Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-10-19

PedantrV

0nSHSNe Siah ptuantry. The unlearned
feels wounded, insulted. and grieYously
offended by a boastfaI, vain-glorious show
OF learning, and the true, real, dignified.
modest scholar, who really has learning.
Is Disguised and CALLED to the very quick
at the degradation and debasement thus
put upon genuine scholarship. Hence it
ID loathed by both the really learned and
unlesrned.
1t is the characteristic of pedantry that
it cannot comprehend principles its idol
is precedent, and its food technicalities,
and the smaller and more unessential
these are, the sweeter tot its taste There
fore the pedant is never person of com
prehensive mind, or Of scientific learning
but is narrow and superficial in every
thing.
In literature the true grammarian new
er bubbles over an unessential, technical
mistake Of q writer, or proof reader it
is only when fundamental principle of
grammarishabitually and grossly violated,
that the violation is noticed. The true
rhetorician does not find fault with gem
eral smoothness and elegance Of style be-
cause Of an unessential figure, which may
very forcibly convey the thought inten-
ded, but which would not bear severe
analysis by the rules of the school it is
only when gross perversions Of all rules.
when every illustration and figure is I'M
naturally distorted, and given with bonn
bastic volublity, that exceptions are ia
ken, and the style criticised.
Technical criticism under any other
circumstances, belttles the critic and de-
grades the science. And especially is
this the case when it is directed to the
mistakes of country, local newspaper,
in pioneer America, where the editor has
20 perform multitude Of duties. such as
setting type. pressing, rolling, folding and
mailing papers, and attending to all the
details of the business Of the establish
lnent who is generally obliged to give
his manuscript, written in the greatest
hurry, in the intervals between the most
pressing and conflicting other duties, to
illiterate apprentice boys, who has to read
proof running, which proof again has
to be correcteu by boys and where nccessi-
~ does not permit the care essential to
correct style.
We make no pretension to learning
Our opportunities have been limited, and
we grievouSly feel the want of acquire
mentS we have not got. Sometimes we
are greatly mortified, even, at our short
comings.
Judge then Of the magnanimity Of
twitting US thereof and Selling every
possible opportunity of exhibiting our
errors in this line.
Our neighbor Of the Democrat came
to this City protesting eninence as
teacher. He had had all the advantages
of collegiate education, and boosted the
attainments of the highest learning.
lie was employed in oar High School
We will not inquire why he was dismis-
sed at the expiration Of his first year, and
another one employed at much higher
salary, but so it was. ..s..
After spending some years at the study
OF law, and an attempt to get into prac
tice in another City which utterly failed,
he came back here. and went into the
Democrat establishment. ...
lie heralded his advent with the same
old flourish Of trumpetS, with Greek and
ADMINISTRATIONS, and all possible pedant.c
display of learning.
All this was we'll enough if he and his
realers liked it, but he soon commenced
picking at what he f,ncied our literary
blunders. This caused our article of
few days ago.
This case Is no exception to the universal
rule. We never knew a pedant who was
either man Of comprehensive mind or
scholar-who either understood princi-
pie, possessed any logic or had any real
positive learning. We never knew one
who made display Oft pretended knowl-
edge of Latin and Greek, who was mas
ter of English. Our neighbor verifes the
rule. There is not one Of our State eX-
changes which exhibits such gross viola
tlons of correct styleSand the simplest
rulcs Of grammar. Such bald ign france
of the requirements of syutax, punctua-
ton, and paragraphing we do not rememS
Der ever before TO have seen in profess
slonal editor But we said nothing ebout
It, feeling it beneath the dignity Of the
profession to do 50, till heprovoked it by
repeated attacks upon us, and then we
exhibited the wretched ignorance which
he displayed in oaly one column Of his
paper. And We did not select points at
long intervals. We took it just as he
sent it out in one number, and all his ed
itorial in that, and showed a bluutlcr of
an ignoramus in every article. Aud we
did not select cases where there might
have been q mistake of the type setter :;
they were all Enthusiastically the result of
his own ignorance and stupidity.
TO this exhibit he has replied in his
last by Seren different articles, being