New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-18

IN another place viii hc fourd an accou1r of
the Greek revival at IirNdr'! lcsr last ven
in. The event i, hy ~ n,,iu, one of limited
aud local inter, Il, nor VIII the mere hammer in
which delicate ard dihrult task hl, been
accomplished be- regarded 10y the enlightened
! friends of public culture rs of the first mipur-
tancc. In spite Of ru'"mmon raIn-tahin:.
much may have been mi>,rd there may have
been errors of cunc, l',on and mistakes of de-
tail; and however prdi~, worthy H. perform
aucc the Udipus yrnnus' at Cambridge.
! g. -. 1851. may have been quite ul,ihc The
Q.dipus 1yrnuus AT Athens, Il. G. 100. All
that has been wei accomplished is worthy OF
recognition: hut ati. J. all, was II worth accom-
| plshingi Was the time bestowed upon this
experiment. for such il was Suhslani. lily, we'll
spent Was the labor, cnnlcsocdly great, mis-
applied Was the necessary diversion from
the regular pursuits of the college iudlcious 7
Was there more pcdanlry than taste in tnr cX-
hiMtiunG 1t would hardly be- wcll-brcd tO ask
these questions just at this time; certainly we
should not ask them if We considered such IN
undertaking to be- frivolous. useless. or ncccs-
~nrly without n sound ulciior aim. No one
can consider the matter. unobscuicd 10y the
cloud of material interests aud free from the
coarse test of nineteenth century energy, with
out gratitude AT last protest has come
from the oldest of our Universities against the
Tendency, growing daily more evident, to con
slider every educational scheme desirable or
otherwise ~ it promotes or hindcrs the mere
material progress Of the human race, or de
mands for every question logical OF mathc-
NAUTICAL solution.
For quarter of II century or longer our col
lcgrs have been engaged in supplying what
were regarded as their scientific Deficiencies.
From teaching too litue there has been danger
of attempting to teach too murh. The old cur
riculum was imperative, and perhaps ncedlcssly
aud ycXatiOusly 80. Every student WAS 10 AZ
auire what he could of Greek, of Latin and of
mathematics, aud training in these branches of
learning was the main business of TEACHERS. At
intervals in the course. Il little rhetoric was in
trodaccd, or little logic, and there was
chance of acquiring small smattcring Of the
physical sciences. These branches, however,
if not in positive dEreputc, were regarded as
Of inferior Importance aud considering the
limited attention bestowed upon them, they
were probably regarded as they deserved to he.
Then came the reaction. The dubious elective
system was introduced. The sciences were adj
vanced to the place of honor The colleges
were divided into schools of agriculture, of
mechanics, of modern languages, of geography
of history, Of mines, of civil engineering, of
everything which man can know or hope to
know. The old classical and mathematical
courses fell into something like contempt.
Heretofore they had, by strict intellectual
training, undertaken to fit young men for tho
acquisition Of those practical arts by which
they intended to win their bread. The law,
divinity and medical schools remained, but the
college itself in many instances became in this
department or another the school in which the
student was prepared directly for the active
business of life-in fact, was learning his trade.
Whatever the advantages of this system, and
they are in some respects undeniablo. 1t has