The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-16

Why is the mind called from the contempla-
ton of the vast volume of nature, to ponder over
sntiqualed lore; why deprived Of the privilege
OF acquiring knowledge of thiuss, BY the end
less study Of mere words; wasting the precious
season OF youth upon the obscunty OF healhen
ignorance, in acquiring "a dead language OF
dead people, who have left US nothing TO eddy,
amuse, or TO instruct neither virtue to initiate,
nor greatness to admire
Latin and Greek are not indispensably neces-
sary to good education. Language Is merely
an arbitrary sound Of characters whereby men
communicate their ideas to each other. The
English language is capable OF conveying all the
ideas most men may be able TO acquire, during
long life of patient industry; is ii not then vast
y better for us TO improve the sense through
one language, than waste our time in gaining q
knowledge of mere Sounds Especially when
we take into consideration the brevity OF human
life Men do not live on an average above thir-
~ or forty years. OF this brief period take ten
of childhood, which leaves Miry. To spend
Eve or six years of this in learning an almost
useless language Tor dead languages when all
that is worth possessing in those languages is
translated into our own, seems the climax OF fol-
ly. Besides the tendency OF most OF the Greek
and Latin authors is anything but favorable to
the promotion of virtue, peace, and morality
Where among them all are found the winning
graces and social virtues-lhe humane feelings
.,I fkr,y
around the worst passions that disgrace human
nature. the rich eloquence Of language aud the
mantle OF poetic inspiration, covering the subtle
poison beneath the sweetest flowers. Who
taught Alexander, the great butcher, to become
a hefo2 Homer. Who Charles l2lh2 Ho
mer. SO much did Plato dread (himsef also
Pagan the influence of Homer's writings that
he forbade the reading Of them in his republic
And yet Christians, six days in the week, place
in the hands Of the young and inexperienced
pupil, whose tender mind is ready like the wax to
receive any impression, the works Of the Latin
aud Greek authors filed with the questionable
beauties of heather mythology and the philan-
lhropic descriptions of wholesale butcheries,
and on Sunday discourse to them about forbear-
ance, meekness, and forgiveness Of injuries !;
can it be wondered at that we hear Of dues,
murders, pride, and revenge, when the minds Of
our youth are formed by reading these records
of barbarsm2
This great question is beginning to receive
that attention from the public its immeasurable
importance so imperauvely demands. The
mightiest minds in Europe are examining the
subject with untiring attention; Brougham
Combe, Bulwer, McCauley, and host of others,
have spoken in a voice of majesty and power
against the present system of learned ignorance.
How many Of the most promising youth of our
country have been hurried to premature grave,
in order to become "mere men of languages
machines of memory. There is not an indiv-
dual who has studied Latin and Greek but will
admit that the knowledge acquired, does not COM
pensate him for the labor the acquisition has cost
These studies may be useful and proper in their
place, but to make them of the first importance,
as at present,s pernicious and absurd Says Bull
wer, cit is knowledge, not learning, in which
"aSh you W oS SA"Cu. hC oUJCSl VI SuuId-
lion, is to iost principles which are hereafter to
guide and instruct US facts are only desirable
30 far as they illustrate those principles prin-
;iples ought therefore to precede facts! What
hen can we think of system which reverses
his very order, overloads the memory with
facts, of the most doubtful description, while it
leaves us entirely in the dark with regard TO the
principles which would alone render this hetero-
,eneous mass of any advantage or avail q
Learning without knowledge, is but bundle of
,rejudices lumber of inert matter, set before
he threshold of the understanding to the exclu-
lion of common sense Pause for a moment,
md recall those of your contemporaries who are
generally considered well informed tell me if
heir information has made them whit the
oiser; if not, it is only sanctiied ignorance
Fell me if names with them are sanction for
opinion quotations the representatives of ak
oms? All they have learned only serves as an
excuse for all they are ignorant of. The great
'rror of education is to fill the mind first with
authors, and then to try the princi-
lies of the present day by the authorities and
naxims of the past. The reverse of the ordi-
,ary plan should be pursued. We should learn
he doctrine and principles of the day, as the
irst and most necessary step, and we will then
lance over those which have passed away, as
esearches rather curious than useful"
There was period when all the literature of
he world was confined to these languages; and
et in the minds of many there appears to exist
he same necessity for studying these languages
low, when they are the key to nothing useful
II necessary 10 be known az when thew mere