Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-08-11
e best Of all LANGUAGES. and

ably designate the best of all languages, and
give his reasons.
1t is fitting, therefore, that we conclude these
imperfect hints with flial tribute to this our
mother tongue, while describing its origin and
prophesying its destines.
The body of The English language is the
Saxon. The every day expressions, the house
hold words which make English truly Eng
lish, are of this tenure. Our names for most
objects of sense, political terms, our earliest
and dearest ties, emotions, metaphors, terms
of business, proverbs, humor, inyectve, pas
sion, all are Saxon. You may write whole
pages Of strength in its primitive monosylla-
bes, full of nervous and laconic energy. The
sublimest sentence ever written is expressed in
Saxon monosylables Aud God sad let
light be, and light was!' Il
The Saxon is first found by history in Han
over, along the Weser, during the fourth CEN
fury. Ii lay Graded there, in the midst of six
or seven other Teutonc tongues, which exhibit
large fund Of words common to them and it.
Translated to England, il was there en-
riched by Roman words belonging to the mill
tary art; by geographical terms belonging to
the Celtic nations by Greek and Latin words
relating to Christianity; by some Danish
words by Norman French, or semi-classic
words, partiularly in what relates to Feudalsm
and law; add TO all these, foreign words
brought from remote regions by worlds COM
merce, and scientific terms from the classics
and we have the copious, simple, energetic,
all-expressive, ACCOMMODATING English
which we boast as our mother tongue-with
all IFS wealth Of Mythology, history, biography,
and literature
Now the destiny of such language as this,
SO plant, SO powerful, stretching its living or
ganlsm from the earliest times of verbal Ian
guage to the present, cOmprehending in It's
structure all possible forms Of language
destiny of such language is written on its
forehead.
1t is the language of race who are to de-
veOp and perfect the material civilization OF
man, in accordance with principles Of Justice,
as the basis of higher spiritual progress than
man has ever before reached. lis business is
to exhaust all science, to penetrate every cor
ner Of the earth, and prepare all men for the
brotherhood of the future. Its mission is, TO
express il in brief Saxon force, TO giUe NIGH
10 right.
Sixty millions of the most fofcble ard right
minded people upon the earth now speak the
English language. These now control more
than two hundred millions Of the human race
English power gildles the earth, and the sun
sits not on her language. North America is
fast covering with an English-speaking people
who, in twenty-five years will number fifty
and in forty-seven years, one hundred millions
Australia equals Europe, or the United States
in size here is another Eng disappearing EN-
pire destined 10 rule Oceanica and Further
Asia. Africa is to speak English from the
Cape to Sahara.
The English language is not destined to die.
And who shall foresee or fOretell the definite
destinies it is to be the instrument of advanc
ing! The mind is staggered at the sublime
magnitude of the interests which will express
themselves in English, when it is spoken o.
understood by one-half the inhabitants of The
earth; when the government Of half the earti
is entrusted 10 laws written in English words
when the trade of two-thlrds Of the earth j:
conducted by factors making out their bills anC
doing their business in English; when more
than half the earth is taught by English books
finally, when American vigor has institution
lied freedom wherever there is people fit tC
be Free"