New-York tribune., 1873-02-19


last, which seems material. belongs to tho
most humane and noble of the centuries.
The reason IL not far to seek, but
we are not now dealing with theolog-
caI differences. We wish only to point Out
the remarkable fact that while three centuries
of investigation and thought, following the
marvellous revelation of COpernicus, have
changed tho face of the globe, recon
structed the idea of mans relation to 1t, ana
given birth to new and vital sciences, the
standard of n liberal education is not now
greatly higher than that OF the uihe Oh
the great discOyerer Harvard lS per-
hans the best rs she is the richest OF
our universities Yet Agassiz bitterly com
plans that she is but huge high school OF
tolerable acquisitions and doubtful discipline
And the right-hand fallings off and left-nand
defections of those college graduates VINO take
ND the simplest business of active lie Suggest
the soundness of Dean Swifts explanation
that colleges are called seats OF learning De
cause most students take thither little useful
knowledge, while none, by any chance, ever
bring any away.
Several times this Winter have appeals been
made to a charitable public on behalf OF emil
nent and destitute scholars. These gentlemen
were all honor men, each carefully taught ny
his respective Alma Mater to acquire variety
of ACCOMPLISHMENTS only relatively worth
knowing. and to neglect any requirement
which might with reasonable certainty be
counted on as exchangeable for that common
commodity bread. The truth IS that our
whole scheme of polite education is copy
in miniature from that of the European Uni
versities, itself the growth of time when all
knowledge was inurned in the Latin ana
Greek tongues, when no modern language had
a literary existence, and when modern science
was as vet undreamed Of. 1t is an affront to
the common sense of the people to pretend
that such curriculum supplies a liberal edu-
cation to-day.
Moreover, not only has the standard of
scholarship been elevated, but the estimate OF
the scholar has changed. At the revival OF
learning, the student was believed to deserve
well of the world by the fact OF his devotion
to letters. He did not expect to support nm
self. He lived on meager fare and dressed Ill
and slept hard, while crust gown, and pallet,
charity cheerfully gave him. The laws against
mendicancy were suspended in his favor IN
suit of knowledge, and in his girdle he carried
his penal license to ask aims. Since he could
not be a producer OF the worlds wealth, self
respect forbade him to be a consumer thereof
Now, however, it is a mans first duty to earn
his bread. Our New World wants diggers first
and scholars afterward But it is only because
we have mistaken the conditions OF the time
that digger and scholar are not ofLener found
in the same person.
The scholar of to-day who would deserve
the name as the scholar of the fifteenth CEN
tury deserved it, must be not mendicant,
but a labOrer; not a metaphyscian, nor
grammarian, nor a theOlOgian only, nor Chief
ly, but lover of literature, of art, of Sci
ence, understanding the principles of govern
ernment and the relations of nations, and
that nObest citizenship which underlies
all these; understanding nature and
man, and forever aspiring to the understand
ing, through them, of God. The manifold
increase of knowledge and of employments
fOrbids the old classic culture. 1t Is not yet
clear what the new order will be. 1t is only
certain that it must answer the needs of our
time as the classic education suf1iced for the
period of its foundation. The cornerstone Of
the new temple of learning, Of a more stately
architecture than the Greek, more splendid
than the Latin. was laid 10y Copernicus almost
four centuries ago. 1t is well to raise statues
and build tOmbs to the dead master. But the
greatness of his life was not more his discOv-
cry than the courage which defied tradition
and authority, and so arrived at truth.