Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-02-06
The College And Education.

Lake Forest University, Illinois.
1t is an open question with many
thoughtful minds, whether the col
lege has not almost outlived its use
fitness. If the chief use Of such in
situations be to train young men to
baseball, boating, Billiards, and other
form of athletic or elegant idleness,
it is well that its right to exist any
longer should be sterrly challenged.
1t has no mission that ought to be
respected. Precisely the same judg-
rent must be passed if their use be
only to cram boys with facts and
truths. But if the work Of the col
lege be-what the original founders
of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton be-
lieved it to be--to prepare the fit and
competent moulders and leaders OF
the thought and activity of the peo-
pie, then there has " been an
age in which there was such absolute
need for colleges of the right stamp.
lIltIt dI6 W. l6dSb thASC ehAhSo 49,
volved in the work of q college, if 1t
is to be of the right kind. First, it
must aim to educate the youth in
structed to it to the greatest power of
soil secondly, it must aim to elevate
them, as thus educated, to the true
and highest view of life !; thirdly, it
must aim to give the mightiest pos.
sible permanent impulse to these edu-
Gated ana broadened minds for the
work of life.
Combining attention, in the present
paper, to theSfirst of these, it is cleal
to thoughtful hen that the aim of the
college is not simply to produc,
learned, refined, cultivated men, blu
educated men-men whose power
are brought out to the highest ant
fullest, and who are thus fitted to b,
leaders among men.
The college, lift would not los
its vocation, must educate men t.
think-clearly, distinctly, connected
ly, constructively. 1t must begin b,
training them to clear and distinc
thinking. p
The starting point in the confuse,
and infdel thought of the day is il
the want of this-in the lack of powe
to define the capital terms and con
ceptions with accuracy. and to dis
tinguish things that differ. The ma
who has passed through a colleg
course and can only define the term
which we use in our thinking by ar
pealing to Webster's Dictionary
production, exchange, value in Pc
Itlcal Economy; conscience, right
duty, obligation in Ethics; atom
molecule, force, energy in Physic.
and sc through the broad ranges {
Science and Philosophy-has not "
learned even the alphabet ofthinkins
and is as helpless as an infant whe
he falls into the hands of a polite,
demagogue, whether of the hare
money or soft-money order; or int
the hands of a specious utiIitaria
philosopher who would blot out I'll
right; or of a brilliant scientific Jus
gler who attempts to prove man an
automaton. These capital words
upon which we come in every depar
ment of life, are not mere empt
sounds. They represent ideas, an
these ideas have back of them socia
intellectual, and moral forces incalct
lably more powerful than regiment
of infantry and batteries of artillery
Train the man to see for himself, an
then he rises to a vantage groun
from which he commands
view Of the fallacies of these politica
philosophic, and scientific DEM
gogues, and can mercilessly expos
and laugh them to scorn, if need b.
Equally true is it that if the COLES
would not lose its vocation, it mu
train men to sound judgment al
reasoning.