Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-31
rRrsn the Deidpare Pioneer &c mani
German Language and the Public Schools
1 TrnaslataA for EvRnr HVanHNN

Inc BohNQ VI LluuCAtlOu ~ ~ lINbNuN
occupied with the question whether
some foreign language should not be taught
In conjunction with the Engliah In the
higher classes OF our schools. That some
thing should be done in this direction all
are unanimous; the question simply being
'Shall the German or the Latin language
be selected3" Certain resolutions aiming
at middle course have been offered,
amounting 70 this Let US teach both Ian
guAgea, but leave the student himself to
choose the language he prefers'
We are surprised that the immense nupe-
riority of the German language ia not evil
dent to a school board which 10 composed,
for the most part, Of born Americans. and
Of gentlemen who very senslbly look at life
from a practical standpoint. We are very
far from maintaining that instruction in
the Latin tongue is not advantageous and
improving, but on the other hand We claim
AZ follows
list The study Of the German language is
q necessity for our youth.
I'd. II lie aa instructive and useful As the
/ study Of the Latin.
sd. It IL attended with practical Advan.
4 tagea. which with the Latin Is not the case.
4th. The German 10 the language Of
large POT ton Of our citizens, while the
fragment among the learned.
9th. The German opens to the scholaf an
! immense treasure house Of literature IN all
| the departments OF human knowledge,
| whilst the Latin student il confined to the
| ~ hAeAAAANARA ANoiAeh AAAe ohe
! learning
Apropos Of the frst point, let us observe
| The man who understands and speaks two
Languages has two souls. This is an axiom
as old AZ 1t is indisputahle. Now, since the
German is one Of the most perfect Of living
languages, II follows that n study OF II
r affords the most improving and many sided
employment for the mind. If as much can
he asserted OF the Latin,how much stronger
are the claims Of the German for prece-
dence, when we take into consideration
that everyhndy Is aware that there are few
known spots upon the earth but where.
alongsihr Of The man who speaks English,
there will also be found one who spea )
German. The future will learn that the
German can IN well become the Language
Of the world as the English. Upon this
TACT DO we base our first assertion that a
study Of the German is a necessity.
DO we hear Latin spoken in the streets, In
the workshOps,in the gatherings Of the PEG
pie, and in public places7 No. But where
in private or public life is not the German
spoken with the Englishf Ia there an
. Americas who, being In German society
does not desire to speak and understand
their tongue2 We do not know Of one.
II we would thoroughly master a foreign
/, language, we must be able to think in It
, otherwise we are only limping translator
: with the dictionary under our arm. There
fore, whoever would speak French praetI
. cally and huently must go to France where
j the language cas- be used as the means o.
Of thought So II is with every other Ian
, guage. But the American youth need no
take the trouble Of going to Germany II
order to perfect himself in a knowledge o
! the German. Germany has been brought /,
3 Amertcd. But where has the young IatiI
i student any such advantage Latium 10 n,
r more. Latin IL book-lauguAge that ha
been baniahed to the scholars studio. Wha
= one might call practical Latin 10 collec
e ton OF technical phrases Herviceahle onll
4 for certain professors such as physician
! and chemists. These arguments surely es
q tAblish points No. and 4.
As to our last proposition we think It cal
be proven most easily of all, though Ger
tainly 1t was no difficult matter TO substau
= tiate the Others What are then the treas
- ures delivered TO US by Latin3 What prof
! does it offer TO the student? Its produs
4 tons, though beautiful and instructive, ar
!, exaggerated In our estimation because the
Z are, As II were, petriiactions Of the lon
I. hurled past they are draughts with .grea
difficulty obtained from dried up we'll
u Before the end Of the first Punic wa
y there was no Latin literature az ALL but il
u foundations were laid by the Greeks VIII
!, brought over from Greece and Carthage
- PlAutus first copied after the Greek draI3a
y The Greek rhetoricians were even drive
= from Rome. The golden age of Roma
- literature was between Sylla aud Augustus
y Therefore the poetieal projections Of tn
Roman poets mirror the decline of tru
10 Republican simplicity and civic virtuI
" The most instructive Roman historians at
= Liyy, Cesar, Taeitus, Cornelius Nepo
- anu OhlluhNt anu IN Otner Walks OIL llterl
- ture the most noteworthy books AT
"A Clcero's Speeches and Letters, Pliny
= Natural History and Seneca's Didaeti
a Writings.
- informed Latin student. But what q val
territory, In Standardization, has not tn
a German student TO roam over. Accessible
- to him are not only the products of poetlal
10 literature, which belong TO the most prom
a nent nations, but the writings OF those VIII
~ have gone deepest and most thoroughly mi
~ their respective studies, whether as hi
torians, geographers, naturalists, physicist
= chemists, Aatronomers,o or clasaicieta. Worh
OF genius are his, such as no other peop
% In the world has produced so plentifully.
~ Englishmen and Americans travel TO &c
" many TO be instructed In the lecture room
y, Of German aearehes-after and discoverel
= Of Truth. Therefore, let the German la
,e guage be the common property Of all OF
AZ young students.
. In Conclusion we here append short III
II OF the principal writers 10 both Languages
ye LATIN WRITER'S AND THEIR WORKS.
lg Epic; Liyius Andronicul,-The transit
y tion Of the Odyssey. YirgiL-The EneI,
d Drama PlStuE, Adaptation Of Gree
d, plays.
~ Philosophy Cieero,-rraAtise on the 2
In ieureana and Stoien. 6ebedA,--On old age 4
ie History OaSar,-The dAiiie Wars, rae
~ tua,-The Annals Apd Germany. Nepor,
ie Lives Of illuftriouh men. Salluat, --t,ati
n line and Jngurtha.
" Natural History Pliny the elder, Al
n younger
b Orstory and Rhetoric Cicero and senee
Of AZ to geography and the Abstfaet soienc,
there ara 10 vofht Of any Importance,
iis aERNAs wRIfHRn Azp fGElR woEfs.
" Poetry, Tire .atlnnis.sinEerS, the silens
a School Of Poetry.
q Classical Literature, Klopatook,-1'i
III Messiah WielAnd,- Oberon, MusArio
n. Novels Lessingl--DfamAa and prose work
4. Herdet, s-BiHtory Of Man. and Poems; 90
the,-Wefthrr Herman and 0otothea, 90
re Won Berliehingen, Faust, Iphegenia, TaaG
Egmont; Schiller,--fhe Robbers, Don Ca
M los, Tell, Mary Stuart, Intrigue and Low
m Wallenstein, Maid Of Orleans.
IN The Romantic, Burger, Claudius, Holt,
8 Vost, Stollerg, Richter, Sohlegel, Tiee
Il Korner, Arndt, INLAND, Ruckert, Nuvali
= Heine, Borne, Chamisso, FreiligrRth, ar
e many hundred others.
m Philosophy, KAnt,--Critique on Reason
"a Fichte,- fdealismi Soheliing, Natural Phi
ne oAophy Hegel. --Dislsctie Philosophy.
as General History, Becker, Meuzel, Mule
I'd Rottek. Sehossar, Arbdti Raumer, 9erYinu
II Geography, Rutter, Petermann, Ahren
* Barthi
ID NaturalHHistory- Oxen, Schelling, Ber
X stein, B0ehm, BuFmeister, Tile. stoeckhArd
" Russ, iiebig. sehhedier, Humboldt sc,
q Besldas these q vast host Of writgrs on
n Subjects, on Theology schlciermarhpri .
a. Phiiology ard Art, fddtehberg on Math