New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-11-07

IL iss been already observed that some ,sw o.
the Chinese characters, especially those which &c.
preselt the most common Objects and ideas, ~
NE Sta and Neon, Man. q Tree &c are 50 OBJ.
viouss pictures or symbols that they have slw avs
beenrecosnized as such, ard have chosen these
worCs for examples to illustrate that feet as well.
The first European Sinslogues carried away by
this observation. aud tstonished to find the same
System OF writing prevailing over svast portoa CT
the 'arth where 1t appeared that different lan-
gusses VEG spoken, ran into the most extrava-
gan conce ptions Of its structure aud properties
The supposed that it consisted Of wonderful col
ecaon of photographic symbols so perfectly devised
az 10 be- quite iutelligible when addressed to the
eys OF person who underttood nothing Of the
spoken language 10 which hey related or rather
that they related 10 no spoken language whRtso-
ever. aud that ia some magical way a ChiGese, q
Cochin, Chinese aud japanese, who had never
stem each other beidre and who could not under
sand word of each others conversations, we're
a&e; communicate inteliisi with each other as
sou as writing was resorted TO. Notwthstsnd
in, the contra diction of their senses and their
inability To understand these 50 called in,eis bic
symbols they promug sted this theory to the world
anc the deluson was never eatirely dispelisd
untl our distinguished oOuntrymsn, Mr. Dapon-
cea,. devoted an elaborate treatise to demonsrst
ing 70 absurdi,y, and showing that the Chiposs
written language 10 only Ineligible to the people
Of dfferent nations in the same manner and De-
gree a. the Latin is intelligible 70 the learned Of
different countries in Europe. when written or
printed, while their differences Of pronunciation
woGa proven, them from understanding esoh ssh-
er ifhey were tospeak il. Since then the leaned
worI has leaned quite to al opposite extrs me
csllel TIE Phonetic Theory oontended for by Mr..
Dupcpceau and since made the basis, BY n. Cal.
lery. French Catholic Missionary a, MScso, Of
m. r,es, work called Systsraa PaoHe,tcum NeJsp-
fb,. Ststc@.
is theory asserts that the great body st The
chsrfctus OF the Chinese System Of wrItisg are
not tscsrxphic, or that they are 50 IN psi cnly,
wh,l ttey are also phonetic, that is, that they
essS Ell formed upon the plan Of deno'ns The
Sc. o. !: spoken words which they represent
in L zaanl r somewhat similar to that which NJ.
chsnpslliop demonstrates to be the basis oil the
snoi ut f gyptisn writing, and allied to the usasl
pbo,e,c writing Of the Occidental naticns.
IL is csrtsin ths, the phonetic principle has
found representation in the language along with
the ysbohc, in wsy which is extremely curious
,ndw hch may be illustrated az follows;
L., u suppose ,ha, tho writing Of cur language
hsdseg begun on the Geographic Orsy mbOlic az,
,ndths to denote the ides o. the word WRIGHT
an srtsaa, especially IN veoG the rude picture Of
a n.aaaad . broad.ar, or kssciag isstruDsHf, hsd-
in hessrliest times, been adopted. Let as furth-
or ,ug,ose that in the process Of tine he outline
of he picture becomes abridged and obscured BY
us., sd that it is reduced practically to mere
srbitrsy sisn for the word ~r.sht and intimately
sssocits with that ,ossd or sfteranes. Suppose,
Ia ,hesxs place, when thu hss come to be the
CAFE, character 10 wanted to signify the idea Of
aur. rsl,gsoss ceremony. end that TOR this par-