New-York tribune., 1868-09-10
LITERARY
"cAN THE STUDY OF THE CLASSICS HAVE ANY
TENDENCY 10 IMMORALIIf =
TO tbs Edffor Of The Tribune.

CAN THE STUDY OF THE CLASSICS HAVE ANY
TENDENCY TO IMMORALIIf =
To the Edttor Of The TrtbHHe.
SIR: / desire to express my very great graf
icaton that this question has been raised in the columns
Of TIM Tprpyr for one have long felt that there IS
question aud very serious one, in regard 10 the noa
tendency OF some parts at least OF our collegiate study
IN this deportment l have wondered that no one ha'
raised IL ana have often thought Of doing 80 my
self whatever may be the precise import Of the passage
ouoted from Mommsen, it does not change the fact "'
there is danger attending classical study unless
wisely and cautiously conducted The reason l' y, he
danger has not been more deeply felt is dOuoluss cc
found In the fact that classical study and classcai
ton have been TO great extent IN the hands or bose
and thoughtful men, and of Christian ministers, -,
teaching has partaken largely OF their own ed much
ereut spirit, and whose study has been eonu"'''"
IN connection with tue Bible. 49,. ro,.o mot been al
There points, however thRt t nant Who have
luded to bv either of your correspondents WIZ
touched upon this ;heme which claim cj5eec1i ar
ton. One Of these is the false ana u9nariS "6 profs
fecfqfi0u that Ia TOO often shown by teachers "l 80
sOfs ard which leads them to enploy Ho @ s,pp ~
iers NcUS a iUceHdol Of EySpU p ~ % nus nloced
I'm the hands of students which contain tuhss A. SeS
should never see Inc lesson ESQ - of lgrp The norton
srnm ths | 10 the .. line yet, though the obnoxious
ia not read in the recitation room. it is never
,blc before the eyes of every member OF the class
ia ike manner this aGcctdton Of scholarship mas
led American publishing houses Of emlnenec TO issue sun
ILL, t,r tnxtsi N is a painful and startling fact
that many of the editions Of classics row issued ae
satsfacIoy and this most important respect
than were those Of some years ago. Among the nuner
GUS editions Of Horace, for example 1t Is no easy taS
for "a teacher 10 4ud that hc may put "th .i', "
conscience into tN hands OF pupils. lie may hSHC M
back TO the books 4 generation ago u ne NouIu @ III
wholly free fou 0jcctiOsuch rs tiat issued DJ III
lard 4 Cray o. Boston. thirty years Nhct. A.. ,ossi
Nothing IS more needed al the present ulS l'i ~ ei
cal text books which shall unite the best ana uoSs
sfe tnodern scholarships with the requirements on 'I"
taste and exact II Eot stern. morality Ihele II 10 i
s,be excuse f1g neglect this point ana american td
i.Lcrs sLnuI show tho world tuat cililc "'S"! 49,
ample illustration May bc ootd.ro lH '.]'S ] .j,.T =
aitio,t rcrr. ducuc the C0rrurilous ot pagan SVD
M uif.tl ~ t!e careless Indifference on German eu I
Fsurci +, doe. iils uOut become important nov tl3t
,l.sIcs r coming form part OF female edHra;Uh
a. mot 10 6e endured tat these books Shu4'u " l".
crinn,ev read and studied iu c.r pr sent form ly te
young me- ana young women of America N@teN'r@p nc nc
9nr admiration of classical literature and our conN'"A
OF its utility wc must not forget ror sul'i "ni you"
frget M the elegant civilizations or Greece auv l'V"
were pcryal,d with, ana s,cc!td in, the HnIu.igm ~ U
tlat those great empires su lio Ili"
f,,, their own decay and corruption Your cUIfeslo'
.euI FlGclty" is profoundly just ana wise III ht
r,trls an t lespousI1iiry OF teachers u tlS h"t'e
JIc Instructor WHO does not feel That me highest aspect
of his work is not scholarship merely uuJ Schud'sip
traucd guided. ana fortified 10y the moral lr-sous thaI
NAV be drawn from any study. Is unworthy oI the hahe
and the work OF Teacher. - .
September /, 1853.