The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-17

Writing by Classic Models.

Without 'libcral education" can
one write the best Englishp The Bos-
ton Advertiser maintains the negative.
Here is an essential for those schools. of
journalism that we read about Says
the Boston paper:
''Given a good subject and competent
mind, it is doubtful if it could be written
out to the highest advantage, with true
propriety and in perfect taste, unless tho
writer has been trained on the simple
and peerless models of the Latin and
Greek classics"
This allegation shows that the allega-
tor is up in the classics, and it puts into
the category Of the Philistines all that
deny.
But if the study of Latin and Crock
gave logical sense, it would perceive
that this assertion refutes itself; for if
the peerless models had any virtue, it
would be developed in English htera-
ture. The assertion that the sucking
writer must go behind this to the Latin
and Greek forms is the same as to say
that they have made no impress on the
English writer's of these centuries. Thus
does this pompous saying deny itself.
Dogberry was wiser when he said, ito
write comes by nature" Like poets,
orators and generals, writer's are born.
First catch your hare-frst be born
right. Then all training is good that
helps. But just what kind of training
helps is what the school men have not
found ont. Educating hath this slight
imperfection, that no certain result can
be predicted So much of writing comes
by nature that no man can tell what
Latin and Greek have done for him, or
whether he would not have put in his
time better in English literature. Surely
no would if the Latin and Greek classics
had formed the best English, for in this
he could go directly to the treasures that
centuries of following the peerless
models have gathered.
Plenty CT college men are in journal
ism in this country, but there are few
writers who have competent mind"
to choose "a good subject" and write it
"out to the highest advantage, with true
propriety and in perfect taste" or
indeed who can write anything worthy
of distinction. If performance were
any test of this dictum, we might cite
our American classic. Our greatest
subject was the proposed national con-
stitution. Ii was written out TO the
highest advantage by competent minds"
in the Federalist papers. They are re-
garded rs models of cogent reasoning
and perspicuous and elegant style.
How much Latin and Greek could Ham
ilton have had, who wrote the most and
best of these papers; who was West
India counting house boy from twelve to
fifteen, soldier at nineteen; who wrote
a remarkable literary prper at fifteen,
and distinguished himself at seventeen
and eighteen rs writer on the questions
between Great Britain and the Coloniesf
A million might go through the classic
models without producing one such
genius.
Men Of Inherent capacity do survive
latin and Greek. Whether better OF
worse for it is what nobody can find out.
Many who have made highest attain
mentfs IN these Studies and have become
eminent, have denied their value. On
the other hand, a multitude continually
affirm their value, in whose performance
no one can see it. 1t gives some IDEAS q
the powers of words--of etymology; but
how much no one can tell, for in reality,
usage, not origin, governs. To allow
that it gives more than the same study
in English, would allow that the classic
models have had no influence on English
literature. If it has the effect of 'true
propriety and perfect taste" it must be
in the arrangement of the words in sen
fences. Ii the writer were actually tc
form these upon the peerless models, he
would be like the soldier Of to-day in the
armor of the Greek warrior. r. Cincinnati
GdzCtte.