The Republican journal., 1886-08-19

OF course l shall not be misunderstood as
applying these remarks to any young man who
Is deVotlng himself to purely literary life, or
to any specialist who gives his time to the ut
most bound of investigation. / am speaking
of the great mass of college graduates, who are
TO be the men of affairs, Who depend upon
their earnings for their bread. But even with
literary men | think New England history
would bear out my assertions strongly as
with professional men. Longfelow graduated
at BoWdoln before he was Is: George Bancroft
had earned llarvard's diploma at II: Ralph
Waldo Emerson was under 10 when he grad
uated, and Edward Everett was II. In pro-
fessional and public life it is equally striking.
ar. Webster, Mr.. Choate, Mr.. Seward and
Mr.. Fessenden We're all through college and
reading law books by the time they were 10
years of age. But | don't mean to imply that
boys should be educated with reference to a
particular profession. 1t is difficult to tell at
10 or IL years of age what boy may wish to
do with himself at 10 or 90 The curriculum is
good for all alike, and the regular course of
study will develop the maturity which will en-
able the boy TO choose his profession more
wisely. have serious doubts therefore, as to
the mission of the elective courses now be-
1 coming 50 popular in many parts of the coun-
try.
y remarkable instance which ! NAV recall
a narrated to me, will illustrate what mean
The elder Mr.. Latrobe. an eminent member of
the Baltimore bar, had two promising SONS in
dirations for distinct professional lives. One
with mathematical turn he destined for West
Point and secured his appointment as a cadet
The other seemed precisely adapted to law and
after his graduation at college he studied in his
fathers Office and was admitted to the bar soon
after his brother entered the army. But few
Years developed this singular change: The
West Point graduate did not like army life,
and therefore resigned, studied law and be-
came eminent in his profession. The other
t,iip nod To lutxr a 4
Ike ms profession. retired from it and became
the distinguished civil engineer who construct
ed the Baltimore ~ Ohio railroad across the
Allegheny Mountains. Few cases would so
>trlkingly illustrate the point at issue.
Mr.. Blaine spoke at some length maintaining
that the study of Greek as part of a college
course. lie didn't expect that one student in
thousand would ever come to know the
Greek language with the accuracy that would
enable him to enjoy Homer in the original but
ever! student should know enough to give him
quick comprehension of the derivation of
The who'll" field of scientific words which are
borrowed from the Greek We can read Homer
with enjoyment in the splendid pages of Chap
man or even in Bryant and Derby, but il is of
lucNtmabe advantage for men to know why a
monograph and photograph should have their
respective meaning and why telescope means
one thing and telegraph another. This kind of
knowledge upbuilds and increases the knowl- |
edge of our mother tongue. and in the end that |
a man in the United States is most thoroughly
educated who is a most thorough master of |
English.
Mr.. Blaine closed with some observations ON |
tht great advantage Of oral teaching when the |
teacher had the talent for it, The youth is al |
ways captivatcd and inspired by the teacher
VINO goes beyond the text book and gives new |
h-ht and life to what is too often a lfele>s
page. He used many illustrations to enforce |
thi~ point. Mr.. Blaine spoke about an hour, |
using no manuscript or notes Of any kind.
In Criminal Court.-To the witness: "Did |
You see the accused fire his revolyer:" Yes;
saw him shoot How far were YOU from
him.: when he fired the first time ! was
about ten feet away" And when he fired
the second time: The second time-well, |