Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-11
flor the Inteligencsr.l
TIE PHOTOGRAPHIC REFORMING. 3.
BIT JUSIUs.

/ or bemishes, we inYoluntarily compare it with
standard already set up in our own minds, and
consider it perfect or defective as it meets, or
/ fails to satisfy the requirements of that stand.
I ard. This is the inevitable process of all judg-
uent; for judgment is neither more nor less
than a comparison of the object judged, with
what we conceive measure of correctness
Thus we estimate everything-art, science, lit
erature, eolOgy-everyth that comes under
our observation, and appeals to US for decision.
Hence, there can be no such things as truth and
error, beauty and deformity, consistence and alb.
Surdity, except considered with reference to GER
tain defined criteria. There are principles or
laws which form standard of alphabetic con-
sistency, so simple and reasonable as to be COM
pretended and acknowledged by all.
Human speech is but the articulation of
sounds. These sounds are combined and used
conventionally signs Of our ideas, constituting
F.! spoken language. Written language is delin
cation Of spoken: presenting to the eye what
the other conveys to the ear. In other words,
the art of writing consists in representing to the
eye the sounds or elements of speech. This
| promised, very ma urally follow the rules that
should govern the formation of all alphabets:
! LIST. To determine, by careful analysis, the
number and nature Of the elements OF giren
language.
End To profile for each element a suitable
Representatives permitting at to express one sound
| nniUeTsdG and no more.
3rd. To classify these letters as nature has
arranged tie sounds they represent, and, as far
as practicable, to gire to similar sOunds CORES
pondi"g resemblance Of signs.
Much more is included in the general rules
here laid down than would he supposed upou
a cursory reading The rejecting mind will
soon discover that great matter is here con-
tanned in a nutshell. How very simple-a
sign for n sound; sound for sign; no
more no less, invariably the same-and yet
how philosophical With an alphabet con-
structed on these principles, the English Ian
guage may be beautifully and accurately written;
and so may every other tongue spoken among
men: for such an alphabet entirely removes the
great obstacles to reducing unwritten languages.
Here are no thousand and one exceptions to
single rule, but principles of general applica-
ton, perfectly correct, yet so plain that child
may understand and apply them. This is
brief but, we hope, perSpicuous glance at
model alphabet-the ideal and actual standard.
Now for the judgment! That photography out
is an impotent, decrepit, ridiculous relic of hea-
thansm, without beauty, without truth,-a
chaos, without form aud void-a gilded tomb
for the worlds best intellect-the Upas of the
nations school-room,-" is most true. The
very head and front of its offending hath this
extent perhaps more Here comes the Gull
prit, let it witness.
Analysed, the English language is found to
contain forty three distinct sounds The En-
glish alphabet boasts but twenty letters in
all, three of which, tK Q and X,) are useless
Twenty-three letters to represent forty-three
sounds! Bountiful provision How can it be
done, There is very old anecdote about
q certain refractory tub, which manifested a
great desire to stand upon the bottom of one of
its neighbors, and received for its anxiety bit
of salutary advice. Now if these twenty unre-
presented sounds were so many tubs, and each
tub possessed bottom, of course they could be
privileged to stand on them. Unfortunately,
however, such is not the case. So far from be-
ing clothed, as are their more aristocratic fell
lows, they have not even the shadow of hoop
to hide their nakedness. Yet, poor neglected
servants of the Kings English, they have a vast
amount of drudgery to perform, and can do no.
thing without being dressed; and having no
garments ofther own in which to shine, they
must radiate in those borrowed of their better
dressed fellows. Is not this unjust? Is not this
taxation without Representations" So it is;
and when one of these much injured dOmeStcS
| is summoned to appear before the King, he
must run around among his fellows, borrowing,
until he is frequently numbered with three or
four coats. In other words, nearly half the
sounds of the language spoken and written by
the Anglo-Saxon race hourly, from year to year,
are represented by letters and combinations of
Iletters intended and used for. other sounds
| Here might end all argument; for this monStrous
absurdity swallows up all the rest. A knowl-
edge OF this fact is the key that unlocks all the
mystery connected with photographic iucon.
gruity.
Spelling has been twisted into thousand
hideous contortions. Regardless of scientific
principles, there have been introduced into it
anomalous formations, and groups and pairs of
letters, in order to express single sound
Anomalous formations were characterized by
johnson as "spots of barbarity," viii il no crit
iicism could ever wash away. To ali ordinary
perception, the whole structure of our spelling
is anomalous; and though hackneyed criticism
fail, the great flood of the Phonetic Reform will
sweep the whole drift-pile of orthograi.hy from
the use, and, eventually, from the remembrance
lof men; and (mixing the metaphor little) will
'raze ont the written troubles" ofall the school
boys in the nation. Some have thought it I'M
necessary to use so many letters for the repre-
Isentation of single sounds. single letter
conveys as clearly its quality as half dozen
can do for it 1t cannot even be said that this
resort is necessary to express unprovided
sounds. We have vowel and letter A; vet
lay, al, ey, ei, Gig, are called OIL constantly to
speak for it; and, as if to avoid every appear.
ance of consistency, a is delegated with the
jpowers of some half dozen of its invisible con-
lstituency; as, in many, hat, party, wander,
want, &c. So with the other novels: Ehas no
less than seven characters; Z five; q, eight; q,
eight. Add to this the fact that the same group
does not always express the same sound; for in