The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-16

important subject OF the terms OF admission to the
the future welfare OF the Academy depends largely
upon the wise solution OF this problem. The
Academy must keep up with the general educa.
win go FAR to determine the nature OF its product.
COURSE OF INSTRUCTIONS.
The great merit OF the course OF instruction and
discipline at West Point taken as whole, IL that
1t cultivates in an eminent degree the virtues or
and the sense Of duty The next conspicuous merit
OF the Academy is the thoroughness with which all
practical branches In the theoretical studies this
thoroughness Is obtained ut sacrifice OF range aud
variety but under the present circumstances OF
the Academy this sacrifice Is wise. IL Is a third
merit OF the Academy that II sends out lieutenants
who are competent to command in all three arms
of the service. They have learned the duties OF
soldier in the artillery cavalry and infantry. This
Is not the system OF European military schools, but
Is nevertheless system regularly adopted to me
United States. The Board OF Visitors desire thus
to express its hearty recognition OF these conspcu-
Gus merits OF the Military Academy before 1t makes
a criticism on the course OF instruction, indi-
Gates the points at which improvements seem pos
sible
RELINQUIsH SPANISH FOR FRENCH
The visitors are decidedly OF the opinion that the
the time now allotted TO Spanish should be given to
French. The argument which caused the introduce
ton OF Spanish into the course was that we border
upon people who speak Spanish, and have many
relations with the South American Spanish speak
ing nations. The arguments which deternind the
opinion of the Board OF Visitors are: First, that
there is not time for the cadets to learn foreign
languages well French is vastly the best language
for them to study, because it Is stli tine most mos.
foreigners, and because IL has very i'm
portant military literature, winch Spanish has not
secondly, that the mental training obtained ny
studying one language thoroughly Is more VAIN.
able than that gained IN getting smattering OF
two languages; thirdly, that rs matter oil iact the
cadets can get only very slight acquaintance win
Spanish in the short time allotted 10 TINS STUDY,
there is possibility OF teaching them TO speak or
write the language and this little they learn OF 1t
must be forgotten by the great majority Of the
Visitors should be adopted French would be
studied every day for two years. substantial
knowledge OF the language can be gained in this
time, even by young men who have had no other
linguistic training AT the end OF the second year,
however, French is absolutely dropped, according to
the present programme of studies In order to
keep up the knowledge OF the language once ac-
CURED, the visitors recommend that French text
book be used In some important department, both
in the third and fourth year OF the course.
BAD ENGLISH AND DEFICIENT RHETORIC.
The Board of Visitors, like many preceding
boards has remarked among the cadets q lack OF
ease and precision in the use OF English Rhetoric
Is not studied, and there are no exercises In the
Engllsh composition. Under the existing terms OF
admission the graduate OF the Military Academy
may never have received any adequate instruction
IN the use OF his native , aagnags IN ADDITION tsa tho to
graduate OF the Academy is only expected to
Know what is taught in primary schools or
in the lower classes Of grammar schools.
If he knows anything else he has gone beyond
the official requirements, and to this condition of
things the Board recommends that in the event of
time allotted to French being increased by the sup
preston of Spanish. the Department of French be
instructed to require of the cadets frequent written
translatlons from French into English, and to en-
act careful attention to the correctness and tie
elegance OF the English and to neatness of pen
manship. The visitors think better of such eXer-
cises than of English compositions, believing that
II IL vicious practice for young men to write upon
The Board of Visitors further recommends the rig.
orous and incessant enforcement OF accuracy of
language and distnctness OF enuneaton on the
part OF cadets at all ordinary Rotations.
NATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CHEMISTRY.
The Board reports to the departmsnt
1at e apm OF e wne %,
and 0s tHs jas rs Of Gais Il ES oES these SspSr
INNS needs Ieconside!a alton and modification:
spends onehalf Of all the time he has for study in
the first two years of his course upon mathematics.
The Professor of Mathematics is man OF great
ability, iorce and experience, and he comes in con.
tact with every cadet every week for two years
from his first entrance into the academy;
teaching and the mode OF recitation in
all their Details including the use of the
chalk and pointer ut the blackboard, which are pro-
scribed, and wisely prescribed In the mathematical
department, are carried into the teaching of the
sciences OF observation and experiment, where
they are by no means so appropriate. Ihere Is
peculiar discipline to be got from the proper study
OF chemistry, mnearology, acoustics, optics and
pine to be derived from mathematics and 1t is
that peculiar discipline which the cadets should
get from these studies, for chemistry ana
physic. when taught with book and blackboard
If they were mathematical, are not as useful FOR
training as the mathematics themselves adeen
and odius employment for the mind than commit
ting TO memory the facts OF chemistry out OF |
manual To commit a Latin grammar to memory |
would be better training and more useful in every |
point Of view. In order that chemistry and physics
should yield to the students mind their own pecu-
liar fruits they must be studied by observation and
experiment on the part OF the student. Only IN
this way can he acquire any Just conceptions
these sciences The student must handle
the tools himself and observe for himself and If the
ha pa fl ia nj oh
tasks, the theories and hypothesis of those sciences
are not much better mental food when separated
from the experimental data on which they rest.
Indeed, when an inexperienced and deienceless
student has a physical theory or speculation I'M
natural fact, he suffers mental injury which Is al
ways serious and sometimes irreparablc These
views concerning the right mode of teaching the
natural and physical sciences are by no means new.
They are admitted in the practice Of the best scen
tihc schools and colleges. In order
TO EQUIP WORKING LABORATORIES
in chemistry and physics it would he necessary to
spend moderate sum, say $1,000 in each depart.
IN the Of s aS
working laboratories may be found among the
private Incorporated colleges and polytechnic
srabe that the collections of illustration apparatus
In chemistry and physics should be GRADUALLY IN
department would be better than large sum
years. While they make these suggestions
physics the Board Of Visitors do not
mean to cast any imputation upon the efficiency OF
the excellent professors In these departments, ana
they desire expressly to guard against the possible
inference that they would like to have more time
devoted TO these sciences The Board Is OF the opn
ion that enough time Is allotted to these subjects
they only suggest different OF the time now
given TO them The thought that 1t will be hard to
find young army officers, graduates of West Point
who would be competent laboratory assistants to
the accomplished professors OF chemistry and nat
ura philosophy in giving the new kind OF instruc-
tion suggested, brings into view general difficulty
in the
ORGANIZATION OF THE ACADEMY
which well deserves the attention OF the depart
ment. All the instructors at West Point, apart
from the professors, are young graduates OF the
Academy. who, after few years OF service on the
frontier or ON the seaboard, come back to West
Point TO act teachers for four five years under
the active supervision OF the professors and these
young men have had the West Point training, and,
as rule, no other systematic instruction. Being
under the orders of the permanent professors they