The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-07-09

STUDY OF THE CLASsICs.-ln an article publish
ed in our paper some time ago, contrasting an
European with an American education, we were
led to make some remarks upon classical study.
We would now offer few farther suggestions on
this subject, believing it to be one Of great impor-
lance to the youth of our country. Let it be I'M
derstood that by ''classics" we mean the word in
its limited sense-,he study of the dead languages
Greek, L attn, AMI if you WILL Hebrew.
There is but one argument that can be urged
IN favor of this tedious study, and that is, by OBJ
tanning knowledge of the ancient languages, we
possess ourselves of key to the modern that is,
we can MOI, easily understand our own tongue
by becoming acquainted with the primtives from
which tn great body of its words are derived.
There is show of reason in this argument,
nothin' more. We acknow ledge that good
Latin scholar, may, without consulting his Lex
co", define most of the words in our language,
but do not forget that he has spent four or five
years of his life in acquiring this valuable prof.
cheney. The question then simply resolves itself
into this Could not another person of equal talent
and industry, employed during the same length
of time in studying English classics and English
words, have acquired an equal proficiency in the
knowledge of our language. Observation-Disclosures
in less than half the time, he might have been ia
miliar with the definition of every word in the
English tongue. Why do we not study ancient
Saxon, from which we borrow 5000 words
Irdeed, such farcial idea has been lately broach-
&c in London; by set of blockheads who seem to
have nothing else to do. A Saxon Lexicon has
been published at great expense, and the study is
to some extent carried on at the present time.
God forbid, that we should ever be so idle as to
turn attention to the acquisition of such
useless and Improbable knowledge. The
argument, then, that we study Latin to learn
English, falls to the ground. 1t is worse than
ridiculous But to extend this argument, and ad-
NIT that knowledge of Greek and Latin gives
us a key to the modern languages of Europe-the
French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese-still it
is equally powerless. BY becoming acquainted
with any one of these tongues-the French, for
instance, we secure much more facile entrance
to the others, and, in fact, to our own lar gu ,ge-
for thousands ofwords in the English voc alb llary
that indebted the Latin for their stenl have
not been derived directly from that language, but
indirectly through the medium of the French and
Spanish.
This whole argument, then, for studying the
dead languages is nothing more than plausible,
and it is the only hat the friends of this sys
tenn can advance with any degree of confidence
They say, however, in the second place. that
we find knowledge of Latin of infinite service in
law studies, in the medical profession, and in
science. This is very true. Not only so, but it
has become necessary for the student flaw and
medicine to be classically educated. This, how
ever, is simply abuse Of the past--an excres-
cence Of the dark ages, when it was not fashiona-
BILE to call anything by its right name. The law
yer and the physician are, by this abuse, compel
led to know something of Latin. Very little how
ever, seems to suffice. With regard to science, it
should have a language of its own and indeed it
could not have chosen a more ridiculous or UNI
wieldly nomenclature than that which it has Dor
rowed from Greek and Latin.
third argument urged in favor of classical
study, Is this tina, by it our minds become bal
anced and systematized--as though there were
not many other really useful studies that tend to
the same effect. Where is geometry. ALGEBRA
chemistry, trigonometry mechanics1 Anv one
ofthese, fairly studied, will have done more to sv,
tematize human intellect than all the Greek and
! Latin in the world.
You will be told TO your teeth that mos, ar no..
men who have become great in the world. xver.
men who had received the benefit of classo =,
education. No doubt Of it. Almost everv man
who gains distinction among his fellows, ha,
received an cducstion-hc has gone to fine
school or college. And where is the fine school
or college in which this trash is not taught /,
was not the classical education that made these
men, but the fact of their having such qualifica
ton proves that they were educated at respccta.
bic school.
This is subject not to be dropped at once
]
BOARD OF EDUcATIos.--A stated meeting of the