New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-06
AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES.
DR. Won HOIST DISCUSSES THE NEED OF
THEM AND THEIR WORK
SALIENT PASSAGES FROM HIS ADDRESS AT THE
FIRST CoNvoCATIoN OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF CHICAGO on JANUARY l. 1898.

SALIENT PASSAGES FROM HIS ADDRESS AT THE
FIRST coNvoCAT1oN OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF CHICAGO. on JANUARY l. 1893.
"Etsrnsl vigilance Is the price Of nberyl" The
children of this country sure 10 have this sentence
indelibN impressed upon their memory Inc
history Of the United States cannot be taught WITHOUT
mentioning it. and no teacher will mention II without
intoxicating on the youthful minds the overslodowine
political truth contained In the solemn warning In
the meaning which II conveyed to the 1oreia'hcfs
Is for Americans In the main thing OF the dead ana
bured past II the liberty OF the people Of the United
States ever endangered 1t Will be by themselves
We need not stop 10 ask whether there is ANYBODY
else who might like 10 do 1t. for there Is unqucsuoh
ably no power on earth-ncher without nor within-
that could do It, II they be but true to themselves
And vet they could make greater nor more porten
tious mistake than TO think that they can with lmpu-
nifty assign the maxim to the political iumber-room
II stu holds good and will never cease 10 40 So
Eternal vigilance. constant watching OF themselves Is
indispensable, and the only way TO watch themselves
efectuauy is 10 interpret the maxim mus lhoeSs""
work is the price OF liberty.
should have studied the history OF the Chlted
States to little purpose for twenty-five years II
were TO think lightly Of what they have accomplished
But with growing knowledge, my admiration mas grown
a1~ee. The conviction has steadily grown upon me
and taken deeper root, and what they have done
thus far have been but easy tasks In comparison to
the problems in store for them. AT first sight
that NAV seem extravagant and prepostefous, but re
Election will think compel all judlcious Observers TO
come to the same conclusion. The most careful scan
Ing OF the horizon does not reveal to my eye the
smallest cloud which could be suspected as the
centre OF an approaching cyclone. Not the slightest
basis IS offered for the apprehension that the Amerl
can people will ever again be called upon 10 make
supreme effort, when the Articles OF Confedera-
ten were suppanted 10y the Constitution of the United
States or in the Civil War. But If history teaches
this That crisis requiring supreme efforts Is not
what States and Nations have to fear the most
The crucial test OF peoples vital forces Is 10 Cd
yiate great crises by working out in humdrum way
the problems presented by its humdrum political ana
social life.
THE PROBLEMS OF THE AMERICAN REPueLl :.
In the case OF the United states these proDiems
make demands upon the people Intellectually ana
morally such as have never been made on any people
on the face OF the earth. Everything the worid mas
seen heretofore In this respect Is In comparison
dwarfcd almost into insignifcance The unparalleled
rapdIty of their material development us TO wild ter
ri,ory brought within pale OF civilization popnla
ton wealth, the Just boast OF the past. Is peco
Ing source OF the greatest dangers for the iuture
circumstances with Irresistible force, compel them
TO press onward with intensity and impetuo.ity ar
Of ,be people. that 1t is next to impossible attend
TO the perfection of what has already been achieved
The child is ALREADY born that will live to see the
day when the area OF the present non Is ID
democracy work as well with nation Of one hundred
and fifty millions II did with a nation OF slxty
of elbow room has been one of the main causes OF
The successes that have been thus far attained ms
elbow room rapidly diminshes from year TO year not
only with growth Of population but also by that
peculiar feature Of modern economical me- Ihe &c
cumulation OF enormous wealth In a lew hahos-Il
dyidnsis and corporations-wlth tendency to crowd
out or swallow up all small competitors. ssuuoo IN
respects o,d n We"s and fan TSpy
baya fhuS fa
barely to taste the bitter cup Of which Europe mas
had TO drink in deep draushs on the one ha anC a
and greater vigor TO the tendency to concentrate
wealth driving i more rcgnen ny 10 provo oT wn T1
more sclasserting and In every way better elulpped
for defence and offence In their warfare ro WIN
BY another tendency equally characteristic OF the
mesthe s TOO OF % ibn nte
comparatively stronger than anywhere else ana many
dlffculties and dangers. In Europe almost every
city OF importance has history Of "ialy centuries,
sonrce Of Conservative force The swarms of
corners find nucleus Of all elements which tradition.
enstom and law cooperate to endow with sufficient
power OF assimilation. The disorganizng and disin-
tegratng tendencies carried into the community ny
an array Of 1t intrenchcd
behind strong breastworks which II Is not easy 10
take by regular approaches In The United States the
cities whose origin date back beyond the beginning
OF this century. almost wholly confined 10 me
thirteen original States; in most OF those that are
situated in other parts Of the country. somebody Is
still living who has them in their first infancy.
while many OF them Vie surpass in population and
wealth countless European cities Of renown But
science and art Of municipal government and the
homog encity Of their population have not grown
This lends us TO the last problem which ! SHAH nal
noce more peTp San su 8"1
The European cities receive their accretions with I'm
ls sSsp 9R i5p % r ccTn to Sr c
come, 10 a very considerable extent from Europe.
J, addition 10 tn asGs rT1e Sy ae e
mountain Of he Lardes' and toughest problems pilGd 10
Sp the s nGsd on OF y is men e and
partly compelled by the irresistible force Of
ursS to do "' And wondcru am tempted to
miraculous the assmllatng power Of the American
people has thus far proved itself to tc IT has Of late
become highly questionable whether It VIII not tt. be
worsted by what II + asked 10 do nov. for II we'll
nigh touches the bounds Of the impossible Not me
bnlh bnt the character. Of Immigration Is beginning
grants come here vito have little more in common with
The People OF the c. Tnd saanGs n'H o. sna
thrown in solid blocks Of hundreds ard thousands
n n.m ta aSa rern dsnc, Communities Within the
community not only unable but UNWILLING g be
mG DGs'dg gns ST sSfla to aEe
rejecting patriot bsnch. Every such colony whchef
where else Is BLOW struck the very vital roots Of
American democracy.
no AMERICAN UNIVERSITY.
There Is In the United States rs yet not single
university In the attached To this word by Eu'
ropeans. All the American institutions bearing this
name either compounds OF college and university
the university acrgrowth figuring still TO some
extent ms kind OF annex cycrsc"nce OF the col
lege hylrGs Of college and university. or, finally,
torso OF a university. An institution wholly
detached from the school work done BY colleges and
contaIni all the four faruties Orsancay connected
to Al univers tas litcrarIm does not exist
The day when II could be seriously asserted tha'
thr United States cannot afford TO have sucl insti
tutions Is surely passed. Nation paying iol
pensions sum considerably higher than the cosl
Of phe standing armies sucking out the life blood
OF European nations able to maintain universities
1T is TOO absurd 70 deserve RECITATION. The Other