National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1883-04-06
A LESSON IN "sARKAsM."
DIR. McCosb, OF Princeton College, and His
Honest and Dishonest Critic.

10 inc EuHOf.
The following / clip from this mornings
Post:
The New York Times rather blunty remarks
that DR. McCosh, of Princeton, Is "a failure and 1t
is useless to attempt to disguise the fact"
The editorial in the New York Times, of
which the words quoted from the opening
sentence, appeared some time last week, and
occupied nearly column of that journals
valuable space. 1t is evident however, that
the man of the Post, dismayed by its length,
stopped short before reading even its second
sentence. Here is the first paragraph of the
1imess editorial, which is a fair sample Of the
whole: -
DIR. McCosh Is q failure and 1t is useless 10 at
tempt to disguise the fact. He came to this coun.
try with no little reputation as a philosopher and
an educator; and, moreover he hal been tavorably
mentioned in a ballad by the late Mr.. Thackeray.
That he is no philosopher has been clearly demon
strated. His philosophical works do not contain
Il single sentence that any intelligent man could
not understand. Indeed, many persons who have
impression that they were philosophical writings
have been constrained to cry out: why this Is
important fields Of philosophy which are culti-
waited with so much success at Concord-the vague
and the pnthinkable-Dr. McCosh leaves them
entirely alone. Noone who reads his books would
ever imagine that the most important part of
philosophy is the discussion of the vague and the
unthinkabe. In fact, DR.. McCosh conveys to the
reader the impression that philosophy Is an intel
ligible science, and that 1t can be treated in an
intellgble way. ofcourse the man knows moth
ing whatever of philosophy, and II is doubtful,
when we remember that he Is clear headed
scotchman, whether he could become phlloso.
pher even were he TO sit reverently at the feet Of
Alcott and Harris aud Jones.
The Times proceeds to speak of recent let
ter by DIR. McCosh to a New York journal, in
which he deplores the extent to which the at
tention of the modern collegian is absorbed
by athletic sports to the comparative dsre-
gard of the more intellectual features of the
curriculum, and it was this letter that brought
the editor of the Times to the front. Says the
editor:
DR.. McCosh speaks of a father who said that he
sent his son to college to make bin scholar and
| that the boy returned home lumber" better
| fitted for circus than a law office. Apparently,
this preposterous father has the full sympathy OF
DR.. McCosh. II l. painful TO see any mans judg-
ment SO warned by, prejudice as 70 regard an &c.
mere book scholar. Does not the preposterous
father know that his son can mako more money
and more reputation in circus than he can by
| practicing law? Has DIR. McCosh never heard OF
! Mr.. John J., Sullivan, of Boston, man who knows
nothing OF books, but whose name is known all
thousand dollars in half an hour by KNOCKING
out" some other athlete? "Tumbling" Is like
other branches OF athletics-an excellent profeS;
| sion, and all parents who entertain modern and
enlightened views of education would be glad "a
send their sons 70 the college which turns out the
| best "tumblers,"
And the articles concludes by saying:
The best thing the trustees OF Princeton can do
| is to ask DR.. McCOsh To resign and TO appoint IN
his place Mr.. John l., sullivan, or, If foreigner
Is 70 be preferred, MI. slade, the eminent Maori
| Either of these men will fully comprehend the
| importance of the higher Studies and will re.
move forever the last trace of the mediuyalsm To
which DIR. McCosh still fondly clings,
Now is it not time to edo something" Il
the Post? 1t would be the refinement OF
cruelty to ask Mr.. Hutchins to cut short his
transatlantic honeymoon for so insignificant
a purpose as to save his paper; but surely We
may ask one of two things-either the cllow
person left in charge should get up suffcen tlS
early in the morning to read his exchanges
or the metropolitan press should, for safety.
sake, like the late Mr.. A. Ward, label it,
"sarkasm." Respectfully,
PRISCEToNIAN.
WASHINGTON, April A. 1888