The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1783-10-14 00:00:00, page 1

Tuft Published, and to be Sold by the Printers in
Hartford, The First Part of a
Grammatical Institute
Of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
Containing a new and accurate Standard of Pro
nunciation.
By NOA H WEBSTER, A. M.
(10 Shillings per Dozen—or Fourteen pence, per
single Book.)
HAVING examined the firft part of the New
Grammatical Institute of the English Lan
guage, now publishing by Mr. Noah Webster, we
are of opinion that it is far preferable in the plan
and execution to Dilworth's or any other Spelling
Book, which has been introduced 4 in our schools.
In these, the entire omission of the rules of pronun
ciation is a capital defe&, which very few of the Pa
rents, Schoolmasters, or Miftreffea employed in
teaching children the firft rudiments, have fufficient
knowledge to supply. The usual method of throw
ing together in the fame tables,, without any mark
of diftinfiion, words in which the fame letters are
.differently pronounced, and the received rules of
dividing syllables which are wholly arbitrary and
often unnatural, seem calculated to puzzle the lear
ner, and mislead the inftruftor as well as the pupil
into a vicious pronunciation. These defects and
mistakes are judicioully Supplied in the present work,
and the various additions are made with such pro
priety, that we judge this new Spelling Book will
De extremely beneficial for the use of schools.
George Wyllys,
Thomas Seymour,
Samuel Wyllys,
John Trumbull,
Hartford, flatban Strong,
Oovuci 0, 1703. Matban reruns,
Andrew Law.
Chauncey Goodrich.
Joel Barlow.
IT is surprising to confider how much the English language
has been neg eded, and how little underflood by those who
have undertaken to compile Dictionaries, Grammars and Spel
ling-Books. We have twenty-one distinct consonants in the
language, to express which we have but sixteen tingle characters.
To supply this deficiency, we use double letters, for which we
have no names correspondent to their founds; and we have one
found, for which we have no letter or character at all. Yet we
have three or four consonants that are fuperfluous ; expreHing
the fame powers that belong to other charaders. We have ele
ven different vowels or (imp e founds, to express which we have
but fix or seven single chara&ers ; Supplying the deficiency by
double letters. Almost every vowel represents four or five dif
ferent founds ; and eight only of our simple founds are reprefenr
cd by forty-five different combinations of letters. Yet these ir
regularities have passed almost whohy unnoticed, till within a
few years; and we have not one f.hool-book now in use, which
furnishes the least assistance on this intricate fubjed. The cele
brated Spelling-Book of Mr. Dilworth is totally defective or
erroneous in this particular. One third of his syllables are di
vided so as to lead a chi d into a wrong pronounciation ; most
ofhis rules for the division of syllables are arbitrary, and desti
tute ofreafon either in the genius of the language or the ease
of the learner. Some ofhis rules for the pronounciation of let
ters are now and were when he wrote, totally falfe. His Gram
mar is much better calculated to teach the Latin than the English
language. He wholly miftcok the origin and nature of our own
tongue-- and as a gentleman, who is a good judge of language,
expreSSes himfelf in a letter to me on the Subject, "his gram
mar is a fcarefcrow that so frightens children when they are
young, that they are afraid of grammars all their lives after."
Benning's is eftcemed by some as preferable to others;, the most
we can fay of it, is that it has less faults than Dilworth's. Nei
ther'of these affords us the least abidance in that important part
of education—-the pronounciation of our vowels. Our didiona
ries are defedive in the fame particular; Entick and Ash have,
in fomeir.ftances, distinguished an accented vowel from an ac
cented confonarit- -but in this article both are defective, as
well as in the various founds of vowels and consonants. Ken
rick and Perry have published the only dictionaries, that, in
point of pronounciation, are worth purchasing. These two last
mentioned, I have seem but a few minutes ; there being but ve
ry few of them in America.
But in the most intricate part of English grammar the various
and proper nfes of our helping verbs, every author I have ever
seen is totally deficient. Dr. Lowth is the firft author who has
taken ip the language upon the true principles. His follower,
Buchanan, has improved his method, formed a more regular
syntax and g ven us some ufeful remarks on the conftru&ion of
Sentences. Bit both have not only omitted a most ceentid
branch of grammar, but fallen into some palpable mistakes.
