The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-10-07
Conditional.
For The Cecil Hhig.
POPULAR EDUCATION.
NO. NH.

In this article propose to notice the OBJ
icclions by &. II. 7. published at the same
time with No. i of this series. ! shall take
th,m up they come in course, without at
| tempting rhetorical classification.
In the first place, he ntima.eS an apprc-
hcnSion, that "should Phonetic spelling pre-
vail, it would he a severe blow to all coun-
tries where the English language is used
Perhaps it would. But it would be the blow
of a summer shower, which, tho it may take
tn" form of the tempest, yet drives the pcsti-
lcnce before it, and leaves purity and fresh
vi:or in its track. But we have no fears that
the blow will lie strong enough, to dcrangc
| business: or upturn fortunes. We expect
| from it all the benefits, but none of tire evils,
of the hurricane. When vegetation is with
ering from drought. andanimated life is pant
ing in the stacnant air, we welcome the tenn
pest, to rcsuscilatc the energies Of droopin"
nature.
His priariml objection is, that sit destroys
the guide boards to the meaning of words. :"
Now il our obcctor be Il scholar in SanScrit
| and all the European idoms which may have
entered into the formation of our language, so
that he can trace in our ctymology the shades
of meaning fixed upon English words by our
German or llindoo ancestry, | haze, only TO
say, | cannot follow him iii that field. My
object in these essays is to treat of what may
he known and piacticcd by common folks.
Then, on this ground. weigh his objection.
| Nearly all the roots Of common words which
it is now practicable to trace, arc Latin This
| language, as stated in former article was
| spelled so nearly phonctcally, that our pro-
| posed change, will alter the appearance OF
| words of Latin origin, but little. 1t Will in
nowiSc interfere with tracing their derivation.
1t is that class of words, which composed our
| language before it was enriched by acccsSons
| from the Latin; that class, which abo'lnds in
our translation of the Bible and supplies the
vehicle of thought for the booklcss multitude,
that phonetic spelling will chiefly affect.
The spelling of this class of words, has I'M
tlergonc so much change since they formed
| the cmbcllishcd robe of Sponsors StanzaS, that
whatever value may be attached to fixed Or
biography, is already lost Besides, were
this not the case; were the spelling OF CHAT
Ger and that Of a California newspaper, idcn-
teal, who is there that would look through
this medium to the days of William the Con-
qucror, for the meaning of familiar household
words. Father, mother, dog, cat, with all
the conncCtivcs which form the vocabulary
of an English rustic, arc impressed upon his
senses from infancy: and as his mind expands,
practice renders him familiar with their
shades of meaning: Antiquarian, researches
can do nothing to inspire hn nv win confidence, ,
in his choice of language hoy are 100 oo,
scure in their results to afford satSlac'ioh' ana
powerlcss to change the ideas conveyed ny
modem forms of expression: Dlt whatever
advantage there may be III tracing analosles
OF words by Their Spyli.nS' cur olu no ., lay
be reprinted, II called ior' TO Sialiy inc curl
Gus inquirer with TINS literary pastilme.