The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-31

The Literary Selections that are Hend In the
Normal COLLEGE.

Normal COLLEGE.
The President Of the Normal College,
who was a oo-editur OF the volume enutled
Liter ~ Sclcotions," used by the irmul COL
lcge az n Reader Thomas Hunter, Esq, WIS
toutd Yesterday In his uea ant homo at 40
Il 1t Ii -htcth street. His attention W - called
To a massage IN that book beginning, Corrupt
IS thc Church OF Rome" Sc.
~ did not know that our Reader contained
such phrase" said MFR Hun.or It may occur
in the selection from Macaulav's History of
England or possibly IN Gibbons Decline and
Fall OF the Roman Empirc'-I presume from
M"caulay, If 1t Ia IN the book = and he took
from neat little bookcase the volume whose
title page said " Printed by authority OF the
Board OF Education; New York, Harper &
Brothers; published 1871" The dcsisn1ted
pass re was found on PAGE 40.
-" The selections for this reader" said Mr.
Hunter, " were chosen, with my concurrence
President Of the Board Of Elucaiion He sent
ine List 81 the authors names, and suggested
the selections from their works. This extract |
have not read since the time. long ago, when
Macauay's' History Of England came OUT. pie
sumo that not more than dozen Of our SO q
graduates have read this selection. for our cur
riculum so occupies their time with severer
studies that little or no opportunity Is left for
class reading; yet our stulents oil have this
book, certainly, as one OF our adopted tex
books, To be used as often as NAV he. with tnor
three weekly recitations in LATIN. their three in
mathematics. their several in the sciences, their
two or three lessons in drawing md mn .ic, and
their other Indispensable routine exerriaes.
=" II any respectable representation Of the Ro-
man Catholic parentage Of This CITY feel that the
faith Of their children Is endangered by this ex-
tract from Macaulay's History, for one should
be IA favor OF its being eliminated. 1t certainly
was not chosen. either by MIR Wood or myself.
from any sectafian motive hut merely on nc
count of Macaulav's acknowledged mnstcrly
stNic 81 using the English urulge. our reason
for pre pairing o reader expressly for the Normal
college. wa mat IA" readers IN ne
we're hIed with extracts merely scraps
ana shrels from various and sometimes
their edaptabilitv to clpcuttontrv efcr'.
We wanted reading book which should serve
na a means - literary culture a. we'll " not
moro, than the olncuti mary drili which was
mainly attended 10 uv our Normal pupils nj n
earlier stage IN their education. We wanted q
book which should have 70 piGrc of a scrap
wnule work. when pos-ible, to servc a. ptvue Of
writer's peculiar VEN, bcu et an interest in the
pupil TO read moro OF LIS writings. 10 able io
recognize his etvle. and to become enan ored Of
his pure Enyiis n, aud we wanted i'm general. TO
inis purpose we especially wanted the best
specimens Of scholarly historical writing.
- presume" continued Mr. Hun or. "that
most of the libraries IT, be found among Roman
Cathode. have on their shelves Maciulav's
same objection might prob lily be m de to the
historic i extract from the great work Of an
other mastery histori m. Gi0hpn. liut Ginb1n
wrote equally az inst alt religions. Yet who,
whatever nav he his religious raria liucs, VIII
dispense with Girhon AMI Nacaulay We
would not. "a oflcill' in Charge Of the books 10
be used IA the Iuoc schools. drive single pin
TOW rd env religious f.1th we would not even
| clash with prejudice and IL would have been
much better II instead of this extract from the
| History OF Enel md. We "a taken the whole II
| one 81 h.raulay's miscellaneous cssays, In
which there was not "a line II religious utas.
"Wetook FOR instance. the whole OF Hamlet
| Tn which eNrunged every phrase which could
| tr"nd the mo fastid.Jus parent, although
our Normal pupils are not chAlfcn, SC ircclv
| youth, nut Of comparat,vcN mature minds.
| Next we took Vii on. We could not give the
| wuoic Of the '.p ralise Lost we took the
| Allegro aud the 'Pensernso.' which, how
| ev r. carefully read over, With on expunsing
| tcpcil In my hand. Then we chose the Mes
| - Ia ~ n sample Of Pope. Now POpc was a
| Roman Catholic. We took the whole OF au I'M
! ohicculna canto from 'Childe Harold and
| swec: III 10 poem on Wild Roses
" But" said Mr.. Hunter, 1T ~ examine this
! obj ciionnbic passage Corrupt as the Church
I OF ome'-which certainly seems, wnen de-
/ tHrhcd, to have u sortllian SAVIOR Mr.. Hunter
glanced Over tie ia PAGES witch are coy
| ercC with the extract from M9ctulay's History
| Of England, occasionally reading aloud passage
ike this:
some things Which later period. were Justly re.
gardcd auicrg the chi, hlerisncs oi the Church.
vtre ~ "a; ocrcnt c,utur, and oig sicrsard among
I Ssg Of Inc cy maT , woa S'fY our
tine. De sicaI J'A Uui II l.. sr',.r ,nat me-
| lenee \ socciy suns IA ignorance aid ruled by
n.er' hy,ical flfce has great reason to rejoice
! moral rses g. cendanc,. Ment power; even when
ucr is 40 curor,. stf,Arth hfd rSstcu Vii 90, how
e'rr DEF. med ps sul cr-uuon, introduced Strong
on, b, OF musric lnl ry aUda .iy OF spri, de.
ryrs moro resp fal nca;.on ON philosophers
"lt is tlatu." saii Mr. Hunter, that this is a
defence 81 The Il imam Catuoi,c Churcn an s. r
! ton, IA Ntc ,ul,N's clear, convincing En-hsh,
! that the Rom IA Church. during taat Derio II
hncish hist ry. WIS the religion 'hat was need
cd. Yet. hy an means. we nuvht in our mex
| cdid'n to >uOr titute tor this extract OF history
/ from "a mastery peu AN essay tAat has Dos
! tlb.O SSCtdIllu Il auiun.