The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-07

ASP, MACE, EAGLE, RAM, INFANT, CAKE, ANCHOR,
which may be interpreted as follows
-Asp-Symbol of sovereignty
Mace-Indicative of military dominion.
Eagle-The national arms OF the Union, and
means courage.
Ram-Symbolical of frontal power.
htamt-Typifes Juvenile age, and the still I'M
developed strength Of this country.
Cake-Typical of a civilized region.
Anchor-Symbolical OF maritime greatness.
The mark under the alphabetic symbols, re.
presenting the surface Of the earth, and sgnfying
Kah or country, being thus applied to indicate
the subject to which they refer, and thereby aid
in deciphering the same.
The word might be written by various other
objects symbols, in which cases, however their
Specification would likewise be different, and less
appropriate, unless the writer wished to allude to
i: with disrespect disgust, &c. For instance, the
word might be written by symbols representing
ArroU, Moon Ear, Rabbit, Insect, Cat, Appte,
Apple Mouse, Egg, Raceoon, Indian, Cone, .areher.
The above example, however, gives but faint
idea of the beauty, and often exquisite proprety,
Of Egyptian composition, or of the completely of
the hieroglyphic art of writing. 1t will be allow.
ed, that even the angcized illustration OF the
word america, does not render its perspicuity
very apparent; and with full acquaintance Of
The language, it would be puzzle to a decipher-
err. How much more so, when the vowels may
be omitted, or at least most of them, as they gene
rally are, and only the consomamts and occasional
ly an incpient vowel written; as M Il G, country,
or Amrk, country.
The Egyptians had, however, more expedi-
tious method of writing than by the formation of
hieroglyphical signs described for in 1916, says
Mr.. Gliddon, "the learned German Tychen, was
enabled to prove that the heratic character was
bu simple tachygraphy, or abridged mode of
wrting"-a short hand, in fact, of the hieroglyphi-
cal inscriptions.
The exact number of the heroglyphical figures
not having been yet ascertaned, the complete
amount of varieties used by the Egyptians can
not be positively defined. approximately, theiI
number may be set down at 900, and time will
develope few moro.
The nations of Europe, with few exceptions,)
Notwithstanding their diversity oflanguage, have
for several ages concurred, with surprising har-
mony, in the choice of letters, by which simple
and compound sounds expressed. The Chi
nese, however, have acted directly contrary to
the universal practice of all other nations, by be-
ing bound down by the letters of an invin-
chile prejudice; and affecting to despise the art
of alphabetic writing, they have denied them
selves of its advantage, preferring to acquire
knowledge of $4,000 arbitrary signs, as the repre-
sentatives OF their words and peculiar idioms.-
AS it is not our object, at this time, to dwell at
length upon the peculiarites of the Egyptian HE
roglyphics, and Chinese characters, we shall re-
turn to the subject of short hand writing, and Of
Ter such suggestions as are best calculated to
throw some light upon the general features and
principles which characterize practical system,
and aid in the choice and acquisition of the same
In the first place, then, we would observe that
the selection of suitable characters as representa-.
tives of the alphabetc letters or sounds is of the
utmost importance; nor is it less important that
the letters or sounds which most frequently oc.
cur, should be represented by those characters
that can be made with the greatest facility assign
ing the characters OF more complex form for
those letters which do not occur so frequently as
others. For instance, the letter in shorth hand
writing, probably occurs more frequently than
any otter, and, for that reason may, with great
propricfy, be represented by short horizontal
line, thus, that being the most simple stroke OF
the pen that nature affords. ", on the score OF
repetition, may be considered to belong to the
second class of consonants, and, with the same
propriety, may be represented by curved line
or segment OF circle thus - and so on with
the rest
The correctness OF this principle must be appa.
rent TO every one who will give the subject sin.
gle moments consideration. We have now be
fore us several new systems of short hand writing
as they are termed; but from the cursory glance
we have given them, we have no hesitation in
pronouncing them to be defective, and, compare
lively, impractcable. The simple fact that the
usual stenographic characters have been indiscri
Intimately assigned to represent the letters of our al
phabet, without regard to classification, naturally
and very justly leads us to the conclusion that the
. compiers of the works in question have but a
very limited acquaintance with the true princ
Piles and practice of short hand writing and thai
they have doubtless been induced to make certain
variations from systems Of acknowledged merit
merely with view of appearing before the public
as authors, in some shape or other; and the
tfutn oil this remark will be more evident when il
Is oornc IN mind that these new lights referred to-
nave copied little from one author and little
! rom another, whose systems cannot nv pnv M.