, 1860-04-02
The German Lan:.la.c In our CITY
Schools.

From lie sta:ts z=;.urs, March c:lb,l
The Principal Of the High School suggests,
IN his late report, various re.platiuus lnr tt.t
promotion ol the Objects f'r which, the High
school was organized, and amongst other ncd-
:h;a''ons, he recommends ~ very Considerable
dl'liitutIon OF the amount Of tune uo,s dc.
ro:etl to the study of the Fre,.cl, aud Germau
tanEna2scs. lie says furthrr:-
verF laic't II not totally tmpo- -sb'c, to pracu,e
tashtf "t ~ sc tsrchs w.*c kIu~ .sc ii te,, :s:
hc ss t:s sts d ss ss :. m, m ss =
ansa'.s 0: Inc ,t..s .ii.c.}iilnr. ~ :'a ~
<A Sth:ol ~ =. e:sSi ~ s.n ; Ss or .ns N aee
tcs ost trriul observation ala Il To l1i:t.a thar t.
pat oithe pupil. lf'sL tEue. hr 0ry a.:s.sse : II
,f ~ j. Is Fr4ete Ano"e " Of thr ws:.
a" n' o.a r1pl1a a1vacqsvcs. In l.ao1 tie a1,ty
sorsLw.h as ;asLiy and ,ss neafiy one hill u ia
"At,e titl: Is d v'astt.r.
-Aa!e. - = tlFl!t eAe1es+. tr tltr viii: .t.ee1."
This result 1T watca Mr.. Du5.ce arrircs alter
many years observations, i nJt quite an unrx-
peeied one, a!slo .h We must confess it fills US
With sorrow. We hare Lever 4...sS t.if,sg great
hopes Of the study or tue German, whics, cu,,,-
mences ut too late period, i'll tile High School,
and We are To, astnnished u all wien VIZ SCI.
that MIR. llaree declares that the instruction III
German and in FrencA has neither prsvetl of
'n"eh va"e III e.::.:d TO its giving mental drill.
aDu cu'tFAE1ttv 1l!e f3ehai lacuitieS, nor did it
shuw great practical results.
VIZ uan we'll iaagtue tbs. under the care Of
:is!cicnt ina>ters-as for example Professor
l'tlsuer, in Schenectady, who teaches uotcrn
languages according to The principles of cam
paratiye plillooyy-even in tie few years over
which tie course Of The High Schnul extends,
Considerable results and progress might be cx-
ptctcd. But tar so scanty Il salary ~ $iuo rer
Mnnunl, such teachers cannot be procured. and
jtffhrF0t1tH +.nfn
advanced enough to comprehend the high yalllc
Ut thorough study Of the Gcrmun lai,:uacc
and literature for Tie American mind, 50 rs TO
appropriate sufficient sums iur it.
On the other hand. Mr. Dupee seems to over
estimate the value Of tue study Of the Latin, and
ne Remarks, that rs naeans Ut mental drill, no
other branch OF study cal be compared to the
critical study ofthe Latin. Wcassett, Lowcver.
that, taking in view the reda.osic.i value OF
ttte various s:l1,lies, mental discipline sbarren-
Jog OF tile mental powers, the Greek languas sc
deserves preference to tie Latin, for the s.n,1x
OF the original is always better than that Of tic
copies.
but il America as well IS in Eurcpc the ya1ue
OF til: dead languages IS orerrated. Even in
Hesn'auy, where in the gymnasiums the Lain
y thoroughly taught from, the nse Of SIX To
eighteen Or twenty, there are ontv few who
penetrate profoundly tue spirit Of thc classics,
aud who III their practical lie show that thev
are IN any way Influenced by llcse studies a,lt!
knowledge. The great naas, ut the arc Of 80,
arc unatie 10 read without difficulty Csrsars
Commentaries on the Gallo wars. and in the
ii':l Schan! Of Chicago Latin is only taught for
tie short cHur$c OF t&rco rears, and even this
course is not gone through By I'LL the scholars,
We believe that the German, il taught pro-
fnuHd'y aud scientifically, will be Of more value
not oal: as means Of mental drill, but also in
practical siev.
II is our sincere wish hoHrte~- no+;t;ora