The colored American., 1899-12-02

| cnRrac' er1etlC-
The bulk of fort In the secondary
and in the higher education is directed
along humsnistIc lines By humans
tic studies We mean those studies whose
subject matter is man rs opposed Il
matter; ''studles that c9ncarn them
selves With the record o. human mo-
tIves, human thoughts, human as pira
tions and human achievement IT'S" In
other words, litersture. history, and
language have the largest claim on the
time and effort of the students in the
secondary and in the higher stages oi
culture Higher education, then, is in
large measure a study of civilization
through one or all CT these subjects-its
purpose is not merely 10 examine the
modern phases Of civil zation. but tC
trace its thread as they extend back
and are rooted into the past.
OF the Roman contribution to civili-
Zstion, teac her says: Roman history
is the great central gsngllon by which
the history Of the world is connected /;
Rome handed to us the civilization OF
Greece, gave US community Of thought
and ideals, rules US today in civil and
ecclesiastical law. Heuce Roman his
tory lives in the present and must be
taught " The above ststesments very
clearly indicate that there can be no
genuine study Of the problems of mod
ern civilization until We have studied
the character and spirit Of those peo-
pies with whom sll the essential prob
OF our civi lzstion originated. Greece
stands first OF all as the center of beau
ty, giving original impulse and direc-
tion TO those forms which appeal to the
highest qualities of the soul All that
is most beautiful in lite ature and art,
as well as the highest stal dsrds of Cul-
iure and Isete may be traced to the re
finine Ii f1uence of the Greeks. The
ID, st finished literary productions Of
modern mss srs whett er they be Eng
lish, German, Frer ch, or Italian are
based upon Greek models One finds
it impossible, except in superficial
way, to enjoy, appre ciate, and under
stand he grestest productions Of mod
ern literature, unless he ia familiar Rith
the Greek sources of which they are
limitations.
1t does not exsggerate matters at all
to say that it is impossible to estimate
the value Of the Roman contribu ion 10
our civilization, 10 the way of practi-
cal farms. II We are indebted d TO Greece
for the fgest models in almost every
kind OF art, we owe a greater debt to
Rome for teaching Us legal. ecclt sia 81
cal aud political forms. The Grecisn
civi iZstlous stand for beauty; the RJ-
mai, IUr force; Greece showed what
heights could DE obtained by the human
intellect, and taught all nations which
followed her the meaning Of liberty;
Rome showed what could be accom-
plisne d by irresistible force and how to
govern II Q nations by law; Greece left
many models In art, in Architecture, and
in poetry; but Rome left to the great
nations on Europe the moulds in which
10 fOrR their three mGst substantial
fac ors language, laws, religion. Every
student Of Iapguae readily recognizes
in the French, the Spanish, other Re-
man languages of Europe the modern
Preparation Of he popular Latin in
vocabulary structure and often in form |
The old Roman law firms the basis OF !
the civil cCde Of all the Latin races of |
Europe and America. The Roman |
Church governing the entire Catholic |
world by its vigorous and extensive |
ecclesiastical pOlity simply reflects the
spirit and methods of ancient political |
Rome. No one who recognizes the |
1eriya!ive character Cf our modern
ciylliZs'iO ion will hesitate to grant tn t
IL is Dothlng short OF imperative that
in the higher education wnose
duty it is 10 investigate the problems
)f art, literature, sclt nee, government,
and philosophy should be we'll ;sc-
4uainted with the people who first at
.acked and in mauy cases most sue
solved these problems
He then discussed the question
1hether such acquaintance eau pe Sc
:urei through the medium OF the SO
,aled tIan stations apart from the study
# the Latin and the Greek laL gusges,
that the experience q schol
Irs, the testimony of educators, and
he sction Of discerning public JUS
1f1ed an answer emphatica ly in the
Negative.
The objection may be raised that
My a small percentage of the stu
lents who pursue the study If clas-
CO in the secondary schools ever 6
% to college or through their study of {
ocihl problems ever have occasion to {
insult classical sources. We answer
bis ny saying that 1t Is not urged that !
he humsnistlc study of the ancient 9
anguages Is the only value to be found I
4 Them, but that evsn if q pupil pur-
1es the .udy OF Latin on y one or two J
ears, he receives a greater amount OF I
Mental discipline, and of training in
ne use of his own language than he q
'ouid receive from the study OF any 1
ther subject for the same penod Of
me. Tne discipline and training in a
Augment which boy must receive in I
ppiyIng the principles and facts of .
'atln grammar In order to find out the +
lesDlng of passage in Nepos or Ovid |
annot fail to stand him In good stead a
hen he attacks the problems of every q
ay life. The present commissioner of 81
1lcstlon, recognized authority on q
sdagogic questions, even gees SO far ts
TO say that "Of hundred boys, fifty g
VIII Jm had studied Latin for a period T
six months. while the other fif, Y had q
ever studied Latin at sll, the fifty et
lfh the smsttering of lain would n
'ssess some slight impulse toward tt
laly1ng the legal and political view of er
imam life, and surpass the other fifty u
this direction. Placed on a distant III
y NUrzW L a