New-York tribune., 1877-01-06
OLD AND NEW PRINCETON.

REPLY TO DIR. wAED-THE NEW pEPARrMENIS OF
sTUpY-ExPLANAroNs FROM THE EDITOR OF
"THE PRINCETONIAN."
TO the Editor Of The TribUne.
SIR: DIR. Wards letter in TIE TRIBUNE OF
Dec % I'm which ne to the attack on Princeton
College has lately brought 10 notice, ana as an
Editorial n The PrincetonGn Of Dec II seems to have
royocd this last communication from him. beg, on he
half Of the college paper briefly TO explan its position
in this controversy 1t intended in This editorial
neither to sorfv the present administration NJ the eN-
rpnse of the past glorious history of the college nor
anv way TO Imply that the beginning Of Princcons ex-
c.encc and usefulness dated from 1868 and am at "a
loss IN understand how so extreme Interpretation OF
this article can have been pu uTon II. The claim made
and still maintained is that there has been much progress
IN the workings of he college within the last few years
That some departments of study have been added ana eN
is.ino ones in several cases have been amuhcd: in
word thai the growing needs OF the college nay Dy'n
nro,1pv met That this j. true. an actual Investigation
o. the status of af rs will etcually prove than
any amount of augmentation.
Dr Ward j. at especial pains 20 show that all those sub
ecg of study which The PJincetonon stated had been
added or enlarged since 1868 were in existence before
So f. a SENSE they But, as appears from MS own
account and more from the college satscs II several
ooees Two or three Of them were grouped together and
given 10 one professor who il is hard 20 suppose could
do Justice 10 them all. II in this sense that the word
.adde" was used II unfortunately chosen h0WeN r.
rs il gave to Dr. Ward opportunity Of putting me
ITiHcetOHdN in position thdt II never meant 40 "Nu'''
OF course 10 say, except in two or ih!e cases
that tne de?arfmcnts mentioned have hecn absolutely
added or created. But the COMPLICATION Of them S made
item al practically That several Of these were set
down as Strides in the old catalogues IL 10 argument
that they received much attention Then aS now.
Monv Of he smaller and cOnessedv incomplete eel" ges
nrc.en IN their catalogues curriculum qute as *
trn.ive as Harvards Yales or Princctons; but very
of insfencv OF teaching force and dcfecty auparatas
,rnlt h. thc instruction given. In many iustaccs u is
lcsps say FOR professor % 90 wen Inc "oih or NO
b Increase in the number of professors here. End the
IPw and more adequate arrangement Of departments.
simply show that Princeton has oe1h M4hihs -9oS pr,
move so Incredible 0nd troublesome to Dr. Ward.
In the same spirit Interpretation be takes up another
statement of The Irinoe,ontGn'S, ana gives to II ?
scone Of meaning that was ny no means ID
tended and that does not. think, fairly belong
t. it, He SAYS: TO say that Eve have students
here who can Damc the fossils OF NewJcrsey who can
give the names q unf cured inveTtebratcF; mich more.
WHO are comuetent determine unknown or new ver'-
brate species from such fraTnentaTy bones as Prof
Marsh had in hand when he made his brilliant New
Jersey discoveries, il patent nonsense TO any decent
scientific student" needs no learned doctor 20 tel us
his such claim would br uHconm0liy absurd i5HI i5HI
The PynceiOEiGH must ducn" 20 DC made responsive ~"
we nave students who can the fossils OF NcwJcley
cannot De wTeSted into pro sl9h OF sgch
Claims nCfiny of the sort nor 10 tuIn a the com
petion OF curriculum mLledged scientists, bar only
10 do elementary work thoroughly.
The charge Of " oXagayratoI Of the present and
depreciation Of the pas seems to me to be grounqles
nuc a ~, Of satisfaction 10 the older alumni as IT'S
pas pas and il not rroabe that an attempt to di-
vide fhe fends Of tine Institution into 0nciept aud mod
eIus Will De successful. Dr. McCosh sad -idaE' ~
lis addres ~ the opening % the tcrI, thai N and Us
colaborCrs OnlY following their W'Ht1ot@ p'edc-
cessois aiming steadily to advance tne coirte VII
the times ana make il equal to the growing demands
upon it, TINS is al that has been claimed nv ne Il1hee
tonian. J.B MAKDLAw. ir, editor fT'"ceio"'dn
Iclnceton. Jan. 4, 1877.