The consequence of these deficiences, is that no foreigner ever
did or ever can learn our language by the assistance of our pre
sent grammars. Perhaps I may go further and fay that no fo
reigner ever acquired an accurate knowledge of our language at
all. For however accurate our own Scholars may become both
in the pronounciation of words and the He of English auxilia
ries; yet I ftruple whether there are five persons in- Connecticut,
who, with ten days Study, shall be able to explain to a foreigner
these little auxiliaries, do, be, have, shall, will, may, can, and
their variations ; or even find out to what modes and tenles they
4
TUESDAY, October 14, i^§ THE Number^;/;
AND
WEEKLY INTELLIGENC E R.
HARTFORD : Printed by H UDSO N and GOODWIN, near the Great Bridge.
belong and understand their Several Significations. It will per
haps altonish some of our grammarians to tell them that did,
were, and had, belong to the present tense as well as the past ;
that might, could, would and should, belong to all tenses indiffer
ently— and that shall, will, should, and would, have near twenty
different meanings. But these and m&ny other fads, I mult be
lieve till they are disproved by Some aber head.
After having found so much fault wih others, the public will
exped:me to attempt some amendme; :. lam making the at
tempt, and though I despair of a riving to that perfection which
the fabjed requires, I flatter myfelf the design will prompt some
more ingenious head to undertake a tl orough investigation of
this difficult, but important fubjete.
We speak a language as copious and expre flive, and perhaps
as sublime as the ancient Greek and Roman ; and people of edu
cation use it in general with propriety but they acquire it by
the ear—they have no standard to which they can apply for the
solution of any difficulty—in the use of words they imitate
those whom they esteem good Scholars or leaders in fashion—
and they change their pronunciation whenever they find new
models to imitate. Pronounciation is indeed very arbitrary ;
but there are certain general rules, wi h refpe& to accent and
quantity of syllables which will go far in ascertaining an accu
rate and elegant pronunciation and £,irg a Standard. These
rules, so far as could be done in a fmah ompafs, are introduced
into the firft part of the Institute. Betw.cn five and fix thousand
words are collected, among which are most of the difficult words
of common and general use, especially tofe that are of French
orignal. The rules are so easy and the fan so simple, that eve
ry peasant, who will take the pains to urierftand tnem, may ac
quire as just a pronunciation as the mofi accurate Scholar. Care
is taken to point out vulgar corruptions fnd fashionable impro
prieties—which are changing the or ,ography and defacing
the beauties of the language.
The author's design is to publish a ge cral system of English
education, and in order to make the wo complete, it was ne
cessary to begin with the firft rudiments f language, which are
now offered to the public in a fraall fading-book. We have
been and still ought to be fond of the . icient languages ; but
we should remember that unless the G cks and Romans had
taken more pains with their language han we do with ours,
they would not have been so much ce 1 irated by modern na
tions-- we should not read them with th< pleasure which they
now afford us nor would they now er;rofs our whole atten
tion to the negle& of our own tongue. 7ere a person so im
moderately fond of Grecian architecture to Spend his time and
c^re In vH „,..,, ancient palace, vaen ne had nothing to
l.ve in all his days but an irregular shattered cottage, the world
would at once pity his weakness and laugh at h;s folly. The
author wishes not to have Greek and Latin Rudied less, but he
earnestly wishes to fee the English Hudied more.
Whether his ideas of reforming our prefi nu mode of education
are just, and his plan judicious, he leaves the public to examine
and decide for themselves.
N. W-
An Address to the thinking judicious Inhabitants of
Connecticut.
