, 1865-11-01

"11 ANEV4AW~
a1r. Mcdtll's lecture on orthographic reform
hcfcre the Board Of Education, presents sys.
tenn for public discussion, which We may |
properly comment upon as part Of the history |
cfthe day. That the orhography Of the |
English language is bad beyond compare,
very few Of any class, and none who have the
slightest knowledge Of the subject, Will deny
That The attempt to reform II Is discouragiag
and almost hopeless, the most sanguiuc will
admit. That reform, could it be brought
about, would be Of great service TO mankind,
l. equally indisputable. The problem briefly
stated is, therefore, how TO inaugurate n
manifest reform, Which Is so nearly impossible
ae 10 appear Quixotlc. This task Mr. Medl1l,
at lis recent lecture before the teachers OF
Chicago, proposed TO their consideration. Tbs
principal difficulties IN the way oft appear to
I've these:
l. There Is no way of enabling anybody to
make any money ont Of It, or in any Way to
serve their personal interests by it. In politi
cal agitations, the stirring OF the waters Is
generally 50 managed By the distribution Of
office and patronage that after It's fashion It
pays. Religious reformers apply the text,
Thou shalt not muxzle the or that treadeth
out the corn, ,"to mean, thou shalt not scrimp
thy preachers salary, which it certainly does
1nran. Cough and Father Matthew have re-
to:mcd the incbriate in a manner equally
profitable to reformed and reformer. And 1t
j. said that many OF our auu-slaverJ REFORM
crs are no poorer by reason Of the reform
Even the Fourlcritc philosophers base their
to-eallcd reform upon economical considers
Hons.
But although reform in the English or
biography can be clearly shown to be most
desirable thing for posterity. yet as posterity
has never done much for rs, It fs difficult to
&c. nucl. done by US really and purely for
postcsfty. The class who can read, write
ard spell English rs Il il, arc In the main sat
i.icd with English as 1t Is. The class who
Gu not read and write have no
capacity to comprehend the reform.
Hence the first real difficulty is to
eniist thc apathctic world and cnuse them to
tnke any interest In the question whnterer,
since it is one which, being purely distnter-
c>:ed, eau not tor that very reason, easily be
made to interest any body Mr. Mednl has
not yet explained how this difficulty can be
overcome 50 as TO combine the immediate in
tercsts Of m influential class In his reform.
Until hc proves that some great reform has
succeeded without these ndjuucts, We cou-
give Ills enterprise has not fairly begun.
y. Another practical difficulty Is The p1i1!
OF commencement. The case OF Spain IS
cl'cd 10 prove Inc praeueaolAtS Of ostno-
Efaphac 1e1o.m. hat el'aah Is an aosolu!c
m'na'chy. lhefe, 10 antefes, tue sovereign Is
10 fnsu1e sue 1e.o'o't "no ~ a. equat.s Ase ."
','s .t,.,,', 10y s:,,.s,1~ s~a.,,sh ~, ,.-s
~. n"..s..,m :. ~. a..sia - 4h.,r nnn~,.on.
:."1 aa,,so,tx Tno Eorr,.am,n, 80, c.n ,,are M
,nwc, IN oct in the premises uotI1 the pro-
,,o,ed svstc,n ,,os ATTAINED a1ch extensive use
th,t thr f;ovcrnmcnt NAV ,,e called an 10 de.
eide whcther It's oll}cial acts massaeas. re-
norts and laws s1,nll he nub1ished in til. new
ar ,1,e old srstrm.
Publishers ,rhcther of ,,ools m n.rax,nrs or
;,,,,.,.1s ,,.s n,,t,,s1 mn, In tbc 1s9ou.,,e a.
yo"na'' 4".'s P,'..eIs- W .,.a. 49, = -. :.
.,o i.,s.,,.To 80 ~ :. ~ .,.,r adit,ons
tas 'n.s ~ s ~
Mi' no. eeu' .eA.eUs1 ue 1s.A,u'o =. ~
INC au's 81 e,aunS ,hc iansuas :. e a. ~ ~, NJ
as IL m'sn' oe niaoc' Noau "eoslee oea.y
choaneelea ~ ,ol euhs tue saeee,s oi ns Nv ms
taonars' 'os 4ca'ahs ou me naaA x'toin p1onc"
The abused poe1c "ouia not ssana .nc cur
tnllmen'. Ana no* tae esils "n'ea "eps.er
and Worcester o'a mol remove seem 10 oe
crys;alhzea ny tneu graz satlo'.t9 mto per
lcspetsity. Nor 1avc Lie lesenefs aos necs-
III: discretion as tcaehefs In toe ma'bs' ne'F
duty as such Is limited 70 1easn'a .s,a sne Pre- pres
ent ms nho9s,5e 1ho9 a. mode Of ez.