This is apparent in our Public Meetings, and Official Church
Meetings; of the great number of men present, there are but few capable
of filling a Secretaryship. Some of the large cities may be an exception
to this. Of the multitudes of Merchants, and Businessmen throughout this
country, Europe, and the world, few are qualified, beyond the branches
here laid down by us as necessary for business. What did John Jacob
Astor, Stephen Girard, or do the millionaires and the greater part of
the merchant princes, and mariners, know about Latin and Greek, and the
Classics? Precious few of them know any thing. In proof of this, in
1841, during the Administration of President Tyler, when the mutiny was
detected on board of the American Man of War Brig Somers, the names of
the Mutineers, were recorded by young S---- a Midshipman in Greek.
Captain Alexander Slidell McKenzie, Commanding, was unable to read them;
and in his despatches to the Government, in justification of his policy
in executing the criminals, said that he "discovered some curious
characters which he was unable to read," &c.; showing thereby, that that
high functionary, did not understand even the Greek Alphabet, which was
only necessary, to have been able to read proper names written in Greek.
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