New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-04-17
CARLYLE,s ADDRESS.

British Universities are for the most part honorary
and are filled by men Of political and the Ike
| celebrity Carlyles predecessor at Edinburgh was
Mr.. Gladstone; Mr. Dsraeli was his competitor;
while Oxford has the Earl Of Derby for Chancellor,
and the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, and
Prince Albert have all in their time held similar posi-
tions. Edinburgh breaks the custom, and honOrs her
self by paying her highest honor to one who is indeed
her most distinguished son, but whose distinction pro-
ceeds in no respect from politics or war. There is
something that touches both the heart and the
Imagination in the return Of Carlyle, as the repre-
sentative of English Literature, to the University
which he entered boy Of fourteen, fiity-six years
ago. The occasion, memorable in ITSELF IS made
still more impressive by the address which he dey-
cred upon his installation. We print it this morning
in full.
II happens to many man to be best known by the
worst things he has said and done. We fear that by
great number of American readers Carlyle is remem-
bered for his dislike TO us and our Government The
needless afront of the Ilias in Nuce" alienated
good deal of regard which had survived the alb
stract and theoretical statements, frequent in Caryes
writings in opposition TO the Democratic principle
All the Indignation felt was just; yet we can well
afford TO forget il all. The incalculabe service which
Carlyle for thirty years past has done US is not
to be outweighed by disgust at his failure to
understand the merits of our struggle for
nationality and liberty. We should pay a poor COM
plment to the intelligence and armindedness OF our
readers five did not suppose that they will heartily
rejoice at the honor which Edinburgh accords to Lit
erature in her choice of Carlyle its foremost name.
Nor do we believe possible to read his address with
l..I q. 1qarf IL
sympathy with the young men who listened to it, its
wisdom, is tenderness, its sound views on
education, is brilliant excursions into many
fields well titled by its author heretofore, and
By him only its wit and humor, its practical
common sense, and fitness to the occasion. We
remember to have heard Mr. Emerson, Just after the
first volume OF Caryle's Frederick was published,
describe it in a lecture rs infinitely the wittest book
that ever was written" Readers of Frederick know
that the encomum was well deserved and we are III.
cned to transfer it to this speech Into this talk OF
an hour and half, the wise and eloquent old man
has crowded the experience and the learning OF a
sudious lifetime, yet speaks to the young men
about him as if he were nearer to them than to the
grave, and with a sympathy and kindly interest in
ther future which goes to the heart.
secret Of a right education! Those are the questions
which he undertakes TO answer. The topics treated
ara such as the faculty and professors of every college
hAyt to consider practically What books ought to
be studed-what ought University to try to do with
the young men who come TO 1t for Instruction. IL Is
one Of the values OF a great man that he IS able 70
discourse proftably on such commonplace topics In
such man there is no straniug after originality when
he has 10 deal with matters where not originality but
experience is the thing wanted Carlyle is content to
recommend TO students to be diligent to do the task
set hem thoroughly; to learn how 20 read and study
lie believes the function OF University TO be some
thing quite different from instructng those who flock
70 il in special departments OF studyto be good law
yers or theologian,, or Swans. " | consider says
he. the very highest interests Of man ytally in'
trusted 10 them. What the Universities
have mainly done-wha' have found the University
did for me-was that il taught 10 read in various
languages and various sciences that could go into
the books that treated Of these things, and pry
into anything | wanted TO make myself master
Of gradually as found il suit me-" The business OF
University is to discipline the minds Of those who
study in it-by no means TO furnish those minds with
special and technical knowledge; statement where
in lies the conlutaton Of those who insist that not
classic, but science or not science but classics for IL
own sake, should be taught, and taught exclusively
What man knows when he leaves college is OF small
consequence Hon he knows il is the question,
and whether his mind has been 50 trained that
he can then turn readily to whatever business life
presents TO him; can master whatever subject IL
becomes necessary for him to master; can, in word
deal on equal terms with the facts and neccssitie,
that confront him on his entrance into the world. II
need not surprise anybody, therefore, that this most
modern of the moderns insists on the study of Greek
and Roman history, and OF Greek and Roman liter
ature-those two races being the most remarkable
and those two teratures being the most perfect yet
known among men, and exercising upon all subse-
quenl peoples the greatest I2ilucnce.
We take it for granted that this address will be
read By everybody who cares either for the matters
with which il deals, or for him who deals with them.
We are willing to presume that everybody will find in
il something with which he disagrees, something
which he heartily thinks wrong or mistaken No mat
ter for that Here is after all allowances made
the most loyal and most sincere, and the deepest Of
this generation the thought OF those who speak the
English tongue-c contributing his maturest wisdom for
the benefit of the students of his alma Mater II is
worth listening to, and will teach something to the
best of u.s.
The Times of yesterday publishes a letter from the
Hon Joseph Segar of Virginia, to Gen. Howard, the
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