The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-01
Lore, Ce,er,dge.s success,

defence OF the classics In his speech 10 ,he
Yale students. We now present the iui
text OF so much Of bis speech as bore upon
that point as especially interesting TO edu'
Gators and students. Lord Coleridge said
81 learned to-day for the first time that
very distinguished man in another part OF
the United States has committed himself 10
an attack upon that curriculum, and has
rather suggested that Il has interfcred with
possible success in professional life.
"Now, without any desire or purpose OF
entering into a controversy. but merely 70
repeat here what, without the smallest idea
OF controversy, have said In public over
and over again I'm my own country, VEN
ture 10 say to you as a lawyer with some
practice, as Judge OF some position, and
as q public man OF some experience, that
which have said there. have done many
foolish things in my life aud wasted many
hours OF precious time: but one thing
have done which would do over again
and the hoursp spent at it are the hour
which have spent most profitably, and The
knowledge thus gained ! have found
the most useful, and practically use
full. From the time | left oxford
| have made IL religion, so far rs could
never TO let day pass withour reading
some Latin and Greek. and | can
tell YOU that so far as my course
NAV be deemed a successful one.
deliberately assert, maintain, and DeheVt
| that what little success has been granted
| TO me i'm life has been materially aided by
the constant study OF the classics, when II
has been my delight and privilege all my
life 10 persevere in. This is not said FOL
the sake OF controversy still less is it saic
TO an audience OF American university
Young men for the purpose OF appearing
eccentric: but il is said because i believe
il 10 be true. and I will tell you why
Statement, thought, arrangement, however
men nav struggle against them, have an
influence upon them, and public men, how
ever they may dislike IL, are forced to adj
nit that. conditions being equal, the mar
who can state anything best. who car
pursue an argument more closely, VINO
can give the richest and most felicitou,
! illustrations. and who can command SOME
kind OF beauty OF diction, will have the
advantage over his contemporaries. And
il at the bar or in the Senate anything has
been done which has been conspicuously
better than the work Of other men, It has
| In almost every case, been the result OF
high education. ] say high education, moi
necessary classical, because every man can
not have that. The greatest orator OF
my country at this moment, as he nm
self has often said, " has only SMACK
of it, But he takes no credit &c
himself for that. On the contrary, ne
declares it like Il man and honestly, and
| he has striyen to make up Tor Wha'
| he has lost. and what he cannot learn be-
cause he is so advanced in age, by doing
| the next best thiDg-studylng the tngush
classics-studying the best, the highest
and the finest writers in the English IAN
guage. And so il Is, in my judgment, I'D
almost every case that | can think OF. The
man who has Influenced bis contempora-
ries the most is, generally speaking, the
man OF highest education, ana j do not
hesitate to say that the highest education,
Ii YOU can get it, is the education to he
found in those magnificent writers who,
as writers, as masters OF style. as convey
Ors Of thought, have never been equalled
in the world.
II have put my defence OF the studies,
which understand you TO prosecute, upon
a low practical ground, but l do not wish
il TO be supposed that | defend it upon a
low DIdClltdl ElONliu ulOii's 'thN y N''i
opponents upon the ground which they
themselves assume, because in argument II
Is necessary TO find upon some certain point
upon which you and your adversary are
agreed, and reason with him, ii you can
reason with him. upon that point. desire
to put it upon higher ground still and
away from controversy. | say that God
has given us hearts, minds, and in
tellects as well as bodies, and that IT is
Just as much our duty to cultivate and do
the best we can with the mind that He
has given us as it is our duty to do the
best we can with the bodies He has given
us. IL is our duty then, if we can, to com
mune with the greatest thoughts OF the
greatest men in all times. and he will be
the best man at the end OF his life who has
made himself most familiar with the
thoughts OF the greatest men OF Greece
and Rome, who. both in thought ana lan-
guage. have been unparalleled in the
world. Let me conclude with an authority
far greater than mine. | do not pretend
to an intimacy with Mr.. TennysOn, but |
know Mr.. Tennyson. and it has been
my privilege to pass evenings in his COM
pany. | remember one evening passed
almost alone in his company. We were
talking Of a contemporary writer, Of
whom he was speaking in the highest
terms. He said q do not remember his
exact words: i do not think he will pro-
duce as much effect as he ought to because
he is so rough, uncultivalcd, and imperfect
a writer. Great as be is i cannot fancy
that two hundred years hence anybody
wiltbend over his books and endeavOr TO
find out the meaning of each tense and the
particular force Of each particlple as we
are only too happy to do over the works OF
Virgil If you look over the history OF
men who have succeeded in this life you
will find them, scarcely without an eXcep-
ton. men trained by the curriculum which
you enjoy and familiar with those remark
able works which it is your privilege now
to become familiar with. May God bless
you, and goodbye"