New-York tribune., 1899-05-17
LIBERAL CULTURE.

Mr. Andrew Carnegie has made to the new
University of Birmingham noble gift saddled
with condition which is at least unfortunately
worded He will give the last S250O0O needed
for the establishment OF the university. That is
equivalent TO giving 1t at once. for no one
doubts for moment that the whole sum
needed will speedily be forthcoming. But It Is
on this condition. that "the scientific school be
made the principal department" The univer
sIty corporation has accepted the gift subject to
that condition. fact which will not cause sur
prise. 1t was understood from the beginning
that the university would be made as strong as
possible in It's scientific and commercial depart
ments. The very genius loci of Birmingham Is
sufficient to assure that And It is unqueston-
ably well that much attention should be paid to
such matters. Yet we cannot avoid the belief
already expressed. that the condition, IL its
wording is to be interpreted literally, is an un-
fortunate one.
A university, to be worthy Of the name,
should be an institution for liberal culture. 1t
should not be merely school of the classics,
though It must give instruction in them. 1t
should not be merely a school Of the sciences,
though It must give instruction In them. 1t
should not be merely law school, or a med
ical school, or school Of philosophy. though it
should. and must. to be complete, comprise
such schools 1t should not be simply or chiefly
literary, or scientific or artistic or professional
or philosophical hut IT should be all these, with
out special dscrmna tlon In as nearly ms pos
slble the same proportions and corelations as
in the enlightened world outside. The defini-
tion given by particularly practical American
is to be commended. to wit: "An institution In
(which any person can find instruction In any
STUDY" That. barring out, Of course, the rudi-
mentary studies which are to be pursued in
primary and secondary schools, is a good de-
scription OF a university.
But observe that II Is "any person" end ANY
study" There Is to be no discrimination
against this person or In favor Of that one So
In like manner. there should be no dscrlmina-
ton against this study or in favor Of that one
All persons who are worthy TO be admitted to
the university and all studies which are OF
true university rank. are to he treated with
equal consideration And the moment you say
that the classical department or the scientific
department, shall be the chief enc, you prac-
tically say that the so-caled university shall
In fact he merely classical or A scientific col
lege, with some subordinate addenda. It may
be- and In some well-known cases II has act
ually come to pass, that, owing to the excep-
tional strength developed by individual in
structors, to the richness Of special endow-
ments, one or another department OF uni
versity rs made more prominent than the
others. But that is very different thing from
saying at the outset that such shall mpera-
lively be the case, and that the university
shall be devoted pre-eminently TO this or TO
that study. 1t Is admirable for Mr. Carnegie TO
make this generous gift to the University Of
Birmingham. II will be well for that institu
ton TO make Its scientific school ms strong as
possible, as II should make all It's schools. But
II II Is to be a true university-that is, n seat
Of liberal culture-t should not decree at the
ontset that any one department Is to be the
chief one. but should strive TO make them all
comparably and In due proportion great and
strong, so that. however highly and intensely
specialized Its work may he In this or that d.
rection. its whole work. In all directions, shall