The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-04

other time II perfectly agreeable. shall have
more to say; meantime let friend 'w. O. D." search
the Scriptures. 4. O.
Hebrew in tho Colleges.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
learn from the San Francisco papers that at q
session of the Board of Regents OF the State Uni
versity OF California, held on the 10th of July last
petition recently presented by number OF Is
raeites OF that State. asking that the Hebrew Ian
guage be taught in the University. was unani-
mously granted, and the superintendent was em.
powered to employ Hebrew Instructor at stated
salary.
think that this entcrprising institution away
or on the Pacific coast. has SET a noble example.
and one which all the American colleges can mi-
tate with good results.
The connection which the Hebrew language holds
to the Scriptures fnasmuch as the Bible was Origi-
nally written in it,. aside from the many benefits
which it can confer upon Q person conversant with
1t, Is alone sufficient to warrant Its tuition In the
''halls or learning"
The statement has been made by very many per-
sons, and, from my knOwedge OF Hebrew. I can
echo their remarks, that in no translation can the
Bible be so well appreciated in no other language
can the subimlty and beauty Of Its passages be
recognized so well. as In the original tongue
part OF its magnifcence The beauty
OF dicton, the poetcal figures and the simplicity Of
the Book has. as 1t were, been merged into q
volume OF difficult and uncommon words. Besides
this, the number or articles person encounters In
the theological journals upon Hebrew subjects, the
variety ana the extent OF discussions and tho world
OF knowledge contained In the Hebrew literature
cannot fall OF themselves to excite an interest In
the bosom OF every scholar and desire to become
acquainted with and to look into the pecularfties
am confident that should the tuition Of Hebrew
be introduced into some OF the larger colleges OF
this cOuntry-and there is no good reason why 1t
should not he well as In Europe where in almost
every institution We find the proper attention given
to the subject-that Numbers OF students, GENTLE
as well as Jewish, would hail 1t with pleasure, and
consider its study q relief in comparison TO the
dulness OF Greek, which receives such universal
attention in the colleges, Notwithstanding the TACT
that many OF the students when they finish the
subject know very little more OF 1t than when they
began. 1881 yg 81
Especially In the New York Free College-that in
stituti0n in which all sects and classes are repre-
sented-wOuld Hebrew be useful and valuable
addition to the languages taught; for at this nsti.
tuition, In addition to number OF students who
would like to study the language, there are very
many young Israelites attending, who are prevent
ed by want of time after the college hours IRON OBJ
tanning instruction In Hebrew, as they would de-
sire. The subject might, with comparatively little
labor expense, be added to the OF studies,
and would increase the interest taken in this nsti
tuition a great deal.
Let the New York Board OF Education, az well as
the Commissioners OF Instruction all through the
country give this subject the consideration 1t de-
accruing from the Introduction OF Hebrew in the
colleges
ardent admirer of the independent course which
your valuable paper always adopts by inserting this
communication III the religious correspondence OF
next Sundays HERALD am, very respectfully,
l.. NATHANIEL HEtSHFlELD.
Il Christianity q Failure.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Your correspondent ~. A. j." In the HERALD,
nf Jnlu tn hpHh IN hoo oho
astounding discovery that Christianity has proved
to be failure. Some years since the Roman
Catholics OF this city undertook to build magnin-
cent cathedral on Fifth avenue. The building from
that time to this has been progressing very slowly,
being almost at a standstll during the late rebel
lion, and is not yet dnished but will any sane man
pretend that the enterprise is a failures so of
Christianity. For more than 300 years the prin-
ciples Of Christianity, planted by Christ and the
apostles, have been slowly but surely working
their way against the fierce hostility OF open
and avOwed enemies, and the blindness and moral
corruption Of It's professed riends-at times during
the Dark Ages hardly visible, 1t must be admitted,
but still retaining the breath OF lfe-until now
within the century past, he who cannot perceive
their power and influence in the progress of the
age towards higher moral and spiritual m. ""-.
be blind indeed. Compare the moral anu ione'ous
tone OF both rniA-s r~~Pic or inc DAYS Vi
Herod with those OF the present day, even as de-
veloped In the amusements Of the people, and who
can fail to see the Improvement Suppose EN-, the
Emperor OF Germany In Ut OF JoHil'
cation, should become so smitten with some
beautiful damsel as to order one OF the Jesuits to
be beheaded to please said damses mother, how
long do you suppose the people OF Germany would
allow MIN to remain their Emperor Or suppose
throne Of his mother should cause that mother to
be assassinated, how long do you suppose England
ousvht hia ant CHI
principles oil love to God and love to man that are
the sum and substance OF Christianity What
into 'ne life n0, and activity all the benevo-
lent institutions OF the day. dotting the land
and dumb, the insane. the inebrlate, the orphan,
the decrepit and the helpless OF every description,
cropping out in the form Of mission schools, INDUS
tering arms for the vest and most abandoned, put
the same spirit OF love that shone so brightly
throughout Christ's earthly career and eliminated
in that agOnzing prayer for His murderers, "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do :"
That the Christian movement has been slow In
ito Observation-Disclosures Sae slower than it might or
ought have been-l will freely admit; but that Is
not the fault OF christianity but OF those to whose
Christ made His appearance earth the world was
controlled by the influence OF brute force. Retalia
ing idea of Justice 'An eye for an eye and tooth
| for a TOOTH clearly expressed the judicial and
social standard His object was to develop more
BRIEF His words were few, but ful
ofsprit and life, and the power which Is yet to sub
due all opposing powers and bring all into subec-
ton to the Divine will. He clearly expressed In
Matt. W. 43-45:-"Ye have heard that 1t hath been
said Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine en-
envy, but say unto you, Love your enemies, Diess
| them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them that despiteiully use you
and prosecute you, that We may be the children OF
your Father which il In heaven; fer he maketh MS
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and ON the
unjust" Having thus proclaimed the great
| truth tina. "God Is love-" and having I'm His own
life revealed Himself as the living persOnification
OF that love. just before the close OF His earthly
| career He called His disciples together and COM
| missoned them to continue the work He had begun
| by going into all the world and preaching TINS
Gospel to every creature; thus leaving TO His fol
lowers for all time the duty and responsibility OF
| converting the world to knowledge OF the truth,
and extending inc kingdom OF heaven In Tue earvn