NO. 7.
TIIK UKGINNINO.
140
m
!
T
i
ra
h
i
V
cal n at u 10 of our country; bill, to re
ject the classics on tliese grounds would
be absurd, unless one Is also prepared to
reject higher education altogether. For
or what use to the generality of mankind
is a knowledge of botany, of chemistry, of
higher mathematics, of any other Ian
guago than our own. What is the use of
colleges of Literature, Science and An?
What is the use of a liberal education,
that will justify the expenditure of so
much time? Judged by this standard,
education ought to consist only of reading
writing and arithmetic. Very few utili
tarians will admit this assertion, yet it is
the legitimate conclusion of the original
hypothesis by their manner of reasoning.
The difficulty lies in the meaning at
tached to the word use, by prejudiced
minds. While considering the use of the
classics they inquire do Latin and Greek
aid the mechanic or strengthen the farm
er? Do they increase the income of the
banker or merchant? Do they sharpen
the wits of the lawyer, or purify the mor.
als of the statesman? Tliese questions
they answer negatively, and as proof,
point out men who have succeeded in the
various positions without having studied
the literature of Greece and Rome.
A broader definition is given to the
sumo word, when they are considering the
sciences and modern languages. Then
subjects physical and metaphysical, phil
ological and philosophical, are deemed
useful. These studies develop the men
tal faculties, ennoble the mind, make pow
erful the intellect, r line the taste, increase
one's power of doing good. Such argu
ments, when openly stated, refute them
selves. Their plagiarism is equally unfair: for
the arguments used to overthrow the ex
clusive study of the classics, will not up.
ply to their utter extinction If any other
branch of study had occupied the posi
tion which the ancient languages held
one hundred years ago, it would have suf
fered the same fate. When the classics
lb i mod nearly the whole of education,
and forced themselves upon every one
seeking a few years of study, the evil as
soon as it hecame apparent, was attacked
by scholars and a reformation effected
But now, that their true place as a medium
of education has been found, scholars have
ceased their assaults, except an article
now and then against the strongholds
which have surrendered on loo good
terms. In this country scholars of recog
nlzcd ability no longer decry the classics
although they may d Uterus to their value
compared with other courses of study.
In western colleges they occupy a little
more than a third of the lime in their own
course, and with the variety of courses of
fered form u very small per cent of the
whole number of studies taught. And yet
it is wonderful how so useless a course of
training can entice into its ranks half of
all the students entering our universities.
Let us inquire into the reason of so
many students prefering the classical
course. Personally they can know very
little about the relative value of dillcrent
studies before entering, consequently thoy
are influenced directly or indirectly by
the opinions of their elders, or in other
words by the general estimation in which
tho degrets of the various courses are
held, the relative value attached to dillor
ent courses of study by scholars through
out the land. These are tho only forces
brought to hear on students seeking
knowledge for its own sake, or studying to
acquire a liberal education.
No one can fail to notice Mie precedence
given to the classical eouibo b the host
educators. A superiority over tho other
courses 13 certainly attributed to it, and
although "the prevalence of a custom is
not always sulllcient proof of its intrinsic
value," yet when advocated by competent
men, it is a pretty good indication of its
value as a means to an end compared
with other means to the same end. How
ever we must not trust altogether to the
arbitrary judgment of men out demand
tho reasons for such a decision. The stu
dent having learned tho effect produced