Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-27
Gov. ChamberIain,s Address.


ten and eloquent effort. Following is an
| abstract
Gov. Chambeflain's Address.
In opening Mr. Chamberlain stated his purpose
| TO be TO reply to Mr.. Adams only. lie profcsscd
no special fitness for this task the lines OF his
life lying quite aside from the walks and ways of
scholars. Still he hoped to contribute little to
| more Intelligent judgment on II most imDor'"'''
| question Mr.. Adams address, deserved an Wee
| received wide attention. He should trea'
| serious discussion and sta ement OF cone ...b,s
II me study Of Greek Is a fetish superslon,-
II It dislaces better studies, studies more con-
duclVe to present success in modern lifc and pur-
| suits let its claims he challenged and rejected
| Mr.. Adams main position Is that Greek should
De lett optional in college courses, though he
| distinctly says the college course must he com.
pulsory one and that there are studies which he
| calls "fundamentas.n The question, then, is,
| what should IL Csc Fundamentals be?
AZ 10 me instruction in Harvard thirty years
| ago, Mr.. Adams ought to he the best Witness but
| he did not believe his structures were just
accurate or would be supported by Harvard grad
| yates generally.
But This is not the question. The question IT, is
| Greek, when taught and studied in the best 70 ,c-
licaI manner' a college tetish?' "" ms
states correctly the proper aim OF cole llies
namely a broad culture. n liberal alton,
| an adequate preparation for the W life.
| College studies are and must he m't' iplln-
airy. me acquisition Of mental pow ending
| IN ms the power and faculty tn nee and
direct TIE forces Of human society, Is the great
Now, language and mathematics are the chief
| arencles IN giving such preparatory mental
| training No one, not ever Mr.. Adams opposes or
| uerdes the study Cf mathematics. Why not?
The mathematics are not used in after life except
| to very limited extent. The reason is painiv
| because mathematics essential to mental
| training, the most effective agency IN securing
| menta~power. OF certain indispensable kinds.
Rut language is sim more essential TO intellect
ual power or influence IN any sphere of life.
| Language is virtually the only medium OF thought.
me only means Of making the intellectual powers
OF man available or influential. The mental mower
derived from the stu " OF mathematics must cx-
press Hselt through language. The study of
language-'s nature, structure uses capacitips
lis highest examples and nohest rlrmS-is an
absolute necessity in tn" work OF education. The
prolonged study of language is, therefore, not
superstition, "icish," hui primordial necessi-
faculties
The question becomes next what languaGes,-
what forms growths or development OF Ian
guagc,-cln do most in supplying this condition
or necessity for mental action one might well
accent as final the verdict of the whole cducs ed
world on THIS point, which has. with unmportant
exceptions, always regarded the Greek language
language.
MIR. Chamberlain here referred to the great fact Of
ancient Greece ana her achievements in literature
poetry. oraory, philosophy art, governmental
lact which ne regarded as the most remar kabe
one arising from natural causes in the whole
history OF man, Bni he could not dwell upon This
put ne wished in Difference 70 tie challenge of the
mou"rnsts' II Mr.. Adams, to point out
sisted
II consisted, arst, in The fact that il was an
ancient language, that II and took Ms form
in a remote period. The Greeks were the first
people whose genius was inspired and directed bv
human reason and the love of freedom. Their
language was also lirgu site growth, the result
OF fusion OF different dialects, the related pars
r. an organic whole. The Greeks had no models
Iheir language. except ia its most primitive forms
l,eli lleraturc IN an ITS great forms. pro-
uuc'lons OF their own. Their language was pure
,Iee rom foreign ienae, developed and moulded
by ne genius Of one people.
Ihese are the facts v hiCh make up its valur
now instead of lis rcmoeness In time being
disadvantage II was direct gain. To study Greek
is TO study the sources Of artistic cultivated Ian
guaRe to study language more original in its
ieA.ole ana artistic than any other language, an
cient or modern
But If this Is tue of the Greek Language. the
s.uiv Oh creek literature presents the.hghes form
Here, Mr.. Chamberlain said he wished to state
me c!alms OF Greek literature with accuracy and
moderation. lie did not claim, no one claimed
mat The Greeks possessed so much knowiedge on
Ine most Important subjects as the modern world
me materials OF modern literature were far richer
But II remained true that the Greek mind wa.
uhequalltd IN the discovery OF the rules OF Thought
NY 4, aP 3 ana true intellectual methods
WINE III me realm OF taste. proportion and measure
OF treatment and feeling on ali subiects they
had gwen unquestioned rules to 9ll who had come
after them.
