The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-09-01

be Hey Wings" Both forms are clliptica; bat the
evident intention being TO say let them b. Wings
or let them be Democrats" and not whether they
be Wings or whether they be Democrats" I ann
ready 10 maintain before all the schoolIna~ters la
the country that the expression attributed 10 Gen
eral Taylor is strictly grammatical and proper. II
conveyed precisely what he meant 10 say, in the
most concise possible form; and the ounces who
carp at il would do well TO study Lindley Murray
before meddling again with matters which they do
not understand. We can pardon am occasional in
fraction Of the laws Of syntax by veteran who
has passed the better part Of his life the tented
field in the service Of his country; but what niea
of contempt shall we accord TO the scribcs aud
scribblers who, IN attempting TO pick flaws in the
brave old mans grammar, and rdicule him there
for, only show that he beat them even in the
use of modes and lenses, and who commit tres
passes against syntax (Which will point out by
and-by) OF which unbreeched urchins would be
ashamed
We had very hearty laugh the senior edi-
tors maize speculations his being dotard %
1t is only equaled by Dogberry's 'sremember, mas
ter, that ass ~ Here is the passage in the
Union of the 23d Besides, if the senior editor be
| n dotard, what becomes of the two vigorous minds
which associated with him in the management
of the Union? Surely they too not dotards.' -
Is not this delicious Is there any thing in " Peter
| Simple" or in the story of Moses and the green
spectacles essentially comic? None but itself can
be its parallel!
Here is something almost verdant and funny
s'The opposition has some license; but the Admin
stration when it speaks through its confidential
friends in Congress, or through its authorized press
should haze regard to decency honor, and truth
Here the seqlitT is irresistible, and justfes this
palpable construction although Toe, the sole or
| gan, have no regard to decency honor, and truth
il is no reason why you should not" How the AMI
mus of the writer out in the very pores of hi,
style! In the same paragraph with this he breaches
the sentiment that truth and honor obligations
more or less imperative, according to the station
the individual! So that he would introduce a sor
of sliding-scale of morals-high for cabinet minis
/ tiers, and several pegs lower for editors.
Will it be credited, that in the two numbers o
the Union where the President ia ridiculed for al
expression falsely stamped as ungrammatical, anC
where he is pronounced ''weak, ignorant, (t) ano
unskiled," the following gross violations of gram
mar, (for which school boy would be horsed, J
occur in editorial paragraphs:
"And what must the country think Of cabine
,uho stands by and permits their predecessors, hold
ing high apositon in the estimation of the Amer
lean people they do to say the least to be foully
and shamefully traduced and maligned bya news
paper holding the relation of official organ t.
them, for whose course they responsible"
The old schoolmaster here at Hull would give al
urchin nine years old rap over the knuckles, tina
| would make them black and blue, for such mis-
use of a collective noun is here exhibited TX
show that it is not accidental here is the blunde
in an aggravated FORM on the same page:
"The organ has not answered one of these ques
tons. We again repeat them; and if the organ can
not procure the information which then call 70
from the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary o
the Treasury, the Secretary of State, perhaps
can from the Solicitor of the Treasury, to whom
acknowledges itself indebted for 80 much informa
ton"
Here we have the organ, first singular, thel
plural, then singular again, all in five lines! Tru
ly a most miraculous organ! And these are tn
PHYSICIANS who pirate of the Presidents 'sscorn o
the rules of GRAMMAR
Another specimen of the nice grammatical sens
Of our Locofoco critics is where the Union (edito
loquitur) says of the Wings: 'They gained tn
confidence of the people by false promises, which
after they had obtained, they shamelessly viola
ted"
How should have trembed for the boy who hat
| taken up his composition, with sentence like thi
in it, To old Master Cheever! "What'' the old maj
would have exclaimed, accompanying the ejacula
ton with adroit twist of the writer's ear, "What
sir, don't you know that the rioldti0n of falls
promise is tantamount TO the keeping of true one
Go back TO your seat, blockhead, and learn. Z
think of the meaning of words before you put then
ON paper"
All, my dear Union, it is dangerous for peop
who live in glass houses to throw stones. / couls
60 on picking fifty such flaws in your crack indig
nation leaders. II is not with your vicious grammar
that find fault but with the impudent charlatan
ism which thus repeatedly mutilates the King
English in print, in the very breath in which i
-neers a old soldier for ungrammatical speech
sincerely trust that, If the SENIOR should find
irksome 10 take up the study Of excellent httl
work entitled .Cobbett's English Grammar 10
Adults" he will recommend it to the ''two vigor
Gus minds'' for their immediate and attentive pc
russl.
" In the name Of God" says Luther, ''begins a
mischief" Now he Is going TO propose some
thing rascslly," says young Watkins, as Pecksnif
with groan and roll of the eyes, begins TO tai
Of his accountability to God" One is not star
tied, therefore, when the sanity Union, rapt int
Pecksniffian indignation breaks forth follows
in regard 10 the Wings: " We shall hold them &C
oountable for this stupendous fraud, by which
nation was cheated Of its true choice. To God an
the people they must answer"
Such a summons would be blasphemy in bisho
or pope bat ina this instance il Is simply bombas
for,
Fools rush in where angels fear TO tread"
The writer would seem 10 be under the hallucna
ton that he Is not only the sole organ Of the De
mocracy," but that his Is the VoI Pop,h and tn
por De-. Ifsuch are the impostors, what must b
the dupos'
The sea, the sea, the open, open sea,
The blue, the fresh the ever free
The ever, ever free"
'iiush your singing there. captain, and let m
finish this letter"
"Not word more, Mr.. President, The boat
ready-thc sails are Aapping-books and lines al
laid Out-the company waiting TO start and tn
FISH waiting TO be caught SO put down your pen
and come along"
Thank you ! have finished 40 lead on, IN,
guide, philosopher, and friend"
TOM COD.