1856.] Dedication of Polytechnic Hall— Address. 537 



they did twenty years ago. Formerly, what was studied, was can- 

 vassed thoroughly. In classical literature the student must be an 

 adept not only in translation, but in composition, both in prose and 

 verse. Hence, if discipline was the chief object, it was effectually 

 secured; if information, they stopped not at half-formed ideas 

 ar.d partial sketches of the history and philosophy of othei- days as 

 they now do. As these studies are now pursued, not only does the 

 mmd acr,uire nothing valuable, but is positively disqualified for sub- 

 sequently making any valuable acquisition, by reason of the habits 

 formed altogether averse to successful, profound mental effort 



Neither would we subscribe to the notions generally entertained 

 ot a practical education, by the advocates of radical reform That 

 IS to make the chief end of education consist in its availability of 

 making dollars and cents more speedily and surely. This sentiment 

 while It IS gaining ground, is much to be deprecated, and i.s product- 

 ive of like evils to the cause of profound erudition. While it is ad 

 mitted on all hands that education should be practical-and we would 

 strongly defend the position-it is well perhaps to define what we 

 mean— what forms of knowledge are practical, and what are not 



Some seem to think nothing but mathematics, and the sciences 

 based upon them, are practical ; others, that Greek and Latia and 

 metaphysics are in the highest degree so ; and others still, and by 

 far the largest number, admit into the catalogue of the practical 

 only those meager forms of knowledge that prepare one for the 

 counting room, and enable him to reckon discount and interest accu- 

 rately, and facilitate those processes by which the pocket may be 

 filled with money. We will state here what we conceive to be the 

 truth on this point, clearly and unequivocally. It is as follows • 



All forms of Icnowlcdge, y^hatecer, are truly practical, ^chen hnparted 

 to the ryht persons, at riglu times, and in right proportior^s; and when 

 not so imparted, no knowledge whatever, is truly practical, or emi- 

 nently useful. Under this simple and obvious rule, then, ihere can 

 be no kind of knowledge that is not truly useful 'and pracZl t: 

 mun-no starry hights of immeasurable space above, no profound 

 geological depths beneath, no sublime circuits and harnLiies of 

 s.ronomic^l worlds and spheres, no minute dancings of microscopic 

 ...sects and chemical atoms, no voice of eloquence or of son. no 

 utterance of cultured or barbarous human ton^^ues, from Adam's^ day 

 to ours, no action, attribute or accident of man, beast, bird or fish 

 plant, tree, or flower, that will not yield true practical wisdom an J 



