RELATION OF THE COLLEGE TO OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, AND TO THE COMMUNITY.

It might strike the mind, that the college, as the highest form of school in a system of elementary education, is the natural product and outgrowth of the common school and the academy. The reverse of this, historically, is the fact. The development of human institutions does not follow the law of organized matter. Plants grow from seeds; Minerva sprang from the brain of Jupiter, but only under the cleaving might of the brawny arm of Vulcan. Colleges of learned men existed when the common school was not dreamed of. They were furnished with pupils by the private tuition of individuals, and here and there a private class or academy. Learned men went out from the college, missionaries to the people, demonstrating the value, creating the desire and stimulating the hopes of a more general education, till we have reached in this country the last result in this direction-the common school, universal and free, where the child of the poorest may receive the rudiments of the letters, and be put in the way of higher attainments. The common school and the academy are the legitimate product of the college. The tendency of science is to diffusion and popularization. When the monks of the middle ages hid the light of their learning in gloomy cells, it was because the light was only a feeble taper; but when the sun of the reformation dawned, neither monks nor tyrants, priest-craft nor king-craft could thenceforth bind up its glorious rays. It shines for the people—for all God's heritage.

But the college is not only the parent of the lower grades of school: it is still their centre and source of life, and it in turn receives life and nourishment from them, like the planet whose fires are fed by the vapors its own rays have created. There is here a reciprocal relation of dependence, as our system is now established, and an identity of interest, which must be sacredly guarded. Blot out our colleges, and the common schools would dwindle and disappear like the stream whose fountain is stanched. Blot out our common schools and academies, and nine-tenths of our colleges would go with them. We might, then, indeed, realize that which is still the favorite dream of some: three or four great Universities in the breadth of our land, standing out as stars of the first magnitude, but stars only, because shining in a broad firmament of intellectual light.

In the relation of the college to the grade of school next below it, we are just now, in this State, experiencing a certain confusion, deeply prejudicial to the interests of education. Academies, seminaries and high schools under the name of such and doing the work of such, have, by some legerdemain of legislation, got clauses inserted in their charters,

empowering them to confer collegiate honors. Academies, therefore, go through the mock formality of a college commencement, and pronounce Bachelor of Arts on youths who are just prepared to enter the Sophomore class in the college. The High School in our system of common schools, in some of our cities, goes through the like formality, and pronounces Bachelor of Arts on the boy who, at best, is prepared to enter the Freshman class.

Here is a grievous evil. It defrauds the youth of an education, imposing on him the belief that he has completed a college course, when he has in fact taken only the first step in it. It defrauds the college of its just patronage. It defrauds the State of her quota of learned men, and her just quantum of scientific attainments in her citizens. It imposes a false idea on the people, and degrades the popular estimation of the standard of collegiate education, and puts us, as a community, at a discount, in comparison with our sister States. The evil is a serious one, and demands, by every consideration, the application of the proper remedy. The relation of the college to the professional schools is so well defined, it need not detain us with remark.

For the second part of this topic, to wit: the relation of the college to the community generally, we simply remark, that it gives.to the learned professions the men qualified to excel; it gives to the State the science which engineers her canals and railroads, which designates, as with the eye of omniscience, the beds of uncounted treasure buried in the depths of her mountains, and lifts the architectural pile to the gaze of admiring ages; it gives the amenities of literature and the creations of art, and in fine, the characteristics which distinguish civilization from barbarism.

It remains to consider, lastly, the "condition and wants of the Col. lege." The committee understand the first of these terms to refer to the internal status of the college. How far have the colleges in this State been able to realize a completeness of organization and a satisfactory efficiency of operation? How far have they actualized their ideal of what the term college implies?

The committee have not received from all the colleges that definite information which would qualify them to answer these questions, as they would desire. From such knowledge as we have, we think it just to say, that very few if any of our colleges have as yet gained the position which they feel the conditions of the case demand. A well appointed college ought to have at least eight Professors. We think our colleges do not average over five-some have more, some less. The learning and ability of the College Faculties in this State, and their zeal and fidelity, will rank them, we believe, on equality with those of our sister states.

The wants of the college will account for the defective condition which

we have to deplore. It is a fact not sufficiently understood, that the expense of supporting a college is such, that fees of students could never be expected to meet even a considerable portion of it. Of necessity, therefore, they are to a great extent beneficiary institutions The advantages which the student receives are to him mostly a gratuity. The means of this gratuity are mainly from three sources: individual munificence, the contributions of ecclesiastical denominations, and State appropriations. The second of these resourees has been the chief reliance of the colleges of this State; and when the churches have done their best, the colleges are still left in a feeble condition. In other states, legislative appropriations have been more liberal than in this; but if the view be correct that all our schools, through every grade, are linked together in mutual dependence, and as parts of a common system, we do not see the wisdom of limiting the patronage of the Commonwealth to one grade alone.

The college constitutes an integral part of the proper general educational system of the Commonwealth; and that the system may attain its highest efficiency, it is essential that all the parts work together in harmony; and to this end, the academies, so far as they do the work of grammar schools, or preparatory schools for colleges, should regulate their course by the demands of the colleges, and should not seek to encroach on the work of the college classes; and that the high schools should have a defined sphere, either as grammar schools, or as general academical schools, or with the two departments distinctly organized, when the number and grade of pupils will justify it.-Report to Educational Convention in Pennsylvania.

