<hi rend="bold">Address of Massilon Field Taylor for the Dialectic Society, March 9, 1861: "Is a Knowlege of the Classics Necessary for a Thorough Education?":</hi> Electronic Edition. Taylor, Massilon Field Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Bari Helms Images scanned by Stephanie Adamson Text encoded by Caitlin R. Donnelly First Edition, 2007 ca. 16K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2007

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 Records of the Dialectic Society (#40152), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Address of Massilon Field Taylor for the Dialectic Society, March 9, 1861: "Is a Knowlege of the Classics Necessary for a Thorough Education?" M. F. Taylor 7 pages, 7 page images 1861 Call number 40152 (University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 </bibl> </taxonomy> </classDecl> </encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <langUsage> <language id="eng">English</language> </langUsage> <textClass> <keywords scheme="unc_history"> <list> <item> Any special keywords assigned for this project </item> </list> </keywords> </textClass> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc> <change> <date>2007-01-23,</date> <respStmt> <name>Caitlin R. Donnelly</name> <resp/> </respStmt> <item>finished TEI/XML encoding.</item> </change> </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text id="unc04-47"> <body> <div1 type="speech"> <pb id="unc04-47-cv" n="Cover"/> <head> Address of <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Massilon Field Taylor</name> for the <name key="name0000284" reg="Dialectic Society" type="organization">Dialectic Society</name>, March 9, 1861: "Is a Knowlege of the Classics Necessary for a Thorough Education?" </head> <head type="original" rend="center">Is a knowledge of the classics necessary for a thorough Education?</head> <head type="original" rend="right"><name key="x" reg="x" type="person">M. F. Taylor</name><lb/><name key="name0000434" reg="Granville County, NC" type="place" rend="yes">Granville Co N.C.</name><lb/>Delivered in the hall March 9<hi rend="sup">th</hi> 1861</head> <pb id="unc04-47-p01" n="1"/> <head type="original" rend="center">Is a knowledge of the classics necessary for a thorough Education?</head> <p>In all civilized nations an education has been considered the most desirable acquisition, more sought for and prized, than any other possession it has been the lot of man to enjoy. By it the mind is ennobled; by it that principle about man most resembling God is advanced many degrees towards the attributes of divinity. And as much higher one mind is raised above that of the common subject, so much power do we have over them</p> <p>But to the subject before us!</p> <p>Thus an education in its strictest sense is seldom comprehended, and as seldom correctly applied as any other word with which we are acquainted: knowledge is generally supposed to be its whole end and aim, when really<pb id="unc04-47-p02" n="2"/><gap reason="[unrecovered]"/> hops it can hardly be said to be even one of its attributes. It has a wider scope, its object is one of a more exalted character. </p> <p>Education according to the most approved authentics, constitutes the bringing up of a person and training him for the toils and varied circumstances that he must experience while in the great theatre of life. Hence since youth is the proper season for such training, education can only be applied to youth and thus we clearly see that whenever a person is being educated he is in the act of preparing himself for the vicisitudes of life, so that whatever will facilitate his success and happiness in after life should be the object of education. As a tender twig is to be fostered and nourished with a careful hand — is to be defended from the storms of winter<pb id="unc04-47-p03" n="3"/>and drouths of summer — to be freed from every thing that impedes its growth,— its supernumerary branches to be left off and every other inconvenience that attends its progress to be removed, so that it may increase in strength and size and finally to be transplanted, in an orchard, there in a short time to bring forth an abundance of good fruit: so is youth to be treated. His tender mind must carefully be dealt with must be trained and strengthened gradually and with circumspection in real with this the evil passions should be nipped, and distroyed in the bud and all the moral faculties cherished and fostered with the uttermost care and attention; as he advances in age urbanity of manners or good breeding ought to be imported to him and as his mind is strengthened — habits of study and thought should<pb id="unc04-47-p04" n="4"/><gap reason="[unrecovered]"/> impressed in him to ensure infalliable <gap reason="[unrecovered]"/>ccess. But in order to train the mind study must be used, and those studies especially which have a greater tendency to call forth the uttermost exertions of every faculty of his mind. to withdraw it from the considerations of surrounding objects — to oppose the slightest glance, but yielding to continued and persevering study, thus accostoming the mind to look at a subject apart from everything else, thus teaching it to use greater exertions in proportion to the opposition it meets with and thus learning it to expose the subject to our view in every light in which it is susceptible. The dead languages are especially remarkable for the qualities in an emminent degree, and this has been chosen as the best means to train youthful minds in the ways of thought and study. and as they have the qualities necessary to import although education<pb id="unc04-47-p05" n="5"/>in a greater degree than any other <gap reason="[unrecovered]"/>ith which we can exercise the mind, thus it is necessary that we should in order to acquire a thorough and complete education and if we study study we are certain that we will get a knowledge of them, and hence it necessarily follows that a knowledge of the is necessary for a thorough education. thus have I discribed to you an education, when any one thus thorough educated having the training and other things I have mentioned in an emminent degree, transfers himself from his college and takes his <gap reason="[unrecovered]"/> of the world with suitable natural talents, he will soon make senates tremble with his eloquence or become the delight or head of refined society, be the bearer of his countrys standard of literature or excell in any persuit to which he may direct his attention, and above all he will be truly relegious and good man. upholder<pb id="unc04-47-p06" n="6"/>of his countries freedom and laws supporter of its constitution and last though not least be a good old democrat</p> </div1> </body> </text> </TEI.2>