New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-09-11
American Colleges and I.tgls-
lItOrs.

AS to men themselves, cultivated lite by
no means seems to have been the nynriabc
stamp of their collegiate experience. Indeed,
if ything could be proved by Il few individ-
ual instances, it would be easy to prove that a
good education in early Lille is one of the
most dcletcrOus influences that can attend the
modern statesman. For instance, Mr.. Trum
bull did not have the advantages of universe
ty training: but his esteemed colleague,
General Logan, was graduated at Louisville
University. Mr. Poland, of Vermont, was
az unfortunate as Mr.. Trumbull; but our
much-rcspcCtcd friend, General Butler, is,
| classCallY speaking, an aIumnus of Water
! Vile. Some men OF whom one would feel
! sure that they received the benefit of college
| training and associations did not; and most
notably, Mc.srS. Bayard, CunklIng, Sherman,
| Thurman and Edmunds. Others again, ~
/ to whom one might safely make oath that
they had never seen college save through
/ the windows of railway car, are recorded
as having received "A collegiate education
and among them are Mr. PomcrOy, Of Kan
| sas, Mr.. Conner, of TcNas, aud Mr.. EOr-
hccs, Of Indiana.
| IfCOngrcs. be- considered from the scnt.-
mental point Of view as place OF repOse Tor
men who have gone through the hard yici.si-
/ tudes of lite-a place of rest and recreation
! where, doing nothing, they can be literally
! supported and have the amusement oimaking
I empty speeches when they feel in the humOr
| for OratOrv and the course pleasure, Of hotel
| lOungin3 and Card-playing and thcatcr-gOing,
/ for all OF which, in early life, they ycarned
without having the time or money Ia indulge
then Congress admirably iultls is end. II 9
/ bret biographies Of the - Congressional DI-
( rcctOry" are, for the most part, abstracts Cf
/ struggles in life. \ boy reading them all
( would think that an unE.iing recipe fOT
making ones self member I'll Congress
/ would be "A course oil work On a farm, and
! teaching school Cor, a. one honorable mem
Der magniiiCently says Of A.m.cli, being
/ for six years an cducatDr"J, followed up
/ vigorously by editing a paper or practising
/ law. To most Of them, life has been CON
tinuous toilsome ascent, and the Congress-
| iOnal seat is a plateau on which they can
/ stop and taks their ease. one boy, we read
enlisted in his BROTHER company to 90 and
/ fight for the Independence Of Texas; another
| Senator Caldwell, o! Kansas enlisted at
seventeen in his father. u tight against
| Mexico a third was "a factory operative at
/ eight YEAR Of age" fourth - born in New
/ ork-self-educated," principal Of an acac-
envy in Kentucky, graduate at Washington
law-schOol, enters the army a private,
organize the first cOlOrcd troops raised IA
Kentucky, commands brigade, then q
division, IS breveted twice for Gallant and
meritOriDus conduct, and al last comes bach
again to Washington a a ' caTpct-bagscr'
from Mississippi Whoever wants an Oullir q
for tale Of real lie ia America, will find
about two hundred ia the next Congress-
ional DjrcctD.y.r ~oalc Of these stories
have a someH hat bgagguft air, as though
the subject were rather vain o! hi, want OF
learning, and Others have the tone Of genu-
inc regret. -Tie Na,ioH.