The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-16
1orvor schools ind ca,rried on ii, the college

and university. The report clearly polHt
out the difficulties Of the language, ant
points out the elements which entered inte
| its construction, and the historic ana othel
| influences which have affected it. IL argues
| the necessity of accurate knowledge OF al
| these in order TO really appreciate and bt
prepared to master the language. 1t eXait'
| IMPORTANCE and value of perfect mastery o
our language. and says of those VINO attaii
this: .,
"What sparkling attractions are hidden
/ around the liDs of those who, either In pri
! yate conversation or in public harangue,
| exhibit the beauties Of the English tongue
| The Gift of the fairies is theirs; rain OF
1 diamonds and rubies and other jewels drop
spontaneously from their NOUNS! HOW
| we hang upon their words How we mise
over their sentences and dream Of their
phrases and images How readily we nc
cent their conclusions and hasten to en-
| brace their counselsl Rightly do we so,
for perfect expression is the fruit Of habitu-
| ally Just thought and habitually upright
and kindly feeling"
The report entered into number OF
practical and admirably-put details. The
| study of English should be begun with
speHing in the lower schools, and pupils
made to attend to it, even If the 6lrch had
to be employed. Spelling should also be
leges; and for this writing and dictation
exercises were recommended. Reading,
! English grammar, and ut least some Know
ledge of the history and structure OF the
| language, should be insisted OH in the
academies. Original composition should be
practiced with all classes of pupils. This
| part OF the report is understood to have
been written by Mr.. l.. NJ. Blackboard, late
of Norwood School, and is regarded rs :!
very valuable addition to the able and
. graceful paper of Professor lloimes.] The
! report thus concludes:
"There was q distinguished lawyer and
statesman of Virginia (the late Watkins
Leigh who boosted he knew one language,
and one language only-the English. Ii
was just gratulatioltr-a proud accomplish
ment. The mastery IF English implies
much other knowbata 1t demands, per-
j haps, larger and, Gz&H varied attainmcnts
than to know any other tongue.
! at is to be hoped that the day may soon
arrive when English language will be cor
rectly employed by all its inheritors who
; have enjoyed the benefits of academical
! education when inaccllracy OF expression
will no longer furnish the cloak for lnaccu-
racy of thought and looseness of princl-
ple-political or social; and when the
wealth of our English speech, the exuberani
/
be equally within the ambition and the
reach of every dilioent student. And it Is
especially to be hoped that this result may
speedily be attained among Nir9lnians, who
| are, in a peculiar sense, Of one blood and OF
one speech with Sidney, Spcnser, Raleigh,
Bacon, and Shakespeare, and their brilliant
CONTEMPORARIES in England's virgin reign"
| AS expressing his views on the subject
before the body, n. W. POPE, Esq, OF
Fauquier, read IN essay Oh the "Thecry
of Verbs" etc.
Professor E. S. JOYNES thought that one
Of the chief objects of this Association was
an interchange OF views on the subjects
introduced, and he hoped that this question
would be fully ventilated.
Professor J. p. HOLCOAlBE had listened
| with interest and profit to the essay, and
| agreed with most of its positions; but he
| felt compelled to dissent from the recon-
| mendation of QuackenbOs. He especially
objected to his serenity pages on punctua-
ton, which he thought entirely too much
| to wade through. He regarded rs Bdyne
much better book.
| Mr.BLACKFORD thought that there was
| force In what Mr.. HoLCoMBE had said; but
that on the whole Quackenbos was good
book.
Professor HOLCOMBE wanted to know
-
/ the hands Of pupils, whether the earlier OF
later writer's?
| Professor HOLMES would BEGIN with
neither the very earliest or latest authors.
He would begin at the age of Queen Anne,
and work up and down. lie would rainier
come first towards the present time, and
then 90 back. He would read Milton be-
fore Shakespeare, and Shakespeare before
Spencer. lie would leave Chaucer and
Burns for the higher academy or the col
lege He made some very valuable Sllgges-
tions rs to textbooks and methods OF teach
| ing.
Dir. d. LEE POWELL was glad of the
| practical turn the discussion had taken, and
| he wanted the views of gentlemen on the
question Of writing compositions III the
schools. He did not agree with the views
of the report OH this question. tie thought
| that the forcing of pupils to write before
they knew anything tended to promote dis
honesty by making the pupils take their
| compositions from books or get others TO
write them. He thought that they should
not write until they had read good deal,
and that reading might be very well substl-
| tutpd for writing compositions.
| Mr.. BLACKBOARD replied that the ten
dency to cheat was not greater in this mat
ter than in other tasks assigned to pupils.
He urged that reading can no more give the
rt of writing than reading Latin or Greek
| will alone teach boy to write it.
| Rev. DR.. SMITH said that the art OF read
| ing and composing resolves itself into the
most successful effort to initiate Nature.
| de said that punctuation belongs rather TO
| the printer than to the. writer. Jefferson
and other great men never USED capltaF.
| A bow can neither read nor wrltc What ne
| does not understand. He thought tnat pli-
pills should be early put to writing compo-
| sitions; but he would not have them Write
on such subjects as s. BeneVo!ehce OF
Philanthropy" lie would eve tnem
simple subjects, and keep constantly before
| them that they must write Us they talk. lie
tho,,uht il q capitaI fault of many textbooks
that they "darkened counsel by multi
plying words.'
Professor Ell. Fl. HARRIS, of Richmond
| College, called attention to the fact that
| though the study of English had been en-
tirely neglected in England until very re-
Gently, something had been done among Us
even before the war. At the University OF
| Virginia very much had been done in this
| direction. ....-..-. q.
| Professor HOLMES explained that as
chairman of the committee he could not, OF
course, allude to his own work.
| Professor HARRIS desired also to call
] attention to the fact that others Of our Nir-
gina teachers had been earnestly and faith.
| fully trying to teach English. The lamented
Baker Thompson and Professor G: IL. Toy
Ind filled the - Chair Of English" in the
Albemarle Female Institute several years
before the war, and other teachers had been
engaged in this work. Since the war dis,
tinct chair OF English had been established
in Richmond College, where DR.. Curry had
H. nsSftr tlsr Crix