of the work as deceptive. They cannot but think that the placing together upon the same page, or in the same part of the work, lessons upon a great variety of subjects, would, in practice, be found, to say the least, exceedingly inconvenient. It compels the scholar to look through several volumes for the whole of any one subject of his studies. But it is apprehended that this would be found not merely inconvenient in use, but would lead to serious mischiefs. It destroys that simplicity of arrangement necessary to distinctness of impression, so desirable and so useful in every system of education. The want of these would lead necessarily to confusion, and could not fail to retard instead of accelerating the scholar's progress. Your committee do not doubt that, under the direction of a discreet and judicious teacher, the studies of the scholars may be not only agreeably but usefully diversi. fied. That variety may not only relieve the monotony and tediousness of exclusive confinement to a single study, but promote that elasticity of intellect which is favorable to the scholar's general progress; but such variety should be admitted with caution and judgment. Your committee attach little value to those modern discoveries or patent modes of instruction which make philosophers of children ;—men of literature and science in a dozen lessons; or profess to bring the scholar acquainted with the whole circle of human knowledge almost without effort. They neither know nor believe in, but one mode of becoming learned and wise: time, attention, and persevering study only can accomplish this. Your committee are also of opinion that the compiler of this work has not succeeded in its execution, in other important particulars. They cannot approve the system of pronunciation adopted by him. The representation of the sounds of letters by a different combination of letters, instead of conventional marks or figures, leads to confusion, and is, therefore, highly objectionable. This effect might not be produced in the mind of the scholar already considerably advanced, but in that of one learning orthography, it could not fail to be the case. The committee say nothing of the compiler's manner of spelling or pronouncing particular words, in which he does not seem to follow any one known standard or acknowledged authority; nor is he even uniformly consistent with himself. They also forbear to notice particularly the frequent and unnecessary repetition of the same lessons; the numerous errors in orthography, pronunciation or accent, which may be found on almost every page of the work. In the reading department of this work, your committee are of opinion, that the compiler has been but very little more successful. He has not been judicious in the selection of his lessons in this part of his work. Many of these, especially the early ones, are exceedingly objectionable. In aiming to render them simple and intelligible, they have been made ungrammatical and even vulgar. These, together with the grammatical errors which are found in every part of the work, are cal: culated to make wrong impressions and form bad habits, at a period of life when impressions are strong, and habits of thought and modes of expression once formed and established, are apt to endure. The committee cannot forbear here to notice the manner in which the compiler, in this part of his work, frequently draws from other sources, without either indicating, or in any way giving credit to the authors from whom he thus borrows. They notice, with still stronger disapprobation, the changes and mutilations made in many beautiful and familiar passages of the most admired and classical authors in the language. This is treading on holy ground. It is warring with the dead. It is changing that cherished identity and marring that admired beauty which have been rendered sacred by time and have become consecrated in the affections of every true lover of letters, and of every friend of justice. These things also lead the youthful mind into error, and cannot be too severely discountenanced. The committee forbear to enter further into a minute criticism of this work. They would, however, observe, that the treatises on grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry and mensuration, which it contains, have appeared to them meagre in their matter, deficient in illustration, and wanting often clearness and precision. The language and style of the work generally want that purity and correctness indispensable to every school book. The committee cannot accord to this work, the merit of economy, which is claimed for it. They feel confident that its use would fully verify the correctness of their opinion upon this point. 3. The committee hasten to the third inquiry proposed. Admitting the work in question to have none of the defects suggested, and that it possesses all the peculiar and superior merit its compiler and its friends claim for it, still the committee could not recommend the passage of the law asked for. If the work have the merit pretended, it will make its way into general use without the aid of any legislative act for that purpose; if it have not such merit, then most certainly would it be wrong to force it into general use by any such legislative act. But even supposing it to have the merit claimed for it-that it is decidedly superior to any other work of the kind --still the committee are of opinion that it would be neither wise nor just to adopt it to the exclusion of all others: For even although this may now be superior to any other work extant, yet, in this age of improvement, who would by law limit the point of perfection? Who would