The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-28
A MODEL UNIVERSITY.

season recurs, the merits and the shortcomings
Of our scholastic system are brought into strong
relief. The problem how TO make the higher
education subseTve the interests OF the state and
how to create by virtue OF broad culture and
strenuous mental discipline not 90 much stu
dents az citizens, h one OF which our semi
naries Of learning. as At present organized
and directed, scarcely furnish a satisfactory
solution, II seems probable that larger re-
suits might be achieved by the concentra-
ton OF our resources, and we have had
occasion 10 point out In these columns that
the principle OF specialization vigorously ap-
piled by France throughout this century has
been discredited and discarded In that country.
The plan now advocated by patriotic statesmen,
In order to rehab,litate the intellect and char
acter 81 France. and convert her most promis.
ing youth into active instruments OF the ma
tional redemption, Is identical with that pur-
sued by Prussia Ia her hour Of humiliation ana
defeat. II consists, as we have before stated, In
the foundation, within the capital city, Of n
oompre extensive and powerful university. With
the view Of saugiDg the consequences Of this
measure, II is worth while to glance at the cir
cumstanoee which evoked, and the peculiar
features which distinguished, the great proto-
type OF national eeminaries, the University OF
Berlin.
There lie no doubt that the HohenEolierns, not
withstandine their pfoverbial economy, have 81
all times evinced a singular liberslity In the sup.
port OF education. Although the intellectual
needs OF petty state might well have seemed
amply answered by two scholastic establish
ments Of high rank, that Of K0nigs berg In Prus-
sia proper and OF Frankfort-on. the Oder 10
BrandenburR, the Great Elector was careful TO
signalize bis first accessIons OF territory on the
Rhine by founding the University OF Duisburg.
In like manner, that Of Halle was created by his
successor In 1894 as a substitute for Heidelberg
that venerable sanctuary Of Protestant learning
which had been overwhe lmed Ia the devhstation
OF the Palstinate. but all these seminaries, like
most Of our American colleges, we're placed In
provincial towns, their atm osphere was insular
and esoteric, and although the prestige OF ex.
traordinary learning reelected credit on indi
vidusls, the majority OF graduates was seen to
be better qualified for metaphysics than for
legislation, for the sequesteted existence Of the
school room and the parsonage than for ac-
tive participation In affairs. IT occurred to some
German thinkers OF that day that the spirit OF
cstranRement from actual life which seemed to
emasculate academic institutions, might DO
measurably dispeled by their transfer to great
eities. Accordingly, when Halle was suppressed
by Napoleon after the battle OF Jena, Dr.
schmsls, one Of the dispossessed professors,
submitted TO the fugitive King Of Prussia pro-
ject for the creation at Berlin Of a vnst national
university. Frederick William recognized the
necessity Of supplementinR by intellectual
fdsces the physical strength lost to the state,
and a score of the most eminent men in Ger
many. among whom were Fiohts and Schleier-
mscher, were intrusted with the details 81 the
scheme.
In Schleiermacher's plan, " hich ultimately pre-
vailed, all the vexed questions respecting the
organization and location Of universities were
discussed with profound sagacity. He was OF
the opinion that the distinct faculties OF science,
literature, law, ana medicine, which Fchte would
have confounded, sh ould be retained by the new
Institution, but only on condition that they did
not degenerate into special schools, and con-
scented TO form the factors OF a coherent, har-
monious whole. He conceded that effective
| instruction Implied the regular attendance OF
pupils, but students were to be attracted and
held by the intrinsic merit Of the profess
sor. without the aid Of academic mechanism
the system OF compulsory study being utterly
repudieted and constraint banished from the
university. The masters were to be M free a.
| their pupils, and TO elect the admins
traitors of the establishment, which was to I've self
| governing, since Schlelermacher declared Tic
| scientific spirit Is by nature democratic. Again
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