The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-29

of space which we gave last week to the usual
exercises and addresses may perhaps justify
| some remarks on the value of this kind of
information. 1t has, no doubt, several fea-
lures of popular interest, the chief of which,
except for the local communities where the
colleges are located. and for the families of
their patrons,sis the appearance of prominent
public men to deliver their views on interest
ing topics. Mr.. Evarts went to Dartmouth
to pronounce O eulogy on the late Chief JUS
tice Chase Governor Dix made an interesting
address at Union, and similar efforts by dis
tinguished men are a customary feature Of
our college Commandments But we cannot
say that any of these performances, however
valuable in other respects, has shed light on
the practical business of education. The ablest
of these addresses this year, that of Mr..
Evarts, might have been delivered with as
much propriety to meeting of the American
Bar, or to the Legislature of Judge Chase's
adopted State, as before the literary institu-
ton at which Mr. Chase completed his educa-
ton. Governor Dix said some pertinent things
on the value of classical studies; but they
were too desultory and anecdotic to be re-
garded as contribution to educational
science We sincerely regret that these OPP
portunities for engaging public attention are
not turned to better use. There is so much
to rectify and reform in our system of instruc-
/ ton, so very much remains to be done to put
our higher institutions on a footing whic
would make them inspiring and efficient, that
we are annoyed at the irrelevance and barren
ness of what our duty as journalists requires
us to report, and are mortified that so little is
said which can afford hinge for profitable
discussions of the great subject which is
peculiarly appropriate to these annual oc-
casions. 1t would be difficult to name any
educational point on which these Commence
ments have made us wiser. We are not in
formed Of any improvements either adopted
or projected we gain no new light as to the
working of our higher institutions we are
told of nothing doing or done to lift them out
Of dead routine into free and varied intellec-
tual life; we have had nothing to report
beyond the usual festive parade, the con-
ferring of unmeaning degrees by way Of COM
pliment and the fashy outburst Of
young mems so-called oratons, gotten
up on a variety of well-worn topics
with the aid Of their professors We do not
object to these routine performances, but we
were entitled to expect something in addition.
We see no reason why the first minds of the
country who have made education study
and have had opportunities to compare our
own system with the best teaching in Europe
should not be brought forward to give us
something suggestive and original at the only
period of the year when il is possible to gain
attention to such subjects. Why are not ripe,
able men, like DR.. Sears, former President of
Brown; DR.. Hill, former President of Har-
ward; DR.. Woolsey, the late President of
Yale, and others of like character, who have
made this great subject a study, brought
forward to PROFOUND and enforce original
views on topics they understand, instead Of
attempting to give Fictitious ecldt to these
occasions by calling in busy statesmen and
lawyers, who are better qualified to discuss
almost any other subject than the one which
is most appropriate? In great religious gath
erings we expect to hear the most noted
divines; at army gatherings the most gifted
soldiers; at commercial conventions the most
talented men Of business; and by the same
rule these college Commandments should be
chiefly signalized by addresses from the
most eminent and thoughtful educators. We
have never had in this country in all our nu-
merous college Commandments any address
which even approached in comprehensiveness
soundness and ability that delivered by John
Stuart Mill to the University Of st. Andrews
in 1867. DR.. Porter, of YALE would not
aspire to rival him, for thinkers like Mill are
not an everyday growth; but if DR.. Porter
had been invited to deliver an address at some
Of the late college Commencements it would
have been worth infinitely more than all the
/ ephemeral rubbish which these occasions have
produced. An able, cultivated scholar, who
has devoted his life to the study of kindred
subjects, could not fail to say something
fresh as well as pertinent and instructive, re-
specting the present condition and future Ca
liabilities of our institutions of learning.
We regret that the show orations of the
present year have given the press nothing new
and tangible to discuss which has any strict
relation to the instruction and discipline OF
our colleges and so-called universities. The
newspaper press is better judge of their
efficiency than might at first view be
supposed. We are often brought into
close contact with the fruits OF Ameri-
can college education. Many of the
crack graduates, those whose talent
or fancied talent for literary composition
makes them conspicuous in college Commence
ments, apply for situations on the press,
deeming it more creditable field Of effort
than any other, which is open to them. The
experience and opportunities Of observation
which this circumstance has given US have
enabled us to discover the defective intellec-
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