Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-08-17

a language he does not understand by
means oft" A Yankee then could
read the phonotypic "First Book" in
telligibly to Mickmack without un-
derstanding it himself. This is the
perfection Of universal alphabet.
An alphabet applicable thus to any
new language, is ofcourse applicable
or susceptible of being made applica-
BILE to the old or already written Ian
puages Of the civilized world, and so
far as Europe. west Of the Scalvonic
race is concerned, 1t may be adopted
about as indifierently as our Teutonic
brethren use either the Germanic or
Romanic type. We are thus in sight
Of universal alphabet.
". Phonotypy opens the prospect
Of rendering the English universal
language.
The ambition Of the French to render
their language universal is destined to
total failure. On the contrary, the far
extended conquests, colonization. COM
mcrce and annexation Of the Anglo
Saxon race is spreading with Protes-
tantism, the English language over
the globe. On our hemisphere its
triumph is inevitable. Liberia and
other colonies, English colonies are
taking care Of Africa. California,
the Sand wich Islands. and Australia
are, for the first time, bringing the
Pacific. with her sunny isles and ASH
attic margin, broadly into history, and
overspresding the whole with the En-
glish language. India will pour the
same language into more central
Asia. A similar Anglo.Saxon pro-
gress for another half century will Sc
cure. at least, it's predominance.
How suitable Is the English Ian.
guage for this high Office Of univer-
salty? Let a French authority, the
Abbe Sicard. furnish the only reply we
have room to give. "0fall languages,
the English is the most simple, the
most rational, and the most natural in
its construction. Those peculiarities
give it a philosophical character; and
copious, no language seems better cal.
culsted the intercourse Of mankind as
a universal medium Of communication. -
What is the great obstacle 10 the IN.
iversality Of our language. Let a
learned German authority. DR.. X. M
Rapp, furnish answer English may
pass for the general language Of all
the world. with the exception Of Eur.
ope. This idiom has become incom.
parably flowing. from bold mixture
and consequent resolution of the gram.
matical form OF its Gothic and Roman
elements, and certainly appears dee
tined more than any erliving tongue
10 play this part The suitableness oI
this language for universal adoption
would be sull more evident were It moi
obscured by n whimsicaliy antiguated
oyfhography. and the other nations ol
Europe may esteem themselves fortu.
nate that the English hare not made al,
discovery"
We trust we have shown some rea.
son for believing that phonotypy re.
moves a main obstacle to the univer.
sal spread Of the English language.
Among the causes Of international
misunderstanding, such as hereditary
prejudice, wars and barbarism. the diff
Ierences Of languages are one Of the
greatest. The curse Of Babel Is sec
ond only to the curse of Paradise Lost
The press, the newspaper. the rail
road. the telegraph. and commerce. are
primary civilixers. because they inter
mix mankind, combine them into
common interests. melt away preju.
dice, aud tend TO form a family Of ma
tions. Yet the separating walls oI
linguistic differences still stand. but
imperfectly overcome. Were Russia
our nearest neighbor. and England
our farthest. language alone would
reverse the Intellectual and sympalhet'
ic distance. Did but one language
pervade the world. how comparatively
rapid the advance Of universal knowl-
edge. science. and religion would be-
II Is against this formidable linguistic
difficulty that the Christian Church, nj
great expense and labor. is struggling,
In the making Of her grammars and
other pathological apparatuses, her
translations and her printing presses.
for the different tribes Of the babbling
earth. Now the spread OF one great.
simple, powerful language over the
globe. borne by aphilosophical ortLog.
raphy, acquirable in a few hours,
bringing into reach the richest litera-
ture in the world. would all but re-
verse the curse Of confusion and 60 far
to spread the remedy Of the Gall. And
how exultant the thought thatit sho'd
be our own English American tonguel
Certainly, to attain sogrand aconsum-
nation. the sacrifice Ola narrow-bred
attachment to our present type and
photography would be . most cheap
concession.
V. Itmay be specially claimed foi
photography, OF phonetic shorthand
|. That It can be writ IN times
as fast as the ordinary hand. A
common writer may write from forty
TO forty-6vs words minute; a pho
nographer nearly two hundred. Ar
average speaker utters about one hun
drcd and fifty.
2. That while its analysis of ele
ments is very profound and complete
is characters are so simple. and it,
principles so clear. that it is easily ant
quickly learned. 1t has little Of ih'
arbitrary in its system.
2. That it is legible, and far mor'
unequivocal than the common hand
It is, therefore perfectly safe for thu
merchants book account, or the mos
important legal document.
4. That it expresses the exact pro
nunciation Of the writer. II henc,
forces us to correct perception Of tn,
true pronunciation Of the word. II w
pronounce wrongly. we shall infallibl,