The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-15
Our Loading Universities.

From TIE Independent.
1t is generally agreed among our scholars and
sdudns that the great educational need of Ame-
rlca is a real university. The chances are that
this institution, whenever it arises will come
by process of development, rather than by a
new creation. 1t will probably grow out of one
or more OF our present colleges. We have felt
some interest, therefore, in comparing the last
annual catalogues of Harvard, Yale, and the
University of Michigan, and have been rather
surprised to find how national character they
have already assumed.
In point OF numbers Michigan leads; having
1906 students, OF whom 354 are undergradu-
ates. Harvard has 96l, of whom 419 are under
graduates. Yale has 6S2, of whom 400 are un-
dergrHd oates.
As to variety of States in the Union repre-
sented Michigan does not Ito our surprise) eX-
hibit so many as the Eastern COLLEGES which, in
this respect, keep closely together. Yale repre-
sents "a States in her undergraduate depart
ment, and 25 in all; Harvard % States among
her undergraduates, and 25 in all. Michigan
represents IL States in her undergraduate de-
partmert, and II in all.
Students are, however, more equally dis
tributed among these different States in Yale
than in Harvard and In Michigan than in Yale.
Out OF 1875 freshmen at Harvard, 43 (about one
third) reside out of New England, Out of l56
freshmen at Yale, SO reside out of New England,
many, of course, coming from the neghboring
city of New York.
The Southern States are gradually being
represented once more in our colleges, if not
in Congress; and thus far at Harvard rather
than at Yale, which was formerly the favorite
college OF Southern students. Harvard has
undergraduates from seven slave s ates, Yale
hom nve, Michigan from thee only, not count
ing, in either case the District of Columbia.
OF course, the New England States are more
largely represented in Harvard; the Middle
States IN Yale; and the Western States in
OF foreign localities, we find in the Yale
catalogue France, ChIli, Syria, India, and the
Sandwich Islands-most OF these being probably
represented by the sons of missionaries. The
Michigan catalogue shows France, England
Nova Scotia, and the two Canadas. Harvard
shows England Liberia, and seven British
provinees..the last contributing forty students
to her medical school.
Harvard always leads Yale in the graduate
department, and falls behind in respect to under
the higher standard of requirements for admis-
sion at Cambridge. For instance, young man
applying for admission to Harvard must have
read @ the whole of Virgil" OF Cesar" and of
limited to a part of "Virglln and of ''Cicero,"
''Sallust" being substituted for Caesar" for
which it certainly is not more than an equiva-
lent. In Greek and in mathematics there is
also some disparity. This must often turn the
scale with young men whose time and means
are limited. In the Michigan University the
requirements are less in amount and also less
definite, the system being less stringent in all
ways.
So far as the arrangements for postgraduate
studies go, Harvard is behind the two others,
having, beside her professional schools, only a
scientific school," and not, like the Others,
"department ." of literature and the arts"
For the present 1t may practically amount to
much the same; but it is very important to re-
cognize, at the outset, wider definition of
science than that which limits it to physics and
natural history. When the Lawrence Scien-
tifc School," at Harvard, was originally orga-
nized, it included provision for pathological
study; but there seems to be nothing OF the
kind now. AT Yale, besides the sheffield
Scientific School" there is an organized depart
ment, which provides advanced courses in
mathematics, philology, history, and metaphy-
sics;" though it does not appear how many
students it numbers. An enlarged plan seems
also to be recognized by the Michigan Uni
Versity.
There is, on the other hand, a system of Uni
versity Lectures at Cambridge, adapted to
graduates generally, which seams to have more
of TIE university principle about it than any.
thing at Yale. II IS understood that there is al
Harvard an "Academcal Senate" which is com.
posed of all the officers of instruction in the
Institution. 1t has always seemed an absurdity
that the main government of our colleges should
rest with a so.caled Faculty" consisting
largely of young tutors who are employed to
teach the undergraduates. Surely, in a true
university, the more advanced departments
should have in all respects the leading place.
IL appears from this brief summary that we
have already three collegiate institutions which,
by their numbers and their cosmopolitan charac-
ter $50 far as this continent is concerned), are
fairly on the way to become true universities.
1t appears also that in their organization and
plan Of study-especially of graduate study
(, they are adapting themselves TO the demands of
the age. Whatever competition exists between
them is of an honorable and useful order; and
as, in SO large a nation, there must ultimately
be more than one great educational centre, we
rejoice in the prosperity of an.
How to Make Presidents Harmless.
From the Nation.
The proposal TO make the President ineligible
for reelection has good deal to recommend it,
but the balance of argument is undoubtedly
against it, IL its favor there is the obvious con-
sideration that it would prevent that incessant
bidding for popularity, that persistent CONVEX
siCn of the Administration into an electioneering
machine, which has been the curse of our
politics for nearly half century. The Presi-
dent would cease TO have motive for deserting
his party, or trying to patch up one of his own,
or for shaping "policy" to catch the popular
eye, or for filling the public Offices with his
creatures, and, in fact for meddling unneces-
arily and injuriously in the work of legislation.
But the arguments urged against it by Hamilton,
in the Federdlist, have lost little of their force
They are now nearly as cogent as they were
eighty years ago. The chance of reelection is
undoubtedly stimulus to good behavior.