Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-11
VOL. XVIII.
MORNING LEADER
moRNINo, JUNE d. Isss.



The Continental Monthly for May con-
tains sn article written by Stephen Pearl
Andrews, entitled "a Universal Language;
It's Possibility, Scientific Necessity, and
Appropriate Characteristies, which opens
q aneWpart of scientific Investigation. Lsib-
nitz, Lord HonbOddO, Bishop wilkins, and
others, have uDsuecessfully attempted to
construct language which shall subserve,
better than any Of cur existing and imper-
feet tongues, the ordinary and scientific
uses Of mankind. None Of these efforts
ever aimed, however, at anything more
than mere cOntrivancs or invention.
IT is the main object Of Mr.. Andrews
paper to exhibit the fact that nature has
herself furnished US with the materials for
the construction Of q proximately perfect
medium Of vo cal communications. He
points out that every sound is inherehtly
loaded with distinct and peculiar signi-
hcation; that there is, in other words, an
alogy throughout the universe between
sound and sense, between the intonations
Of the human voice and the ideas Of the
human mind and that, by the fundamen-
tai analysis Of eh.mstfer, phohos, or
vocal uttersnce, on the one hand, and of
thought on the other, and the discovery
thereby Of their lowest or basic elements,
each element Of sound is brought into par.
allelism or correspondentisl. relation to
each element Of tho. ghi, and the cOnstitu.
ent parts Of a natural language are fur
nished, out Of which, by combination, it is
possible TO form sJllables and words, the
intention Of which will convey to the un-
dersisnding the precise shade Of meaning
in the speakers mind.
The article in question is more interest
ing from the fact that Mr.. Andrews has
elsewhere announced a new sud vast
scientific discovery, the claim TO which is
suhslantisted by several who have investi-
gated it. This discovery processes to be
no less than the distinct apprehension and
clear demonstration OF the whole scope Of
the fundamental principles which under
lie every department Of the universe and
link them into one grand science.
A number Of works remodeling each Of
the soiences, and exhibiting respectively
their aRslogical relstion 10 every one Of
those now known, and to many others
which are newly evolved by the discovery,
are now said to be prepared and in course
Of preparation, awaiting favorable op-
pCrtunity for publication. Among those
now ready is Grammar and Bi Letter
Root Dictio ary Of Universal Language,
constructed on the principles described in
the psper in question. In the June num-
Der Of the Continental is another article
entitled Language q Type Of the Uni
verse" in which the psralleiism or analogy
of language with other departments of the
universe, more especially with the eIs-
ments Of thought, the cRtegories Of the
understsndiDg,sre are exhibited; and the value
aud deficiencies Of scientific or philosophi-
cal schemes Of Kant and Hegel are pointed
out. A subsequent paper will carry the
comparison to Compte, Fourier, Spencer,
and oihert; the well known and long. con-
tinued connection of Mr.. Andrews with
phonography and phOneties giving him
the opportunity for profound investigation
on that subject, together with his devotion
10 metaphysics and philOlogy, render II
not altogether hopeless that some better
results may come from his lsbors than are
ordinarily derived from these traneeen-
dental speeulstions.