The monuments were all of white marble, of which
material there seems here to be a great abundance, and none of them were
offensive in their style, but on the contrary were in general in that
good taste, which the Americans in some way or other, how we cannot make
out, contrive to possess.
We went afterwards to see the famous Girard College, for the education
of orphan boys. Mr. Girard bequeathed two millions of dollars to found
it, and his executors have built a massive marble palace, quite
unsuited, it struck us, to the purpose for which it was intended; and
the education we are told, is unsuited likewise to the station in life
of the boys who are brought up in it. As in most public institutions for
the purposes of education in this country, no direct religious
instruction is given. This does not seem in general to proceed from any
want of appreciation of its importance, but is owing to the difficulty,
where there is no predominant creed, of giving instruction in any: but
in the case of the Girard institution, even this excuse for the
omission cannot be made, for a stipulation was imposed by Mr. Girard in
his will, that no minister of any denomination should ever enter its
walls, even as a visitor, though this, we understand is not carried out.
For the first time in America we met here with a most taciturn official,
and could learn much less than we wished of the manner in which the
institution is managed.
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