The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-12
For the pisratch.l
NATIONAL Educational Association
ELMleA. August {.

~
y rho National Educational Association
8 8 i''' E1MlnA. August {.
s. , .,srnc my brief notes where yesterdays
Il Der r,nrluhrd, c"nhninc attention, rs he'
q chiefly 10 matters which may most Ia
n ..,,, ,Ac readers Of the Dispatch.
q ',, ~, ,r, lryar,mcut Of Higher instruction,
=" ~, ,.,,r,rnnon. the order Of the day was 4
q hy Professor JCyncS, OF Virginia, on
":.;,qI study. As this paper will be print
~, the Virginia Educational Journal, no
" "''.i. 80 will Ic given here. Ii was received
@",' IN r,yrh commrndation, and led oan ami
,..i N,.. and highly interesting discussion. The
','',,,,;o,s were re relation of classical TO
."', .".'.,t,tir study. and especially the elective
."n, which was advocated in the report
I,. nniy solution Of conflicting studies,
,hr only condition now possible on
',;,lh a',% , hicA scholarship could be secured,
.,r.r in the classics or in science.
''',, Tr..id,nt Eliot placed himself in entire
.,.rd vit, The report on this question. He
...,,.;r; hat in four years OF experiment at
iI.-,4rd il had been found that the elective
'.,,m had ,lrvstcd the standard OF scholar
;,r ~ every department, and had contrl"
t',tal to the growth Of the University IN
I,,k material and moral prosperity. he
a there was now no division OF opinion
.,ry on this subject. and that the e'cct!Fe
,.,.,p would bc extended in future As ra-
,tly and IL far ~ possible.
PROFESSOR ,Tovncs stated that the elective
,,,.,,o had been known in Virginia for fitty
,.ar, heinz introduced into the University
:. yircinia hv Thomas Jefferson. and had
r,... been ,Gop;cd by nearly all the leading
,.,n,.,,. Of ,hc state There was hardly any
d.,i,,nu Of opinion among college-inen in
VIRGINIA on this system. Experience haQ
been unanimous in its favor.
This discussion led to many questions,
which were answered by President Eliot
and Professor JoyneS, the majority OF the
members declaring themselves opposed TO
she elective system, but ANXIOUS TO learn
more about it. Ii was truly surprising TO
md the utter ignorance of leading college
men A. Ia college affairs i'll Virginia. Nine
t,p;h> Of those present doubtless regarded
thc Harvard experiment as the first that had
Ncen made in this direction. / hope that
next war some Virginia scholar may present
report 70 this department on the history OF
elective study in Virginia.
The evening session Of the General Asso-
cistion was devoted to the question "The
relation Of the General Government to Edu-
cation" An elaborate paper was read by
Professor AthertOn, of New Jersey, and the
subject Was discussed.
In the General Association, in the morn
inc session of Thursday, the order of the
day was a report by Hon. J. c. Gibbs, su-
printendent Of schools in Florida, on
Education in the South" Mir. Gibbs Is a
colorcd man, and represents. Of course, the
colored people; but his report was con-
ceiyed in q liberal spirit, and in both mat
ter and style was better than many white
people might have made. While there were
passages in it to which exception might
have been taken. it was so much better than
had been expected that the southern men,
hers felt only relieved, and preferred to pass
il br without remark. 1t is to be regretted,
however, by those who have the interests OF
this Association in the South at heart, that
such selection should have been made
from the South; and it is hoped that in fu-
turc different element will be represented.
II the Association wishes TO have good news
from the South. or 10 meet with the ap-
lroyal OF the best portion Of the southern
I"oplc, il must seek its southern represent
atiscS elsewhere.
Mr.. +. Ii. Furchid, president Of Berea
College, kentucky, formerly OF Obcrlin Col
rgr. Ohio. white man. proceeded to dis
cu,> the subject of the report. He went on
IL point out what he considered the defects
"i southern education, and of the southern
people generally He divided them into
three cla>scs-thc old shareholders, the poor
whites, and the colored people-and between
the first two there was no sympathy. Th(
n
schools aud 10 theseducition Of the masses
in every FORM. He then passed to the sub
icct Of mixed schools, protesting against the
inequality of races. and from this he passed
to the subject OF strcet-clrS, hotels, churches
&C., until he WAS sharply called to order by
The President, who reminded him that Socia
questions did not belong 10 this discussion
Professor Joynes, of Virginia, said that hi
would decline any discussion with this gen.
tlrman. but would merely correct some O.
h> mi>>tatcments of fact. lie did not re-
rognize his right to speak for the South, and
he did not believe he represented the feeling:
OF this Association. This assurance was ai
forwards repeated 10 your correspondent by
many leading members. All seemed to re
@rrt the tone OF the remarks. ... ...
Mr. Fairchiid's remarks would have pos
Sc.>cd no significance but for the fact tina
he WAS appointed on the programme by th
Association TO open this discussion. Thi
WAS felt By the southern members present Il
be a crave offence. Whether the Nationa
Association shall be a fit place for southern
gentlemen will depend largely upon TIT
cnuI>e of its officers in their selections an(
appointments from the South. 1t southern
men caunot attend these meetings withou
hearing their institutions and their people
rcvicd 10y foolish fanatics, they will feel thai
they had better stay at home. We may bi
iumbly thankful, ut least, that BeTea College
is not in Virginia.
At this point, Hon. Uoratio Seymour was
introduced, and addressed the Association II
an eloquent speech Of half an hour, which
however, your correspondent did not hear
Adjourned till tue afternoon.
ELMlRA, n. y, August s.
In the afternoon session OF Thursday, In
the department of Higher instruction, the
>uhjcc, was Il report by Professor W. z. At
kinson, OF Boston, on "A Liberal Education
in the Nineteenth Century,"
This paper was one Of remarkable beauty
and power. 1t was thoroughly radical in its
positions, and advocated what is known as
the new education" to the fullest extent
Physical sciences were to be substituted fol
pure mathematics, aud the latter relegated
TO the place of q mere instrument or Ian.
gudge; and modern languages were to be
substituted for ancient languages, which
should be studied as professional special.
ties, or elsc as instruments only. But
the centre Of the new education was to be
English-the mother tongue-and all
other linguistic study was to be held as
subordinate and auxiliary to this. This
view embraced English both as means and
us an end, and comprehended its literature
's well as its philology. The subject was
elaborated ut great length, and was de.
velOped with beauty Of thought and