New-York tribune., 1879-09-11
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.

lowing women to vote for School Boards.
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.
A COMMITTEE on COINAGE APPorNrrD-PREsrDESr
PORTER or MODERN EDUCATION.
(FRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THg IRIBTSs.
SARATOGA Sept. 1O.-The American Social Sci
ence Association began the first general session OK
its annual meeting in Putnam Hall az o'clock this
morning. The air was so damp and ch'll that tho
vicinity Of fire in hotel paclor was a
much more cheerful and inviting place than
the hall In which the association met.
This fact, and the unusually early hour
for opening the session. made the attendance
at the outset very meagrc. The number present
gradually incressed-both the sexes being about
equally represented In the ass emby.
The first subject discussed was International
Coinage. A paper was sent in by Mr.. Il. " Tappan.
Of New-York, but not read President Barnard,
of Columbia College, read an address, and then
offered resolution that committee oi fave DO
appointed to report during this annual meeting and
more fully hereafter Professor Watson. Of Boston.
also spoke on this subject.
PRESIDENT P0RTPR's ADDREss.
PHASES OF MODERN EDUCATION
very able paper 10y President Porter. OF Yale Coll
legc on Modern Education, its Opportunities and
Perils" was n ad by the Hon. William Waller Phelps.
President Porter having been called to New-Havcn
by college dutios. Mr.. Phelps pleasantly warned his
hearers that the paper would su1er by his reading
of IT. but his audience evidently did not agree with
him. The paper read IN a clear, forclDle inter-
esting way, that brought ont its strong points em-
pbatically and did not allow the attention of The
assembly to hag for an instant. very full alb
stract of this striking dis1uisition is given heIe-
with.
My theme Is Modern Education IA 'he three
aspects OF Research. Exposition and Examinston--os
the Modern Instructor student, Teacher and m
Examiner OF the work OF MS pupils. D. -ln with the
teacher hinsef learner, education a involving
research little reflection very little practice VIII
convince tue scepuca that the teacher needs moo
only learn what desires 10 mpart. but also how no
msy communicate It with the best success. Ee.oarch
! ia Education covers both thosa points.
NJ one Will question that the teacher ought tO know
something more than his pupils. Exactly how
much. 1t is not always easy TO decide. The toetruo
now prevails. and III general should be accepted as
! true. tEat tho teacher knows aud has
thought upon any subject. the more sue
cessfully will he communicate 10 one who has learned
and relecte less than himself Sevcrihe So the con-
summate philosopher does not always proyeo be tho
most successful defender and expouDdcr even OF bis
own theories aud the clearest aud most logical thinkers
are by no means uniformly best teachers. Why this
should be have not far TO seek. The accomplished
philosopher often the capacities 0f his pu
pil by hs He is OF al men the most incapable OF
apprecating the rckeness OF the attention ~ HE pupil
the feebleness OF his memory and the nsrownes az his
| Intelligence. His pupil may be slow O. pTcncrd
simply the facts unfamiliar and le powers
Of attention formed Tie philosopher 100 often
begins with the remote and general, wh,h ho fai %
Justify and illustrate by the familiHr and ;he indicated.
fOrgcts that the learner must invariably move rom
Individual to the general from fact ID priAcipcs,
rom examples 90 truths, aud Lat he must first mako
his way 10 gol before hc can reiu
goal TO starting-post
We grant that the philosopher In M sense dis4ua-
fed for teacher, Simply because he -a PM
losopher But cannot oycio0 that lac i often emf
nently unsuccessful because De is TO Distinguish tho
order of reflection upon knowledge when IL has been
gained aud the order of lmpartug Information aud
citing thought In who has never reelected Failures
OF this sort are by confined 10 teachers hy
fession They observed Ia lawyers and preachers,
in essaysts and critics. In conversation and harausdes
among those trained IN schools aid those coDled
| only BY Vie.
One of the rrea. pers II our modern education is hat
IN aiming 10 b. too scientific n form fails often To-
scientific in fact Many of elementary textbooks
aro striking examples or this truth. Ine attempt 10
teach the alphabet what Is called ruy scientific
method is IN example The devices by the para
disms OF noun and yerD bult up scientific prn-
cpes for beginners many OF our best erar mars of
Greek ana Lain and tnc syniaS 0f the sentence -
pounded after metaphysical thco,y are also ilus-
ratons. II caunot Dc denicd ,Dat 10 TOO many pupils
the ot tho parsH OF our swoci Elish tongue
seem awful and recondife.
RESEARCH WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS.
1t is urged by that IN the higher nstiu;ons tho
most ftei men should be assigned to the special
vice scientific investigation and research and Ce
cused rom any considerable servlce M instruction.
The ideal university. 1t l. contcnled, premucnty
school for investigation ana research, IN which tho
teachers should occupy place altogether subordinate
70 the men research We do object 10 the eIl0w-
ment for research. Institutions especially
founded for such service OF 0Dscrva0rcs. Gums,
bureaus single departments Of science libraries aud
societies OF literature. Bnt for university wn0so
junction is To educate nothing could be more nnor
tunate than the endowment Of chairs FOR alone
with limited obligations 10 give instruction. Expor
ence certainly against this theory TIE htiu ana IN
general producycness - the lie fel0wships
n the English universities u striklugy c0ntrsied with
the seeate activity OF muittudes OF poorly
paid German professors The recent Toviyal " sceD-
tile activity anon. the Fellows at Oxford and Cam
bridge has been largely stimulated II not almost re-
created by influences from without notably from CIR
many and by acivc and unceasing demand FOR more
varied and profound instruction IN the new learning
aud science, within and without tie university halls.
The ardor of pupils eager 10 learn. which has been
aroused by the erudiuOn, speculation and science that
are everywhere iermenting IN the thinking world has
passed from the reading lass 10 tutor nom the
mou-soom to the study. IL has awakened the sleepy
Dons 10 the necessity OF research, they would faoo
their pupils with com fOu and answer their many
and puzxlng Qnestionr The testimony of Professors
Tynds aud Huxley who are alike eminent as inyestga
tors and expOundeIs Of science IL emphatic In supper,
OF the opinion that itself VIII gain In tho
quality of work OF research aud In the value OF
results by u close active contact Will living pupils
than need lose by the distraction of ifs attention
the lowering of Its eDtAuhAsN. The examples OF Pro-
fes-ors AKaSslz aud Henry decisive 20 the cOucn.
sion that bora with genius for discovery ami
PEELED by irresistible passion for research caDaos
Of equal delight and eminent success IN the work VI
| strucuOn.
There is danger that the man of research. who Il.
nothing else Will give himself 10 single department Of
thought ana have neither eyes nor ears ihong 0g