The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-30

faculties of law and medicine, because lawy ers
and physicians are among the most useful
faculty In the University, established some
years ago, with the same wise end in vie y. AMI
of whicn we hear little-that of Arts, Mines,
ana Manufactures. This school, am sorry TO
say, which ought to be the pride and ornament
Of Philadelphia, has never gone into practical
operation, simply for want OF suitable endow.
menL 1t Is burning disgrace and shame that
try, the metropolis of commonwealth
the number of whose citizens engaged in
mining enterprises is greater than that 50
employed in any other State, should not pro.
vide for the young men who are hereafter To
direct her vast industrial resources that
thorough systematic and scientific raining
which is essential To any true success. We have
here machine shops and industrial esia1ish.
ments of all KINDS in abundance, where the
practical details of the arts may b observed 10
advantage; but what we want is scientific
knowledge of the principles upon whlUh these
arts depend, and what we do not want Is 10 be
forced TO send elsewhere for those who have
gained the knowledge requisite To CO duct in
telligently our great enterprises. L not
unmindful OF what has been done by the en-.
lightened gentlemen VINO contro! the Franklin
Institute, and, perhaps, by some other agencies
in this city; but all tnat has been doue uas
been limited in its extent, and necessarily i'm
have now become the indispensable append.
ages of every college in the country worthy of
the name; and is IL too mucn to ask of that
wealthy class among us whose prosperity has
been mainly due to success tu manulacturink,
mechanical enterprises, that IL should sndow
here n school which would place our lndustrial
supremacy upon sure aud permanent basis?
i nave enuGaVOreu TO present 10 you what /
conceive to be tue actual condition OF things Ia
Philadelphia In regard 10 higher ed duca ion,
and the relations whicn the University OF Penn.
sylvania now sustains towards It, have given
but sketch; you can readily fiji up the out
line. have pointed out tho evi it is Tor you
to apply the remedy. l am emboldened by the
conviction tbat am not the advocate of the
private interests of a particular corporation,
but that plead for the common advantage OF
all when ask you to support the only orga-
niZed agencv of wide and liberal culture
Ar "a
only the agents of the community in this lat
ter. 1t is for you TO decide whether your chill
dren shall erjOy here those opportunities OF the
highest training which are abundanJly offered
to the youth of many communities OF not one
fourth the population nor Onetenth part of the
wealth OF this metropolis. II seems TO me that
1t is just cause OF reprolch to us that, with
population of 100000 sous. there are certainly
not four hundred OF our young me1 recei hns
at any one time college education, or a
seboos or ese mbsTe TS9 Is IN less our numbsr 0w
in proportion TO The population, venture to
say, than is to be iound in any large city
in the civilized world. II is about half
that which exists in most of the countries
of Europe, and less than that which
is found not only In New England, out in the
vigorous and flourishing Common wealths of
the West, where the opportunities of education
are steaoily incre +sing with the increase of
been called by one OF her most gifted sons the
Paradise of Mediocrity, and although there
may be something cynical in such an opinion,
there is also some truth in it, We have shown
but little ambition TO rise above the average
tent TO produce average men, and for such pro-
ducJions average means have sutficed. OF late
Years, am proud aud happS tn say, n better
feeling has been awakened. Public spirited
citizens have come forward and devoted all
beir energies to proving that they at least do
not bel eve that number and wealth alone
constitute great city. To such men we owe
our public parks, present aud prospective; the
efforts that have been made to refine the public
taste. 10 provide healthful recreation for the
masses, 10 extend the usefulness OF our public
libraries and our scientific collections. All
these things, let us nope, an ounce tue dawn of
a better era. While we hail its advent with
gratitude, let US not forget howevcr, that all
that can be done by these efforts is merely to
add the CoIinthian columns to the edifice of
our mu nicipal prosperity. Its foundation must
be laid broad and deep in Tniuds trained by
liberal and tnIighten, d culture, or sooner or
later the whole structure must crumble into
ruin.
In what have said of the i'm portance OF sus.
tanning here a learned Institution OF the very
highesL clas s, am prompted by no local or
petty Jealousy; L des re only that Philadephnt
should assume before the world her proper posi-
tion. / cannot, II is true. express too strongly
the convictions entertain of the solid advan-
tages accruing to a city like this from the perl
odical absorption into the municipal body of a
large number of highly educated men. But
do not put my plea on this ground. L abstain
ask for the support Of learning here, from a
sense of its innate worth and dignity, nor do
title in history is, not that they were rich, but
that they loved and honored scholars l con.
| fine myself to the more practical and obvious
benefits OF such institutions upon the commu.
mites in which they exist. Happily, need go
no further for an Illustration of what mean
than to one Of the departments of this very
University of Pennsylvania, whose cause 1
am now advocating. Let me ask you whether
| 1T Is possible to overrate the Importance of
| the Medical Department of the University
during the century of its existence to even the
most vulgar and common business interests of
this city. Surely,we nave all right to be proud
of its long established fame, which has placed it
| at the head of the medical schools of the coun
try; but we may, If we choose calculate the
value to the material prosperity of the city of
tnose vast numbers Whe nave been and are still
attracted hither by that fame in the pursuit of
their medical education. sometimes speculate g
upon the probable effect on this community had
the Collegiate Department of the University
been as successful in attracting students within
it's walls as the Medical Department has been
i do pOt think go too far wnen say that could
we have sent every year, for The last fifty or
| sixty years, one hundred and fifty well-trained
| young men into this community. its whole
| aspect would have been changed, and higher
| and truer civilization would 10y this time have
| penetrated into every 6bre of It's life.
There is one peculiar feature In the solid
guarantees offered by this University for the
| education of your children which 1 must not
| omit TO mention. L refer not now specially to
the distinguished ability and high reputation
| of my learned and honored colleagues of the
Faculty of Arts, nor TO toe advantages which
liberty Of choice in the subjects of study gives
| 10 the pupil, but rather of the opportunity our
position affords of preserving home influence
| over oy during the most critical period of
| his life. Amidst the universal decay of the old
fashioned restraining powers over young men,
alone something Of It's original vitality. 1t is a
| most precious means Of influence and when
/ faithfully exercised has, perhaps, more to do
| with the true education of boy than all which
| he can learn from his books. We cauuot he too
careful, 1T seems 10 me, how we value IL lightly
| or substitute FOR H. any other means OF forming
the character OF the young. There advan-
| tages unques iOnahly, so lar as stimulating q
| boys ambition Is copcerne1, in separating him
from his family, and forcing him To associate for
four years with those en- gagged In a com N On pur.
suit II must not beforgotten, however. that this