Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1867-08-10
For the Register.
The Value Of Classical Studies.


ment in your paper, that efforts were
making 10 establish two schools-male
and femaIe-Of high grade in your town,
we have thought it not inappropriate TO
say few words on that subject in con.
nexiOn with the subject a! the head OF
this article; the want Of a proper aPpreci.
alton Of which has operated so strongly
against building up schools that should
be welcomed aud sustained in every com.
muniIy.
Hitherto, the people Of your communj-
ty, attracted by The reputation Of distant
schools and despairng OF securing for
their sons and daughters equal adVania-
ges near home, have sent them away, but
not always with the satisfactory results
they had anticipated. For this, among
other causes, the resources and friends Of
those hitherto making efforts 10 establish
schools in your town, have been dlmin-
ished and their energies PaTa!ized, and
the schools often better lhsn those patron
lied abroad, have been suffered 10 Ian
guish and fail for want of adequate sup
port.
There are wanted in ShePherdslown
permanent schools Of high grade, taught
by persons in whom the community have
confidence and TO whom they can COM
nit their sons and daughters 10 be III
strucied and feel that il will be well done,
but in this uliliIaran age of almost un!-
versal mediocrlty, il is dfiicut matter
10 build up such schools. II is thought
sufficient nowadays if a boy can read,
write fair hand, has lille knowledge
OF Arithmetic, and perhaps smateTing
Of Geography and grammar. The same
is true of girls, except occasionally 1T
tie music is added by way Of accomplish
ment. Those higher and more impor.
lant branches that really set the child TO
thinking and ere the only studies that
will train the mind and cause it 10 be
governed, in some measure, by the tctH
in The acquisition of knowledge are re-
garded as useless and entirely neglected.
But many of these branches Of learning,
that are go often considered Of no prucIl.
cable utility, are Of The highest lmpoF-
tance, even aside from their office as men,
tai trainers, and little reflection Will soon
make this plain. The Latin and Greek
languages, the best and only studies that
will properly and permanently develop,
strengthen and enlarge the memory, and
give one thorough knowledge OF the
English, are regarded by many as entire
ly useless and the time spent in acquiring
a knowledge Of them, as thrown away
Let Us see if this is true in any instance.
When young gentlemen or ladies make
their debut into society they find their
greatest embarrassment in the want oil
words that will exactly express their deas
il conversation and often ludicrous mis-
takes occur in the use Of the wrong
words, and this embarrassment can be
removed by even a meager knowledge OF
the Ancient languages, because nearly all
English words are derived from this
source. The better 10 understand this
take few examples. Infant, says the
Dictionary, is young child" but how
does that come! 1t is derived from the
latin in and fans, and means "that which
cannot speak" impeachment is defined
"a hindrance," but a more exact under
standing Of it is derived thus, i'm and
pes, "against the feeI"-"a stumbling
block"--hence we have pedestal, PEDAL
and pedimeni in architecture, aud by
changing the first part Of the wo'd, we
have expeditions and e1pedient, "Out Of
the way Of the feet"-"dispaich in the
absence Of obstacles" and "conduclng 10
dispatch" Thus we might 60 on al
infnitun and show how necessary are
classical studies 10 proper understand
ing Of our own tongue, but cay you,
what use are these 10 mechanics, mer-
chants, laboring men and farmers! We
reply, that, if they arc content 10 be
merely these and nothing more, and never
aspire TO excellence or superiority in their
several cupalions, they are Of no value
10 such and we would recommend them
10 study other branches that are Of more
practical benefit, but when you come 10
the Learned Professions as they are
called, such as Divinity, Medicine and
Law, not one solitary step can be taken
without immense labor in the pfosecu-
ton OF their studies, if the aspirant is des.
tiiute Of The knowledge Of Latin or Greek.
Passing by the ministerial calling, as II
is universally acknowledged that minis
Ter must be learned in these branches,
take the Medical tyro and he finds that
every vein, artery nerve, bone and JOINT
in the human system has Greek or Lat
in name that precisely describes It's Ioca'
ton and office; that every disease. in The
catalogue of ailments, has Latin or
Greek name that indicates It's character
and the parts affected; that all the pre-
scriptions and recipes, in his Formulary
and Dispensaiory, ere written in LaIn.
True, there is Lexicon that explains the
meaning of all these terms, but the stu.
dentis retarded IN his professional studies,
in order TO learn these terms and being
unaccusomed 10 he language and unsc'
qusnied with its construction, his mem.
ory is clOgged and he is often liable 10
make mistakes, both in reading aud WI
tiny nresrrintions and he must alWsys