New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-31
COLLEGE GRATE-DIGGING.

"Rasselas," was written at a single sitting or
three days and two nights. The pace was too
fast for young man of four and-twenty, and
Beckford paid the penalty of nervous prostra-
ton and dangerous illness. The killing stride
which he took under the spur of imagination
and literary excitement, American cOllegians
fall into very naturally through inJudicious
courses of training and the incautious zeal OF
teachers and friends. 1t is a national charac-
teristic to do too much too quickly, and no.
where are the evils of this dangerous habit
more apparent than in our schools. We re-
Gently had occasion to preach a lay sermon on
the tendencies of the forcing process as Illus
trated by the melancholy suicide OF young
Schwerdtfcger, an OverwOrked student of Cor
nell University, and our remarks have called
forth two communications, one OF which VIII
be found in our columns of correspondence
from the people, while the other is appended
here:
TO the Editor Of The TRIBUNE.
SIR: have often felt like thanking you for the words
you spoken against the perDcOus system OF forcing
students into prominence at the risk OF their present
health and future cOntentmcnt. Yet think that you
lend your presence to an association
calculated produce their worst FORM all the evils
which you deplore. In view OF the recent sad occur
renee, which is directly traceable to the intercolle-
gate literary contest of few mopths ago. ask you,
in the of humanity to your influence through
the columns of THE TRIBUNE as well as personally to
prevent repetition Of what cannot be called by any
mder name than murder. YALE.
Nep-Hduen March q, 1877.
If yale will read the letter which comes
to us from Schwcrdtfeger's intimate friend he
will be compelled, like ourselves, to admit
A. ~: al. 10 ha had IN
the forcing process. The mind of this bril-
liant student seems to have been clOuded with
morbid fancies. He inherited faint of insan-
ity, and appears to have cherished thoughts
that were as unwhOlesOme as Ophelia's dreams
He had a presentiment that he was to die as
ChattertOn had died. He broOded over the
fate of the wretched genius at Bristol.
Among his papers has been found sketch OF
a tombstone with an inscription recording his
own death at the date which would have made
his age accord with that of ChattertOn. lie
had il-health from the outset; his associates
held him back rather than spurred him on (;
and his suicide seems to have resulted from
morbid impulse. The direction of so phenOm-
email a nature was delicate task, and we do
not see that the professors and friends &C ted
herited taints caused his death; OverwOrk may
have aggravated them, but it was at the worst
an indirect agent. His fate is a strange psyche
logical study.
While we wrote under Misrepresentation OF
the facts of the case, as they are now revealed
to us, we said nothing to justify the onslaught
which our New Haven correspondent makes
upon the intercollegiate literary contests.
Beckford struck off his romance at too intense
a heat and was sick unto death; does it fol-
low that literary genius should not be fired
with enthusiasm Several of Mr.. MOOdy's
converts have been crazed by religious excite
ment does it follow that there should be an
abatement of religious zeal and an abandon
ment of revival servicesf The awards of
the Intercollegiate Literary Association fOrm
a species of scaffoldng by which students can
attain the nights of scholarship; shall the frame
work be torn down because a reckless climber
has mounted too fast, Overstrained himself
and fallen to the bOttom2 Is ambition to be
represscd simply because it sometimes "O'er-
"lcaps itself and falls on the other side ~
Even if young ScLwerdtfegers death could be
traced directly to Overwork in connection with
the recent competition in this city, we should
hesitate before cOndemning the intercollegiate
literary contests. Intellectual labor will never
kill student so long as it rests upon physi-
cal basis. If he attempts to work like dis
embodied spirit, he will learn very soon that
he is in the flesh. Nature will warn him to
arrange his life so as to find time for rest,
recreation, and exercise. The most ambitious
brain-wOrker can labor as many hours as did
Leonardo da Vinci, if, like him, he never for
gets to take his horseback ride, and lets Ma
ture have her own way for the rest OF the
day. Neglect of exercise, impaired digestion,
sluggish vitality chronic nervousness, and
physical exhaustiOn-these are the fruits
of dangerous forcing system which not
only overheats the students ambition, but
chlls his faith in the efficacy of exercise and
rest, and, by shutting him up all day with his
books and keeping him up twO-tlirds of the
night, starves out the natural man. Brain
work will not kill so long as the faculties are
not strained during periods of physical ex-
hauston. Disregard of rest, exercise, and re-
crcation-that is the fatal habit The inter-
collegiate contests promote thorough scholar
shin i'm the classics, mathematics, metaphysics,
oratory, and literature. 1t is legitimate and
intelligent method of quickening intellectual
life in our colleges. Those who take part IN
the contests have formed habits of study and
life In their own colleges. If graves are dug,
they dig them themselves.
THE STONE AT THE SEPULCHER.