New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-13

THIn nAY-EyENTNG SESSION.

At II p. NJ. the Convention assembled
the fret Presbyterian Church 10 Broad St largo
number Of ladies' we're 10 attendance, and the proceed
fugs were OF much interest.
The business of the evening was Lee
turesy Prof ANsoN J. UFsoS, Of Hamilton College
on the subject Of the Enssh Language In America"
Inc theme was interesting and tbs lecture was very
instructive and entertaining
THk ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN AMERICA.
The lecturer referred at first 70 the re-
puIsiveness Of pathological studies, of photography
We often ask Why waste much time Ia teaching
words-shy not teach things He contendsd tn.t
words, when understood, things conveying to the
minds eye tie thing sse. When die, all that will
be e, of u.s. will be the few words which make up our
rames Who can afford TO blot from American books
the name OF Warrington Does no: that word repre-
sent glorious reality . But words also represent
ioees-tbey are thoughts IS well as thinsL
TIE Greeks and Laans believe speech TO
be divine, and personiSed Il In Mercury tie
proceeded 10 call attention 20 the history
Of Eugisn words. The European languages are named
Japne,ic sfter Noahs son. There are 10. grand di
y.ions-SlsvoIc, TsutoDc, &c Ths Eogsh language
IL 1T the Teutonc family Ne referred 20 the decline OF
the CEN. Hr traced the re Of the SaXons and their
arrival 10 Enssud, and then tina Invasion 81 the Cen
Queror and the establishment of Norman French There
French, The Clergy Latin and the pc. pie Ang oS,xJn
but the people De they always must h0sly tdunphsd.
The speaker traced the SLOW development OF our Ian
gusge from Edward 20 Elizabeth. TIE printing OF
eooks and the revival OF classical s'rdes gave
10 oUrlangusse great impulse Blu TIL. classical study
filed the speech with Lsdn woros, ss developed 10
Milton. Soon after these, came direct reverse Tde
writer's OF Charles I'D time vent the o.Aer extreme,
and were oso,ive In their use Of exclusive English
vulgsrisms. Then another change, and the pure
Eneli,h undecided came in e'iiian. stream from
Addison aid his compeers. Thencotorth, AZ 10 pro-
eress and moo the language is spoken by - 100000.
aDd will be by OO UOOUQO before the end Of
tuiy tie wert consider the next point, III chief
characteristics Of the language Our'sususseJ cop1us
to- wonderful degree; In Weosters Dictionary are
OOOO wores from al the tongues Of earth. Yes not
sixth Of these used Ia Ordinary life COp;Ousness and
variability other features lie explained tbe sdsp
tsu"n of words TO idea. Saxon is sirn9ls and even
vulgar, cay LGlinis pompous ann distihet lie
ccp,rasted swim and JOhusOn MacNUlay and Carlyle
aud others Our tongue Is asa especially harmonious
though Byron Old say Of H. We are Obliged 10 hiss,
arc SPIT ard spUer an He sho we'd the absurdity Of
an attempt once made to soften our language by adding
vowel iermnsjons The speaker said nature gave her
children two lonesome for the sweet aud sunny SOUTH
and harsher for the rude and stormy north.
Those Who say there 10 no music In the English Ian
eu-ge mpst forget Campbell Moore Dartei Webster.
He the last view of his subjsct-the char.
ac;eslics OF our language which are peculiar 20 our
own country Il was indeed singular thst sh oud so
firmly sohere to taat language when we were made up
OF all nations Of Europe We were settled here By
Suedes and Germans. French and Spanish, az well as
English And now when the great flood 1T European
emigration is likely 20 be met from the West by TIDE
OF long queuC1 Chinese am astonhed that we do not
speak some unheaTd OF language One reason Tor the
prevalence Of English is ia capacity 70 take words from
every other others refuse tas aud oorrow little
or nothing We spoak English because We have natural
Ted II words of every other people He wsntou IN ex
plain the nutaons Of language; the various shades OF
| meaning modified by climate, By goyernment by
usage, 60 He favored the cultivation of tho Eoslsh
| M spiug Of clever" guess smart Sc. He mex,
spoke Of the addition Of words by the necessity OF
naming new things We have colEed some woIdS, such
! as cracker" " caucus" &c. &c.
As usual, the necessity of leaving for
New York took away from tho lecture ust when !,
was getting to be the most interesting