IN the course of these addresses, I have observed that the offi
cers were so far from folici ing half pay, that they knew
not what measures Congrefs.had in contemplation, till the re
solve was published in general orders. Bur l find that people
are perpetually harping upon the idea that the officer obtained
the resolve ty dint of importunity,and that too while the Aflem
bly of Connecticut were making provision for indemnifying
their own officers and loldidrs for their losses by depreciation
and for deficients of rations and clo'athing. As the popular
cavils are in this refpe&,not only unreafonable,but totally grounds
less, being predicated upon a barefaced falshood ; I will can
didly Rate an account of the tranfa^ions, which «re the fubjeds
of the general uneasiness from, authentic copies of General
Washington's letters, and the resolves of Congress.
In the beginning of the year 1778, the army, being paid in
depre dated bills, and illy furnished with provisions and cioath
ing, be< ante so difi ontenied with the service, that the most im
portant consequences were apprehended. Congress appointed a
committee to wait on General Washington in order to devise
some method to prevent a diffoh t<on of the army. To this
committee, his Excellency made the fol owing representation :
That ''the numerous defers in our present military eflablish
ment, render many reformations and new arrangements abso
lutely ne<cffary --that Something must be done---important al
terations must be made —nereffity requires that our resources
should be enlarged and onr system improved—that without it,
if a diffo'ution of the army should not be the confeqcence, at
least its operations must infallibly be feeble, languid and inef
fedual---thai few men are capable of making a continual fa
crifice of all views of private interest and advantage to com
mon good—though the officers, at the commencement of the
dispute, in the firft effiifions of their zeal and looking upon the
service to be only temporary, entered into it without paying
any regard to pecuniary or feifish considerations; but finding
its duration to be much longer than they at firft fufpeded, and
that instead of deriving any advantage from the hardships and
dangers to whi h they were exposed, they on the contrary, were
losers, by their patriotism and fell far short even of a competency
to supply their wants, they gradual y abated in their ardour and
that with many, an entire disinclination to the fervi e, under
its present circumstances has taken place—that to this, in an
eminent degree, must be ascribed their frequent resignations and
the more frequent importunities for permission to resign and
from some officers of the greatest merit --that to this also may
be aferibed the apathy, inattention and negle& of duly, which
pervade all ranks —which will necessarily increase while an of
ficer, instead of gaining any thing, is impoverished by his com
mission---that no obedience can be exacted from those who are
seeking some pretext to d fingage themselves from the service --
that it is inconliftent with reason and justice to exped that one
set of men should make a Sacrifice of property, domestic case
and happiness-- encounter the : field—tfe perils and vicissitudes
of war, to obtain those blessings which every citizen will enjoy
in common with them, without some adequate compensa
tion---that it must be a comfeitlefs refl cxien ^ any man, to
contribute to the securing of the rights ofhis country at the risk
of his life and ruin of his fortune ; and no provision made
to prevent himfelf and family from finking into indigence and
wretchedness—that besides a provision for officers equal to their
present exigences, a due regard should be paid to futurity --and
that nothing, in his opinion, would serve more powerfully to
reanimate their languishing zeal, and interest them thoroughly
in the service, than a half-pay establishment." The General
concludes, ''l am sensible the expence will be a capital ob
jedion to it; but to this I oppose the necessity. The officers
are now difeontented with their situation ; if some generous
expedient is not embraced to remove their dißontenr, so exten
sive a differtion of the service will ensue, and so much difi our
agement be cast upon those who remain as hiuft wound it in 2
very essential manner. Every thing that has this effect, has a ten
dency at leaf to protraft the war, and though dilated by a well in
tendedfrugality, will, I fear, in the end, prove erroneous ©economy."
Upon report of this committee, Congress resolved to grant
half-pay for seven years to the officers who should continue in
service till the elofe of the war; and to the non-commiflioned
officers and privates, the sum of eighty dollars. The resolve of
seven years half-pay was afterwards extended to the widows and
orphan children of such officers as should iofe their lives in the
fervice*.
These resolutions produced a temporary effe&, and retained
officers in the field for two campaigns. But the increasing dis
tresses of the army, which, about the time that continental cur
rency was dwindling into non-existence, received little or no
pay, produced new difeontents and so many resignations, that
a reduction of regiments was found necessary for want of officers.
