;
Gottingen, where there are are 500 600;
and the two libraries at Berlin, which to-
gether contain 100000. The large library
at Berlin known es the Royal Library,
has about SOC, 900, and the University Ii
brsry only $4,000; but such is the easy
accs to the former, that the benefits to
all the students are about the same as they
would be if belonging to the other. The
same is true OF geological and mineralog-
icsl osbinets-especially the former. That
at Leipslo is, on the whole, in the finest
condition Of any have seen.
NUMBER OF Professors AND STUDENTS.
The Universities are very largely at
tended The number ct Marburg and
Giessen did not ascertain. Bonn has 800,
Gottengin and Halle from 700 to 800, Lsip-
sic 1000, Berlin nearly 1000. But the
number Of Professors are still greater in
comparison with American colleges than
that Of the students. None Of them have
less than 80 to go, Leipsic has 100. and
Berlin nearly $50. OF course it is evil
dent that this must either result in large
subdivision Of the different departments,
or from the different Professors overlap
ping each other. As q matter Of fact 1t
comes about in both Of these ways. In
Mental Philosophy, for example, there are
various theories and systems. And as the
Germans allow gsest freedom Of thought
snd Of speech, different men are appointed
to lecture upon Psychology, in view Of the
fact that they teach different and opposite
views, and the students attend whichever
course they choose, or none at all, If they
prefer that.
Then again, the subdivision Of different
Is carried to the last extreme.
At Berlin, for example, Professor is an
nouDoed as leoturing FIVE times week for
the whole term Of FIVE months on Demos
5theia4sfds sae4 9EcTrfs de eermsnia; another
on Greek Syntsx; and so on. Or If I IL
lustrate by reference to the Theogicsl De-
psrtment the same thing appears, One
takes Genesis, another the Gospel Of John,
one the Psalms, another the Epistle to the
Galatians, each preparing his hundred
lectures upon his particular subject. Thus
: hundred snd forty-siX men deliver two
hundred and fifty lectures day; and thus
you perceive that by attending five leo
lures day, one would go through the
whole in the short period Of fifty terms, or
years. But Of course this, you
covers the whole ground of
'oieDoe, literature and the three profes-
ions.
But some Germans feel, what every
American recognizes at once, that the great |
mistake Of this system Is that 1t is all |
,GsSiVe fseephVity, No student is allowed |
o ask question-Lo Professor ever does |
SIX one; and Il is easy to see that there /
9 very far from being that high degree of |
7skeful attention in any Of our Western |
colleges, to say the least The system may
onduce to lesrning, but It does not seem |
o me to secure in any great degree Wig
rOus mental discipline, or complete men,
81 development.
DURLIEa.
This dueling Is u Osrbsrism unknown to
he higher civilization OF our country; and
{ is baT6GriSm itself have not chosen to
'e present at any Of these battles. should
s soon think Of taking the place Of Saul
I fTarsus, when he held the clothes Of those
rho stoned Stephen. But have repeat
dly seen the armor, offensive and defens-
We, and heard the thing described, "Gd
will not impose upon you
eptition Of this description, but only say
bat the duel is with long swords, two
dyed, and sharp as razor. The head and
ace are left unprotected, and for fifteen to