Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-09-05

Mr. EDITOR: AS thel g has been for some
time past quite an interest excited in some
quarters OF our State, among educational
m n, in an effort to change the photography
OF the English language, and consequently
to some extent it's etymoiogy, Il few rehec.
tions on the subject, by one of the commun.
ity, may not be out Of place.
The Phonetic system of spe ling, which is
the name adopted for the movement by its
friends, signifies, we believe, spelling by
sound The reform contemplates the spell
ling of every word precisely as it is pro-
nounced by modern usage. This pronuncia-
ton, as we understand the matter, is the
proposed standard Of the new spelling. 10
reach this end, it is necessary that every
elementary sound should be represented by
distinct character, making a new alphabet
necessary. This has actually been attempt
ed, and is the most noticeable feature in the
new school Of spelling. Such reform, it
will readily be seen, is sweeping and fun
damental one, aiming at nothing less than
the entire humiliation of ali the old famil-
lar and beautiful forms with which the ideas
of generations have been clothed, and with
which their ideas have become inseparably
associated, the utter destruction of all those
old time-honored symbols, by which the
home-dutles, the business relations, the
learning, the poetry, the obligations, the
hopes, the affections, and the aspirations OF
Il peoples lifetime Of centuries, have been
painted to their eyes, and the substitution
Of an uncouth fantastic medley of new and
strange characters, in which our mother
tongue is made to lose its identity, and to
look us if it had exchanged it's accustomed
garb for the cast-OH dusty clothes of some
ancient Syriao Or Coptic dialect, long since
gone to its grave.
TO justify so violent and unpopular a
change, the new reform should be able to
offer some very strong inducements. Its
friends should show conclusively its right
tulness, its expediency, and It's practicable
ity, three points which will demand, we i'm
agine, very cOgent and conclusive argu-
mentS.
The tide of the Phonetic excitement has
long since ebbed in the eastern States, and
we now seem to be feeling the retiring swell.
We think also that its reception in the west
has been a little more complimentary than
in the east. Whether that is owing to our
superior scientific and pathological learning
is question which the fact suggests. We
are glad to be ableto chronicle, on this sub
ject of Phonotypy, the opinions of the
members of that learned and eminent body
of scholars and philosophers, the American
Association for the Advancement of Science,
lately in session at Montreal, and whose pro-
ceedings, occupying twenty -one columns
OF closely printed matter in the New York
Tribune, are fraught with new and interest
ing information on all departments of
science and art. Dr. Mcllvaine, President
Anderson, and Prof. Wilson, all expressed
their decided disapprobation of the move
ment, and Prof Haldeman treated it's pre-
tensions quite jocularly. DR.. McIlvaine
''thought that the language of nation was
the natural expression Of its thought and
life, and if nation were to adopt new
language it would ruin its Developments
President Anderson ssthought an arbitrary
language would be monstrous +" No one
who has once seen specimen of the new
spelling, but will be struck with the propri-
ETY. of Mr.. Anderson's terming it an ssarbi-
trary language" ''and monstrosity.''
Such is our humble opinion Of Phonotypy
n