The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-12
AMERICAN COLLEGES.
How They Are Viewed By an Intelligent
English Writer.
London Spectator.

LOuuou spectator.
Many people will doubtless hear with
something akin to wonder of the long
and dignihed traditions of the New
England colleges, and of their well-pre-
served and lovingly cherished forms and
and ceremonies which
do not yield in interest and picturesque
ness to those of our universities. The
fact is, we are too apt, when we think of
America, to consider it u new place. We
forget that the coast fringe of the New
England States had fiourishing settle
ments 25O years ago. We regard things
that date from Cromwellian times as suf-
ficiently venerable when we find them in
England. Why should be make any
distinction in the case of America? But
in truth it is rather the Americans who
are to blame than we. 1t is they who
have greatly overdone the talk about the
absence of memories and traditions in
America. 1t has become conven-
tional enthusiasm for them to go to Ok
ford or Cambridge and to declare inds-
criminately, in regard to anything and
everything: ALAS! we have nothing at
all of this sort in America"
We in England have caught the parrot
cry till at last it is sort of unchallenge-
able dogma that everything is brand new
in America. The old brick walls that
incdose two sides of the yard at Harvard,
the stately facade of Nassau hall at
Princeton or the older blocks at Yale
may not be INTELLECTUALLY as magnif-
cent as Wolsey's work at Christ church.
They belong to and austerer epoch and
a less artistic society. Unless, however,
the pictures in the work before us give
a strangely false impression, they must
have charm of no mean kind. But in
any case, and that matters more than
any bricks and mortar, the American
universities are seats of learning, alma
matters that men can and do love. Wit
ness the yearly benefactions which theil
song. and not merely those who are mil
.lonaires, provide for their greater glory
And the American university can dc
more than make her sons loyal to her
She can do what is the chief aim Of
every civic institution that is worthy Of
existence. She can inspire her children
with love of their country and a willing
ness to sacrifice themselves for the wei
fare of the state. 1t was no acciden
that sent 200 Harvard men to fight fo
their country on the battlefields of Vir
ginia: nor was it anw idle fancy tina
raised to the 95 who fell in the good figh
a monument at the very center of tn,
life of the university.
On the walls of the Memorial hall ar
inscribed with the utmost simplicity tn
names of the men who died for tn
Union. the dates of birth and death, an,
the name of the battle. That is all
But even the perfect good taste and sim
plicity of the inscriptions is not withou
it's significance.
A university does not succeed unless
puts breeding" and gentlemanly feelin
in the truest sense into the character
of those to whom it is nursing mother
Manners maketh man" is not tn
monopoly of the Wykhamists, but be
longs to every seat of true learning. Har
ward gave the Stree and gentle spirit" O
the true knight, both to those who fel
and to those who raised so worthy an
so touching a monument. Let us hop
and trust, if ever our unity as a FIRE
people were endangered, as was that O
the English beyond the sea- the sons o
our universities would prove themselve
to hav learned worthily the greatest les
son that man. the citizen, can learn-th
lesson Of patriotism and of self-sacrific
to a just and worthy end.