St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-07-13

quarter of a century, he says, he has
been meeting them, constantly and
honestly bordering them, and at
times trying to persuade himself that
they are sound. His conclusion is
that Mr.. Adams criticisms apply to
the undue excess and the inadequate
and barren methods of classical study,
and no further. Criticisms of this
kind have been in his own mind for
years, and he has endeavored to profit
10y them by advocating wiser modes
of classical study. He has deemed it
proper and necessary to recognize
the existence of these strong preju
dices in the minds of many highly
intelligent men so far as to secure
the introduction into the curriculum
at Dartmouth college some four years
ago of il Latin scientific course, which
omts the study of Greek. The re-
suit of all his thought is thus stated
Il have conversed with intelligent
men of all professions on this subject,
heard and considered all the Ohjec
tions. and been constant and care
ful observer of the effects of the two
styles of education cOntrasted by Mr..
Adams, and my conclusion is that for
an education broad, developing and
clcvating, an education that shall
,,,I.o , mann +bnr,urLI,- ,naStar of
himself and all his faculties at their
best, an education that shall fit him
for the best mastery of any specific
calling he may choose, an education
that shall give him the highest and
widest influence in whatever specific
calling, there has yet been found no
adequate substitute for the wise stu
dy of the two classic tongues" He
thinks that these influences may be
lost by "A merely mechanical and per
functory method of teaching, which
is too frequently maintained to the
very end, and if Mr.. Adams's hard
blows can tell effectively toward
higher and better methods, educators
will have reason to be grateful for
the interest he awakens. He does
not consider the study of science, or
of French and German, can confer
the benefits derived from the wise
use of the ancient classics, and while
conceding the Latin scientific course,
he does not deem it the best. This,
he believes, expresses the somewhat
unanimous opinion of the faculty of
Dartmouth college, derived from OBJ
servation. He believes the opposition
to the ancient languages is destined
obvious facts. His conclusions have
been formed, not only by experience,
reflection and discussion, but by
carefully watching the different meth
DDS of education, the process and i'm
mediate results, by Il comparison of
the two classes of men in the remoter
results, from the views not only of
the great mass of classically educated
men, but of many of the keenest and
ablest business men in his circle of
knowledge, and of other highly intelli-
gent persons, who always have felt
and deeply regretted their lack of
classical training. While he expects
to hear in the future, as in the past,
highly respectable and even highly
educated men express themselves
earnestly and vehemently against the
dead languages, he looks to see the
study of those languages and their
literature modified, perhaps, but re-
tanned by a heavy majority vote.
President Robinson of Brown thinks
there is a certain amount of truth in
what Mr.. Adams has stated. Ameri-
can education, he says, is Gin great
danger of being too rigid. 1t is not
desirable to compel all Young men
to 90 over the same amount of Lat
in and Greek. 1t is largely a matter
of taste and capacity, and | have no
doubt that a great deal of time is
wasted in pursuing the study of Greek.
Still think that Mr.. Adams has over
stated the case. For Il thorough edu-
cation | think that IL certain amount
of Greek is necessary. | do not think
Mr.. Adams fully appreciates the bene-
fit to he derived from the study of
this language, and it will be sad
day when we entirely discard it in
our colleges. There is certain
amount of training to he obtained in
the study of Greek that cannot he
gained elsewhere. Our literature is
more or less rooted in Latin and
Greek" President Robinson was al
so of the opinion that more attention
should he given to the English Ian
guage, for there were few students
to-day who had graduated from
American colleges ''who can speak
their own language fluently and ut
the same time correctly. There is
large class of men who wish to follow
literary pursuits after their gradua-
ton, and for them perhaps an extern
sive study of Greek is desirable"
But for the average graduate he did
not believe it was profitable to pur-
sue it to such an extent rs has been
the case in some colleges. Brown
university had made the study of
Greek and Latin as well as mathe-
MATES optional after the close of the
students second year in college, and
the time might come, he said, when