These We're the qualities of language and lrero
lure most needed in the work of education-net
Le I1cls OF modern science nor the great truths of
lnoIhilly anu religion. mt language, form OF
speech method OF literary work ana Intellectual
production. which has stood the test of time and
secured me approval of all succeeding ages Mr.
Adams and others could dispute ali this hut he
Knew Knew OF no important dissent from this conclus-
But lest he might indulge in mora .ploc, no
would point out, in what the value ana supqri6rity
lot educational uses of the Greek literature CON
There We're in Greece, as there are now four
Ghel departments OF intellectual cfOrt-poctrv
nds,ory oraory; philosophy. In eath OF these de-
pdrlhlcnts Greek literature presents ono or two
unrivalle names. The poetry of Homer il m
mounehiy sun lhe most valuable poetcal monu.
inent the world possesses. With all ,he changes
OF TWO thousand years the poetry Of Uomer sfiu
lives eves US IN unequalled perfection the supreme
smiiar So, oi EPIC pocry. t'chylus stands in
10 Know Homer and .Eschylus is not to know what
was nrSt III time and is sill perhaps greatest in
art. '' '''e''N
But undoubtedly in the art Of historical writing
IN AZ A. Is higncr qna'ies, no name stands high
as ihucydldes. As historian, the first TO annlv
philosophy to history, as a prose writer ,rbG
originated and eXcmplided the rules OF artistic
prose writ ny, ne is entitled TO study and reyer
ehce forever In oraory the most powerful ana
attractive OF all the literary arts Demosthenes is
II m , caaniea great ana admirable historical
neule pul ea'est OF all in the preparation and
delivery of public speeches. Here ali mpra |
rhetorical arts were ssbOrdnated TO the orators
great purpose, while eoGuence PATRIOTISM and
devotion exhausted the possblltie, of lanyuo"e |
plalo In philosophy and philosophical specnIation |
tan mrt as pied, literary artist, likewise has
stamped ms thought and method on all who have |
Followed him, while Aristotle in discovering and |
s,aling ne laws OF thought on all subjects in the
irts OF definition and classification is the oldest
inu sun perhaps the greatest of ali the worlds
These are the original sources OF intellectual
cultivation, the earliest great examples All good |
literature all Intellectual progress ana PRODUCTION
'i zee ne CLASSIC Greek period, has been deeply
Injected by those authors. Il is imposslhln 10 |
become cultivated in any of these Departments. or
o become familiar with the progress of the worlds |
ince with this literature. |
Transactions can revsr perfectly, and rarely
'neqentey, reproduce the originals. Hence the
ircek language must lee learned. The study Of |
Ireek IL, therefore, not mere prescrlption Of O
choos, but an absolute "fundamantal" in any a
curse OF study which aims 10 deeply cultiyaiG n
ne intellect. But after all. the gre ltcst superory
u Greek Literature was lis style--a quality Of II
which Mr.. Lowell had recently said thaI il -vns |
the only warrant of permanence in literary nrn7
,uGllon. me perfection of the Greek style was :
Us honest adaptation 10 the proper uses of Ian .
Toner, E'chylus, DemOshenes. Plato. give us q
10 race OF what is called classic "tlnsel' or form-
The most ample proofs might he given here Inv
Aamples, II line allowed but he would illustrate |
mG smPieIly ana na'uralness Of Homer cm-
a'eu WIN rope ny cltng the latter's translation -
y Idher paraphlase, OF two lines of the deacrip- q
ION rIsa OF me shield Of Achilles, Mr.. Adams C.
rssehls llsl OF English authors whom he would h
ave s1persede the Greek authors now studied u
ut al but two or three of them We're trained to s.
,h command OF English by studies of Greek Il
'erman authors. Undoubtedly a few writer's -
ave gained eminence without study OF the %
truth not to be shaken, that man ignorant of II
'reek can read any great English or French or | =,
,erman author, for example, Shakespeare or II
lllloh, Pascal or Nolale, Goethe or even
chller, with the same pleasure and full appre- r,
latlon as II lie hal been trained to fair kIi6wl-
dye of Greek.
Throughout his address Mr.. Adam proclaims hl
Is oW n ignorance Of Greek. his statements here
Aem Incredible but If lie had learned as little NJ
erlnan az he saws he did Greek in college, does D,
e mink he would have been better prepared for CT
ractlcal llfe? Why should German be taught
10 mot t,rI.r |
destitute 1t for Greek? Here, however, he was | ~
lad to express his agreement with III that Mr.
dams had said of the duty of schools and nj
lueges 10 teach all Languages IN a more rational Ia
ay WIN less regard 10 syntaN and grammar and Tn
ore 10 the spirit of the language and It's literature vi
his Is where colleges fail co
When Mr. Adams gives the experiences of the
dams family for four generations he might he
bought 10 speak with authority, but the les - IN