The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-02

Yale Collese-what II Has Been and
What II May Become.
Did we number eulogies among the real
wants of Yale none would more readily bestow
one on 1t. But we think 1t has had far too
many already. Although honey is very
palatable, agreeable thing, it is generally
admitted that surfeit of 1t is injurious. Still
worse are the consequences of overdoses of
molasses. We need not enlarge on this point
further than to refer to certain recent perform
ances on the part of some Of our neighbors,
and ask whether quack medicines, sewing
machines, sensation novels and colleges or
universities should all receive the same
treatment"
What Is called the new departure at Yale"
may prove worthy Of all that is said in its
favor, and mono would rejoice more heartily
than we if it should. But we cannot overlook
the fact that something more than puffs and
predictions Is necessary to raise the standard
Of a college; and that the standard Of Yale
needs to be raised is beyond question. We
have no disposition to say an unkind word Of
President WooIsey; We believe that he has
discharged his duties consclentiously. Nor
have we any less favorable opinion of his sue
cessor, President Porter. The new president
may prove better educator than his prede-
cessor; but, setting aside mere compliments,
we see no good reason to be sanguine in that
respect.
In the long period of quarter of q century,
during which President Woolsey has been at
the head of Yale College, the prestige Of the
institution has been much improved, or, to
speak more accurately, it has got better
name than it previously had. But it Is idle to
deny that the money of its donors has had
vastly more to do with this than the learning
and ability of its professors. DR.. Johnson
once remarked that the University Of st.
Andrew was distinguished above all its rivals
by growing rich by degrees" If the honest
old critic lived in our time and country we
think he might bestow similar compliment on
Yale.
Be this as it may, Yale has become quite
wealthy. There are few institutions any
where that have so much money and real
they perform. And as rich men who have it
in their power to confer certain honors, real
or imaginary, generally get credit for much
more learning and wit than they could justly
claim, so the students Of Yale have to depend
more on the shadow than the substance. This
may serve at once as an explanation and an
excuse for conduct recently attributed to the
latter by one who had ample opportunities of
knowing their character, and who could
hardly be supposed to have any disposition to
libel them. Pupils can hardly be blamed for
not adherng to the strict truth in their state
ments if the system pursued by their teachers
has a tendency to encourage misrepresenta-
ton. We venture to say that no competent
judge who has visited the class rooms
of Yale within the last decade and
heard the principal recitations enter
tains much doubt as to the fact
that the fountain of knowledge in that institu-
ton is very shallow. If our Croton reservoir
were SO easily exhausted we fear we should be
thirsty, if not hungry, before many days, did
we confine ourselves to New York. When the
great Athenian statesman gave expression
to his grief and regret at finding Anaxagoras
consigning himself to death for want of the
necessaries of life, "Ah Pericles," says the
philosopher, ''those who need a lamp should
take care to furnish it with OIL. The remark
we have made relative to the physical resources
of Yale shows that il is oil of another kind
which is wanting there-the oil expressed by
careful study and unwearied research from
This is the great desideratum at Yale, and
until it is supplied no departure, new or
old, will render it worthy of one-hundredth
part of the eulogies bestowed upon 1t.
Far be it from us to deny that there are
professors at Yale whose learning is highly re-
spectacle; but because it is too true that the
majority of its professors have really no learn
ing, properly 80 called, 1t can do no good, but
evil, to pretend the contrary. Nor need any
educated person be informed that this is no
unfriendly assertion on our part. If new
president for Yale were elected every month
there could be no real improvement in the
direction in which it is most needed until the
faculty learned at least part of what its men,
bers need to learn themselves before
they can make scholars of others.
They must realize the fact that it is
no evidence of the learning acquired by col.
lege professor to take up English or German
text books, make some transpositions and
omissions here aud there, and have them re-
printed with their own names on the title
page. A large amount of this sort of work is
done at Yale but of at least dozen which
we have examined there is not one which
might not have been ''edited" as it is by one
who knows nothing Of the language of which
il Is q text book.
We do not mean that the Yale professors
are by any means peculiar in trying to render
themselves famous by this continuance; other