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

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toward the foot Yet you propose to
the mass Of them reformatory reme-
iy at the risk OF nicknames and ridi-
,ule for your pains. Let this fact. at
any rate be we'll remembered-English
and Chinese can seldom or never be
completely learned even by native lit
erati. II is great proof Of semi-ciy-
ilizaticn in both races.
We call the attention Of teachers
and all controllers Of schools TO one
fact. The shortest way of
learning even our present spelling sys-
tenn is thorough phonotypy. This
has been repeatedly tried with uni
form result. One Of the most distin-
guished philologists Of our day, Dr.
Latham. of England. says: "The pres
ent writer is prepared with facts by
which he could verify the following
position. that If a child were taught at
tirst on the phonetic principle. and,
by graduated lessons, brought up to a
comprehension of the present orthog-
raphy. his reading would be taught
in half the time, half the trouble, and
consequently half the risk Of having a
distaste for learning engendered by
the difficulties of his studies involved
in the present system" This state
ment suggests the mode by which the
reform may be most advantageously
and fully answers the OBJ
lection deduced from the supposed
double trouble of at first learning
TWO methods both of spelling and rea-
ding.
We have thus far considered the
negative part Of the reform. namely.
the removal Of tina old rubbish, and
have answered the objections most
adduced. Wenext proceed
to the positive part, thegreat advanta-
ges accruing to the world from its
adoption.
ii. Phonotypy is the short way IL
an economical and universal education
A child can learn 10 read pbonotypy
in from twenty to forty hours. The
weeks, months and years now occupied
with the unaccomplishable task Of
mastering our mother-tongue are at
once vacated. and room is made for
more inspiriting studies. and more ad.
vantngeous and ennobling knowledge.
With how much more OF knowledge
might nota boy Of le or Is years be
and that too with much less
danger ofimpaired health. or an OBJ
tuse brain. than the dry drill Of our
present spelling process furnishes. In
a few days, IL necessary at Sunday
schools, ever, person could be taught
to read in these United States. Every
youth. man and woman, white or col.
ored. could be made to read phonoty-
pically, anda phonotypic Bible be
placed in hand. Phonotypic newspa.
pers might follow. and the multiplied
thousands who now control our ballot.
boxes. without knowing how TO read
their vote, might be taught to vote
intellgently. Phonotypy gives to the
poorest the key Of knowledge. OF
such reform Franklin long since
said. "Sooner or lateri il must be done,
OF our writing will become the same
rs Chinese as to the difficulty Of lear
ming and using IL; and il would al.
ready have been such if we had con.
tinued the Saxon spelling and writing
used by odr forefathers." We sub.
NIT that this consideration alone. ap.
pesling at once to the self-interest and
the benevolence OF every rejecting
man, is sufficient TO overbcar every ob.
lection. and to induce the rejection d
the old and the adoption Of the new
photography.
Ill. Phonotypy furnishes great
desideratum for reducing spoken Ian.
guages 10 IN unequivocal written Ian
guago. An invariable and universal
alphabet, applicable, or at least ex'
pansiole to all new aud hitherto un.
written languages. has long been felt
by philologists and missionaries to be
a great want. This practical want
may be best expressed in the words ol
Rev. Silas T. Rand. missionary to tie
Mickmack Indians. Nova Scotia: 81
adh no sooner begun the task Of lear
ming their language and reducing il "a
writiag. than the difficulties and alb
surdilies OF our so called photography
brought me to a stand. After succee.
ding In catching some Of their long
words. and fixing them, as ! fondly
hoped. upon paper, ! was disappoint.
ed to find that, so far rs the real pro-
nuneiation Of the words was concern.
ed. ! was just what was before. How
was to know which Of the 4 sounds
Of a to give to this letter? And so oI
the rest. This difficulty must have
been felt by others in the same case
l betook me TO Walkers Pronouncing
Dictionary. What does he do, said |,
when he attempts TO give the true
sound Of word? Here / found q
phonetic alphabet. ltwas clumsy
awkward one. but 1t answered tn,
purpose we'll. He gives four charac
iers for the sound Of a. It's done BY
placing the figures 1. e. 3. 4. ovel
this letter the other vowels ale distin
guished in the same way. "Com,
on, said l. now have it,. I sue
ceeded, and soon improved on this
showing. by the wey. that a phoneti,
alphabet is a want Of the age. i coo
place q mark over the vowels, and th,
same purpose was effected. The usu
al signs for long and short (-~) an
swered. Still here was bad defect
Often, in the hurry of writing. thes'
diacritical points would be neglected
and as consequence / would Offer
say one thing and write another.
There exists no standard alphabe
which can express the articulation O
any new language. We are gratifie,
to say that Mr.. Rand has been sup
Piled with IA First Reading Book il
Mickmack, from the Phonotypic pres
Of Pitman himself, at Bath. England
And how we'll Pitman's alphabet ma
served the purpose of COUGHING Mick
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