The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-02-26
Plea for the Queens English.

IT must conclude with some advice 10
my readers, 1t sball be that which may be
inferred from these examp les, and from the
way in which I have been dealing with
them. Be simple, be unaffected, be honest
in your speaking and writing Never use
long word where short ono will do.
Call spade a spade, not well-known
oblong instrument of manual husbandry
Let homo bo home, not residence !
place place, not locality and 90 of the
rest. Whore short word will do, you al
ways lose by using long one. You lose 10
cloarness, you loso in honest expression of
your meaning, and, in tho estimation Of all
mon who are qualified to judge, you lose in
reputation for ability. The only ,ruo way
to shine, even In this false world, is to be
modest and unassuming. Falsehood may
be very thick crust, but IN the course of
time, truth will fipG place to break through.
Elegance of language may not be in the
power ofall Of uS,but simplicity and straight
forwardness are. Write much as you would
speak; speak as you think. If with your
interiors, speak ne ooarser than usual il
with your superiors, no finer. Be what you
say, and. within the rules of prudence, say
what you are.
Avoid all oddity of expression. No one
ever was gamer by singularity In words
or pronunciation. The truly wiso man will
so speak, that no one may observe how be
speaks. A man may show great knowledge
of chemistry by carrying about bladders o.
strange gases to breathe but he will enjoy
better health, and find more time for bust
moss who lives on the common air. Wber
l hear person use queer expression, OF
pronounce a name in reading differentl,
from his neghbors, it always goes down, /,
my estimation of him, with minus sign be
foro II and stands Oh tho side of deficit
not of credit.
Avoid likewise all slang words. There i
no greater nuisance in society than talke
of slang. 1t is only fit,-when innocent
which it seldom is-for raw scbool.b boys an,
one term freshmen, TO astonish their sister
with. Talk as sensible men talk use tn
easiest words in their commouest meaning
Let the sense conveyed, not the vehicle il
which it is conveyed. be your object Of at
tootioa.
Once moro, avoid in conversation all sin
guarity of accuracy. One of the Doors O
society is the ta.ker Who IS always settin,
you right; who when you report from th,
paper that 10000 men fell in some battle
tells you II was 1910; who, when you do
scribe your walk as two miles out and back
assures you it wanted half furlough of it
Truth does not consist in minute accuracy
OF detail, but in conveying right impres
sion and there are vague ways of speakip,
that are truor than strict fact would be-
When the Psalmist said, "Rivers of water
run down mine eyes, because men keep no
the law" ho did not state the fact, but b,
stated q truth deeper than fact and truer
Talk to please, not yourself, but you,
neighbor to his edification. What a rea
pleasure it is to sit by cheerful, unassming
sensible talker; one who gives you an ever
share in the conversation and in his atten
ton one who leaves on your memory hi
facts and his opinions, not himself who ut
tered them, nor the words in which the
were uttered.
All are not gentlemen by birth ; but a
may be gentlemen in openness, in modesty
of language, in attracting no mans atteu
ton by singularities, and giving no man o.
fense by forwa-dnoss for il is this, in mat
ter of speech, and style, which is tho sur
mark of good taste and good breeding
The Dean Of Canterbury.