Book Description

Excerpt from An Address Delivered Before the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania In most of the colleges of the United States, societies have been formed by the students, which, in some instances, have existed for many years, and have exerted a very favourable influence over the fortunes of the respective establishments with which they have been connected. Of their beneficial effects, when properly regulated, we have satisfactory evidence in the encouragement which they receive from the college officers, who are best qualified to form a correct judgment of their tendency and operation. Nor is it difficult to discover in what their usefulness consists. By fostering a spirit of honorable emulation, they support and invigorate those exertions in the acquisition of knowledge, which, if not properly encouraged, are too apt to yield to the seduction of youthful pleasures, or to languish under the influence of an indolent disposition. They produce a union of feeling and sentiment, which amalgamates their members into one body; which teaches each individual to connect his own honour with that of his community; and excites him to such circumspection of conduct, and diligence in study, as may serve to maintain if not to exalt its reputation. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.