The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-03-24
prominent Studies embraced br

c The manner of instruction-th
discipline lin the sense of gov
n ernment) is very different in tn
college from that in the university
4 In the college the students are hel,
to close class restrictions, and henc,
the standard of proficiency is for tn,
> mediocre-the bright and industri
GUS are held back, while the dul
!, and laggard ones are helped up
The professors, or rather tutors
meet the students in classroom
5 daily-cOme in close contact will
e each one separately-hears him re
i. cite and marks him. Tie presiden
! i'll the college is emphatically tn,
/ head; not only is he the ruling, con
trolling spirit of the faculty, bu
also of the board of trustees OF
managers. None of the professors
are expected to approach, much lesl
rise superior to him, in literary..abil
ity or popularity. He is the stan
dard and hence the college is what
he makes or permits it to be. In
the college family he is truly in loco
pnrentiS.
What is university? The Roman
law-term UdireySitas means cor
poration, but the academic term i'm
plies corporation for teaching and
studying all knowledge, Stadium
UntcerSale, and as the term implies,
{ 1t is for the teaching of all subjects
of study by gathering into one body,
and into one place, the most eminent
professors of all the sciences known.
The object of the university is cnl-
ture as means.
HIGHER CULTURE
as a preparation for the highest of all
professions-the profession of a
scholar and thinker. A university
is essentially and emphatically pro-
fessional and practical in its spirit,
and therefore, while the general cul-
ture is continued it is done in diff
ferent spirit. 1t is not mere culture
for culture for cultures sake, as in
the college, but culture as a prepara-
ton for activity in the highest fields.
tits culture as a professional training
for scholars, thinkers, Investigators.
teachers of the human race, leaders
and directors of the thought of the
age. But within narrower bounds,
and in the ordinary acceptation of
the term, the university may be said
to involve these two features: First
WHAT is properly the university,
school for liberal or general knowl-
| edge. Second-A collection of
special schools or. departments for
one, two, three or more of the learn
ed professions" In the former re
spect the student is considered as an
\ md Irnfn him hio
man simply being the aim of his ed
ucation. This is the end proposed
in what is academically known as
the faculty of arts or philosophy. In
the latter respect, the learner is not
viewed as himself an end, that end
being now something out of him
self, for not perfection as man, but
his deXterity as professional man
in word, his usefulness as an in
strument has become the aim of his
scientific preparation. This end is
that proposed in what are academic
all known as faculty, of theology,
law, medicine, etc. This is what
Sir VIM. Hamilton defines univer-
sity to be, and its object. But we
must remember that he wrote with
in and under the environments of
both "the crown" and "the church."
But writing from an American
standpoint, and trying to describe
an institution which shall be con-
trolled neither by the church nor
the state, but which shall be for the
promotion of both; it seems that the
function of Il university borrowing
scientific. illustrasion) should be to
concentI ate the intellectual rays, and
to send lack the intensified light
over the whole state. Having thus
defined the object, and illustrated
the purpose and function of a uni
versity, | shall now proceed to state
what is necessary to the complete
organization of learning.
ORGANIZATION.
For the organization and the sue
cessful Inauguration of such an in
stitution we must have a board of
control. This body may be styled
visitors, directors or trustees at
pleasure. These should be ap-
pointed by the Governor, and
should be selected on accout of their
scholarly attachments, their en-
larged and liberal views. Should |
be progressive enough to keep |
abreast with the advances in higher |
education, conservative and pains |
taking enough, however, to investi- |
gate thoroughly before adopting |
and admitting into the university |
new subjects and new chairs. They |
should select their own rector, they |
should appoint the faculty, and |
from these either select or allow the |
faculty to select their own presi- |
dent or chairman. Ours being a
representative government. a gov
eminent of the people-by the peo-
pie and for the people-this seems
to be a natural order. The chain of |
responsibility being complete, and
the channels of communication di-
rect and simple, viz: The faculty,
through their head, report to the |
board. and the board, through their
head, to. the Governor, and he to the
legislature-the people themselves.
We must have collection of learned
professors, men who have prepared
themselves for and devoted their
lives to teaching as a profession, who
have become known, distinguished
in their special departments. The
best teachers, usually, are those who
are free, competent and willing to
study of specialties. 49,
Individual students cannot pursue
all branches of learning neither can
teachers, whether professors or
tutors, become eminent, except in
distinct and separate subjects or
chairs. Hence, even in a universi-
ty, and more especially when in its
infancy, everything cannot be I'M
dertaken. There are, however, GER
tain chairs that must be provided
for, in the beginning and as be-
ginning and as beginning. |
The first chairs to be filled are |
those which everywhere and by all
the present
REPUBLIC OF LETTERS
are considered as needful: The lam
guages, ancient and modern, mathe-
matics, pure and applied, ethics, his
tory and science; and these are conn
monty grouped under the head of
Department ofPhilosophy.n These
may be arranged in the usual man.
ner and with the disciplinary value
attached except in the order and i'm
portance of the languages.
The Roman short-sword and the
Grecian shield may have been the
proper weapons many centuries ago.
may still be in Oxford and Camb-
ridge and many of our American
universities of to-day-but we need
n H