Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-04-05

NEw-HAvEN, Oct. Is, 1886.

lNB"'IIANEN) OCl' Eos 1850.
Dear Sri have received and perused
the system Of Education for the Girard
College Tor Orphans, which you have
been so good as TO send me, and for which
please To- accept my thanks.
% regard TO the merit OF the system, on
which you request my opinion, will
make few remarks, although | do not
think myself so well qualified to Judge of
It as many gentlemen Who have been in
the employment ofinstruction in our high
er seminnries
The mode you propose for instructing
children in the French and Spanish lam
guages is nearly the same as | have al
ways supposed to be the best. if not the
only mode Of making pupils perfectly
masters Of foreign language. An accu-
rate pronunciation and familiarity with
language cannot easily be acquired, ex.
cept in youth, when the organs of speech
IRE pliabIe, and by practice, as we learn
our vernacular language.
In regard to your system in general, |
can only say that it appears to be judi
ciously constructed. and well adapted for
the purpose Of making thorough scholars.
Ii on trial il should be found susceptible o.
improvement, experience will direct tc
the proper amendments. One remark
however, take the liberty to make. ]
do not suppose an exact conformity to be
essential to thorough education. One
course may be preferable to another, bu
there seems to be "no royal way to ge.
ometry y close and persercring dppliea
fion OaIy will make good scholars, and
this will accomplish the object, withou
any adherence to any precise order Of
studies
~ But il I understand your plan, there is
IN my opinion, one material defect in it
which is, the want of professorship of th
English language, and department ap
propriated to accurate instruction in il
true principles, and in the definite use @
words. Ny reasons for this opinion are
that, as far as my information extends
instruction in our native language is YER
much neglected in our seminarirs.-
Young men well drilled in the principle
Of other languages often finish thei
acadeIncal course without being able t
ana we manv of the most common sen
fences and phrases in the English lar
guage; and the writings of our most di:
unguished scholars are often dcformed b
false photography and false syntsx, an
by the misapplication OF words, Fror
these facts, it is to be inferred that III
writers do not we'll understand their ow
language IL our statesmen were acct
rately acquainted with the language, it
to Do presumed that they would not Us
comptroller Ia counter of the rolls) whe
tney mean controller, an, officer who,
business IS to control or check the a
counts oil other officers. If military pel
tlemen were perfectly versed in E9gI;s
they would not use the word ,1cdo,sbt
doubling again) when they mean =,
dout, an lo6twork in fortiIication, n Il
clergy were accurately instructed in h
meaning Of words, we should not he
from the pulpit staAEG called rsrse
liz our citizens were well instructed
English, we shouldn not hear such phra:
asa baLaHesof men or troops in a COM
nv remaining after detachment has BE-
rriade.e flour public men were we'll
structed in the language, they would
venture 10 call The privileges Of bank
and manufacturing companies in t
country nOaAp0liesS for citizens well
structed in our language and in the t
meaning Of words. would consider sue
misapplication Of terms an iudigniIy
fered 70 their understanding. II Eng
words were correctly understood,
should never hear mrn talk about
HtStssrseg Of theicconsy;; since Their