New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-13

printed The Riverside Press.
The career Of the late James Clarke yelling
opened most auspiciously. His friend Professor
Shields IN a brief biographical sketch when is
prefxed TO this memorial volume. notes that ne
attained distinction At Princeton in classical
studies acquitted himself well in history anu
natural philosophy. and for general excellence
stood among the first in class Of sixty-nVe-
At the outset Dr. yelling had some intention
of following the law. but he engaged instead in
educational pursuits. and in his twenty-htth
year turned temporarily from these TO the prac-
tioe OF Journalism In the early 5Os when ne
went on the staff Of The National Intell-
Eeucer" at Washington that paper enjoyed VIDE
repute as a publication Of dignity and aulnoI-
ity and through its columns he exercised an
influence as powerful it was conservative
II was while he one OF the editors OF Inc
InteIigence-' that Lincoln sent TO The paper
his famous letter 10 Greeley on the question or
the emancipation Of the slaves
When yelling left The Entelligencer" he left
Journalism travelled for some time in Europe
and then after q brief tenure Of office IN the
Court Of Claims returned to his earliest inter
ests and devoted himself thenceforth until his
death IN 1894, TO the work Of an educator he
rendered valuable services 10 st. Johns College
at Annapolis. when he was made president OF
that institution in the late COS. and was equally
successful in the professorship which he after
ward accepted al Princeton. His public in
troductory lecture at the commencement" says
Professor Shields. "on The Sources Of Literary
Inspiration' may be said 10 have heralded that
enthusiasm FOR English letters by which the
college has since been so distinguished But
he took up the great task Of his life when IN
1871 he assumed the presidency Of the Colum-
bian University at Washington, Office in
which he labored with fine results and which he
only resigned a short time before he died. He
was an active scholar. with varied sympathies.
who identified himself 10 good purpose with
more than one learned society, and at the same
time was as interested in politics as in phil
osophy. as keenly alive 10 the Importance OF art
as 70 that OF literature. In 1877, for example
as president of the Corcoran School Of Art, he
travelled across Europe in search OF good paint
ings. The present volume well illustrates the
range OF his activities. The FIRST Of the twelve
papers 4 contains treats Of the fundamental
elements OF intellectual education. The third is
a lucid and fairly exhaustive exposure OF the
true character OF the so-caled Mecklenburg
Declaration In other papers the authors
themes ore drawn from interesting passages in
our political and social history. and the coilec-
ton contains one capital archaeological study.
1.-The Last Town Election IN Pompeii." From
all these pages the impression we receive is that
OF a ripe scholar, clear eyed observer OF public
affairs and a very attractive personality.
DR.. yelling Of those really enlight-
ened men OF letters who have too warm feel
ing for books, too lively appreciation OF their
purely human significance to have any patience
with the scholarship that spells pedantry. All
OF his sayings about education in this book
colored by his disposition TO drive at the spirit
Of things, never at the mere letter Of them. In
the paper read in 1898 on work In English in
the colleges and preparatory schools We find
frfp ed rfr,7- Sc all pdu init Of
great Importance that we should know the lexi-
cal. the grammatical and the pposodical sys-
TEN Of Chaucer. but must all drudge in the
classroom over the six-tsxt edition Of the Chau-
Ger Society," He did not deny the Importance
OF drudgery. but he deprecated the tendency OF
the pedagogue to put it perpetuslly in the fore
ground. There is q time for everything under
the SUM-" he argued. adding that while philo-
logical science is Indispensable It should not be
allowed ''to exact on taste and culture in the
classroom" and he pointed out that all
perience shows that collateral studies about
literature do not help US much toward the at
tainnent Of that which is inspiring in the direct
study Of good literature" II is because his
discourses on questions OF literary study aim at
kindling the readers emotion not at dryly in
structing him, that this volume is lifted above
the level OF the ordinary posthumOus pubica-
ton OF the sort. AS long ago as 1871 he ranged
himself in the controversy over the question
OF the value OF the dead languages IN the mod
ern curriculum, on the side OF those VINO con-
sider and always viii consider. Greek and Latin
20 be a necessary 10 culture as any OF the Ro-
nance languages. Delivering his inaugural ad-
dress as president Of Columbian College, as It
was then called. he quoted n. Arago's plea for
the substitution of some living tongue for Latin
and Greek in the colleges OF France That
gentleman thought that the language thus sub
stituted should be chosen according TO the situa-
tion OF the place. that Spanish should be taught
at Perpignan and Bayonne. English at Havre
and German at Besancon- Dr. yelling dealt
with the point in the following passage:
entirely concur in this view OF the French
physical philosopher wherever the object OF edu-
hood, rather than 10 perfect the whole man by the
<ufl harmonious and thorough development of his
capacities II 81 be the mission Of the French col
lege IN the idea OF Arago, 10 equip the stores OF
Perpignan and Bsyonne. OF Hevre and Besancon,
WITH fluent corresponding clerks and dispatchful
conmissonaires. Il cannot be doubted that he has
Ing that object But 1t has been commonly sup
posed that university education aims at something
higher than this. IL proposes 10 develop the whoie
man. that he may. IA the truest sense OF the
that he may excel IN any single manipulation OF
handicraft life. This minor and special education
has indeed. its uses. and for the great mass OF
mankind Il fs the only form OF education which
can be adjusted either 20 their condition or the
viii keen the great channels OF thought and culture
open 10 the Influx OF the mighty current which has
d1s. ~ he world OF science and in civilzation
They who would take the tide OF modern civillza-
ton al ftr flood "a Germany France, but who
at ne same time would dan np the stresm Of
knowledge as It has descended TO US rom Greece
nors sensible than that % the engineer who should
think :, S. imprSse e bS Cutting on It's a1
ents the Ohio and the Missouri
A-,onv rr Veuing's historical papers the two