THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 904, 27 March 1869, Page 18

THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

PROP. GOLDWIN SMITH'S INTRODUCTORY LECTURE. The following is a synopsis of Prof. Smith's introductory lecture before the students of the Cornell University, and the citizens of Ithaca, on Tuesday evening, Nov. 17 :—: — After acknowledging the kindness with which his audience received him, Prof. Goldwin Smith said that on that occasion he did not intend to enter upon the subject of his course, but rather to consider the relation which he considered the study of history would bear to the general plan of the Cornell University. He conceived that the foundation of this University was an indication and a consequence of two tendencies which were visible in the old country, but were more marked in America. — a tendency to adopt a more practical education in place of the old classical system, and a tendency to elevate labour in the social scale, and to give the labourer a larger share of the intellectual advantages of civilisation. He traced the history of education through its three periods — the early part of the Middle Ages, the later part of the Middle Ages, and the period commencing with the Renaissance — showing how the value of classical learning had been diminished by the growth of modern literature and of modern science. He examined the classical system of education as pursued in the English public schools and universities, pointing out on the one hand its defects, and, on the other hand, the advantages which it possessed, and which it was desirable to retain, as far as possible, in any new system. He then traced the history of labour through the successive eras of slavery, serfdom, and free hired labour, observing that the labourer, though free, had still remained, up to the present time, excluded in most countries from political life, and everywhere from the intellectual privileges of civilisation. To those privileges he was now claiming admittance, and the foundation of the Cornell Uni versity was the dawn of a time when manual labour and intellectual culture would be less completely separated than they had hitherto been. This change, like all great social changes, would be gradual, not immediate, but gradually it would come. The Cornell University, as contrasted with the Universities of England, struck the professor, he aaid, as being emancipated from the old medieval system of faculties and other trammels imposed on study by the old mediaeval system, and also as not being under direct clerical or ecclesiastical control, the removal of which from a seat of Bcience and education by no means implied, in his opinion, or according to his experience, ' any diminution of the real influence of religion. The education given at the Cornell University he understood was to be practical, and its test was to be practical success in life. But the object of cultivating the mind at- the same time was not to be neglected. It

was not necessary that a study should be unpractical in order to cultivate the mind ; any intellectual pursuit would have the effect of culture. It was intended, however, as ho conceived, to include in the course of instruction everything really essential to the citizen or the man. In America, every man had political duties to perform, and it was impossible to be an intelligent politician without some knowledge of history. But besides this thore was a special class of men connected with politics who needed a training in political philosophy and history to enable them to perform entirely the duties of fheir calling. He meant the class of journalists, whose power in the world at j prt- sent was immense, and their responsibility equaJ to their power. Be suggested that as som° manual industry was connected with other departments of study in the University, shorthand writing and printing might be connected with this department. His special subject, he proceeded to say, would be the History of England, which he should endeavour to treat in no spirit of narrow nationality, proud as he was of the greatness of his country, but in the spirit of those who believed all the actions of nations as well as of men to be subject to the moral law, and the nation itself to be sabot dinate to humanity. He then touched on the deeper interest of history as a philosophic study connected with ethics and with natural theology, and destined, in connection with natural science, to lead us to truth as to the nature of the Deity and the destiny of man. In conclusion, the professor assured his audience that in all his teaching he should regard perfect political neutrality and abstinence from the sli,.htest party allusion as his most obvious duty in a country in which, he was a stranger and a guest. He also beg«ed them to elieve that in leaving his own country at the present juncture he was not consciously deserting any political duty, and declared that he remained a loyal En' lishtnan, bound to England by as firm a uond of allegiance a3 ever, and ready, if it were possible that a student could ever be called by honour to perform any political duty to his country, at once to answer to the call.