Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-01
language .ganst the intrusiOns o. prOyneasnas sad

good for much" speak in tho vulgate nor does Z
appear that alone in this opinion fo,~0oofuhs
to Mr. Mulligan ''nsnifcst proof arc IN 'he
complaints or ana gramnarans that the friends
Of education are sensible Of the defects Of old systems
and ardently desire reformation = and in the treatise
whose title appended at the head Of this artcle Mr.
Mulligan has adopted plan Of arrangement entirely
different from that of preceding grammarians, and trusts
that to all udicious teachers the innovations he has
introduced will appear Improvement We are afraid
that we do not estimate the Importance of English gram
mar as highly as either Mr.. Bailey Mr. Mulligan. The
science of grammar in the idea of Mr. ulligan, lays
Tor at least should lay the foundation OF all sound logic
and all true eoquence has the closest connexion with
thinking we'll with the correct transmission
OF the products Of thought from mind TO mind and serves
natural and indispensable Introduction
of intellectual training and the first step in phosophi
cal education" We cannot with any assertion
made in this sentence unless be that contained in the
parenthess to which We take no exception whatever
" Grammar" says Mr. Bailey, sis the science Of Ian
guage. Ii teaches the art Of speaking and writing
rccty. English grammar teaches the principles and right
construction Of the English laaguagc With the latter Of
these definitions could entirely if Of were
substituted for teaches" We doubt whether it is
acty true that English grammar teaches American and
English pupils the Of speaking and writing their mother
tongue correctly Nay, more deny the propriety of
applying the term art" to that Of speaking and
writing which English grammar processes to teach its
learners. But let us explain our idea more fully.
1t is quite accurate to say that Latin grammar teaches
its learners the art of speaking and writing the Latin
language CORRECTLY, for in this case the learners are
strangers TO the tongue with whose principles and right
construction the grammar proposes to mako them
quainted and here the grammar does teach the rudi-
ments Of the '.art far they learned It is
not however equally accurate to say that .gs gram
teaches its learners the Of writing and speaking
the English language correctly" because in this case
the learners supposed to be already familiar with the
language (as an art whose principles and right
structionP the grammar proposes to teach Now far
English grammar is relied upon to teach an American
or Lngish scholar the art Of speaking and writing his
own tongue correctly, just so far in our opinion, viii
this reliance prove fallacious All the hundred and
one English grammars in use,' about which Mr..
Bailey writes in his preface viii enable the Eng
sh learner TO speak write his vernacuar with cor
rectness proprety To this end the mere study of
English grammar affords the English student scarcely
any apprecable The rules of grammar are not
sufficient faulty vulgar ction which habit
and association have ngraned in the very nature Of the
speaker If he would avoid sins against good grammar
he must avoid the evil communications" by which his
vernacular has been corrupted and seek amend
his speech by first mending his ways and associatng
Chesterfeds' that have ever Eeen published will we
fancy be found inadequate to make their students pol
ished gentlemen. The rules OF good breeding may be
conned and learned by rote and yet fail to teach the
learner the art Of conducting himself with propriety in
polite society Nothing short Of association with gen
tlesnen can make man genteel. Rules will not make
amends for this deficiency, and needless where no
such deficiency exists. And too the proprietcs Of
language only be learned in the society of educated
who least addicted to violate those propreties
The rules of grammar are rendered superluous when
this society is habtuallg cultivated and viii prove in
sufficient to work where this advantage wanting
The expression of ideas similar to these a former
occasion and in another place having brought upon
head the objurgation Of distinguished modern gram
marian, deem it prudent in thi. renewed
slsught the hundred and English grammars"
shelter feebeness behind the Teemonan shield
Of whose claim to speak with authority will be
disputed among English grammsriaus 1t is Prof Il. c.
LATHAM, who holds the following language
| /" The point upon which l 4 = most urgently in
sis is the discipline! character Of grammatical studies in
general combined with the fact that the grammatical
study OF ones own language is almost e1cuspey dsci
pined. IL is undoubtedly that in schools some
thing that is called English grammar is taught and
is taught pretty generally But what is it
that is thus generally taught Not the familiar practice
Of speaking English that has been already attained by
the simple fact Of tho pupils having been born Eng
sh soil and Of English parents Not the scientific theo
ry Of the language that is impossbiity with tile
isting textbooks Neither, then Of these matters is
taught Nevertheless labor is expended and time is
suned. What is taught? Something undoubtedly The
facts that language is or ess regular d. capable
OF having its structure exhibited by rules j that there
i such thing grammar and that certain expressions
should DC avoided, all matters worth knowing, and
they are all taught by the method Of teaching
But are these the proper objects Of sysenc teaching
Is the Importance of their acquisition equivalent to the
me the trouble and the displacement of more valuable
subjects which are involved in their explanation? Such
- not the case. Gross yulgary Of language is fault
70 be preyented but the proper prevention is be got
from habit not rules Grammar n an ART il nm
doubtedly the art Of speaking and writing corrective but
then as an art is only required in foreign languages
For our own we have the necessary practice and fam
liarity"
The chief value to be derived by the English student
from the grammatical study Of his own tongue is to be
sought, according this idea in the disciplinary inu
it exerts the mind Of the learner IL the same
amount Of study which Is ordinarily bestowed on the
rules Of English grammar be devoted the rules which
govern and regulate the games Of chess or cricket
the benefit will nc much the same, far either shall
conducc in reality to speaking and writing the English
language correctly II this be to disparagc oil English
grammar fer English learners pare yrammatic2rur dire
ruos." But do not disparage them by thus reduc-
ing them from their defined their actual function An
grammarians have taken hold Of the sub
Jet by the wrong handle. Instead OF saying that gram.
mar Is scisn which teaches The art Of speaking and
Wrting correctly, it Il at accurate and more
according to the order Of nature say, the drf Of
peaEngsn and writing correctly teaches the Of gram
mar" For how is the grammar OF living language