New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-08
FILTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
HAzELTINE AND SPELLING.

n. "A, Edass ef The N. Y. Tribune
s,s. The controversy going Cd in your columns J"
,.,ion TO the qualifications OF school 'eacme,' :"
A., Of spelling did not fall under nay eye uh'i Tue
Ecston OF tie last batch cf letters on the su.y
,.ve rot even now seen the beginning OF H. ou'
' Car that IL arose On the occasion Oh ie.o' NJ
IJszsltioe tho venerable Principal OF tne
mo, Scho.i in this city, and that you avai'eu
| of Won, EDITORIAL advantage to Phcn m'' -,
=" your u,oueiied for his high educational
-. .., ,bs Ground Of certain pecadnos IN 'he
fvsa.O. ~, ~ English photography. Allow me TO
~ this occasion for the purpose OF telling
,.;o ,rpths on this subject, and possibly OF re-
-. woytbv and devoted eduoationist, and the
...ohe,. "a cass from cruel posture of liability to
r.kine criticism which your position, backed by
,onulsr ignorance and popular prejudice, enables
CON 10 ipfiict on them while the criticism IL wholly,
or in great part undeserved by them, and while YET
thew themieves SO far participate in the common igno
rance and prejudice that they arc wholly unable 10
| blunt the point Of your severity.
The ignorance to which refer is an ignorance OF
the intrinsic difficulties Of acquiring the an OF spenns
through the anomalies absurdities, and contradcohs
of our English so-caIed orhogIophy, and OF tine very
slight approximation that any class OF the community
ever makes to accuracy in that department OF knowi-
edge Please to remember that your own editorials IN
TIE TRiDrsE first undergo the correction OF the type
setter who is professionally engaged all histe in spell
ing and then Of proofreader, who is professional
character of the sor of higher grade and that
is not your bald manuscript that is exhibited to the
world in the criticism which you write on the spelling
of another. Again, faults in the handwriting may
readily be construed into faults of spelling by any ILL
patured critic who himself protected by the editorial
privilege.
The truth is that nobody learns to spell cor
,ectv in the schools either as teacher learner except
.be few that have natural tact for learning absurdi
tics on mere authority, by means, in my judgment,
tbe highest order of mind And this is not the fault OF
the teachers but the fault of the language. The few
vood speless that there in the community belong
either 10 the class lust mentioned who have this natu.
n. tact or to those professional persons whose occupa-
lion makes spelling the daily business Of their lives, as
editors. authors, typeseters, etc. Such is not the
case with the teacher, especially Of the higher
branches OF learning His whole habits of life with
draw him from the practice of spelling and writing.
His very fidelity and devotion to the duties of his pro-
tesson in which he is not required to write an actual
bona fde letter or stickful of copy for the press
from wears end to years end, disqualify him for
appearing respectfully paper, when an occasion
does happen which calls him out of his usual ayoca-
ton. I was myself engaged as an educationist,
and in my efforts to reform English Orthography dur
ING sir or eight year, in such a way as to make Inc
very extensively acquainted with the epstoary abili-
ties of the teachers of whole country as class,
and venture to affirm that no. ono in ten OF the most
distinguished among them would escape the same
criticism under which Mr. Hazene has fallen. Nor
sre they, in my my Judgment to be blamed In this
matter as you blame them. 1t is just as unreasona-
bic 10 expect that kind Of familiarity with literature
| which authorship, edtorShp, or even the leisurey
correspondence of friendship induces to arise from the
aborious drudgery of the teachers occupation, as 1t
would be to expect cook TO understand all the ameni
ties of good breeding the dinner table, by virtue
Of the mere fact that be is familiar with food The
Kind of familiarity he has with food and the laoonous
attention required of him in preparing it, are pre-
sey the reason why he is not the most expert person
in disposipg oft. go.
The prejudice that refer to as that of the public
II which you also seem to partake which miects tue
teachers IN common with the public, and which, as
have said. renders them impotent to defend them
.eves is that good spelling is the test OF scholarship
On the contrary very many of the best scholars OF inc
land are proverbally bad spoilers. Having always
had great difficulty myself in learning the intncaces
and sipuostes Of this occult art, or indeed anything
ske not having in it either rhyme OF reason aui
ssneciallv fitted to be the champion of that very
numerous population, learned and unlearned, called
bad spoilers. / only object to them that they never
had the courage to defend Themselves, but have
sbrupk into insgnfcance before the sarcasms OF crti'
cism. Mr. Elizur Wright is the only one Of your cor
respondents who has bit the nail on the head. The
fault is in the photography itself, which should be re-
formed. STEPHEN PEARL ANDREWS
Ney yoyk, July Is 1851.