ONCE MORE.

THE President's Report and the Catalogue have again formed the subject for a criticism from some writer who has had an article of some length published in a recent number of the College Courant. The fact that it has attained undue publicity by finding a place in the columns of the Evening Post has induced us to give it some attention. A just criticism generally has a healthy tendency, and ought to go far toward correcting those faults which it censures. But an incomplete statement of facts, whether done willingly or ignorantly, a slight investigation where a thorough one is needed, the consideration of a question where prejudice is drawn upon more than common-sense, and from certain premises to draw conclusions entirely foreign to the subject discussed, - are in themselves indications of a lack of valid objections to the object criticised.

The writer in the Courant first attacks the statement that "the examination for admission to Harvard College is at least one year's study higher in standard than the admission examination of any other college in the country," etc. (See Report, page 11.) To disprove this he brings forward a copy of an examination paper on Latin composition, which has in its foot-notes Latin equivalents for most of the English words in the text. He leaves his readers to infer from this single copy that all examination papers presented to candidates for admission to Harvard are of a similar easy character. Such a conclusion is manifestly erroneous, and unjustified by the facts in the case.

Sarcastically speaking of a person competent to pass such a paper, he says: "Of course it is not for such as he to think of attending any religious duty at the suggestion of another. That would foster in him 'a school-boy spirit,' and, moreover, make him unworthy of his sires. Did they not settle Boston that they might have freedom to worship God, and can he aim at anything less than freedom not to worship him?" Is not this slightly tainted with a school-boy spirit? We think Mr. Kirwan's question, "Really, Bishop Hughes, how old are you?" applicable to the present case.

Giving the per cent of candidates not admitted to Harvard for the years 1870, 1871, and 1872, he says, "This large number rejected at Harvard only shows that the examination there was rigid, while the larger number rejected at Yale only shows, of course, that the candidates examined at Yale were more poorly prepared"; and he furthermore adds, "A young man" [a single example only is cited] "was refused admission to the Sophomore class at Yale for deficiency of preparation. He went directly to Harvard College, offered himself as a candidate for the Junior class there, and was admitted." There is more truth, perhaps, in the first of these quotations than the author supposes. For how would he explain the notorious fact that nearly every year many candidates for admission to the Freshman class at Harvard who are rejected, apply to Yale, pass their examinations, and are at once admitted?

Bearing this statement in mind, and taking the specimen copy referred to above, together with the inference, evidently intended to be drawn, that all are of a similar nature, what kind of a set of examination papers would the writer in the Courant leave us to conclude are presented to candidates for admission to that beloved institution for which he is a champion? Undoubtedly the author has paid more attention to the sarcastic style in which his piece was written than to a fair and comprehensive discussion of his subject.

The President in his Report mentions the fact that some of the Middle and Western States contain schools which prepare boys very successfully for admission here. The substance of this part of the Report has certainly been stated in an unfair manner by the writer in the Courant. The President, in a cursory way, cites specific cases of such schools in some of the Western States, but from the context it would at once be inferred that these were not all, while the writer would give the impression that those mentioned were the only ones. "The Report (page 12) suggests for all the undergraduates of Harvard College freedom in regard to attendance upon recitations, lectures, and religious exercises"; and further along he adds, "We all know that he" [the undergraduate] "should arrive at that freedom at some time; the only question is when." We agree with him exactly. He thinks young men, collegians from eighteen to twenty-two years of age, incompetent to decide upon such matters. This is a question open for discussion.

Some seem to have an ill-will against Harvard, based on no other ground than the contemptible one of jealousy. There is a certain amount of "growl" to be indulged in by those who are opposed to everything connected with us; the sooner they vent themselves of their spleen the better for themselves. Their criticisms are not damaging to us, but only irritating; and this even is caused more frequently by a misstatement of facts than through a presentation of the truth.

A. C.