New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-06

There are stories III the newspapers about
Harvard College, which, If false should be au-
thoritatvcly cOntradicted, and, if true, viii
ereYe and discourage the numerous friends Of
that venerable seminary. 1t is rumorcd, we
hope calumni0uSly, that of the class of 1877,
about twenty students failed to graduate \. b.
The causes of this iGnominy are said to have
been immortality and Incidence. If these state
mcnts are both correct, they rebound in one
respect to the credit of the University authori-
ties. 1t must have required moral courage of
kind not too common in colleges, nor any
where else, to withhold diplomas from thost
members of the senior class who had net
earned them, or who had forfeited the right to
receive them. Heretofore. in all our colleges
too many have secured thcir degrees by spc-
cIal grace, and have left the undergraduate rank
knowing little more than when they entered
it, The fine Latin of the shecpskn was
falschood. The bachelor of Arts did not know
what that document said that he knew; and
in some instances he probably would have
been unable TO get cIcditably through an cx-
animation for admission 10 the Freshman class
If Harvard Las determined that her diplomas
shall mean just what thcy say, and that no
iluoramus, to her discredt. shall carry one of
them off, she has set Il good example to all
her sister institutions, aud has done great
deal toward raising the standard Of university
instruction.
1t was long ago found ont that the Faculty
of a university cannot compel II boy to study
and to behave himself well. The matter is in
his own hands. No other than moral discipline
is possible. 4 Harvard undergraduate cannot
he locked up on bread and water by the Pres
ident; he cannot he logged by his tutors; he
can only be expelled, or rusticatcd, or de-
graded III his standing, or dismissed without
his degree. This is true of all other colleges
and by and by it will be found neces-
SIry to refuse naturalization to those who
are not Old enough wisely to comprehend its
advantages and it, responsibilities. Tbs will
not, of course, entirely remedy the evil, because
youth Of eighteen frequently succumb to vices
which are unknown to those o. fourteen; but 1t
would probably raise the average OF good con-
duct and of devotion to the business of study
AS matters are now arranged about molety OF
the Freshmen ought to be either at home or in IA
strict school. They cannot be safely trusted to
go alone, and it Is Il cruel kindness which leaves
them to rely upon character not yet formed,
and upon an experience of the world which sub
stantIally amounts TO nothing.
The vices exhibited by some unworthy MEM
bers of the Harvard Class of 1877 are said to
have been of Il highly aggravated and unusual
character, and "to have taken the form Of
"HccntiousneSs and of open defiance of moral
law We hope that this statement, which
we find in Boston newspaper, is too strong
10y great deal and probably it is But there
is probably some foundation for it. The au-
thorities of the University are expected "to
ascertain the cause of the trouble" and to
io everything possible to diminish it. But
however much they may do, college which
has discarded the Old-fashioned ideas of re-
strant and discipline, will always hold a good
many students who had better be ont OF il,
| Tor their own sake and for the sake of their
| fellow students who have not yet taken their
degree in juvenile depravity. The remedy Is
- be found in a higher moral STANDARD of
admission, but more especially III sitting the
chaif from the wheat OF the Freshmen and
sophomore classes. This process ought not 10
be a difficult one, and the more cOurageOusy
| it is resorted to the greater Will be the general
aad genuine prosperity of the College.