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

the true sense Of the term, in which instruction
shall be given in all the sciences which 60 to
make mp the wide circle of human KNOWLEDGE.
so in our own State you find Packer or Par
dee establishing courses of instruction, with
Teiertnc 1t is true, to Ger ain limited neld OF
inquiry. but recognizing fully the truth that
these fields cannot be properly explored without
a thorough and comprehensive scientific tram.
ing The experience of the richest men In the
country il Uniform against the evils OF n narrow
and technical training for young men. No o lr-
version of the truth is more strange than that
which is so common with the minimizing, and
which is shown in the habit of pointing to these
wealthy men as illustrations OF what can
be done In this world without thorough edu
cation. These men are held mp as examples to
the young TO abandon their books ana plunge
at once into the strife of money-getting; out
they themselves being the judges, the chief use
of the wealth with which they have been
blessed is to deter others from following in their
footsteps, We have now TO consider the coun-
teracting tendencies which exist In our Amert
can life sgainst the narrow and erroneous Views
of education to which have referred. Tnese
tion, 80 called, meaning thereby pursuit of
those studies which are ordinarily taught In
this and other colleges of the country, Tnts
institution is, technically speaking, univer
sity, and not college II trains young men
faculties provided for that purposes; but those
who study these are presumed to have been
prepared for their work In the Faculty of Arts
or Collegiate Department, as II is popularly
called, or by some equivalent means of
cerned with the education afforded In this Uol.
legiate Department. 1t processes then, TO bs q
liberal education. By our charter we have the
right to confer acldemlcal degrees in drtibuS
h6eTdlibus We call IL liberal, because its object
is rather to train and develop all the faculties,
to instil into the mind the germs at least OF
general truths, to show a young man the nature
of the weapons with which he must fight he
great battle OF life, and how to use them. 1t
recognizes the fact That the condition of the
human mind, like that of the body, between
the ages of ten and twenty years is that of
growth, and that the great aim should be TO
give 1t during that period the kidd Of putri-
ment which shall insure healthy maturity.
1t regards the period between these two ages az
essentially one of preparation to be employed
not merely in laying solid foundation, but in
the peculiar @ tsent allen % or capacity Of
zeal for study merely from a love of knowledge
in itself, but her with direct al constantly
in view namely, success In future life. No
doubt there have been periods in the worlds
history when the loltiest objects presented to
the stuo oents ambition had no concern what.
ever with the practical aims OF life, when indee
the scholar and the man OF business could have
nothing in common in their pursuit OF know.
ledge. The abstract speculations of the Greek
philosophy in regard 10 the good and the beau
tiiul, as well as vast deal OF the ponderous
learning OF medieval times, had desgnedly
concern with the ordinary business OF life. But
now, the great end OF every system OF higher
be In wholly attaining that end, Is utility in its
highest sense. III we advocate liberal cul-
ture, it is not because it is the traditional sys.
tenn, or because IL keeps up a learned class or
species of intellectual aristocracy, or even
because 1T promotes, love OF learning
for lis own sake, but because we con.
scientiously believe that it makes
better clergy men, better lawyers, better physi-
clans better merchants, better manufac ul ers
and, above all, better, truer, more valuable cit-
zens than any other. IL is because we nope
thus to use the words OF one of the aolest OF liv
Ing writer's ITO tram men whose intellect shall
be a cod clear logic engine with all lis parts of
equal strength, and in smooth working order,
ready, like steam engine to be turned 60 any
kind Of work, to spin the gossamer as well as to
forge the anchor; whose minds shall be stored
with the great fundamental truths of nature
and the laws of her operations; who, no stunted
aScetics, shall be full of LIE and fire. whose pas
sions, kept under by vigorous will, shall be
the servants of a tender conscience, learning To
love all beatty, whether of nature or art, to
hate all vileness and tor spect others as them.
selves"
If you ask then, why teach young men those
things which do not pertain specially TO their
future PROFESSIONALLY teach him who is to be
q clergy man, for instance, mathematics or
natural science, or embryo doctors or lawyers
the dead languages or history-the answer is
the faculties Of the mind are most successfully
employed IN any pursuit. which REQUIRES the
have been trained in a know ledge of general
truths, and especially in The true method of
terry Of any one science necessarily involves
general knowledge OF the relations which IL
bears to all others. We hear a great deal said
OF the uselessness of much that is learned in
college by men IN after life, because they may
have forgotten their Latin and Greek; and yet
every sentence written by these men, almost
every idea expressed by them, bears testimony
to the unconscious training which they have
received from thsses sdespised studies: You can
atmosphere in after life, than the robust and
healthy man can escape from the effects of
basel ball and cricket IN which ne delighted
when boy.
Let us, If possible. get clear ideas on this sub.
ject OF liberal education. It Is not a fixed sys-
IN cast in some iron mould. 1t has standard
which varies with the varying wants of the
community, and of course, is or very little value
unless IL is in perfect sympathy with the
living realities OF the time II the princi pile of
giving the best training for the work to be done
Is maintained, the methods employed Ia that
ini,, ha infip al aH Hfly
the needs OF any given age. Scarcely any term
has changed its meaning more frequently in
history than that OF liberal studies. OF the
impractical character In the modern sense of
much of the higher Greek philosophy have
already spoken In meai@yai u Times mes instruction
torlc, and logic, and these studies constituted
what was called the trtUtum
Music, Arithmetic, Geometry, and Astronomy
were taught in more advanced stage. and
these four subjects formed the QuadriUiunl. A
strange form of liberal education, certainly,
according TO our present notions; and yet, says
an English author, "the triOtun and QltadriUium
were so much admired oy our ancestors that
they imagined they comprehended all wisdom
and learning For whoever understood the
t,iUiarm could explain all manner of books with
out teacher while he who was farther advanced,
and was master also of the QuadriUt.nl. could
answer all questions and unfold all the secrets
of nature" Since the Reformation, the Latin,
Greek and Mathematics have been, in England
at least, not merely the foundation OF q univer-
sity education. but proficiency in them has
been its great end and aim. But as the nine.
teenth century differs not only from the middle
age, but also from the sixteenth, in many essen
tial respects, so also there must be a respond-
ing change In the system OF education to train
men now TO act well their part N life II cannot
be too often repeated that any system of edu-
cation is worthless if it be not in harmony
with the active life around It, unless
IL be, indeed, the express reflex and
image of that life. Upon this principle
the American college sys EN- has always
been based and the constant effort has been to
watch the changing needs of the country, and
TO adapt itself to them. We have now reached
point when 1t may be said that two funda-