The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-09
Mr.. Seth Lows selc.Revela.ion.

Columbia University Ii about to remove
from ~Forty-ninth street and Madison
avenue, where 1t has been established
for forty years, to its new site on Morn
ingside Heights. Accordingly the Column
occupied chiefly with "reminiscences of the
history and development of the institution,
and forecasts of its future.
The first of these papers Is by Mr.. SETH
Low, the President Of Columbia Univer-
sity. and it is interesting as affording q
fair measure of his calibre, the tone of
his mind, and his moral quality. or
course, 1t is an occasional production, but it
bears evidence of the careful preparation
which n college President would give
naturally to a paper signed by him and ad-
dressed to the undergraduates, the alumni,
and the faculties of the institution.
1t is, accordingly, a labored production;
but 40 far asjts literary construction goes,
>the labor, was not e0SOnded with the
Nm discretion which We should liAe to see
distinguishing the literary outgivings of
a great American university. Mr.. Lows
use Of English is correct enough in the
main. but the vocabulary and the form
of expression suggest neither the orig
inality nor the fulness of thought and
the finish which mark the educated and
cultivated man. No matter how slight and
casual the utterance of such a man, it
will afford evidence of the richness of the
intellectual sources from which 1t comes,
A strong and original mind leaves its I'M
mistakable mark somewhere In the expires.
sion 1t gives to itself in writing. II tho
fountain of thought Is dry, its literary
product will be jejuns. If the mind is com.
monplace, so will be the utterance. The
casual, speech exhibits cultivation or be.
trays deficiency In the training and associa-
tion which give refinement and ele.
gance. A hastily written letter alone may
give a key to a mans whole character and
social and intellectual training and rela.
tions. THY speech bewrayeth thee"
Without captious criticism, we are COM
PEELED to say that this carefully prepared
paper of Mr.. SETH Low reveals him as a
man of mediocre intellectual ability, who
has not been sufficiently trained scholas-
tically to acquire the polish which may 20
far to hide tho dulness of the underlying
thought. His literary style cannot be called
Dhhy Lup 10 hopoi II 4 WutCu buRKebt1
either strength or cultivation. 1t is poor
and commonplace rather than bad. From
beginning to end there Is no sentence of
his paper which has a quality above
the average writing of men of aver.
age schooling. Almost anybody who could
write English dramatically could do
about as well. Nor Is there any doctrine
In the paper afrording indication of Mr..
Lows title to be q teacher for his genera.
tion and the head of a great university for
moulding Its mind and sentiment.
Two extracts taken casually from this
paper illustrate the literary rawness OF
which We AVE spoken, and are fair samples
OF the character of the paper as a whole:
"But the business OF the city had begun to make
ihroAdS upon the site by cutting streets through
II. and the patrons OF the college were moving con.
ssAnuy farther and farther away"
The removal to the Forty ninth street site wAl
marked by an enort 70 develop advanced instruction
In literature. In history, and public law. and by the
eSsaohAhment OF the Law School. Prof. MARINE
Prof FRANCE LlEBKR, and Prof. DwisHT wsre all ap-
pointed - accidents Of this Snort"
| This is not very bad. but It Is inslsgant.