The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-07
LEMAITRE ON THE CLASSICS.
The French Academician's Plea for
Modern studies.


Modern studies.
Following is the address delivered by NJ.
Jules Lemaitre at the Sorbonne in Paris,
on June 6:
There are some sad truths which YOU
all know. We are very much surpassed
by other people in productive activity.
France is no longer an Industrial and com
mercial power Of the first order. Our colo
MES win not save US unless we know 'how
20 manage them. Every one agrees that
we have need of the most serious reforms.
Everybody knows also that the reform
which envelopes and conditions all 'he
others is that of the individual. But it is
no longer the time to reform all the adult
and mature people among US. II is, then,
on the rising generation that we should
act; Il is our children whom We should
raise so that they might be healthier and
stronger than we. Now, there as terrible
unsuitab leness between the teaching which
is given to the children, for The most part,
of the middle classes and what they will
have to do in life
Il would like, first, to speak against The
classical teaching; second, to speak fer
the modern teaching, and sketch, if l an,
the programme for 1t. In spite of the OK
perimental and contradictory notifications
introduced within twenty years in the pro-
grammes, secondary classical education is
fundamentally what 1t was under the an
Client regime 1t is given less we'll that is
ALL What does this mean? All has
changed; the discoveries of science applied
have profoundly modified the conditions Of
life for the individual and for the people,
and the face even of the earth; the DELI
mite reign of industry and commerce mas
come; we are democratic ana lnduStrldi
society threatened, or rather haif ruined,
already by the competition of powerful
nations; and the children of our small
tradesmen and a number of the children
of the masses pass eight years in learning
very badly-the same things that the
Jesuit Fathers formerly taught-Very Wen
in a monarchial society, in a france
whose supremacy was Recognized by Eu-
rope, and at an epoch when Latin was the
universal language, 10 the sons OF the no
bility, of the Judicial body ana OF tne
privileged classesi
rs this not a shameless anachronism!
And the belief in the present utility Oh
this education, at present, is 81 not an eA-
trayagant prejudice? But L would mis-
trust this argument a priorl If l DID not
feel it confirmed by my own personal eA-
perience. You know what the parusah9
of the ancient education say: we are
the spiritual descendants of the LatIns
| and Greeks. To learn their language Is
| 10 learn ours, and to know 1t better IL
| is TO communicate with the glorious past
| It IS to hold on to the most lilustlious
| of traditions; 1t is 10 broaden our hNSs'
| These students are the best dlsclplhe LOT
MS. These ancient books are the treasu-
| Ties of general ideas and of generous
| thoughts. 1t was not without good cause
! that classical studies were formerly call
| cd the "humanities" We drew from
! them the love of the beautiful, taste, the
! sentiment of order and of measure. 1hese
| languages and these literatures are eX-
| cellent educators etc.
''Now. at this moment, I no longer know
A word of Greek and it does not happen
| three times a year that l read Latin ale
| is too short But perhaps these languages
| which l neglect to-day have left in me Il
store of noble emotions and of IDEAS from
which / continue TO profit without per
ceiving it, Frankly, I do not believe It.
! Every time that l think OF some ancient
work l am forced 10 confess that 90
not get a direct view of it. 1t no longer
appears to me except through the enrich
| ed versions that the classical French mas
| given il, and, above all, through the m
| terpretations of contemporary critics. Ana
its beauty Is sensible TO me only by the
comparison which l make of IL with works
nearer to me And what is, then this Ia
NOUS treasury Of general ideas, OF educat-
ing ideas. of which the Greek and Latin
Hteratures are supposed to have the mo-
! nopoy?
| Let us not speak of the Greek, which,
even in superior education Is wen KNOWN
only by a few specialists. This pretehdeo
sole ana irreplaceabe treasury Is some
! pages OF Lucreuus whose prlhcipai i'!'Si
| est Is in being vaguely DarWinian; 1t Is IN
| some scenes of Plautus and of Terence,
almost inferior 10 the limitations that Mo-
lere has made of them; it is in virgil
some selections from the Georges, when
are not worth certain passages OF Lamar
line OF Mchelet and the loves OF Duo,
which are equal to the Racinian loves OF
Berenice and of the RoXane; II Is ia the
chapters Of Tacitus on Nero; 1t is IN the
| letters of Horace-the wisdom of Beran-
ger and OF Sarcey; II is in the eclectic
philosophical compilations of Cicero; 1t is
in the theatrical stocism of the letters
and treaties of Seneca, and finally IN the
rhetoric learned bur almost always tire
some of Livy and of the Conclones'
| Nothing more. in truth.
Now. ali this is found gathered up by
Moutaigne alone; then all spread through
! the writer's of the seventeenth century
poets. dramatists, philosophers. orators
| where we have only to so ana take lt
! An the substantial marrow of antiquity
has been assimnated by our classics since
! the sixteenth century. They have dlgested
] " Tor us. Ot what use - - " W. wv
again a work which they have done SO
well. and uselssly to begin again, on our
own account. this long digestion2
In reality, and we feel 1t well, IL Is
neither to the Greeks nor the Romans
mnless in a very accessory and Indirect
way that we owe the formation of our
heart and mind: It is. above AL, to the
| Gospel; IL IS 10 the French classical wri-
ters; it is to Montaigne, TO Pascal. TO La
] Bruvere. Il IL perhaps to Noltaire and e
4 Rousseau; it is TO Chateaubriand, TO La