The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-04-29
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Mathematics and the LANGUAGES.

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Mathematics and the Languages.
Children go to school to learn. Young men
go through college to learn; yet teachers and
professors say that when they study it is to
discipline the mind and that when they leave
college, 1t is only the beginning of their edu-
cation.
Now learning is the getting of knowledge.
All want to knoo there is need of knowledge
the more knowledge the better.
Discipline is the learning to do certain
things by practice. Thus the soldier is taught
the manual of arms by long course of dis
cipline. The mechanic knows his trade by
having worked as an apprentice. We learn
how battle was fought by reading the de-
tails in newspapers the soldiers know how to
fight by drilling. The officers know how to
mareuvre; because they, know their own
strength, and what has been done by similar
forces in similar cases. The planning of a
battle is based on mathematical rules which
have been made and proved by experiment or
by experience. Hence the commanding general
learned tactics, engineering, strategy, which
he needed to know.
The able seaman knows the use of each
rope in the ship, and how'to use it. He has
learned by practice. The midshipman learns
from his book the orders to be given.
Mental discipline is the discipline which the
mind requires to perform certain mental work.
Thus: to perform an example in the rnle Of
three reeds mental discipline. A good civil
engineer should be q disciplined engineer as
as much as veteran soldier should be a dis
ciplined soldier. In our colleges, more atten-
ton Is paid to the ancient languages land
mathematics) than to all other branches
These studies, tits said, are to strengthen the
mind, as exercise strengthens the body, for
these studies are difficult.
1t is conceded that they do discipline the
mind. But are the ancient languages and
mathematics the only hard studies2 icon
ceive that the best way to learn about any
subject is to see it for yourself The surest
way to learn how to do any kind of work, is to
try to do it. The oftener you do it, the better
you can do it.
The best discipline for any individual is the
work for which he is being disciplined. To
learn farming, work on a farm; if you want to
learn how to navigate ship, study the rules
of navigation, then try to navigate ship,
and you will have mental discipline What
harder discipline than that Of the midshipman
whose crew wouldn't obey orders; or the at
torney's clerk who has difficult case to man
age in the absence Of his employer; or the
couating-room clerk, with the care of settling
with customers. or the man who means to
have productive farm, and beat his neigh
bors? = sss7sss - sgfs5
Soldiers do not train by mauling rails, neith-
er do sailors learn by hoeing corn; then why
do those who chiefly study to become lawyers,
doctors, ministers, editors, merchants, authors,
publishers, engineers, officers, or even gentle
men at large (idlers) study what they are like
ly to forget and neglect what viii be useful,
while at the same time it would discipline the
mind as much. ~
The modern languages are the proper Ian
guages for modern men. The question may
be asked, shall the dead languages be abol-
ished? 1t may be welt to study enough of
these tongues to know the meaning of scienti-
lc terms, but with the aid Of the Eoglish or
even of the Latin dictionary, very little else
need be known Of the Latin. The ancient
languages should be studied as the French
aud German--that they may be known, that
they may be read by those who wish to read
the original, and translated for those who do
not want to work SO hard at them as to lose
the beauty of the style. When this Is done,
translations will be more perfect. Natural
lists will not call plants and animals afora ct
fona' or nitric acid, aqua, Il their read
saw terms hnsE b ussd
why not as well take them from the French as
the Greeks Whenever translations are made,
there should be full translations. If Linn@us
wrote in Latin, let his work be translated for
students word for word, as far as the sense
will allow. 5si5em
To be learned in the natural sciences re-
quires hard study. Science gives discipline to
the mind discipline; and more
useful discipline the work to find how much
work A. and B. can do when they work to-
gether. Such mathematical problems as are
useful in art or science should be taught to
all, let the rest be studied by those who love
it; and il they make useful discoveries, it is
we'll. f..v-e. X s,--s, ssf- rs-ss-s s
Boys should not go to school merely to dis
cipline their minds, for whatever they do, will
accomplish that object. Few educated men
ever disciplined their minds more than did
Bingley, who though he never learned to read
yet was one Of the greatest canal-builders Of
England. sa a aaaas9 ipE
| When he had difficult part of the work to
do, he kept his bed for days, thinking about
1t, till the problem was solved. Well might Il
have been, had he know how to CIPHER, but
| Greek would not have helped him an atom.
| What am to prove, is that nothing should
be taught merely to discipline the mind, but
that it may be useful to the learner or to 9TH
ers--that it may directly or indirectly in
crease human happiness or relieve human mis-
cry.
| While the State endows the college, the stu
dents should be educated for the good of the
State. Then let the colleges set an example
that the public high schools may follow, that
though they do not neglect what will adorn
the mind, they do allint their power toincrease
its usefulness. K j.
BrsiRs,oick, 1866.
The Choral Festival. a3aua
Nssa A~,;l OF 1oQs