Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-07-13


sTAUNTON. VA.
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 10. 1855.
YOUTH AND THE DEAD Ian.
GUAGES.
Time is exceedingly valuable in youth
On account of the opportunities it enfolds.
It is also valuable in age, but alas. then
chiefly from its scarcity. Few opportuni-
sies knock at the door of age. There are
few middle aged men of this day who do
not look back with regret to the time
spent in their youth on Latin and that
absolutely wasted on Greek. 1t is regret
that pervades the minds Of most educated
men, not themselves educators, from the
Master of Arts down to the student who
was only prepared for college. This regret
is taking the shape Of a movement against
further waste, which we should greatly
rejoice to see succeed, and this movement
is becoming aggressive. Perhaps the
most widely known English-speaking ad-
vocate of turning over new leaf in this
Sespect is Herbert Spencer, but the two pub
LEGATIONS that have caused the reflections
90 be found in this article are the speech
delivered q few days since by Charles Fran
Gia Adams, Jr., before the Phi Beta Kappa
Society of Harvard University, and an
admirable pamphlet written by Prof. F. V.
n. Painter, of Roanoke College in this
10. The latter is a little print of only
seen pages, but we should like to know
as in the hands of every parent who
yet to choose his boys curriculum.
This movement against further waste OF
time In our colleges is revolution against
tradition and custom, a sharp and empha-
Sic calling of attention to the fact that
Che world moves, and that the education of
the Middle Ages is not fitted to the Nine
teenth Century. During the Middle Ages
the Latin and Greek languages were the
key to the only classical literature Of which
the world knew. This was especially true
OF Latin which was the language OF reli-
gion, law and physic, and it will be readily
conceded at this day that knowledge of
Latin grammar is great assistant in the
study Of any modern language. Greek in
those dark days hold all the literature Of a
aaore refined civilization, pretty much as
Che French language has done in the men,
CRY OF those now living, and in which posi-
tion it is being rapidly supplanted by the
German.
But that age has passed away, the
walls of the stOrehouse have been broken
down by scholars, and it's treasures scat
tered through the world by able transla-
Gers. Every line of classical literature
shat was worth living is living to-day in
these translations and open to all, without
q tedious and unsatisfactory course of
Latin. and Greek. Unsatisfactory, because
Of necessity it Is obliged to be unsatisfac-
tory. How many of the middle aged men
who read this have eyer gotten beyond a
toilsome and inaccurate reading Of Latin
and still more hardly of Greek. And
since this storehouse has been broken into,
the modern world has made treasures OF
ss own and in different languages. Modern
Science, centuries in advance of the crop
ing science of the Middle Ages, writes in
English. German and French. Shakespeare,
Schiller, Racine, Goethe wrote in the same
languages. The matured opinion OF John
S. Blackie, Professor of Greek at the Uni
yersity of Edinhurg, is the conclusion OF
mind in all respects fitted to judge and
which says: 81 claim for the ancients no
faultless excellence, no Unreasonable su-
psriority. The raptures which some peo-
pie seem to feel in perusing Homer and
Virgil, Livy and Tacitus, while they turn
over the pages Of Shakespeare and Milton.
Hume and Robertson, with GOODNESS and
indifference, I hold to be either pure aztec
tation or gross self-delusion being fully
satisfied that we are in no want of models
liz our English tongue which for depth Of
thought, soundness of reasoning, for truth
of narrative, and what has been called the
philosophy of history, nay, even for poetic
81 beauty. tenderness and sublimity, may
fairly challenge comparison with the most
renowned productions Of antiquity"
In this day when the world is striving in
geniously to make every minute count, it
looks indeed like sheer waste OF time to
see student neglecting the languages of
his time which are alive with everything of
value, and painfully plodding through
the ancient languages, when he might save
the troublesome journey and reach the re-
suit more speedily, thoroughly and per-
fectly by translations, than he ever will in
q college term by the old mode. The
world every year is crowding closer
together and every year making it more
necessary that man should be able to
speak to his neighbor in his own language.
The youth of the country suffer irremedi-
able loss, if yet while young they do not &C
auire at least two of the modern languages
German and French. It cannot be rem
edied in after years satisfactorily.
This is a practical age and education
must be viewed practically. Take out the
time spent by specialists. teachers and
professors for instance, on the dead lam
vuapes and to whom it has been repaid by
after use of the results. and LOOK at the
vast amount of time that has been wasted
by the world in following custom simply
because it is custom! It is not an exag-
reration to say that nine-tenths of the
boys sent to college take those languages
for no better reason than that they are on