Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-02
For the Phenir Gazette.
PHILOLOGY.

feuCe, taken from tue pTeidCC VI No'a
Grammar: " Language as the principal Ush'cle q
thought" His remarks are-"A vehicle is
piece of mechanism, and, from necessity I'M
plies thatit has been made-out OF ma'erlais'
and as thoughti is mentioned in connexion with
&c md ,sl,e1s Il follows, that thought is the ma
ta,;a, on, Of which this vehicle has been made"
"a vehicle Of thou sht.'' "a cup of gold. p
arbe close analogy between these two clauses
forces unon one the Impression that, as the cup
Is made of cold, so is the vehiele of thought. He
odds uThe sentence however, should read thus:
LANGUAGE is the principle vehicle for 'fhe COM
,n,,n;eot;on" Of thought "The insertion,
Tsavs he. this section, "or The communication,
renders The sentence consistent with fact and
cyou,uaar, Now it seems to me, that the IN
SSsr,;on Of the section" renders the sentence
which. without il, is a good one, objectionable;
hacause nv an unnecessary pleonasm or verbo-
.;,v7 The expression is enfeebled. The sense
convened by the original sentence, is the same
as thai conveyed by The amended one. There
= no fundamental rule Of grammar, or princl-
nile Of elegan, composition that requires the
k;nser,ion.', Perspicuifp does not require it,
and the energq of the expression is destroyed by
4, need not ask the learned to decide, whether
Mr. Gold Browns use Of the proposition Of, IS,
"a
for every person, whether learned orunlearned,
knows that the manner of expression, here used
bv MIR. Gold Brotcn, and condemned by MIR.
lanes Brown. is authorized by every book in
our larguaee;-except the American Gram
mar" "founded on principles entirely neao;" but
Of this treatise il may be truly said, that II Is In
no sens, an English Grammar For the princi-
niles which the author of this book endeavors
HoY1f,r
no, to be found in the English, or any other Ian
guage. They condemn The style OF the oes,
writers. and oppose the popular and national
,saee !. The language How, then, can such
PRINCIPLES be said to exhibit the grammar oil the
language. The grammar of any language, can
be deduceG from nothing but the present, repu-
table. and national use" OF that language. II IS
not deducible from the brains of philosophers
Neither philosophers nor critics are allowed 10
make language for nation. The function OF
Just criticism, as taught by men oil sense anu
taste is to ascertain what as the present reputa-
Die and national use" Of language, however es-
tablished and to guard it against the corruP-
tons of ignorant pedantry, ana % Poin' ou'
those occasional alterations, which somelimes'
through carelessness find their way into the
writings of learned and polite scholars. I'll
,;cism when conducted by men OF true learn
;no and ,aste. NAV be farther useful, IN explain
inc the id,oms Of any language, by showing The
ocoas;on ,ime. and manner of their introduce
Ton and establishment; how they mark the cha
rac,er and display the peculiar genius OF the
,.,n,.ge. what analogy, or what dlsclpance,
tbev exhibit in reference TO other languages,
and The principles Of general grammar. When
Tins restricted to its appropriate province, cri-
t;c;.m is both useful and source of rational
amusement In all doubtful cases, national
,sooe not having decided critics are allowed to ar
apue and demonstrate, from principles OF analo-
syv. but in all cases wherein custom has decided,
then must submit.
But. that we may not seem to wander too
far.we will return, from whatmay perhaps be
deemed depression, To Mr.. Browns crllclsm
Lei MS nut II 10 the test OF authorities. he
following quotations, which'l oppose 10 Mr. b
present, not only precisely the same construction
as that condemned by him, but embrace almost
the same cords Bishop Horne, Every good au-
thority says every one,) writes: he Fsalms
present religion to us in the most engaging
dress, communicating truths which philosophy
could never investigate, In style which poetry
can never equal; while history is made the Ce-
hise of prophecy and creation lends all its charms
to pain, the giories Of redemption -" Nonsense"
SAYS Mr.. Brown, SIT should read thus vehicle
ssfor the communication" of prophecy" Again,
Dr. Johnson (preity good authority, as is tho't
by some, } says: "Language is the instrument Of
Science "Pshaw! (says Mr. b. DIR. Johnson
knew neither the naiiona! use nor the philosophy
Of the language; otherwise he had avoided the
absurdity of coupling instrument and science, by
off for does not instrument, from necessity, inn
DIV piece of mechanism, made out of natter"
allow. then, can it be represented as made GU,
Of science, which is, if possible, farther remov-
ed from matter than spirit ITSELF The mis-
approximations of this author, relative to the
true principles of grammatical construction,
and his unconqusrabis propensity to ph'ios4phise"
and offer something entirely ne,c, are. eyinced,
in a manner indeed sufficiently ridiculous, by
the following quotation, in which he again be-
trays his ignorance Of the proper use of The
proposition, of ssrhe following, written by the
aulhor.of the American Grammar and publish
ed IN the advantageous" in reply to reye-
rend gentleman who forced himself INTO con-
freyersy upon the subject of English Grammar,