The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-08-07
THE UNION.
From The Philadelphia Bulletin.
How 20 spell.


tn. Nav YORK legislature at its late session, author
lied the introduction of Webslers Dictionary into me
common schools standard oil orthogfapny AZ tp,r
certain of the journals OF that STATE ate exceedingly
wroth. !. -, ,I;
In uiilitarsn aspect this anger rs, perhaps, rdicu
lous Most people would say that whether plough
should be spell piov plough would be Of small I'M
poriance practically for that, provided readers Knew
what was meant the orhogaphy would DC OF secondary
value We Americans look at the mater o. a ming SO
much that care comparatively hle lof 'ne manner
and therefore TO sensible, everyday men, II seems su-
rerJavey foolish TO waste words IN dsputing whether
traveller should be spet with one or Two whether axe
should have an or not whether theale snooa end ~
re or in err But literary the affair presents itself
in quite different aspect Accustomed to certain stand
ard OF photography they shocked 10 see violated
the especially as they are coase Ss class
and murder in The first degree 10 wfite puiid wihoa'
the u.
The authors partly right and psItly wrong Eng
without rule people generally spelling as they pleased or
following few standard books. in which the spe ling
fixed hy the printers Any psbsoS %s 0aiy
deren, authors from Bacon down. through Shatesbury.
lam and Sir Walter Scott If in his library he has bio
graphical works. containing original letters, printed with
out change in the spelling, he still more conclusivey
convince himself OF the truth Of our assertion As lG lay
fered such degree in their orthography that was
find two persons always spelling alike Asa gen
word dozen letters being employed when half the mum.
Der would have suicsd 30 that modern reader almost
ancies his great gandsires 10 have admired word as ne
respected cheftan, by the length OF its following. In
deed il is difficult sometmesl 10 understand old BOOKS, the
words spelt 80 oddly.
There is therefore, no real standard of orthography in
the language Every century has seen changes gong on
10 the spelling OF English words such as would be in
credible the unnitiaed AT different epochs indeed,
certain general practices have prevailed but they have
eventually given way, by slow degrees, to others and
thus in time, radical alteration has come about Per-
haps during the first forty years OF this century greater
unanmty orlhography existed than at any period OF
the galaxy of brilliant writer's then fourishing, and
whose works were printed by Murray, Constable and
other publishers using common standard oil spelling. IL
against the conventional model thus brought into use
that Noah Webster waged war He undertook TO regu-
late photography by rule For this task he was in many
respects peculiarly fitted He not only had extensive
learning but he possessed the shewdness 10 detect what
of reform was best adapted TO the genius OF our
people. His scheme 10 simplify spelling by abolish
ing redundant letters He spell mould without the ~ axe
without the e. and changed the final ough OF plough INTO
Had he adhered rgidy 10 this rule, his reform would
at have into favor; but lis inconsistencies
make il many and influential foes, who have persever.
ingly resisted its introduction
| Mr.. Webster was arbitrary and capricious to an
almost incredible degree. He spe traveller with one
and excellence with two; dIsil with two rs instead OF
one The termination OF words ending in re- adopted
from the French he commended, should be changed into
err YET in the dervave he ansposed The tr back 10 re
thus he spe theatre heaer, yet stuck 10 theatrical IN
stead of hsater,caf In like manner he adheres 10 SIN
gle in forget when according TO his dogma that Inc de-
ryatve should control the primitive should be forget
These and other absurdes lave been avorably pointed
out by Edwd Gould late essay, and have long made
Websters photography laughing stock among critics
In fact while pretending have reduced orfhograPhy to
science, he Lett it exactly where he found IT, arbitrary
irraonal-a thing of precedents. he result was tha
his spelling, with few exceptions, had made bat little
headway, until the Harpers, few days ago, having be-
interested in his dictionary, began TO print all ihe
books after his orthography. Since that time ti.e Web.
steran spelling has become more common VIII hnally
prevaf
We think it will Literary men generally continue to
oppose the change Washington Irving and other eminen
authors leading The opposition But the Harpers, uLes
we greatly mistake, will carry the day. publishing
house which annually issues millions OF copies OF d1eT
ent books yields tremendous power in conifovers,
like ,his for their readers gradually and nsenslby adop
their spelling Thousands OF persons who never heaTt
OF Irvings opposition TO the Websieran photography vii
ye peusng the books Of the Hapers come TO oot
up 10 that mode of spelling standard The bookse
have the power, though the authors may nave
the Arguments; and might will make right here, as toe
often elsewhere. A combination oil leading publisher
in favor of the old orhography can alone keep out ht
new But this combination ia scarcely possible. W.
make up minds, therefore, to see the lnnovahor
triumph The action OF the New York legislature is only
symptomatlc, we suspect OF the future action OF ohe
legislatures
1 And why should we regret iii As the bookseller
vented the Hapers but following in the foot
steps OF their illusirous predecessors" good hool
cannot be spoiled by the onhogaphy, nor car
a bad one be made better by the old. Let us accept des
| tiny, and be contenled as