True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-02-08
For the True American.

Mr.. EDITOR:-A contributor in the last
number of your paper, has learned dia-
gesis upon the subject of written Lam
guagc," commencing with some very dis
tinct remarks upon the faculty of speech,
I propose to notice. We are glad to OBJ
serve in this progressive age, the constant
tendency of ponderous intelligence to en-
tighten the poor Yahoo. He says: The
faculty Of speech is one of the noblest and
most valuable a benefcent and bountiful
Creator has conferred upon man. Ry this
curious and wonderful contrivance Quot
ing) "the feeting breath becomes the in
dex of the soul, the divulger and interpre-
ter of the invisible thought, and the great
bond and medium Of social intercourse"
I understand from these remarks, if they
mean any thing in this connection, that
the faculty of speech is situate in, and
arises from, the "wonderful contrivance"
of the vocal organs in man. The faculty
of speech is specifically refcrable to men
tai process, subject to the will. The vocal
apparatus is merely the instrument when
the mind learns to play uponit. A child's
vocal organs are well developed long before
it can speak The ear hears-the brain
responds, but it must first learn to use its
larynx. An idiot may have acute hearing
and a strong voice, but his brain being de-
ficient, he is incapable of speech. For the
same reason, an ourang-outang does not
use our language, and may have no know
ledge of written language. Perhap, I
misunderstood you. You may have deter
mined the materialism of the mind and re-
fer to mental contrivance for the manu-
featuring of speech? You say, "this en-
dowmcnt, more than any other, distinguish
es him from the rest of Gods creatures.
1t is from it the gift of reason derives its
great intrinsic excellence and superiority"
What compliment to us poor ignorant
Yahoos, the first sentence is The ccle,
brated parrot of Col. O'Kelly could sing
about fifty tunes perfectly-solemn psalms
and numerous ballots, articulating every
word as distinctly as man, without max.
ing a single mistake, beating time with its
foot, turning round on its perch, and mark
ing time as it turned. If person sung
part of a tune, it would take it up where
he left off and continue it, and when moult
ing or unwilling to sing, would turn it
back and say, "Poll's sick"
The philosopher Leibnitz, brought dog
before the Academic of Sciences in Paris
that could articulatc thirty words, among
which were tea, coffee, chocolate, Assem-
bly,, &c, He was always unwilling to ut
ter these words, and had to be forced 81
to do. I have no doubt that this dog a
least had metcmpsychosed spirit in him
but still you might descend to pay poo
Yahoos higher compliment. The las
sentence quoted, is craw-fsh sentence, 0
the printer commenced to set it up at tn
wrong end of his stick. TO be true, j
should read-it is from the gift of reaso
that speech derives its great intrinsic ez
cellence and superiority. I would like
know if it is speech or the vocal organs
that distinguishes man from the rest {
! Gods creatures?
1t must be your "contrivance." Th
: tongue, the "unruly member that is mad
to talk with, is not even necessary to speecl
Roland gives the case of a child who lo
r her tongue when six years old, yet 81
could speak, spit, chew, swallow and tast
n De Jussien exhibited the case of Port,
:, gucse girl before the Academic of Science
/ in Paris in 1893, who was born without
+ tongue. She could talk, spit, chew an
taste. Many similar cases are reported
+ Do tell us all about the "contrivanccs
# in your next edition. You say that wri
ten language is an art of human origin
!. st. Syril, Clement of Alexandria, Eus
# bus, Isadorc, and others, say it is not
# that its origination transcribed hum'
n power, and was divine gift to man.
# am with you here, II X *, while there is
W jaw-bone on the battlefield Let us ha
] a new edition of No. l, with commen
,r and glossary. P. P.
VI For the True American
Or Rule for Improvement.