The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-04-29
C0lltoticunl.
For The Cecil wis
POPULAR EDUCATION.
20. Il.

POPULAR ED,C.lTiON.
20. aga.
In my last article, | cndcayorrd to Illus
| tratc the extreme carclcSsncSs with which ctr
orho2mrhy WAS originally composed. 1t
was unworthy Of Difference, and the great
changes tat were made, from time TO time
during the two following centuries, shows
that but little difference was paid to it. Yet
there is reason to believe, that our rude an
ccstors were not SO entirely arbitrary in tlcir
spelling, us might he Supposed. The pro-
nunciatlon of many words has changed, while
the spelling RENAL IS nearly as it was, when
first adopted. We cannot speak with conf
| lence Of the dialect Of the | ith century: but
there is strong reason to think that the spell
ill.," OF that period represented the prOnuncid-
ton then in use. quite as we'll as or lJrUnun-
citation is represented by our present orthog
rIphy. Up to Il comparatively recent period
in utterng such words as '.would,' s.could. :"
&c, the .sl'' WIS sounded. There is little
doubt that in many other words letters now
silent, were heard when first introduced there.
Their pronunciation has been refined, to suit
our modern taste, 50 that with all the i'm
rrovcmcnts tiiat have been made in our or
biography; it is now rs far from the truth, as
it was in the days of The poet Ch2nccr.
1t was during the reign Of Edward the
Third-about the middle Of the l4th century
that the English language was recognized,
as the language Of the nation. The. hitherto,
degraded outcast, now baskcd III the beams
Of royal favor. Chaurcr attUncd it to the
muses., and WicNinr cmbaNncd it with the
words Of Divine Inspiration.
The next succeeding ages Witnessed Il sue
ccssion ofpocts, drama:sts, plilosol hers and
statesmen, who extended the area, and clc-
waited the character Of English literature
Borrowing terms from the Latin, French, and
other sources, to supply its deficiencies, they
| left their impress upon the language. until,
in the writings of Addison, we find it brought
to Il degree of ease, elegance, and pcrslicui-
~, that is yet regarded as Il standard tor I'M
| itation.
Bat it is chiefly its orhography that con-
cerns It's now. 1t was during tile three cen
turtles prior to the time Of Addison, that most
Of the changes from the original spelling,
were effected. The changes since then, are
50 slight, they are scarcely noticcd whereas.
Il stanza Of Spencer, is TO us, in an unknown
tongue. Soon after this period, DR.. Johnson
in his Dictionary, fixed the modcrniZcd stand
ard Of spelling. The Doctors standard how
ever would not stay fixed; but since bis time,
improvement has moved 50 slowly, that it
would require nearly thousand years for us
to approximate the truth, 10y this process.
In the meantime, the area Of our literature
has been extending. It's Importance has been
increasing. It's character has been assuming
a more dc cded form. The nations who are
under its influence. have been extending their
dominions, and rising in the scale of great
ness above other nations Of the earth. The
English tongue is extending its sway over
eycry,del artment OF civilized life. 1t now gives
laws and literature, science and the bible, to
all admiring world. From the island Which
nurturcd its infancy, it has been planted at
posts across the eastern continent, and OK
banded into mighty empire on the shores Of
the Indian Seas. Onr Anglo American en-
crgy has thrown it across the belt of our hem
| isphcrc; from whose western borders, il has
| lcapcd from isle to isle over the broad Pacific;
and thus completed the girlle of the earth.
Carried norhward by our whale ships, its
tones are rcvcibcratcd from the ice cliffs of
the Polar Seas; willie the missionaries Of the
Cross, have borne its accents. to the remotest
Islands oftlic South 1t promises to become,
the world over, the language of poetry and
literature; science and philosophy; Of nation
al diplomacy; and above all, the language in
which the truths of the Christian Religion
are presented to man. Thus, it seems des-
tined, to give tone to the best and nobcst
impulses Of the human race. Men of other
tongues, look upon ours rs the panoply ofcivil
and religious liberty; the oppressed of all ma
tons regard it as the pathway to the land of
promSc--so wide spread is the field Of En-
glish lteraturc-so exalted seems to be the
mission of our mother tongue, and so impcra-
tive the call--to open wide its treasures to
the whole family of man. But SO long as it
remains invested with an orthograpIy, which
the scholar of an English nursery cannot
learn, what ground has the foreigner to hope
from its advantages.
Go be Conhuued.)
| ---- 40 s----