The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-21
THE sTUDH OF THE
CLASSICS.

"Literature alone is the meens
through which all knowledge must
re gained. No man can be master
If his own tongue who is not familiar
With the languages from whichh it
8 derived.
No man can call himself an educ>
sted man who is no: familiar with
be Greek and Latin literature
Senator Vance at Wake Forest.
In conversation with one Of the
best merchants OF this town f,w
lays ago, he remarked that our
country needs more educ ated men.
We were very glad to hear him say
so for there is q class Of business
men throughout the country who do
not think that boys and young men
need education in its strictest senoe
In order to he successful business
men. The idea seems to be that if
young man gets fair business
education he is as well prepared f1r
business-and some think better
than if be had gone through an en-
tire college course, mastered the
languages and studied the sciences.
This Is great mistake. A man
may learn to quote the rules in an
Arithmetic and perhaps work out
the correct answer to every example
In the book be may learn the rules
of bis. Algebra, and may perhaps
solve every problem between its
lids; he may learn by rote and teach
by rote the rules of Grammar but
he can not have that breadth of
thought and that sweep of lnvestiga
ton which the learned have unless
be lays the foundation, to some de-
gree. in the study Of the classics.
We are very much gratified that
Senator Vance took firm stand fo-
the classics in his address at Wake
Forest. He made himself under
stood and felt on the subject, and we
trust many a young man who heard
him there will become aroused on the
subject and act accordingly. A
foundation deep and careful, with
! ears Of patient toll and unrcmitting
study of the classics and the laDgu-
age that grows out Of them is the
only sure means for the foundation
of real eminence or real g7eatl ess
in the literary world.
Even knowledge of the deriva-
ton of our English words from the
Latin and the Green 5 of incalcula>
BILE value sometimes. As a case in
point, we remember during our
school boy days TO have attended q
trial in one of the courts of the State.
1t was case of death from pol>
soning, and the defendant was being
tried for his life,
The counsel for the defense was
examining a physician who had
been summoned In the case. The
lawyer said: How did the dead man
look when ycu SAY himt What sort
of look did he have after be was
dead?" The physician replied, He
had cddaverouS look"
We were just beginning the study
of Latin and knew the derivation OF
the word Cddaverous. We liatered
With great attention to the examina,
ton of the witnesses and also to the
arguments that followed.
When the ply stefan said the dead
man had catiovsroae looS - that
must have been a clincher in the
minds of the jury, who did not
know its derivation. They doubt
less thought that if a dead man had
"cadaverous" look he surely had
drunk poison.
But when the prisoners counse
argued the case to the jury he knock
ed that all away by explaining tt
them that the word "caddvernus" il
derived from the Latin word codduer
which means in the original "a deac
body" He explained to the jury
that tue dead mans cadayerous lool
was not indicative that he had drunk
poison which killed him for all deae
persons have "cdddUerous" look
| We thought. $50 much for knowl
edge of Latin" If that lawyer haC
not known the derivation of the wore
c1daUeroeS, he might have lost hi
case. AS it was, he gained it. w
are for thorough study of tn,
classics, and we do not think tina
there can be any we'll rounded edu
cation without it.
Wake Forest Comm encement
,k l. ~