Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-12-11
A style, TO be adapted to all likings, mus
BE both ubiqultary and onniginious.

n slytt, 10 NC uudpltu ~ All hhlHEs must
BE both ubiquilary and omnignious.
The following remarks, upon style, were
suggested by the frequent recurrence o. corn
plant upon this subject; and which, it must
be admitted, has been, too often, plausible.
Style is a node Of verbal expression, or an
arrangement OF words into sentences, for the
communication Of ideas, and awakening SEN
sibility; and, although it ia mere instrument
of mental ntcrc Jursc, is constructed of COM
plcatcd science, and is AT once, the ifnose Of
intellect, and the most accurate measure Of
successful discipline.
Style Is, not only, mo Ii sd By national pc
culiarllies, but unavodaby stamped with the
indefinite diversity of subject and intellectual
capacity. as well as with the versatility Of hu.
man opnion: Hence, neither universal nor
national phrascology can be, successfully
instituted, until intellectual enterprise and
literary opportunity shall have been more G.
qnaly distributed among mankind nor will
the success of such an attempt, be likely 10
remuncrate the trouble of an experiment.
Human ingenuity is incompetent to suggest a
single specimen OF style equally adapted to
every capacity and occasion and although
we would not concedc that stupidity possesses
an advantage ever precocily, in experimenting
the import OF lis own barbarsms, yet, one ma y
be edited, with that which would be partcu-
larry unlnttll9lDe OF disgusting 10 tle Oln8f
lIlicratc obtuseness and literary accnmen
are intellectual aNlipodes, and cannot, there
fore, BIO reasonably supposed TO concur, upon
question, entirely, classical: And so repug-
nant TO, both, fact and philosophy, is the CON
verse Of t is proposition, that to present sin
gle exploitation would be supeIerogalion.
To construct a style, worthy Of literary ac-
ceplancc, strict observance Of the multiplied
prescriptions of grammar, logic and rhetoric ia
indispensable; which requires much lnsenni-
ity, or intellectual culture. Hence the i'm
probability Of escaping annoyance from style,
either, above or below the standard of our in
dtyidual capacity.
Style, in architecture, would DC as divers-
fled and inconsistent with the rules Of science
as that Of speech, were not the former less ex-
clusivelv intellectual, and, therefore, easier
produced, by imitation, than the latter. Tho
rules in BOTH though not equally difIlse, are
equally explicit, and, perhaps, equally unap-
pro hended by most Of those who attempt their
application.
Few Of the practical men, with whom our
country is amply supplied, have eve. acquired
even a smatterng OF those sciences, upon Il
knowledge Of which, their mechanic al and
professional success, legilmatcy, depends ;
nor does the comparison fail, when applied 10
the constructor Of paragraphs.
While one individual is imposing, upon a
croduous and discriminating community, a
mere manual or verbal mimitry, as the spon,a-
ncous produce of cultivated genius, and en-.
forcing its acceptance. with the clamor Of g-
norance and the obslinacy of dogmatism, an
other, with the shamelcSsness OF professional
and literary Importance, and the factitious i'm
portanee of unletiered arrogance, may be,
successfully, vending his apothems, nostlums,
Or plagiarsms, as invaluable and rare spcci-
mems OF profound originality.
This charge may be sustained as well
As any ever made
That empyrics PROFESSIONAL
And botchors in each trade,
Have been caTessed, & gained, meanwhile,
More money and applause,
Than those who've burned the midnig ht oil
To study NATURES laws.
Snch should not he, in fioedom's land,
The case, at this late day;
But truth and reason should command,
And ignorance obey.
Mankind cannot, hereon, reflect,
A he, in truth, would do,
Were he not reared in sheer neglect,
OF what he ought TO know.
New-England's pelsantry, which includes
fhe mass Of its population, has been, perhaps
equally, renowned for its physcn hardihood,
its religious bigotry, and its anomalous COLO
quail phraseology, its vulgarsms, meanwhile,
hayiiEg become proverblal, with both foreign
ers and neighbors.
Notwithstanding 1t may not be denied, that
this uneourly dialect may have been, as well
adapted to communicate the gross coneep-
fons Of rusticity, with its eyes thinks, eyes