National Republican., 1877-08-13
HIG GHER EDECATION.


farewell address to his countrymcn, ITO pro-
mote, rs an object Of primary Importance,
institutions for the general diffusion OF
knowledge" Is but an expression of u scnti- |
| mcnt entertained by all the fathers Of the
| Republic in regard to popular instruction.
| The general prevalence OF such views gave
| rise in course of time to the common-School
system Of America, which has now become
u fundamental and wcll-scttled principle OF
our public policy. The equal Importance of
higher OF true university education is far
from hcing as well understood. An over
whclming majority of the people regard
with the utmost jealousy any propoSal which
thWatcIs the common schools with danger,
OF with the least dminution Of their useful
ness. We need TO have the public srnti
mcnt of the country rendered equally en-
lightcncd and sensitive in regard TO higher
education
The true doctrine in regard to this subject
| is that all departments OF education, from
| the lowest 10 the highest. should bc provided
for hy the public Primary and secondary
education are admitted to bc proper objects
for state support. because thereby those who
receive the benefit OF that instruction are
better prepared for the discharge OF thcir
duties MS citizens. The same arguments
apply with even greater force to higher e,lu-
cation, which qualities men for performing
well their duties in the highest spheres Of
life especially as the acquisition Of the
highest culture demands much time and
money, and requires higher order OF in
structorS who-c superior talents and attain
mentS make their services more valuable
than those OF teachers in the lower depart
ncnts.
II may not lie agreeable to our national
pride TO admit our inicriOrity to other cOun-
tries in superior culture, vet canlor requires
that We should do 50. Popular education
has widely iiiiused elementary knowledge
hut in profound learning we are sadly de-
iicicnt In the Senate. in the Cabinet and
IN our schools we constantly see failures re-
Sulting from the want of profound culture,
although the men who made such failures
y often deserve great credit for having made
excellent Use OF limited opportunities The
iinilt rather lies with the Government for
its neglect to provide the means OF obtain
ing that high culture which university cdu-
cation alone can give. Mcliocrity is our
national characteristic in all TINT relates to
mental training too much of our study he
:, ing of that superficial kind spoken of by
" NJ MNTUEw ARNOLD which "lcnVcS the mind
u ns inaccurate. rs shallow and MS unscicntiiic
~ before" This truth has been forcibly il
!. luStr.itcd hy the crude and absurd theories
!, in regard TO finance which have been pro
: y mulgntcd during the last few years by emi'
:. ncnt public men in this country. The ig-
. norancc of our statesmen has already cost
. the nation thousand times more than il
:, would have cost to have endowed q great
national university, superior to anv other il
-. the world.
!" The great social and educational problem
4, to he solved In America is to combine Re
!; publican freedom with profound scholar
~ ship, the cultivation of the fine arts an,
l; Il that true gcn,ility which is chanctcristi,
!, of the highest civilization. Enemies O
!" popular government have c0ntcuded that
the spirit OF democracy is incompatible
with the attainment OF the highest of M
tional culture and refinement As problem
v in the philosophy OF government, this topi'
y certainly deserves serious consideration
'r especially at this time, when the social dis
~ orders which produced the recent riots hnN'
III directed the attention of so many thought
OF iul men to q consideration Of the cnir
~ frame work Of our political institutions.
rs "lt is great advantage" says PASCAL
as 'to be man of quality, since it brings ON
VI man as forward ut eighteen or twenty II
D. another man would bc at fifty, which is
w. clear gain of thirty years hristocnti
e' societies, ungucstionably, in many respect
~ afford superior advantages for the cultur
vi of letters and the fine arts, and that clc
gancc OF manners which results from lon
u association with persons of refinement
y The pcrmancncy Of fortunes and the stabil
Sc ity OF social relations afford both lciSllr
" and encouragement to men to devote them
e. selves to those intellectual pursuits whic
ol are certain to win the respect and npplauS
!. OF the highest classes.
u. u, We are far from believing. however thi
=
" ment to secure just ~ great an amount d
W culture and refinement as any other. Thi
III o,' can be done, however, only through sys
IN IN tenn which would promote the highest cu
VI ture by means OF true university education
," and BY such liberal public patronage
"s the line arts as would call forth the bcs
efforts of men of genius To accompli>
y this result we need n university 80 we
nv endowed by the nation as 10 render it 81
= perior to every other institution of the sol
" in the world Without dcprcciating til
Nv great merits Of Harvard. Yale and Mich
~ gan University, il must be said that u trll
=" " university !, still an American need.
W 1t would lie very short sighted rconom
ny which would object to the endowment
'tc such university on account Of its COS
J" Money used i,T the intellectual and NOR;
.. Improvement Of mankind is always we
|
~ TOO material. The acquisition of wcalt
u" has been too exclusively the highest ol,jr
~, ~" OF the ambition of Americans and cons
w., qucntly instead oi producing great kings
s thought. like ions STrART MILL. ~
THOMAS tARIYLL. Our so''ial and polite
gu y" system has given Us railroad kings Ill
-" ~, NANDERBILr and S'orr, whose ignohle N
W selfish Use Of money Acquired by doubt
~" ~" expcdicnts can only bring discrsit up'
u .1 the nation The thing most needed
u" restore our di,oricred s0cia. system to
W.. normal condition is to secure higher cs
W " mate tor simple intellectual and mo,
n,' ~ worth in the public men of the natio
,i. Wealth aud political cunning must not
Ivy permitted to outweigh culture and int,
rity.
j. THE HONOE or IIRGINTi MAJ
M
,,. 7IINED.
lily We nrr glad that the ancient commU
m wealth OF Virginia has decided to maint,
the her good nanr aud credit by refusing to
IN prdintc amy part of her debt With Stat