Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-25
flor the IuteIgencer.l
TIE oRTaoGRAPHIC REFoRM-No. 8.
BY JUNICs.
ICoNCLUDED.1


ICoNCLUDED.
Probably no one expects that this desirable
state of things can be brought about at once
The change will be gradual, but it will be has.
tened by making the Phonetic Alphabet an aid
in teaching to read romanically. In many OF
the best schools of England and the United
States its merits in this respect have been
severely tested by competent teachers, who
have used it in teaching classes to read romantic
tprint with entire success. Its adaptation to
this end is obvious. We read not by the spell
ling of words, but by their general appearance;
and as phonetic print greatly resembles romantic,
it follows that the phonetic reader readily makes
the transition by reason of this similarity just
as we recognize familiar words dressed up in
the antiquated garb of Sir John Vaudeville, or
Chaucer, Notwithstanding their "queerc spell
lynges." Let reading be thus taught, and IL
children must learn spelling. let it be when, by
the ability to read they are beyond the posSibl-
ity of remaining ignorant But reading alone
is not education; il is merely an implement;
and the sooner this implement is in the hands
OF the young, she sooner will they work out an
education.
Besides. it has been found in those schools
where phonetics have been taught, that the
process is u perfect drill to the vocal organs
The dissection of words, in order to determine
their elements not only sharpcns all the Percep-
TONS but it compcls attention to pronunciation;
compels not only clearncSS of understanding
but clcarness of utterance; and the student even
if not led by taste, Is forced into mastery OF
the elements of speech. How many of the
best orators need such drill Perfect
speech has been compared to 4 coin fresh from
the nint,-distinct, sharp, accurately impressed,
and perfectly finished. We have heard speakers
whose enuncaton reminded us of smooth cents
stamped in the year IL, with the other figures
worn Off With rare exceptions, cxccllency of
speech is yet an idea which is to be realized by
means of phonetic training.
! RI tt.,o .,ro s,iII h,yhar conSidnrot ionS
/ Childhood loves truth as naturally as bread and
butter; and this tenacious consistency cannot be
convinced oftalsehoOd. The teacher may thump
and cuff, and cudgel the impressible child, make
! it accept the dogmas of orthodox spelling, till
it ooscS all its eagerneSS and elasticity of Spir
! its; he may dcride il when it dares to spell as
nature aud truth dictate; but woe to the suscep
tihility thus shamefully abused: that child has
fair prospect of becoming a Ounce. Phonetic
spelling gratfes the child'S intuitive perception
of truth ana beauty, and delights him with its
ease. 1t encourages him because he progresses
Understandings; develops a keen discrimina-
ton, and gives bounding impulse to all his
powers Thus bright, CHEEKY period to child
hood may be substituted for the dark, unprom-
Using years spent over the spelling book; and
youth, instead of tagging in the low, unfruitful
grounds of orthography, may advance into the
higher and richer paths of literature and science,
with his whole intellectual horizon irradiated
Again, there are in the United States hum
dreds of thousands of ilterate persons who have
no other expectation than TO remain such all
their lives. How many men exercise the cleo
tive franchise that cannot read their ballots and
ignOrantly WELD power that might build up or
destroy Il government. They may get (why
should they not?) receive tolcrable education
by means ofphonotypy. Any, totally uneduca-
ted adult person, of ordinary intelligence, may
read phonotypy after ut most, II few weeks
practice; some have done so in as many hours
There is an additional consideration to which
space will not permit us to do Justice. We can
only glance at it. tits, that phonetic TepFesen-
tatiOn may nuke the English a unarersat UNI
0Udge A language which might be the vehicle
of communication for all nations, is u problem
which learned men have been trying to solve for
ages. If there is language spoken worthy to
fulfill this high destiny, that one is the English
Already its predominance is nearly secure. On
the Western continent, our manifest destiny
must extend it from Cape Horn to 3attinS Bay;
! California and the Sandwich Islands will take
care of it among the archipelagos of the Pacific;
colonization and missionaries will do the work IN
! firmly established it in Asia; and gold has intro
duced it into Australia. The obstacle to the
universally of our language has always been,
its uncoutl photography. Foreigners cannot
learn it, and they don't wish to try. Remove
this, make its acquisition easy, and there is no
good reason to doubt that it will become if not
universal, at least the foremost language in the
world. \ German writer speaking of its claims
to universally says that Its suitableness would
he still more evident, were it not obscured by
whimsical, antiquated photography; and other
nations of Europe may esteem themselves for
tunate that the English have not made this
discovery
Many persons who have heard of the spelling
reform, without taking any pains to inquire into
the subject, have set it down as something akin
to Free-Land-ism, or Womans Rights, "r Bloom
erism, or-but certainly they could Imagine
it to be like Spiritualism. This is not strange;
but it is singular that they should NV even
this much about it, for such people not Of
ten guilty of taking the papers" Others again
have read somewhat on the subject and have
cleaned perhaps one or two difinite ideas with
relation thereto, but never penetrated deep
enough to discover that it possessed importance
and permanency. Those, however, who are re-
ally we'll informed, have put their shoulders to
the phonetic wheel; and in Great Britain and the
United States, thousands, some of them among
the most intelligent and influential are working
for the advancement of this good time coming"
Phonetic printing has not only name, but
local habitation." In England, Mr.. Pitman
has printed numerous works in this type, among
others the Bible, M English Grammar, ''firSt
reading book in Mcmac;'' which last was prin-
ted especially for Missionary to the Micnac