The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-05-13
Writing BY Classic Models.

Without d "libcral education, 'Vean
one write the best English? The Bos-
ton Advertiser maintains the negativea
Here is an essential for those schools of
journalism that we read about. Says
the Boston paper: ~ .
Given good subject and competent
mind, it is doubtful if it could be written
out tc the highest advantage, with true
propriety and i'll perfect taste. unless the.
writer has been trained on the simple
and peerless models OF the Latin and
Greek classics 'axacs,s. ..rgzsgE.,,s 10, :
This allegation shows that the allega-
tor isup in the classics, and puts into
the category Of the PhilisInes all that
deny ~ Ell AL 81
But if the study of Latin aud Greek
gave logical. sense, it would perceive
that this assertion refntes itself, for if
the peerless models had any virtue, it
would be developed in English litera-
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, 'to
write comes by nature Like poets,
orators and generals, writer's are born.
First catch your ghare--first 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 out. Educating hath this slight
imperfection, thstno 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
he would if the Latin and Greek classics
had formed the best English, for IN this
he. could so directly to the treasures that
centuries of following the peerless
models have gathered.
Plenty of college men are in journal
ism In TINS country, hut there are few
writer's who have competent mind
tocheose "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 yperformances were
any test of this dietnm, We. might cite
orn 4 American ;cfassic. Our greatest
subject was the proposed national con
stitution, 1t was written out to the
highest advantage by competent minds"
IL. the Federslistl papers. They are re-
garded as 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
remarkable literary paper at fifteen,
and distinguished himself at seventeen
and eighteen as writer ON the questions
between Great Britain and the Colonies?
A million might GO through the classic
models without producing one such
genius.
Men of inherent capacity do survive
Latin, and Greek. Whether better or
worse for il is what nobody can find out.
Many who have made highest attain
ments in these studies and have become
eminent have denied their value On
the other hand multitude continually
affirm their value, in whose performance
no one can see it. 1t gives some ideas of
the powers of words--of etymdogy; but
how much no one can tell, for III reality,
usage, not origin, governs. To alloy
that it gives more than the same study
Ill 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. If the writer were actually to
form these upon the peerless models he
would be like the soldier of to-day in the
armor of the Greek warrior. = Cincinnati
Gazette.