Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-02-06


The address was "a calm, wel-digested ar
gument in favor Of giving to the modern
languages of French and German the place
now occupied 80 exclusively, in most -. our
schools and colleges. by the sO-called ." cil.-
sizes" Prof Pollens i himself aa accurate
classical scholar, and speaks from no mere
prejudice in favor of " pet studies, and
we listened to his address Nth a feeling %:
sincere pleasure thar - eony Ineing plea
in favor OF modern languages should eume
from one who has studied and taught the
classics all his life Prof. PollcnS' position
Is simply this Whilea thorough know edge
of Latin and Greek ought Ot course u ind a
place in the studies of one who can afford
to be life student of all languages and
literatureS. there l. no sensible benert ac-
quTed by the average pupils oi our schools
and colleges III the poor smatterins oi elias
sizes they gather in their brief student ex
perenee The Professor carefully analyZed
the commonplace, and, we are sorry u say,
too commonly accepted arguments offered
in proof of the Importance and superiority
of this thin classical training OF our schools,
and demonstrated that no reason could b.
offered in favor of this persistent pressing
upon the pupil of Latin and Greek thai
could not be more fOrcibly urged in FAVOR OF
the more modern languages His view l.
that the best way 10 master EHghSh irr
writing and speaking Is u SfUdy EAgilSt,
and insisted, we think justly THAT those who
welded English best won their skill jus! IN
this way. One thing l. pretty certain
that is that great classical scholars are quite
frequently the authors of clumsy awkward, ,
lifelesS English. while those wh1 have
wrought the most wonders with English
speech are those whose only or chief claSsi-
cal studies were English books and English
men The time has been when the study ni
the original classics was exceedingly uselu!
and important, but that time has long past,
and the study of modern languages gives
the student in mere discipline of memOri2-
ing, constituting. &c, all that Is claimed for
the ''ancients' and gives him 4 vast amount
Of modern, Heic kn0icledgc that he could not
win in any other way we pass over the
practical claims of German and French -
a social and commercial speech OF great
utility to any educated man in tins country
The classics give no knowledge that X nos
already an easily read open book through
absolutely accurate Engli>h TRANSACTIONS .
scholar who would keep up with the pro-
gress of the best modern thought. whet leg
art, philosophy, science, criticism. in short
all good literature sOrelY needs to know
both German and French, for much that l.
! best in them is either never translated. or
/ long delayed, or poorly executed. The
! practical difference between one - who
knows and one " who doesn t was Illus
trated by the fact that all Germany marched
on Fraree armed with an almost universal
knowledge OF France, its topography and
7 its resources. amasSed by the wide spread
knowledge of the French language, while
theaverage Frenchman was rs Ignorant OF
his enemy's situation and military capaci-
ties as he was of the :" Open Polar Sea,
| and the result was modern knOTleGge rapid
IL conquered modern ignorance. The elias
sizes of France and Germany embraced va
riety and perfection of literary merit thai
surpassed that ofantiquity in being "wortt
the most" in every respect for the average
modsrn student purpose and his limited
career of training. II you would know
English from other languages the Frenci
and the German are far more interesting ~
sources of inquiry than the classics. WI
confess while always partial to the study o
the classics we have for years felt with Prof.
Pollens that they ought to give way to mod
ern languages in our schools and colleges
The classics give no mental discipline tina
the modern tongues do not give they Ger
tainly give no knowledge that Is not bette
at,ainable in an easier way. There ha
|
ceptional, peculiar value OF the classics Il
the student, and much OF 1t has passed mt
general acceptation and reverent belief J Us
as boys reading Homer are asked to believe
and do believe, that in euphony the Greel
surpassed all languages on the strength o
their teachers reciting the - poiuphioisboh
halasses" line, but by and by the boy find
out that he has only to 90 to Byron 70
English lines that 1t least equal this in mel
ody. Professor POllens made out = Yer,
strong case" We think, and is evidently
progressive thinker on matters Of educa
tion
A resolution was then unanimously adopt
ed asking our Senators and Representative
TO urge upon Congress the wisdom of di
J yerting the process of the sale OF publ
J lands to the cause OF sducation in the va
rious States.
A resolution was also adopted in memo
riam of the late F. G.. Hathaway the lamen;
ed principal of the Peoples Academy o
Morrisyille. Mr.. Hathaway was alluded Il
by Mr.. Savage as an efficient member OF IN
State Board Of Education and OF thi
Association. Resolutions OF thanks to th'
people of st. Adams for their generous hos
pitality and for the free use OF their hal
were also unanimously adopted. Alter SOM
pleasant remarks by the President, Mr.
Dana, who apologized for the absence oi nj
expected formal address upon the very sen
sible plea that the severity OF his probes
! sionai Iabors during the year had lett hin
,, no leisure for preparation. the Association
adjourned.