University Reform. 289 



bling in this respect our scientific and professional 

 schools. Our New England colleges, founded in 

 a Puritan environment, less imbued with the 

 modern spirit, and in many cases even dating 

 from an earlier period, have always combined 

 with their instruction more or less of coercion ; 

 and have laid claim to a supervision over the de- 

 meanour of their students, in the exercise of which 

 the liberty of the latter is often egregiously inter- 

 fered with. The freedom of the undergraduate 

 at Harvard is hampered by restrictions, many of 

 which, if once justifiable, have in the lapse of 

 time grown to be quite absurd, and should cer- 

 tainly be removed with all possible promptness : 

 of these we shall speak presently. But to re- 

 move all restrictions whatever with one and the 

 same sweep of our reformatory besom would ex- 

 cite serious and extensive popular distrust. The 

 New England mind, which tolerates Maine liquor- 

 laws and Sabbatarian ordinances and protective 

 tariffs, would not regard with favour such a revo- 

 lutionary measure. So much liberty would bear 

 an uncanny resemblance to license, a resem- 

 blance which, we freely admit, might not at first 

 be wholly imaginary. The college would lose 

 much of its popularity ; young men would be 

 sent elsewhere to pursue their studies ; and thus 



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