deny to us, upon this great interest of our state and country, the lights of time, and the benefits of experience; or who so hardy as to predict that mind, if left free and unproscribed upon this subject, may not soon improve even upon the work in question? If this be so, would it not be unwise to fasten upon the state, by a legislative act, and at an expense so enormous as that would involve, any system of instruction, however perfect it might seem, or however supcrior to all others, at the time, it might be acknowledged to be? Instead of promoting, this could not fail ultimately to sacrifice the great interest in question. But your committee are of opinion that the passage of the law asked for, would be as unjust as it would be impolitic. It would lead necessarily to the sacrifice of the interests of those numerous authors and publishers whose works would be thus proscribed, and rendered valueless. These interests are often the fruits of a life of industry and laborious study. They constitute the entire wealth and sole dependence of the numerous individuals immediately concerned therein. As such, they are entitled to the equal protection of government. It has been well observed by the superintendent of common schools, in his late able annual report to this house, that "the greatest experience, and much of the best talent of the country, are enlisted in this business, and the fruits of their labors are constantly giving them new claims to the approbation of the public." The interests of these numerous, respectable, and useful individuals, should be neither wantonly, unnecessarily, nor uselessly sacrificed. Sacrifices of individual interest, indeed, even to effect objects of great and acknowledged public good, should be made as rarely as possible, and even then with extreme caution; but never to promote individual benefit. The committee have been unable to perceive, either in the petition in this case, or in the work to which it relates, any good or sufficient reason for the sacrifices, both public and private, which the granting of the prayer of the petition would necessarily involve. But it has been repeatedly stated, that "the plan of this work was the suggestion of the late governor Clinton ;" and, "so far as it had progressed up to the time of his lamented death, received his favorable regard and patronage." There has been thence inferred an obligation on the state to complete and adopt what has been thus commenced. It has even been pretended that the faith of the state has been thereby pledged to that effect. The committee believe that there has been gross error upon this point. To disabuse the public in this respect, as well as to do justice to the memory of the late governor Clinton, whose official conduct is here called in question, it will be sufficient to present an extract from an original letter written by that distinguished individual, and which letter has been submitted to the committee. The letter bears date the 24th April, 1827, and is as follows: "Having no authority to direct the compilation of a common school manual, I have never officially made any communication to Mr. Bartlett of Utica on that subject; but if I recollect right, I think that, on his signifying his intention to write such a work, I expressed my wish that he would execute it; and this I should probably have said to any other person who has exhibited ability in such cases as Mr. B. has done, particularly in an introduction to astronomy. Mr. B. shewed me his manual last winter, but having only time to glance at it, I gave a recommendation in its favor qualified by this rapid and general view; and in so doing, I had no intention to disparage the merits or diminish the sale of any similar and contemporary publications of merit." From this extract it will be seen, that so far from the plan of this work being suggested, or its execution directed by the late governor Clinton, he merely expressed a wish when that plan was submitted to him by Mr. Bartlett, that it might be executed. Instead of supposing, however, that this work was to be adopted by the state, to the exclusion of all others, he expressly says, that in any recommendation of it which he had given, upon an imperfect examination," he had no intention to disparage the merits or diminish the sale of any contemporary publications of merit." In every view which the committee have been able to take of this subject; whether they consider the character of the work in question; the nature and importance of the principles involved in this application; or the extent and magnitude of the interests, both public and private, to be affected by its decision, the committee are unanimously of opinion that it would be as impolitic as it would be unjust to legislate in the manner desired in this case. They therefore submit for the consideration of the house, the following resolution: Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners ought not to be granted." It will be perceived that the committee have expressed a very decided opinion as to the execution of the work prepared by Mr. Bartlett-a point to which I carefully avoided making any allusion, because I had not given the books such an examination as would have justified me in speaking on that subject. The well known accuracy and the enlightened judgment of the writer of the report, may however be relied upon with entire safety; and if so, it would seem-independently of objections to the principle of the measure-that the books proposed were fatally defective. Here then we have another instance-(the injudicious recommendations of Mr. Macauley's history have already been alluded to)—of the injurious