The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-16
From Our Special Reporter.
EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION.
SECOND DAY.
ABLE REPORT AND INTERESTING Dis
CUSTOM on 1.-THE STUDY OF
ENGLISH" &C., &c. ....
WARRgsToN. ~. LrY -, 1870.

I
| invited to sit as corresponding members.
| A number OF new members were e.ecled,
| and other gentlemen arrived and took their
seats.
The Association then went into the cleo.
| ton of officers with the result announced
by telegraph).
Commodore MAURY insisted that his
| name be withdrawn as O nominee Tor Iresl-
dent.
The election resulted in the choice OF
Commodore MAURY as President, but is ne
| felt called on to decline with thanksl the
| honor, General +. III. SMITH, OF the FirSi-
| mia Military Institute, was by acciamltlou
| elected President. -,
Professor PRICE insisted on the with
drawal of his maine, and Mr.. u. LEE Pow
ELL, of Richmond, was by acclamatlon
elected First Vice-Presdent, and. In the ab-
sence Of General SMITH. inductcd INTO the
chair. :.
The other nominees all having declined,
| the remaining officers re elected by accla-
| nation, as follows:
Second Vcc-Presidcpt-Rev. j. W. AVl-
| rett. of Winchester.
Third Tics-Presidcnt-Pike Powers,
ESQ.,, Of Stal4ton.
Fourth Vice President-Colonel Hilary
P. Jones, of Hanover Academy.
ford, of Norwood School.
! Recording Secretary and Treasurer
John Nj. Strother, Of Richmond.
/ 1uditor-C. Fl. Winston. of Richmond
Female Institute.
Rev. DR.. ATKINSON moved the thanks of
the Association to the outgoing officers. He
thought this due to them all, but more
especially to the President professor John
B. MINOR, who had done more than any
one else. not only to re8rganize, but also TO
promote the general efficiency OF the Asso-
citation.
Judge LEGl.RE offered As al amendment 4
resolution tc',dcring the special thanks OF
the Association to Professor Minor for the
singular ability, zeal, and efficiency, with
which for three wears he has devoted him
self to the interests Of the Association.
The amendment was accepted, and the
resolution was unanimously adopted.
Preseason MINOR, in fitting phrase, express
ed his high appreciation OF the honor done
him by the vote just passed, and de>i"sd TO
bear his testimony to the zeal and ell icAcy
of the other officers of the Asso"lt'' y; To
whom more than the President he att-lbu-
ted the success of the Association.
After calling the committees to S"n winch
would he ready to report durn@ lhe Ses-
sion,
The Committee on " me HtWiy .. '."J-
Lish, and the Modes Of its Study in w&''.
academic, and Collegiate, Insttta">',S -
being called on to report.
Professor GEORGE +. HoLHk. lc.i"'t LII
of the committed said that he wa =. iar :
of putting forward the young N = - t2r -
possible, and would therefore cali ol NJ.
T.. nj. Backford to read the report vt the
committee.
The report, after speaking Of III, i'm
portance of the snf:icr., proposed - dls-
cuss the siudy Of I1nyLsh, and tie NOES OF
its studytn the 'Iterert stages Ct e,,ucatton.
The report 81 les tht object OF t.!ucallon
TO be tWto-;uId-tc rcparc I'll" .oulS Tor
the ordinary ottr"s 4! If cnG f.. I'm all
their faculties ~ lie most ell' ire gene
rous, and ele giant lcrIorlna!i't ~ Every
duty in any S.atioii in which th"J "!ay, DE
placed. The one ;ial of ruuc&'t"A has
been unhapDily teri.cd pr.;rtlcal. ia" other
known as liberal. The arc n"f opposed,
though their imma 'liaie aims are dlS>,nlt'ar.
They should always be Combined - fan as
it may be practical 10 unit thrH. t-.oeral
education should never b" mr. ~ In
pair practical Giscernmcnt as: -. :: out
so much Of liberal culture - may at: lam
able should always be coniuijru Nljh prac-
tical training. lac report ar";i,> tt.r taltle
Of linguistic Studies as mcans o. i!:"'i'.i ed
ucation, and that Tor this no other E'n1uage
can take the place Of our mother tongue.
1t most graphically and striklngly brings
out the point that both, with nation and
individuals, language is al index OF ciutiac-
ter, ably and earnestly argues the mo
lance of accuracy in its use, and show, inc
means by which this can be attained.
"Where such
virtues and Yirtlous habits of mind
uniforninc, moulding, and purifying, the
whole nation are pre-suppoSed anu ma
tured By the accurate employment OF his
native speech, it is not wonderful that all
ages and all peoples have welcomed the per-
fiction of oral and written composition
with the highest admiration, and have
deemed them the most commemorate as
they are the rarest Of accomplishments.
Hence have proceeded the hGnOrs always
accorded to the great poet, the great orator,
the brilliant writer, and the graceful talker.
Each Eliminates truth 'darkencd with
eclipse before and each reveals gems un,
recognized without their due dressing and
polish. Perfectly Just, then, is the earnest
ness with which the consummate art OF eX-
preston has ever been sought by the lottl-
est and best poised intellects, and the sue
cess in the art which has rewarded the
Iareest.and purcst inteligcnaes. ifthese emil
nert and too little noted merits belong to
the accurate and graceful use OF every liv-
ing language, how much more do they at
tach to the proper employment of the
richest and nobleSt of anguages--the Eng
| lish tongue! Be not startled by this strong
commendation. What may seem eXtrava-
can't praise is sustained by the greatest OF
philologians-the late Jacob Grimm. OF
! scarcely less weight is the admission OF
Koch. the ablest German writer in English
grammar, that the English unitcs the
| power of the German with the fleNibility of
the Romace Tongues, and appears perfectly
polished for every species OF composition in
| verse or prose- In sonorouSncss, smooth
ness, and Elasticity, the English is inferior
to the Greek; in systematic regularity and
terse penetration to the Latin; in mechan-
| zeal precision and in Transparency to the
French in sottness and vocalic melody to
| the Italian; in majestic dignity to the
| Spanish; in elasticity and seE-dependence
to the German but if inferior to each Of
] these languages in the characteristic excel
lence of each, it combines the merits OF al
| in remarkable degree with other and
| more precious merits Of its own"
| The report strikingly speaks OF 1.-THE
large dimensions Of the English tongue
and brings out the wide extended power
and influence which 1t asserts.
| 'From the mouth of the st. Lawrence
and the Newfoundland to the farthe>i
wastes of Vancouver's island: from Hud
sons Bay and from 'Oonalaska's sneF"' tt
| the Rio Grande and the Gulf OF California
our language Is spoken and our race il
spread. If the reueilIe OF the English drum
encompasses the globe and wakes up tn
morning on every line of longitude, The
| r,IS;, of tho EupliSh snppch attends tbs