FRESHMAN GERMAN.

THERE is a proposition at present before the Faculty which, harmless as it seems, will be attended by serious consequences, if it is carried out. It is proposed that one of the assistant professors in German take, during the next year, for one hour a week, the entire Freshman class under his charge, the class being divided for this purpose into only six sections, whereas heretofore it was divided into eight. The argument is made that the professors of Latin and Greek have tried a similar experiment, and have found it successful. As the German department has at present no head, or rather will have none after August 31, an assistant professor is to take the Freshmen next year. There are several considerations which the writer would most respectfully submit to the authorities with regard to this proposed change.

1. The case of Latin and Greek is not analogous to that of German. For while these departments are units, and the most desirable harmony exists between the different instructors, in the German department this is far from being the case. Here there are almost as many factions, and hence systems, as there are instructors. It matters little what the cause is of this lamentable state of affairs. For the present discussion it is sufficient merely to record this melancholy fact.

The result of this is that our German courses present a sort of climax upside down. In other departments, as it is well known, the student is supposed - in theory at least - to take the course marked (1) before he takes the course marked (2), &c. Not so in German. On leaving the Freshman class the student might as well begin with Course 8 at once, for but little preparation for such an advanced course is to be got from the lower courses, owing to the strong sense of individuality which pervades the several members of the German department; each one working, not in accordance with a plan agreed upon by all, but in accordance with the imaginary special needs of his students.

On the Freshmen this "system" has had the most disastrous effects. In the other departments each new instructor finds the traditional system as a skeleton for which the flesh and blood is supplied from both his experience and the spirit of the times. So that however original an instructor's notion about the Classics, for instance, may be, he has at least a foundation to stand upon. Not so in German. Here every new instructor has, or thinks he has, for a year or more to undo the work of his predecessor; for another year to try his own experiments; and any thing like a system is adopted only after he has had a course or a class for at least two years. This is, in substance, the history of German instruction in Harvard. And precisely herein is found the explanation why comparatively so little German is learned at College, though so much of it is taught. Far be it from the writer to impeach either the ability or the good-will of the present members of the German department. On the contrary, whoever knows these gentlemen at all, will agree with him that Harvard never possessed such a strong corps of able and energetic instructors as at present. The fault lies in the system, or rather in the present lack of system.

2. The present Freshman instructors, after three years of faithful work, have at last succeeded in establishing some system, in face of all the above-mentioned difficulties. The proposed innovation will break up what good influence they have so far exerted.

3. The sections will be reduced from eight to six, - a decided step backward; for instruction in languages, and modern languages in particular, to be efficient, demands sections as small as possible.

4. The strongest argument against the proposed change is the fact that all the members of the German department oppose it, with the exception of the gentleman that is to take the Freshmen next year. The Freshman instructors, particularly, the writer understands, have protested against it, and wish it understood that they would not hold themselves responsible for any failures resulting from it.