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Act. The Trustees with Samuel Hopkins
University April 20th 1794
Dr. Sir,
We have begun to introduce, by degree the regulations of the University, and as yet have not been disappointed. there is one class in Natural Philosophy & Geography & four in the Languages -
The contribution of this college is on a more liberal plan than any in America & by the amendments which I think it will recieve at the next meeting of the trustees, its useful= ness will probably be much promoted. The notion that true [begin strikethrough] knowledge [end strikethrough] learning consists rather in crucifying the reasoning faculties, & laying up a store of use= ful knowledge, than in overloading the me= mory with words of a dead language is be= coming daily more prevalent - It appears hard to deny a young Gentleman the honors of a College, after he has with much labour
& painful attention acquired a completent know= ledge of the Sciences; of composing & speaking with propriety in his own language, & has [??] the frith principle of whatever might render him useful or creditable in the world; merely be= cause he could not read a language 2000 years old tho' the laws at present require that the Latin & Greek be understood by a graduate - they will in all probability be mitigated in this respect. These old forms which have been sanctioned by time "but not by utility ought to be dispensed with." I have lately found many good hints on education in a book entitled the rights of woman. - a book of very great merit, the production of an original genius - & penned in such a strong masterly style that you would scarcely believe it the work of a woman - For we are taught [begin strikethrough] to believe [end strikethrough], by many able writers & tolerable accurate observer of mankind that the natural weakness of a womans [begin strikethrough] mind [end strikethrough] body extends to her mind, & becomes characteristic of her thoughts & words as well as of her actions. Miss Mary Wollstonecraft is the lady born effectually to certify this misrepresentations from which so much evil has sprung. Miss intention is to bring about a total reform in the education of women =. But takes occasion to speak of the errors in the present plan of teaching young men & boys in Europe - "The memory" says she - "is loaded with unintelligble words, to make askew "of, without the understanding's acquiring any distinct "idea; but only that education [??] emphatically "to be [tuned??] cultivation of mind, which teaches young "people how to begin to think." She effectually over= throws Chesterfields plan of bringing up boys. The amendments which she proposes are too numerous to be dictated in a letter, but are such as to [tho-??] [great..??] honor to the [??] & may be highly beneficial to mankind --- That there is much wrong in the old manner of educating is plain & whatever alterations will be made in our
University will be made by those who can be actuated by no other principle than general utility - At present we find much difficulty in securing books -- We together have ordered 200 Col. to be expended for that purpose; but it is very uncertain when the Books will arrive; Dr. Williams is commissioned to [??] & he is so totally engaged about his own book which he is preparing for the press, that he may forget other of [??] importance - Col. More [provided??] us with Globes - Mr. [Benchan??] with an air pump as soon as it can be processed - We will shortly have an Electrical Machine & other [??]
Our society is not so good at this place as we could wish - My only resort is to Mr. [Kee??] who makes ample amends to me for the want of any other - He is a violent Republican & is continually deprecating the Aristocratical principles which have lately prevailed much in our Executive. The debates on self-created societies has brought
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to light many unrepublican principles that have been secretly growing in the boson of our government. The Head. Stanhope Smith has in the last winter become a politician - He declaims against Libertinism in politics as being attended by no less an evil than Atheism - Smith has been long known to be an aristocrat ^ he is not a man of such conciliating manner as to have avoided the creating some personal enemies. [&??] wrties styled Arbiter in [??] paper is not delicate in his remarks on vice-president & is indeed [??] in some general reflections ?? the Clergy - Smiths sermon ?? to by ?? ?? on the subjects of national gratitude lies on my table - It has many fine tuned periods & many fine thoughts - But besides Mr. ?? ?? objections - His [deprecation??] of the present government is too highly coloured to be the copy of a human fabrication /strikethrough/ besides /end/ his