The New York herald., 1879-07-09
UNIVERSITY CONVOCATION.

MEETING OF THE REGENTs-ADDREss OF CHAM
cELLoR BENEDIcT-wHAT EDUCATION SHOULD
MEAN-BUsINEss BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY.
ALBANY July 8, 1873.
The University Convocation met here to-day, in
the Assembly Chamber of the New Capitol opening
with the welcome address by Chancellor Erastus C.
BENEDICT Ii. d. OF New York. who said:--
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNvocAIIoN: With pleasure
and PRIDE welcome you to this sixteenth anniyer-
Convocatiol made some remarks on the subiect OF
the organization aud history Of the university and
its relation TO the highest good of the State now
ask your attention as representatives of the semi
naries which compose the uniyersitv THESE ara
various in their modes of accomplishing their great
results. Some are weak. some strong some are
rich and some are poor. They now in the grstle
OF infancy and are all lahoring for the same
or their relative standing and usefulnass in the
coming ages. when their early history and the emf
nence of their instructors shall be part of their
glory and their example shall be part Of tho hgh.
est education and culture of tho future II ,s in
the ssminaries Of actual instruction that the work
that the faculties are to be trained and
the whole sns nature to be carried up
put in motion for future use the intellectual and
moral machinery of our nature, that to whatever
purpose it may be directed, all its parts may 90 on
in harmonious and easy action. accomplishing tho
greatest amount OF good and securing the greatest
amount OF happiness There the student is to be
taught something more than useful knowledge
He must learn principles. The mind must
learn to hunt the dogma down. to eat
grow by what 1t feeds Education seeks to make
men OF thought. men OF principles. This can be
done only by diligence and industry in the student
1t is not upon stars but upon ourselves that we
must depend. 1t is not permitted to 1--we lives of
idleness nor lives OF coistered study. lives Of
pleasure alone. 1t IL industry, not genius that
cuInuates knowledge and intellectual power. 1t
is the steady sun, the less brilliant moon
zling meteors, that give us illumination and
warmth, the beauty and prom Of spring and the
fruits and harvests Of summer and autumn. We
seem to teach men that government, law and educa-
ton are but habits of the gregarious creature man.
1t is his nature to be at the time the as
well as the subject of authority and right forms of
government, good laws and right modes of educa-
tion are all necessary to the proper growth and
his powers and his proper security and happi.
social being under our very peculiar sys-
tenn OF government.
MISSION OF EDUCATION.
Institutions of learning, well as governments
and men, have their instincts and idiosyncrasies
and it is in harmony with these that they must work
structor must feel in himself the destiny of NOR
taity. Institutions should feel the destiny of i'm.
mortality. The life OF man Is short; institutions
immortal. Colleges and universities well and
successfully administered should live forever, and
it is with view to this Immortality that they
should always be administered. not with
strife to rival each other but to outstrip
themselves; to be wiser and greater and bet
ter tomorrow than they were yesterday; to make
themselves parties to the great discoveries are
beginning to be shadowed forward to as springing
from those OF our day. written down in the great
history of this century the wonder OF the age and
now the hackneysi contrivances or our daily inter-
course. Every man. especially every educator. has
Educated men should be the lights Of the world, to
guide and illuminate men. from the hem of whose
garments virtue should be continually going out
into the crowd. influencing and lettering the world
with which they should always be in sympathy.
and should always cooperate in promoting that
and equal rights with that Of order and profound
spect for law which is prominent characteristics
OF our people. Ii they properly magnify their office
and their institutions and the proper aims and
duties of the students, they will best promote tho
glory and the usefulness OF them all aud OF this
Cicero said. Non no6ts natl sums ortusque n0sti par
tenn patria vrmdicdt partem amtr' had he added.
otQm deus" he would have declared the great divine
commandment on which hang all the law and the
prophets-the love of God and the brotherhood Of
men.
BUSINESS OF THE coxvocAnox.
After the reading of the report of the Executive
Committee the first paper read was on ths"InAuenoG
of Language Upon Thought" by Professor william
D. Wilson This was followed by paper on "Acs
The order of miscellaneous business having arrived
Professor John E. Bradley. Of Albany moved the sp-
pointment OF committee of ve to revise the scheme
fessor Wilson seconded the motion Secretary Pratt
and Principal Curtis showed the necessity for action
Principal Henry X. Sanford, Of Midd1etown, hoped
that uniform system would be adopted It was
better he said to be the part Of great whole than
ali the schools Of the State adopt uniform
dates and curricula. Principal Clark. OF Cam
saea sa rhe schools m1ss ..Ss
things they He favored Professor Bradley's
suggestion. Principals Perry. OF Hudson; Rogers
of Smithville; Sawyer Of Bellevle: Hall, Of Shers
man. and McClsry. of Malone gave their views.
Principal Shook, of Monticello. thought would bS
impossible TO secure uniformity; Professor Perkins
was OF opinion that the books must be adopted
in order to have the diplomas from different
schools hold the value. The motion was
finally carried and the Chair announced AZ
the committee Dr. Wilson, Professor Bradley; Prn.
cipals Hutton. Curtis aud Clark, and Professors
Mears and Perkins.
Papers were then. presented by Professor John W.
Mears, of Hamilton College. on the method of in-
struction In intellectual philosophy In Hamilton
College and by Noah L. Clarke Phi. D., of the Can.
andaigua Academy, on reading history.
This evening President John A. Weiss spoke ON
the evolution of the English language from A. u.
a1qt 10 A