Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-06-26
From The Clariotieuiiie Advocate.
THE MESSENGER AND THE UNIVERSITY

tone OF this criticism its statements. Tho FIRST seems
rude and INDIGENOUS the other and
traordinary.
There certainly nothing uncourieous or objection.
able in the original article the University; what then
Is the occasion 10 introduce into discussion sort
sneers and attempts at which poorly justified
by the arguments
Alter quoting sentence, which Is perfectly gram
NAUTICAL the Reviewer speaks in this wise Before com.
mentng on this sentence, will take the liberty of trans
lsting it into English The "writer" (patronsiugly)
"means, we take it &C."
Again: "He does write ike a man compelled by
sense OF duty and honest regard tor truth 10 state
Illuminating iacts He makes out the case good deal
wore than it really is. We do not ptesume the writer
at all TO nsnuae here that the author OF the frs,
article Intentionally mseprcscnted his but the Ian.
guage, the least o it, se.sc of the propr
ties, without both elegance and refinement Again The
criticism refers 10 the first writer's going OF his way
to derive Ops from opus and alludes to the profound Ei
ymology indicated by such n SCI ap OF learning
Just beow-"- and vet he ISir w Hamiton1 ia
perhaps almost not quite, we'll sersed in metaphys.
les this writer is in classical Literature and Etymoogy
Now this may appear writer TO be very fine but
if this is be thought smart or an appropriate way of
replying article like the the April Messenger
have Incorrect notions Of what wit consists in or OF
the occasions when should be esortcd There is
thing easier than sneerng: conceive il upon the whole
very coarse business. And let the scofer beware lest
he place his foot upon Insecure and unrny-seaied
Let whether tbs mocker has guarded him.
self at all points OF attack
|. As to the Partisan.lke and uncsudd tone of the
April article, which We have charged, lis that
IN
ity before institution in the country and speaks of
and its Professors with admiration and affection and Judi
Gates an every page Of it the most dent interest the
prosperity and OF the institution This is mat
ter OF fact. We simply refer to the article
> The derivation OF Ops. The writer did go out
OF his way to derive Ops from oHsthus exhibiting his
profound etymologica' qualifications The derivation
OF the word given illustrative the iact Calluded
to IN note that Ops wass Roman deity.
The April article alluded TO the notorious fact that
the Literature OF Greece and Rome" not taught al
the Unversity-using among other expressons this Ian
guagr, that this Literature totally neglected AT the
Unvsrsity The reviewer takes up this point, and
deayOrs prove that this not true In do
ing he thar Homer, the ears Poctca the Geor.
GIGS vy &c read in the cass-"some OF the beau.
ties pointed Outand that while he nj the Univer.
sty, the Mantuan Bard Alludng the first article
was great deal 10 him."
Nov all this OF things; either it means
TO say. that Ancient Literature lin fair sense is taught
at the University or II means 10 play upon the word
tally aud deny that IN literal sense the proposition
and anamaedTn ss s Ts assertion SS ,s- ,6
uema. lac wishes information, the Board of Visitors
and the Faculty. In the second case the has
grown to be Puerile and &C leave it where 6nd
emArkh, however, that In accordance with the orna.
ry allowable latitude in writing do think there is
any o'eratement Ia the terms made of. The
ing Of the original article is very obvious
Again. ION this second hypothes) the whole point of
the criticism is connected with the word totally" vet
The Reviewer III quoting the sentence, does himself tho
Kindness 10 convert tie ordinary characters Of original
INTO Hdfic"-thus giving 10 them emphasis which does
not belong to them
=. The article is assaied for saying that History
l. not taught at the University.
Here general proposition IL IL truey The Review
er querousy insists that lectures are delivered on
the subject in the departments OF Ancient and Modern
Language Is not that universally knowu Has not eve
~ one heard of the Pedsgif Did any one suppose that
the hrst writer intended this! Really this
seems Il US sheer tiDg. The meaning ia obvious in
tse-And is entirely explained by the context that we
cannot understand what j. the occasion for making diff
Guilty OF this sort II every in a writing to he
hed win commentary, and sort OF mathematical dag
noss taken OF its compounds think that the business
OF writing would he little voluminous than would
suit this world. When writer's meaning Is obvious il is
h' day to 80 on, without unnecessary qualification
| penphrasis.
The author of the original article il taken IN ,osk
about what he says concerning the atanments Of grad
uae Of the University in Greek That writer had stated
that such attanmens very meagre; and that even
with dictionary, il difficult and aborious matter Tor
such graduate to translate from Greek writer lie had
also stated that they he gaduates could neither read
write, speak Greek or Latin in any fair .cnsc That
las to reading it Greek OIL hueny unless in rare in
stances, they could attempt il That as 10 writing
the Greek, &c" The Reviewer thus notices this "NoS
SIR ~ order 70 become "a graduate in Greek the appE
cant must translate, without the help Of dictionary some
hy or sixty lines OF Tbuycides Sophoccs some other
OF the more difficult Greek authors As TO reading of
uenty eItcmporzed translation OF any Greek
author, which he has not read frequently before we ven
ure TO assert that Person Hermann himself could not
do IT,"
First the first Of these statements the students
have to translate, without dictionary at their final ex
lmina IONS from Greek author, Is this meant as de-
NAL o. the original writer's statements II So we Join Is
sue Il II evasion Then il is irrelevant Does
not the Reviewer know, through what throcs the cand
date Tor examination has TO pass before he make that
translation without the help OF dictionary 2" Does he
not kno" that he usually from six to eight hours
IN accomplishing the task Docs he not know that any
urrek book opened at random, any ordinary Greek in
scnpon, cannot he translated by our Young Greek epdy
We conhne our aigument chiefly the ordinary grsdu.
ates or We not called upon do moro) We say that
70 our Greek graduates generally page any Greek au
Oss u,erk mthc most emphatic soiisc-and thtt IS 70
reading II off, a. It is extremely common with regard 70
But Hermann or p,y.,u conI,'nt ,..d oT soh c,L
unless they had frequently read IL before. Al these is
sues are matters cf fact We latly deny. Hermann aud
ror,Oh e'"a feal OF any 6reek huently, which at
Fanuoln presented 70 them whether they had met II be-
| lore or not
dhe tmng can he tested We make this challenge
| N" Prod"ee gehne'aaH IN mir pidee-a yonag
mo sh1n felf ~ iasfahy any pass1g> NE rereer aay
aee'de"tg open from any ordinary GTsek author Il
50 tae' Dos not every wen educated gentleman on the
continent OF Europe speak Latte and Is il not extremely
Ia Husol gial