Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-05

A great many Of the educational insti-
| tutions of the country of the higher class
! are too ambitious TO be satisfied with the
| title of college. They want TO he known
as universities, although their advantages
may not entitle them to rank as tirst-class
grammar schools.
President McCash, of Princeton College,
in his address at W oodstock, Conn,
Yesterday, took for his subject;
''WEat an American University should
be-" and in the course of his remarks he
said There are very loose ideas enter
tanned i'm America. and may add 10 other
countries, as TO what is the difference be-
tween a college and a university, and
what the relation of the one To the other.
A modest institution like Princeton is
contented with the title OF college, where
az she has sisters, who, with one-third the
number OF students and one-fourth the
number Of instructors, call themselves
universities. | will not name them, as
their grand title proclaims their iame.'
There is Just touch of irony in the last
sentence of this extract. There are good
many so-called universities in different
parts of the country, but not more than
one or two Of them are as well known, or
rank as high as institutions Of learning,
as Princeton College. That college is old
and rich, and has not only large num-
Der Of professors and students, but it i'm
cludes among its faculty some very able
men in their particular departments.
grand title does not help an
educational institution. If it have
not real merit it will not
attract students whatever may be its
title. Would it not be wiser for some OF
the so-called universities to be satisfied
with the more modest title OF collese2
Dr. McCosh in his address drew the
following distinction between college
and university; "a college is a teach
ing body; a university is something
higher; it embraces number and variety
Of departments, it may be number OF
colleges Oxford has twenty-two-com-
bined in unity Of government
and aim, which is generally
to promote higher learning.
A college is fitted to do Unreasonable
good, though it should not rise into a uni
NNA9AlJa VI AllO bWb1 IA We at " NbAA9GN w
choose between, a college well equipped
and devotng itself TO its work, is of vast
ly greater use than a scattered university
which spreads over wide surface, and,
protesting to teach everything, teaches
nothing effectively. The grand aim Of our
educationists, and, indeed, of all who
love their country, should be tostrengthen
and improve the American colleges and
make them fulfil their high end-that of
imparting definite instruction, each to a
body of promising young men spread all
over the country"
OF course there il no authority lodged
anywhere which can be used to prevent
an inappropriate title from being given TO
an educational institution, but those who
have the right to confer names on institu-
tions OF learning ought to be careful that
they do not give them bigger titles than
they can carry with any prospect Of sue
cess. grand title, without the advan-
tages which are indicated by the title,
may ruin an institution that might in
/ time develop into a college or perhaps a
university. The fame and success Of a
school do not depend upon its title but
upon its merit.