New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-30
- FRoM rARIs.
Special Correspondence Il tAs New Orleans cressans

4.S PARIS, July. 1865.
Its well known and much lamented fact that
tie late war ii tie United States exercised an ex-
tremeiy disastrous effect on the education Of the
rising generation not only teaching them many
things whereof ignorance was bliss, bit prevent
ing ne large majority from acquiring or pursuing
those branches Of knowledge calculated to it
them for tie different professions for which they
HAD designed themselves At the. close Of that
long period Of internal discord, our institutions Of
learning were not id condition, from the Inalign
effects of the war, To meet the requirements Of
those who sought 10 regain portion of the yalu-
able time which they had lost; ana few Of those
younger ones Who, now that their refugee days
were OYER and they had finished with the back
Eooda md homsspun, are ready to press forward
III lie paths III learning, ana be ready to ill the
vacancy canaed by the last generation.
For these latter, however, we may say that they
Aava time, and can afford, to 60 TO the schools as
Shey are, and aid in the regeneration of our edu-
cational a5stems but for the nrstfnamed, the
elders, those who have al most but very few
wears to study, tip1e IS exceedingly valuable and
1heg hare need Of the best Of advantage in order
to accemplish Satisfactorily their desires. Now,
10 the caseas II issw where most of QUE young men
have been in the army when they re-unite ut
some institution with perhapA an old comTRde "a
arms for professor, the temptation is much
stronger to raeite the camp tales Of their OWE
campaigns than those of the Greeks or Romans;
and To discuss lines OF infantry rather than those
of mathematics. After having passed through
such stormy times as was the fate Of mostof us
to take part in, it is exceedingly difficult to
noneis mind back to books, and to study with
that senergy and consistency which Is the
only harbinger of success as scholar
10 this eiect nothing adds more than
ia society Of those whose atmosphere
Of learning has never been disturbed by the tenn,
pests q the world eommotionsi where every
Thought j. annexed 70 some problem, 81 some
difficult passage, and whose conyersation il sum
Total Is sort Of commentary on the peculiarites
Of such subjects as they encounter in their
studies. ln such company and In the shadows of
learning, and where It would be a Dissertation to
bring the outside world, one is insensibly drawn
into those discussions which students are sofond of
md the mind becoming Interested naturally seeks
to attain that knowledge necessary for Il TO reach
The leVel Of ITO associates, These causes and
effects being well understood by most Of those
who seek 70 bestoW on their children that heritage,
better than lands Of geld. q good education, the
places were this was 70 DO obtained became the
subject Of their thoughts and inquiries. For rea-
A0nA easy to comprehend. Europe was looked to
an best fulfilling the conditions required; aud TO
NaanY, therefore, suppose that exact INFORMATION
on4he educational advantages offered on this con
tinent would not be without interest. To this
subject. theref0re,I propose 10 devote a portion
of one oT two letters aill first give a short re-
sumo of the Institutions and systems of the
tions ia 9therparta Of Europe.
II we exAnaina the system of education Of the
youths q 1his cenntTyr-and speak Of the higher
and middle elasses-we Will decide that it is ex-
ceadingly thorough and calculated to completely
achieve It's object Ia giving What il termed flu
isl1ed education hnt, that in all points it is di-
xeeted towards the profession for which tho re-
cipieut Il destined. And here may wen remark
that they are educated from the beginning for
their profession and not left to choose at ran
aoIn-the ehect Of which s 70 produce men, who
are prepared TO dc iteFedit
Let Us, however, take the course progressively.
Ihe boy ID plseed at school, say at the age Of
seven years, His studies from this time until he
IS sixteen or eeventeensare entirely literary. At
this age he is expected to take the degree Of
BachslSef des Leltfes, bachelor Of lettets) TO
pass which examination they require to be very
weii posted ia Latin and Greek, history, geog,
gaph9, Fhetprie literature, mental philosophy,
eomegfaphy and the outlines only of the physical
eeieneess 9ne ort@0 years later, say at eighteen,
e. generally passes the examination and takes the
degree Of Bdehesler des Science bachelor ofarts)
for which they require arithmetic algebra,
elementary Beemetry, trlgenometry, descriptive
geometry IL part, natural philosophy ehemiss
tfy, natural history. geography and modern his-
tory, mental philosophy Lailu aud modern Ian
guage. II the person examined presents the
diploma Of Bdclel6er des Letsi-es he Is dispensed
with the literary portion ol lie programme.
In both Of these examinations they look rather
towards clear understanding Of the fundamental
principles OF the different subjects than to an ex
tended knowledge 0f their miaute. Up 70 this
time theooarse has been general, and the young
man is now what would be called q very fail
scholar; but this part done, having finished what
are termed his elementary stadesi he Is prepared
70 take up those special branches designed to Oh
him for the profession for which he Is destined.
BE 4 law or medicine, he is pushed forward Ia bis
literary studies aud placed in attendance at Of
che schools devotedto those subjects. Be ii The
Industry, that is the arts and manufactures that
Ae = DESTROYS Of entering, he spends two years ii
tae study Of special mathematics. physics and
chemistry and Is then prepared 10 enter one Of the
&feat schools Of engineering, such as The Poly
ksctl1ae. Ponds et Cltdasses le7ltrdi8. The first d
THESE beng worldwide rehown, and being con
ataeted as ths first Of its kind inthe world I would
gladly make come remarks apoaie but as ii is only
gpea 20 trench qtlzensi born or natufa2e6 any
INFORMATION on II would be useless ID Americans
VIII only state thatthese Of its graduates destined
tofeeFgat the corps Is government engineers fol
1e elYll service, are seat according to their rank
the inst to the iseole des Mines, aud thenext 70
fhe Eoole des Points ct Chaussesa The atter Is
entirely School Of applications aad the theory
learned a. the POLYTECHNIC or elsewhere is here
put iato practice. Il is open to strangers but the
ekamiaati0nis rather severe as you have nearly to