consequences resulting from that amiable facility which so often induces our distinguished men to lend their names to applicants for public favor. If the decision of this interesting question had depended on the authority of names, the books of Mr. Bartlett, with all their imperfections, would have been entailed on the common schools. NOTE 10. Immediately after the delivery of this address, the Institute passed a resolution declaring that they deemed the suggestions contained in it relative to the establishment of a journal of education, of great importance; and they appointed a committee "to consider of and digest a plan for conducting the same, together with estimates of the expense, &c." A prospectus of the proposed publication, will soon be submitted to the consideration of our citizens, and if sufficient patronage shall be afforded, arrangements will be made for commencing it without delay. NOTE 11. The whole number of persons on whom the degree of A. B. was conferred by King's college; prior to 1775, as appears from the catalogue, was actually but one hundred. The following abstract will show the number in each year. The general paucity of the annual classes, and the striking inequalities in their numbers, are indicative not only of the infancy of the college, but of a general indifference to the advantages of education; and serve to present, in still bolder relief, the facts stated in the text. In addition to the illustrious triad there mentioned, we find among the hundred, Samuel Provost, Samuel Seabury, and Benjamin Moore, who were afterwards bishops of the American Protestant Episcopal church; Isaac Wilkins, much distinguished as a writer at the commencement of the revolution; Richard Harison, Peter Van Schaack, Egbert Benson and Robert Troup, eminent at the bar; and many other able and enlightened men. Alexander Hamilton commenced his collegiate course in this institution within the period to which I have referred; but before the termination of that course, the college was broken up by the commencement of hostilities. I have not included this great man among the sons of King's college-though our state is not only exclusively entitled to the honor of his academic education, but was his chosen residence-because his fame belongs to the nation, or rather to the whole western hemisphere; and because I am unwilling, for the sake of elevating New-York, to appropriate to her, what may justly be deemed one of the most splendid portions of our heritage as Americans. NOTE 12. Prior to 1815, the native literature of New-York, which had attained any celebrity, consisted almost exclusively, of the veracious history of DEIDRICH KNICKERBOCKER, and the two volumes containing the numbers of SALMAGUNDI. The success of these lively and elegant performances, seems not only to have decided the character of their authors, but to have given a new direction to the taste of the community in which they lived. Their devotion to letters has ever since continued; for several years they were almost the only natives of our state who possessed either leisure or inclination for such pursuits; and now, after the lapse of more than twenty years, they yet stand at the head of their respective departments-a superiority which is the just reward of brilliant talent, long and faithfully exerted in literary labours. How many have imitated their example, or been inspired by their success, it is impossible to calculate; though it is easy to see, that the loss of their productions would sadly diminish our literary wealth. Of the three contributors to SALMAGUNDI, only one (Washington Irving) has yet acquired much distinction on the other side of the Atlantic; though Paulding unites much of the humour and satirical talent of Swift, with the grace and vivacity of Goldsmith; and though the productions of Verplanck might well be placed on the same shelf with those of Johnson and Paley. Since 1815, the number of our native writers has greatly increased, as will appear by the following enumeration of some of the most conspicuous, which, I presume, will be deemed sufficient to justify the statement in the text.-Drs. Bard, Hcsack, Mitchell, T. R. Beck, J. B. Beck, L. C. Beck, Mott, Torrey, Francis, Van Rensselaer, and Griscom; Professors Renwick, Eaton and Anderson; SurveyorGeneral De Witt; Washington Irving, J. M. Mason, J. B. Romeyn, J. H. Hobart, J. Kent, E. Livingston, (now of Louisiana,) G. C. Verplank, De Witt Clinton, J. K. Paulding, J. F. Cooper, C. D. Colden, W. A. Duer, J. T. Irving; Professors M'Vickar, Anthon and Moore; R. C. Sands, J. G. Brooks, W. Leggett, and P. M. Wetmore, &c. &c. My estimate of the influence of newspapers, in a country like ours, has been stated in the Discourse; it will not therefore be thought singular if I add to this list, two native writers of distinguished ability in this important department-the Editors of the New-York American and of the Albany Argus. It is proper to remark, that some of the persons I have named, had commenced their literary career prior to the date specified, though with the exceptions above mentioned, but few of them were much known out of our own state; and that the names of several excellent writers have been omitted, not because their merits were forgotten, but because they have so seldom favored the public with their productions, that to have included them in a list of authors, would perhaps have looked like an endeavor to eke out the catalogue. Some names have also been omitted, in consequence of a want of knowledge, on the part of the writer, as to the place of their nativity. ERRATA. Page 186, line 15, for "the languages," read "the modern languages." |