Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-29
IRON Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, J
PRODIGALITY OF WORDS.

almos, numberless, Of reirenchment and econo-
my. which have been carried INTO so many de-
acknowledgements, revenue, manufactures,
and even private life, in this niggardiy age, no
proiect has vet been devised for correcting one
of the most DE rnicious Of all kinds Of prousien,
the PRODUCTIVITY Of words9 We have construct
ed ships 10 glide against wind and tide, without
any apparent cause for kind of motion, which,
10 our ancestors, would have seemed the work
Of witchcraft; and, at the bare sight OF which,
they would have felt as much alarm, as did the
poor American Indians, when they saw the
huge animal with wings, that bore in their bel
lies armed men across the ocean. This trouble
We have taken, that we may come sooner TO the
end of cur VOYAGES After many trials to eco
nomize time, by increasing the speed OF our land
travelling, much to- the peril and alarm OF foot
passengers, and far more TO the modification OF
horse-fesh, we are now told by some ingenious
people, that we shall one day be favored with
method Of cutting the air in stage-coachcs, at
the rate Of s,ag-hunt, without the aid Of any
horses at all. This, again will be from an earn
est laudaole desire 10 reach the end OF our Jour-
neys. But the most irksome Of all kinds Of
travelling, that Of Journey from the beginning
70 the end OF discourse, far from sharing IN
these frugal Improvements, grows every dav
more and more tedious; disgrace to the thrift
and ingenuity Of an age, in which even buttons
are made without hands; in which sheets OF pa
per that are put in, blank and unspotted, issue
forth with supernatural haste from an engine,
which prints wit and wisdom on them by steam.
The immense waste Of words and time, per-
petratcd in the passage of the cheapest and
poorest thoughts from one mind TO another,
might be generous enough, perhaps, in those
10 whom such thoughts belong, and who take
such trouble in conveying them toz,he public,
ifthe authors only squandered then own time.
But time is public property, and its waste gre
yious public plumber. | do not know that can
claim better employment OF that OF my read
er, thanby awakening his attention to this great
and growing calamity.
There are, of course two main channels
through which the deluge of words has over
spread the nation the one OF written, the other
of oxen language. They are widely differ
ent in their nature and effects. The former, IN
deed, sends its various rivers Of quartos and oc-
tavos, canals Of pamphlets, and innumerable
streams OF newspapers and magazines, (not to
speak OF It's spring, summer, autumn, and whit
er gushes of heavy quarterly journalist TO every
town, hamlet, and even private TesidHce in the
kingdom. But all these currents flow gently
and regularly, and never deposit their contents
outside Of their ordinary channels, unless the
sluices are opened by voluntary victims. No
one is sprinkled by newspaper, soused by a
magazine, or halEdrowned in review, without
himself contributing to his misfortune. Even
when the quarterly floods, the most vehement
Of all, are abroad, every man has warning TO
stand out of harms way, and it he be over
whelmed, he has only himselfto thank FOR II.
But il is far otherwise with the deuges OF
speech which infest this land, without, for the
most part, leaving it even the poor comfort
which accompanied the orerflowings OF the
Nile, of fertilizing the soil which it subjected
to temporary desolation.
This ruthless flood is restricted to no sea-
son, confined within no boundary. 1t meets us
in the highways Of public business. 1t pours
upon us unexpectedly at the most inauspicious
moment, without giving us any tokens ofitsap
proach, and often without leaving us any means
Of escaping or avoiding it. They who have
Witnessed the looks and the murmurS OF des-
pair, in the great council of the nation, assem-
bled upon some high matter OF debate, when
stream, expected 10 run for two hours, begins
pouring from some reservoir ofuseless words,
may form some notion Of The force and extent
Of the evil.
Dul Tue SuoleCt demands j more SeFlouS Wooo'
Unless some means be adopted to check the
prolixity Of public speaking, the business OF
the nation will soon stand still. The details oil
public business, at the most moderate computa-
ton, have doubled within the last thirty years
Some have maintained that the increase has
been in fourfold proportion, and if the facts
were closely examined, have some reason for
thinking their opinion would be found not far
wide of the truth. The parliamentary reports
alone would seem nearly 10 establishit; for they
have been more numerous during the period
have stated, than for nearly century preced-
ing. The accounts which have been published
of the proceedings in our courts Of justice, give
nearly the same result. These are the two
grand concerns Of the nation. The hrst chic
business of community such as ours IS the
making gifts laws; the next is their admins
tration. With us, neither can be accomplish
ed but by means of public speaking; and the
nuisance to the public is intoerable, il the laws
the life-blood of the state, be impeded either al
the heart, from which they issue, or in their
circulation through the whole frame OF the DO