THE CLASSICAL QUESTION IN GERMANY. 291 



classical study as a waste of time. The classical party of that period 

 resisted the introduction of any studies but Latin, Greek, and mathe- 

 matics. The " modernists " of to-day demand the abolition of Greek 

 as a required study in a liberal course. Many of them, indeed, would 

 like to send Latin the same road. The modern " classicists " are on 

 the defensive, and constantly grant more concessions, or see them 

 wrested from them. 



This discussion, which in one form or another has appeared in every 

 civilized nation, has been everywhere marked by bitterness and pre- 

 judice, and has resulted in a slowly-growing victory for modern cul- 

 ture. The question has attracted renewed and wide attention in this 

 country of late, owing to Mr. Charles Francis Adams's attack upon 

 the requisition of Greek as a part of the course in Harvard College. 

 The old weapons on both sides have been again brought out and bur- 

 nished, and made to do valiant service in the good cause. The result 

 of the criticism and counter-criticism has been to demonstrate pretty 

 . clearly that, however we may feel about it, the fact is, that the cause of 

 the "modernists" is gaining ground. President Porter, in a rejoinder 

 to Mr. Adams, in the " Princeton Review " for September last, re- 

 marks, in substance, that the proposition to drop Greek from the list 

 of required studies was somewhat " hesitatingly urged many years ago 

 by the adventurous and sanguine President of Harvard College." If 

 .the writer is not greatly mistaken, President Eliot did not only urge 

 it years ago, but has vigorously and persistently urged it ever since, 

 and it is probably only a question of time when his policy will be 

 adopted, whether urged by him or by some one else. 



The discussion as to the relative merits of the classics and other 

 subjects, as constituents of a liberal course of study, has always been 

 marked by a great deference to authority. The assertions of eminent 

 men, as to the advantage or disadvantage to them of the classical 

 course which they pursued while young, always play a prominent 

 part. The testimony of eminent educators, as to their observation of 

 the effect that a study of the classics seemed to have on the minds 

 and hearts of their pupils, is quoted and requoted. The tradition 

 and usages of hundreds of years are strongly appealed to in order to 

 show the superiority of the one system over the other. 



The present discussion in our American press has been no excep- 

 tion to the rule. But, in addition to the regular authorities which are 

 quoted on all occasions, a new witness has been appealed to in this 

 controversy, whose testimony on the question is regarded by many as 

 decisive and final. This is the experience of the Germans, embodied 

 in what is known as the "Berlin Report," and which has been widely 

 urged as an authoritative answer to Mr. Adams's argument. It seems 

 to be supposed that this thorough-going people have entered into the 

 subject experimentally and on an extensive scale, with a view of set- 

 tling it effectually. They have made, it is asserted, a fair trial of 



