Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-23

VAUDEVILLE, July 81, 1874.

Literary Societies of Colby, by Prof. w. C.
Wilkinson, of Rochester, n. Y. The orator
took for his subject "The claims of the
higher education" By the words "bigher
education" he meant what was impaired at
high schools and colleges in distinction from
what is taught at the common schools. But
the higher education does not include the
special training furnished by professional
| schools.
| The first claim of the higher education is
that it is the true basis on which the whole
system of the lower-that is the common
school educaion-rests. A contrary relation
was supposed to exist, by those who had not
given much thought to the subject. But it is
extremely doubtful whether the common
school could originate first 1t is also very
doubtful whether the common school, having
| originated second in order, could maintain
| and perpetuate itself without the help Of the
| higher school.
For light on this doubtful point let US look
ct the history of education and next of the
| reason of the matter, as far as we may hope
| to discover the reason. What does the his
| tory Of education teach US as to the true re-
lation between the higher and lower educa-
ton? Which, if either, has been the parent
Of the other? In China the higher and the
| lower have existed from the remote ages of
| antiquity Confucius founded there a system
of education which more enectually difuses
knowledge, such as Chinese knowledge is, to
all classes and all individuals of the people,
than does any other system of popular educa-
| ton in the world. But Confucius represents
the higher education. This, therefore, was
the fountain of the lower education, and re-
vised and re. established it.
In India the higher education exists with
out the lower. Education there is close
monopoly of the priestly and noble castles.
The mass of the population remain in abject
ignorance. In Egypt, also, we find the high
er education without the association of the
lower.
we examine the Jewish educational his
tory, we obtain a result confirmatory of the
results obtained in the cases just considered
|
founder of the Jewish State, that he had been
trained in all the culture of the Egyptians.
This system of diffused popular education
was thus derived originally from graduate,
an alumnus of the higher education. By an
examination of the popular education of
Greece and Rome we find, in the first place,
that the lower education descended from the
higher as its source. In the second place
the higher education always continued to
flourish, side by side, with the lower.
Descending from these results, which have
been received from the ancient anti. christian
world to the subsequent ages of Christian
history, the same order of precedence still
holds. In Europe the early Christian fathers,
themselves the alumni Of the higher educa-
ton, founded such schools for the people as
the circumstances of the age demanded and
made possible. In America the higher edu-
cation, preceded thesower. Massachusetts
was the first among the colonies to legislate
for the establishment of free public schools.
This was in 1917; but already in 1896 the
foundations of Harvard College had been laid
The orator then proceeded to seek the rea-
sun why thc iONcE ever UeeH the OHspTlnS
and beneficiary of the higher education. He
conceived state Of universal ignorance and
maintained that the only way in which the
human race might rescue itself and emerge
from barbarism to civilization, was by the
eXertions of a few who had an exceptional
ability and perseverance to overcome all diff
tcultes. He proved at the very outset of all
advancement in knowledge, a class of persons
who are masters of the higher education.
The second claim of the higher education
was that the higher education is necessary
condition of the advancement of knowledge
beyond existing bounds.
There aie two ways conceivable of gaining
knowledge. You must either investigate for
yourself or appropriate the results of other
mems Investigations. The schools of the
higher education furnish more advanced
knowledge to which one may add by "stand
ing upon the shoulders of giants" some little
increment of his own. The self-ma men
and the subject of self-education were con-
sidered. But the persons who were "self-
made" and arrived at any degree of distinc-
ton, were exceptions. The great path find
ers in the world of scientific discovery have
been men of broad and generous culture.
Bacon, Newton, Leibnitz, kepler, Descartes,
Laplace, all received their training at seats
of the higher education.
IL Is 1ashlonaDle just now to disparage The
science of mind in favor of the science of
| matter. But we find illustrations of the de-
pendence of the philosophy of matter upon
the philosophy of mind in great men. Paschal
by his study Of metaphysics, was qualified for
making those remarkable mathematical and
scientific discoveries which made his name
famous. Newton was wisely conscious of his
dependence upon his predecessors. But
apart from this the higher education serves to
help forward the movement of the race along
the pathways of intellectual discovery. 1t is
| necessary that there should be not only few
leading minds thoroughly trained to conduct
! the advance, but also a still larger number
prepared to follow these closely enough to
give them encouragement and warnings and
the higher education supplies those who act
| as stimulators of progress in knowledge.
The third and last claim is that it is an es-
senlial condition of the conservation of know
ledge in the world. The problem of conser-
walton is not SO simple as it might seem. The
history OF knowledge in the world has not
been an uninterrupted series of movements
in advance. There have been many catas-
| trophies. The next age has often been unable
to inherit what the preceding one was able to
bequeath.
q,