FLY AND FLEE.

Editor of the Journal:-Will you permit me, through the Journal, to say a word in regard to the sentence, "To you and I fly for refuge " ? The propriety of the expression is doubted by some, but I conceive it to be grammatically right and rhetorically right; right in fact in all respects. The only question is, of course, whether "fly" should not be changed to "flee.”

In the first place, both words are derived from the same root: Saxon, fleogan; Friesic, flega, &c. Webster and Worcester both give these words, i. e. "fly" and "flee," as synonyms. There can he no impropriety in saying fly in such a sense; it is not always understood that an object must have wings in order to fly, no more than the poet meant we should have the real article when he says: "Take the wings of morning,

and the Barcan Desert pierce," &c. Examples could be cited from authorities, I believe, directly proving the correctness of my view; but I have not the means at hand. I therefore conclude by asserting that though "flee" may be more common, "fly" is equally correct, in all respects. S. W. G.

Mackford, Green Lake County.

SUBTRACTION-BORROWING TEN.

Mr. Editor:-In the Journal for October I notice a criticism on "borrowing ten," to which I would like to make a partial reply.

There are two methods of explaining Subtraction, which the writer seems to have mixed, or to have supposed Robinson's rule to have reference to one when it has reference to the other. The one may be called borrowing ten, the other, more properly, adding ten. L. K.

says: "To be entitled to add ten to any figure in the minuend, I must borrow 1 of the next left hand figure in it." This is not necessary. We know "If two unequal quantities are equally increased, their difference is not affected." Then if the lower figure is greater than the upper, add 10 to the upper figure, which increases the minuend, and add 1 to the next order in the subtrahend, and both minuend and subtrahend are equally increased, and we thus find their difference, without resorting to borrowing.

I illustrate, of course, by examples, and have generally no trouble in making it understood. If my pupils are quite young, I lay down two little piles of beans, or some such thing, without stating how many are in either pile, but that there are, for instance, 7 more in one than in the other. Their difference is 7. Now, put 10 more in each pile, and what is their difference? 7, says every voice. Put 8 more, and what is the difference? 7. I explain that any number might be added to both minvend and subtrahend, without affecting the difference, but that we choose 10 because it may be added to the minuend in one order, and to the subtrahend in the next.

When I find the word "borrow" used in the text-book, I explain the method. My pupils are generally confused with the idea of borrowing from the minuend and paying to the subtrahend; so I must explain to them that increasing the subtrahend is the same in effect as diminishing the minuend. They always vote the adding ten the more simple method, and we discard the word "borrow" entirely. I think, however, if I were to use the borrowing process, I would subtract, as L. K. does, from the diminished figure of the minuend. GREEN BAY.

SCHOOL-HOUSE DEDICATIONS.

The citizens of Clinton Junction have recently erected a fine schoolhouse, following the model given in the Superintendent's Report for 1860, copied from Johonnet's Country School-Houses. The house is exceedingly neat and commodious, and will accommodate about 175 pupils. The main part is two stories high; the wing one story. The house is well painted inside and out, and is furnished with a bell. The whole cost was about $2,500. Upon the afternoon and evening of December 1st, a sort of dedicatory service was held. Addresses were delivered by Rev. Mr. Barnard, of Shopiere, upon the subject of "Unconscious Tuition;" by Superintendent Pickard, upon " The Value of a Good School-House;" by Rev. Mr. Montague, of Allen's Grove, upon "The Relation of the Parent to the School;" and by Rev. J. I. Foote, County Superintendent of Schools for Rock County, upon "Privileges and Duties." The exercises were interspersed with most excellent music, by an impromptu choir. The occasion was very pleasant, and, I trust, profitable. The house was crowded, both afternoon and evening. The school was opened December 2d, under the charge of L. M. Hammond, a resident of Clinton, and a successful teacher, of long experience. The transition from the old school building to the new must be very pleasing, and may prove as profitable as it is great.

A new school-house, at Stoughton, Dane County, was opened December 19th, with appropriate exercises. Addresses were delivered by Supt. Pickard, Prof. J. W. Hoyt, Co. Supt. Barlow, F. Allen, Esq., Dr. Blackman, and Conrad Mather, the Principal of the school. Excellent music was given by the Stoughton Military Band, and by a good Quartette Club. The house was crowded almost to suffocation, but the excellent ventilation of the room prevented any serious inconvenience from the crowd present. The house is of brick, 35 × 46 feet, two stories high, with a high basement. It stands upon an eminence, and is an ornament to the town, as well as a symbol of intelligence and enterprise on the part of the citizens. Its cost is about $3,000. A fine steel bell has been placed in the cupola. The school was opened on Monday, December 22d, under the instruction of Mr. Mather, a graduate of Oberlin, and a teacher of seventeen years' experience. He is to be assisted by Mrs. Stacey, a lady of unusual ability and success as a teacher. The people of Stoughton are united in this noble enterprise. If it be properly watched and guarded, they will be more than repaid for their labor.

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