The New York herald., 1876-12-23

Its property IN College place, Park place,
Murray, Barclay and Greenwich streets
Will probably yield an income OF iiveper
Its Botanic Garden property. 26u lots be-
tween Filth and sixth avenues. and
Forty-sevcnth and Fiity-nrst streets,
yields net income meon................ 2041, ,7S6 so
The total revenue during the last year
from all sources including tuition lees
an1 diplomas, was. as.................... SOL, ,os7 64
The total expenditures TOR the same year
were 2os, ,los e5
The unexpended balance was............ g2, $50 90
The total debt OF the College was........ 4l,24O 90
IL the report be correct that the Law School the
School oi Mines promise 10 be selt-supporting, or
nearly SC, there would to be a OF about
$780, 600, apart the fees OF students available
Tor the academic department and the enlargement OF
the library, which numbers IL, 339 volumes The in
come OF Columbia compares favoraby with that OF the
great colleges at home and abroad The total invest
ment OF Harvard for instance In 1873, stated ut
81 765 Ito, of which $ls54372 productive yield
ing annual income oil sl33 $40, ana the students
the academic department had increased from 413 In
1865, TO T76, in 1876 IL may be fact noting
In reference to The most advantageous site for Coum
bia, should that question be still open thai the in
creased COST Of living at Berlin during the last ten
years had placed 1t at disadvantage compared with
Gottingen, Heidelberg and Bonn although further
given in explanation OF It's decline. II
said that Its most distinguished professors
'crocnety opinionated and beral set IN their ways
and unsympalhetc; that they hold too much aloof
from the spirit OF the times, ana that who the uni
versity needs an infusion OF now blood
GUS 10 accept call to Leipsic, Munich
or Strasbcurg, where tho. expenses less
ana they can exert more influence" Should add
that am told that within the past year Berlin
has added 10 her force many OF the abes OF the pro-
tessors OF Germany. The University of strasbourg
opened since the war; has already corps OF eighty
structors Upon the steps necessary Tor the
Of the academic department hight Is thrown by the
ports OF President Barnard whose views are confirmed
by those OF President. Eliot, OF Harvard and by tho
progress OF that institution under his watchful and
judcious management Indeed tho facts presented
touching the decline OF American colleges generally
and the exceptional advance OF Harvard present to-
gether an argument OF unusual force.
'MAKING or THE FUTURE"
Our collegiate course, founded upon tho English
model appears to have become more and
suited to the condition and requirements OF American
lie from the omission to adapt II TO "thc changes
that lin tho words OF DR. McVickar) have come over
all our institutions, political, religious social and
financial The rising generation, conscious that SIN
education lies the making Of tho iuture has instinct
lively ieit the existing system with its monolonous
drill to DO narrow incomplete unsuitcd 10 their
and. despite the advance III our primary cduca
ton cocgate casscs have not kept pace with tho
increase OF population. 1t has been we'll said that
what the colleges need is to the confidence
and favor OF the people bv supplying the elective
education which they require. Harvard, with
appreciation OF tins fact has adapted herself TO
tho demand Tor more freedom in tho choice OF studies
President Barnard attributes It's recent success to tho
abandonment Of the nvarable curriculum, aud sees IN
this OF the oldest collegiate institution of
the country an indication OF tho policy to which, AS
regards modern languages and literature, all colleges
must come. The elective system, then, which the
have already recognized and part adopted,
may be regarded an essential feature OF the new
system and for the efficient conduct al this system
President Barnard declares that rooms for tho
students and professors quite Indispensable" Tho
School Of Mines has introduced the study OF French
and German essential IN It's varied department. At
Harvard they made part Of the academic course.
and in Columbia German is an optional study with
each class, but French to have place and
professor In looking TO the adoption OF complete
university course II may be well to examine tho work.
ing Of the plan adopted by Harvard In raising the stan
dard OF admission until she one year IN advance ot
the usual college CURRICULUM and the average age for
admission has advanced IRON seventeen and half
eighteen and haii years. whilc that OF Columbia
a advance.
giving an additional year Tor preparation, might
not moderate knowledge OF the rudimehts
OF French and German, such as the reading OF easy
prose and some slight progress IN conversation bc adj
vantageousy placed, one or DO, h. among the requisites
for admission TO the Freshman class, especially when
We remember that the earcr these languages
studied the moro easily they are acquredy
Look at the great men, famous IN letters and
art, who. while they impressed the world with
their learning, wit, wisdom and eloquencc, were
strangers TO the classic tongue OF Homer and
They have abounded, not only in England and Amer
ca but in France as in tho case OF Cornee, Voltaire
Monesqueu and Button But If IT be matter
OF regret that many of our youthful
couutr men who arc not intended for the Church
tn ink that in familiarity with the French and Ger
its wealth Of ,erature-they viii find more that they
require IN thorough training Tor their
several professions .han IN the M classic % works
the world. may not ISOLATION be found by the most
enthusiastic HelIenist in the thought that complete
university course will give to all students who desire
II opportunity OF continuing their classical studies
In that iurthcr course under the most accomplished
masters and, OF thus becoming familiar with the
we're beautydf the Grecan antique, in history, poetry
and the arts TO an extent that Is impossible the
halls Of Columbia but which essential TO the periec
ton OF classic scholarship IN Amercay
Gentlemen OF the alumni some twenty years have
passed since the trustees Of our Alma Mater pro-
nounced for complete university course, and during
those years the OF Licber, who, though Dead
yet spcakcth OF Barnard, OF Joy and others OF the
faculty and alumni have with accord agreed that
America demands a university. the "hghcst appara-
tu5 OF the highest modern ClvlltZatloU.'
The completion OF the century naturally awakcns
our deep affection for Columbia and hope that
decincd steps may be a. once taken toward the
accomplishment OF that bene1ccnt design.
Whether the new site Tor the college mus 10 be
pa ndcd Is to be within the city limits,
thousand or more in the country, with stream or
lake and woods. recalling tho academy OF Plato the
leafy shades OF Tusculum or OF Oxford, may We not
ask that that question decided now, that the nrst
decade Of the new century may soc tho rise Of our
Alma Mater as the nursing mother OF hundreds Of
gcnuous youths where she has hitherto counted them
by tens, shedding her generous culture and gracious
influence over our great city and greater Statc and
beyond its bounds upon tho vast Republic at whose
birth century ago her sons assisiedy
"THE SWEET GIRL UNDERGRADU-