Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-12-19

49,
7 REPORT. or rilA SECRETARY OF WAX !"
Wespoke on Saturday, ia,srms Of not very
hign commenda.ion, Of bat curious literary
productiaa. he r, port uf he Secretary ii WAR;
II is curious, no 81 much, because, as Rspe
raj principle. the verbsdoever agree Win th3if
nomina,ive cases;tor this we * ecicd as a ma
Ter Of course. under the System ofreform which
b,, been extended 10 IN, gramma, Ut the cab
inr,. but f,ra sineularity Of s,vlr. which has
no ,tecedrn thai we know Of in ancient or
mode, n times. ]. cannot be ins'nuated with
regard To this report, IS ha, been imprrtinent-
To- susoes;ed in relation to another d0Lunrn',
that i, is pa,chw ,rk, or that the nominal az
thor was assisted in composing II. IL IS m ~
firstly me work Of one mud; the s'ye Is u
nioue: & the writer may say with Cor'oianus,
TO any whips,er who may crl'ic'se Il, Alone
did il, boy"
The peculiarly 10 which we refer. Is indrh
nable. l: appears to rise mainly from TWO
causes-a habi, of thinking backwards, anc the
wan, Of sufficient voc abul'ry. The carr Is
ALWAYS tackled before the horse. The Secretary
,rundles forw ard his IDEAS ,whee barr "w'ia,hioh
and The governing words OF the sentence come
s,1u,,ing and shuffl;ng behind hem Writers
on The philosophy Of language, have indeed
suppos d from thu G,s, discourse OF children,
and The construction Of some OF the ancient
,onoues that /, is mos, natural 10 express the
subiec, before the attribute, &c. and tina: bread
rye rive me-" is d nafurai arrangement oil the
word, spiye me rye bread Bu, il Is not pre-
tended. we presume. that the Secretary has
MADE the old cla ssics his modei;a' least we nope
], is not, Nor can we infer tina, he Is yet In MS
infancy, as regards the habn Of expressing MS
Thoughts in artcuate sounds, or Written words;
because We know he his published al oc'a'o
volume, said to be master piece OF oioe Amy
which was ised and altered every time IL
seemed necessary 10 Brighten the character OF
the subject aud wen, thus through three tdi'
tions-"Ga,hcring splendor ill grew sub
lime" W. canno, imagine therefore, why be
has INDUCED so much in the eocen'rici'y OF
s,yle we have no iced, unless it be like his bad
grammar, pur,ly Tor the sake OF Reform.
In ,ddi,ion 10 this singular msnGuvre OF
marching his in,ellec ual troops backwards up
on parade, The Master Of our fighting forces
does no, seem to have suficieut ammunition,
ii. e, words) where hal To furnish !hem; and
! orten throws thu n into horrible conlusion,- or
TO drop the metaphor, talks either sheer RoD-
sense, or saws exactly wha, he did not mean 10
say n, uses familiar words strangely; aud ell
Their from ambi ion, or want OF Acquaintance
wi h the simples ST modes OF expression, con-
,ri,es 10 proluce such awkward comb'n IONS
as have prob ,bly never before be'n the subject
of d smile, even in tine exercises OF foreigner
learning 10 write he language. The scan'in' S.
! of his metaphysical wardrobe extends even to
IN. prrposi,iors and con juno ions Poor lille
, TO is made 10 do duty Tor m, befors,2 for. Wifh
I and all its platoon it, fac,, aud pressed int" a
service far more severe han il had right 10
expect, upder the mild discipline which he
military ief,ain has promised 20 main al" IN
time Of peace. ifs uniformly used for whsfhsr
Sc Blu, these queer modes OF speech m'y he
sdop,ed for the sake of et onomy, to save he
government me, cy in printing The repor. II
so. we have not a word Of .bjectinn 10 ntfer.
| We shall present sw illustrations OF our
remarks. The following extract IS the S. cond
paragraph in the report, and exhibits many OF
me >inguls rites which we have pointed out.
"t is with pleasure made known. that the army is
sa,i>f ctorily fulfilling their just engagements to the
country and that harmony and proper zeal prerGiLs
The rank and file is nearly complete and although de-
ser,on has entirely ceased. yet is less frequent
IN IN heretofore. The rigid exactions Of The law IN
frence to this crime, is believed to carry too great
severity for state of peace, and should he ei,orotd
IN sune hing better corresponding with the nnogni
tude of he offence II il not the quantum, but the
certainty OF punishment, that is calculated To deter ut
fender, and soldier IN peace has been executed
under the ;. ntence of court martial It las occasOned
,l- impression tat penalty will most proba
b. moi be enforced and hence, disregard of it is enter
taarJ would by means be understood as recon-
rndrg to the nAicton of stripes; it is pun
hmen' Together degrading; i, strips the soldier
IT ,ha proud spirit and those y feelings Of hOnor,
| hch viii L Nd I" prepare h'm ~l,n unable occa-
son may offer, to becomc traitor the country that
hs branded him with ntamy; the stigma OF which, no
| ,u,ure good conduct, on his part, can re move"
This proud pint and these lofty feelings
| f homer are dangerous things; and must OF
| 10 ked AFTER.
Psrspicuity
"He who should bargain with his neghbor for his
property whcr (osud n state Of inox'cstlon wound
he iu,,l, r-prs D. ,'o, and obnoxious to the mputa
,ion 81 p'aciised wrong
Property is here The a"!reedent off und in !,
:, ale Of IL ox,ca,ion,' but IS lie oharei could
not well he drunk, we are lt TO conjecture
which Of he parties, the vender or vendee, Is
supposed 20 be in that predlcament.