New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-13

Harvard University again finds itself with
out President. The chair Is one when Is
worthy Of any mans ambition, but IT seems to he
admitted that the duties of the place are too
numerous and too onerous 10 be properly per-
formed by a single person. In Harvard College
there were last year 40 students, with OIL IN
the other departments of the University. The
Rev. DR.. Walker, who has had personal expo
rience, stated mt n recent meeting of the Over
secrs. rs we learn from The Boston Daily Ad-
rertiser, that d" it was simply impossible for any
"man to discharge tie duties now required of
:" the President 10y the statutes" The Adrer-
tiser further states that ait will probably be
" found expedient to appoint President who
" shall take oversight OF the thirteen different
departments of the University, aud also a
" Vice President who shall act as President OF
"the College proper 1t is evident that
if there is embarrassment in arranging the
government Of the University it results in
certain sense from the prosperity of the insti-
tuition. There is simply work for more
than n single head. There seems to be n need
of an Executive officer who shall take n gene
raj charge of the University and of another
officer who shall care for the government of
the Undergraduate department. But that the
college charter provides only for "Pres-
dent it has been suggested that the one
might be called chancellor of the University
and the other "SIastcr of Harvard College"
1t has therefore been proposed to establish
the office Of Vicc-Presdentiwith special charge
of the College.
Wealthy as the University is generally con-
sidered, the reader will probably be surprised
10 10 info tbofi of ifc
ayers it is by no means so rich rs it should be,
and there Is n constant call upon the liberality
Of the wealthy patrons of the College, and
constant and generous response. For centuries
the institution Inns bren Ito child of the State;
it has been nurturcd with religious Interest,"
and whatever doubt modern views of educa-
ton may have raised Of its educational policy,
it has unquestionably contributed vastly to the
intellectual culture of the whole country. 1t is
customary to speak of Harvard as unduly con-
sentative, as antiquated in its methods, and rs
meager in its course of study; but the injus-
tice Of such criticism will be apparent to all
who will consider the contributions of CAM
bridge to scientific advancement. There has
been no pedautic adherence to the classics or
to the mathematical branches Of learning;
course is generally toward monastic and inn
practicable exclusycness, we think that Har
ward has been singuaIly liberal and progress
siyc. What opportunity was there in the whole
land for thorough scientific education before
the bounty of Lawrence made such n training
possible mt Cambridge To Harvard and to
the friends of Harvard is due the credit of set
ting nm example which has been nobly fol-
lowed; and If admirable institutions are being
established all over the land il is not proba-
bic that Cambridge will be found in the rear.
For any changes which may seem to DO re-
CURED, involving an increased expenditure,
the requisite amount of money will be forth
coming. Indeed, Massachusetts must be strangely
altered if she permits herself to he surpassed
in any such competition. 1t is true that
the muniticencc of the citizens of other States
seems to be unstinted but the Massachusetts
notion that money cannot possibly be better
invested than in the promotion of education is
still adhered to there with fullhanded liber-
ality. Nor is it adhered to there alone
Wherever New England man goes, he carries
the New England idea. No matter how poor
the community may be, the school-house is
necessity and education u matter OF course.
II is the habit of those who know no better to
talk of Yankee stinginess; but is it that par
ticuar form of inirmty which has endowed
Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and
Amherst and Harvard in Massachusetts, and
Brown University in Rhode Island, and Yale
College in Connecticut Even the late Horace
Mann once permitted himself to say, in fit
of spleen, that II Yankee would squeeze n sil-
yer dollar till the eagle upon it screamed, but
nobody knew better than Mr.. Mann how many
silver dollars had been spent by Yankees for
the promotion of that cause which he had so
much ut heart There are certain things