ies do help to expand the mind and enlarge the
horizon, beyond all which exact science alone can
do; and those colleges will best accomplish their
purposes of usefulness, which make' more of the
sciences than of the arts, more of principles than
of their applications ; and which offer to their pu
pils, in addition to the studies and exercises which
will make them exact and strong, those studies
and exercises help to render them, at the same
time., broad and fine. Ido not doubt that much,
of what is at present rightly complained of, is due
merely to the haste with which this great system
of schools has been built up, and to the fact that
the philosophy of technological education so large
ly remains to be developed.
The technical applications of science, if prop
erly set before the student, and duly subordinated
to the principles of science, will not detract from
disinterestedness of study; while they will arid
greatly to the zeal and earnestness with which the
work of the college will be done. It is here I
would take issue, most directly, with those who as
seri for the old-fashioned college an educational
virtue superior to that of the schools we represent.
It is of the very essence of our case, that the di
rectness and immediateness of application to which
the studies of our students are subject, constitutes
a tremendous educational force, securing close
ness and continuity of attention, earnestness of
effort, zeal, and enthusiasm for work. And, be it
remembered, zeal and enthusiasm are not to be
valued merely because, or merely as, they secure
directneis of attention, continuity of application
and sustained endeavor. In themselves, of them
selves, by themselvei, they are in a high sense an
educational force, telling immediately, and telling
powerfully upon intellect and character contribu-
Og to build up mental and moral substance firm
ly and healthy.
It is a fact too palpable to be questioned that
the large and undoubted advantages of the tradi
tional system of education are secured by those
students whose aptitudes and tastes gives them an
interest in the pursuit of language and literature,
fiFIE FREE LAIsiCE.
at a great, often an unspeakable sacrifice, on the
part of that other, and not inconsiderable, class
of young men whose faculties and dispositions do
not prepare them for or incite them to studies of
this character. It- is a familiar feature of classical
colleges that large numbers of students who are by
nature neither vicious nor idle, not finding the
wants of their minds satisfied by the studies to
which they are directed, relinquish all scholarly
ambition, and come to accept the part of doing
nothing well,. contented to be known .as poor
scholars, frequently rebuked and harassed by their
instructors and their parents on account of their
deficiencies, and, at the most, aiming no higher
than barely to pass the periodical examinations.
Surely, this is a poor preparation for life I
It is making no unseemly boast, and offering
no unfair comparison, to say that pupils of that
class are exceedingly rare in scientific and tech
nical schools. The idle student is not unknown
even there; but he makes no such figure in the
life of the school. Differences, great differences;
of course, exist as to the degtee of success attained
by different scholars, yet it is truly inspiring to ob
serve how far the opportunity to make choice of
the studies which shall be undertaken and the uni
versal introduction of experimental work, go to
make up for the deficiencies which appear when a
large body of students. are subjected to one and
the same test of scholarly ability and performance.
Young men who exhibit no inclination or aptitude
for linguistic or philosophical studies, are often
found to take the deepest interest in natural his
tory, in chemistry or in mechanics; to have truly
remarkabld aptitudes for manipulation and itige
nutty in the treatment of difficulties; and to pos
sess excellent poWers of perception, discrimina
tion and judgment, Not infrequently, one who,
if compelled to pass through long" Courses - of Class
ical,
_rhetorical, and dialectical exercises, would
have had a thOroughly unhappy career, finding
nothing in his daily tasks to interest his mind and
to call out his powers, feeling himself continually
at a disadvantage in comparison with others, and