In this reform which was designed to proportion the number of
officers to the privates, it was found, that though there were not:
officers fufficient for the regiments firft established ; yet there
were too many for the proposed reduced number. This in
volved Congress and General Washington in a delicate Situa
tion. Some officers must leave the army and to fend them
home without any reward for their Services or Security for re
ward, was a real hardship and injustice. On this occasion bis
Excellency wrote to Congress as follows:
Paffaick-Falls, October ir, 1780.
" THAT there are the molt conch five reasons for reducing the
number of regiments, no person acquainted with the Situation of
our affairs and the ftr,te of the army, will deny —A want of of
ficers, independent of other confederations, were fufficient to
compel us.—But that the temper of the army, produced by its
Sufferings, requires g^° te ea"t:on r in ay z^forra* zhy ^u ^
tempted, is a position not less evident than the former. In Ser
vices the belt established, .where the hands of government are
Strengthened by the strongest interests of the army to submissi
on, the reducing its regiments, and dismissing great part of its
officers, is always a measure of delicacy and difficulty. In ours,
where the officers are held by the feebleft ties, and are moulder
ing away by daily resignations; it is peculiarly so — The lalt re
duction occasioned many to quit the service, besides those who
were reformed, and left durable feeds of difeontent among those
who remained.
" The general topic of declamation was, that it was as hard
as dishonorable for men, who had made every faarifice to the
service, to be turned out of it at the pleasure of those in power,
without an adequate compensation. In the maturity to which
their uneasinesses have now arisen, from a contiuance in mise
ry, they will be still more impatient under an attempt of a Simi
lar nature. —How far these dispositions may be reasonable, I
pretend not to decide, but in the extremity to which we are ar
rived, policy forbids us to add new irritations.—Too many of
the officers wish to get rid of their commissions, but they are
not willing to be for ed to it. It is not the intention of these
remarks to difeourage a reform, but to shew the necessity of
guarding against the ill effects, by an ample provision, both for
the officers who hay, and for those who are reduced : —This
should be the basis of the plan, and without it, I apprehend the
most mifehievous consequences. This would obviate many
scruples that will otherwise be found prejudicial in the extreme.
I am convinced Congress are not a little Straitened in the means
of a present provision, so ample as to give fatisfadion, but this
proves the expediency of a future one, —and brings m d to that:
which I have so frequently recommended, as the most econo
mical, the most politic and the most effectual that could be de
vised, a half pay for life. Supported by a proffer of a perma
nent dependence, the officers would be tied to the service, and
would Submit to many momentary privations and to the incon
veniencies, which the Situation of public affairs makes unavoid
able. This is exemplified in the Pennsylvania officers, who be
ing upon this establishment, are so much interested in the ser
vice, that in the course of many months there has been only one
resignation in that line.
“ If the objection, drawn from the principle of this measure
being incompatible with the genius of our government, is
thought insurmountable, I would propose a Subfiitute, less elegi
ble in my opinion, but which may answer the purpose ; it is to
make the present half-pay for seven years, whole pay for the
fame period, to be advanced at two different payments, one half
in a year after the conclusion of peace, the other halfin two
years subsequent to the firft.
'' No objection to this measure occurs to me, except it be
tho't too great an expence ; but in my judgment, whatever can
give consistency to our military establishment, will be ultimate
ly favorably to economy. It is not easy to be conceived, ex
cept by those who are wicneffes to it, what an additional waste
and consumption of eve^y thing, and consequently what an en
creafe or expence; results from the laxness of discipline in the
army. And where the officers think they are doing the public a
favor, by holding their commissions, ana the men are continu-
*lt must be remarked, that at—the time of these resolutions,
no plan was in contemplation in any State to make good the
deficiencies of pay and rations to the army. Nor do I learn
that any of these northern States, except Connecticut, have done
it Since. Yet almost two years after the palling these resolves,
the Assembly of this State set on foot a plan for indemnifying
the army for their losses, when they knew the officers were en
titled to half-pay for seven years. Other States left it wholly to
Congress. Connecticut acouiefeed in the provision of Congress
and yet made further provision herfelfi