The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-27

Out IN the main they were. Mr.
Mann was liberal in religion. His
friends were such men as DIR. Chan
ming, Theodore Parker, Rev. S. j.
May, and other we'll known Unitar-
ians. He joined the Christian sect
after taking charge of the college, but
it is evident from his utterances that
he was most in sympathy with Uni
tarianism; and subsequently the COL
lege was purchased by wealthy Uni
tarians in the East who had become
interested as the friends of Mr..
Mann.
But what is most interesting about
this college is that the formation of
character, the building of manhood
was regarded as the chief end of an
education and not the mere acquiring
of knowledge. 1t was here that Mr..
Mann made his deepest impression.
To his inspiration hundreds of the
most prominent clergymen, educa-
tors, lawyers and others of this cen
trail West owe their careers and sue
cesses. The personnel of the grad
yates has been most remarkable"
(Rev. A. Judy)
Now may this not teach us a lesson
as to our own methods of education
Do our common schools and colleges
pay enough attention to the making
OF manhood? Is there not too much
concentration on2, mere intellectual
requirements? Here, as it seems,
lies the chief defect of our present
educational system. The opposition
of Catholic and Lutheran to our pub
lie schools is often cited as a relic of
religious fanaticism; tbut there is
ground for their claim that educa-
ton should not neglect the training
of the moral faculties. The real end
of education is not, as Bishop Spaul6-
ing says, to make "a reading, writing
and ciphering machine. but to turn
out a "man who believes, hopes,
and loves; who holds to sovereign
truth and is swayed by sympathy;
who harkens with cheerful obedience
to the call of duty; who has habits of
right thinking and we'll doing which
have become law unto him, a second
nature"
No doubt there are great difficulties
in the way of teaching even the most
primary and general conceptions of
religion, and even the most funda-
mental virtues, in our public schools;
but they are difficulties that can be
overcome. And as surely as these
are not made in some way a part of
our system of education so surely will
the rot of corruption and dishonesty
eat out the strength of national and
private life.
Much is said about the relative
value of small and great colleges.
President Garfield once said that his
idea of good college was log with
a student on one end of it and Mark
Hopkins on the other. In our small
colleges destitute Of dormitories and
gymnasiums, with little apparatus in
their laboratories and few books upon
their shelves, but with high minded
men in the teachers chairs training
is often given that is more valuable
than that of any university. The
great end of education is to turn out
high products of manhood. To do
this it is not better apparatus and
larger libraries that we need so much
as teachers of character, who can
create in the minds of the youths
high ideals of life. Men like Horace
Mann are needed at the heads of our
schools who can inculcate honor and
truth loving; who can make young
men and women believe in some eter-
nal reality of right and wrong which
belongs to life whose laws may not
be violated; who can send forth
youths who "shall be ashamed to die
till they achieve some victory for hu-
mainly"
Remembered or forgotten, known or
unknown, the work of Horace Mann
is felt to day throughout the land in
the high standard he has given to
our public schools; in the inspiration
he has given to our educators. Civ
ing his life for this cause has he not
saved it?
OAK PARK. ILL,
BUSINESS AND.PR0PERTY.