The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-25
ai- all0l1I IIIIT~7- IL -'
GOOD ENGLISH.

ecfS III tniS new NINE. his several works OF
Words y Proverbs" etc, nero '.studies," con
trlbuted largely to attract attention and interes
to this vast G:ld, that had for years bcen allowed
to lie tallow. The many learned works on compar
alive philology, that arc annually published il
Germany, the labors Of MAX Mu1LER in Englant
In the same direction, the laborious industry witt
which French and German saua,ats ply themselves
to perfect the lexicography Of their tongues, 81
these lave had 4 tendency to produce growing
want for wider rcsearch OF a similar character il
England and hmcrica. DEAN AFFORD, in his
Queens English" and AIr. MARSH, in his cleo
lures on tho English Language" have given q
great impetus to the subject, and now we cannot
take up review, magazine, literary journal, OF
even country newspaper, without finding an ster-
cu'sus" on some nice point of grammar. Unfortl-
natoly, however, 1t is much easier to write about
Good English" than to write good English, and a
very common occurrence now is to dssect the critics
This is q task more easy than either gracious or
profitable. VoLTAIRE, it is said, once remarked
that ho had mover seen any one who could write
ten limos Of French correctly We presume it is
the same in English There is q difference, how
ever, between mere grammatical accuracy and hy-
percritlcism. MI. GEORGE WASHINGTON Moor's
structures on Dean Afford and Mr.. MARSH have
been mostly mere quibbling and disputes about
trifcs.
Professor SoHELE DE we're OF the University OF
Virginia has jllst published very interesting
volume, much like TRENcH's books, above referred
to, Studies in English, OF Glimpses of the Inner
Life of our Language" We have not yet seen the
book, but find it commended in the highest terms BY
critics Of every complexion. The author is an excel
lent scholar, possessed perhaps OF amore Thorough
knowledge Of foreign languages than any other
h 1n
man OF large general information, and of excellent
Judgment we doubt not his book will be both yalu-
able and interesting.
Another wcrk on 8 kindred topic has lust been
issued by ". J. MIDDLETON tGood English; or
Popular Errors in Language, by EDWARD S.
GOULD" 1t is surprising to find upon an e1ami-
nation of this little treatise how many glaring
crrors even some Of our best writer's are guilty of in
the use OF English words. Carelessness and too
ready acceptance of general usage as the standard
are the usual causes. Mr.. GOULD calls attention
for instance to the Of the word Seopardize in
stead Of leopard, and says that hazardize, en-
dange1ze and periize would be quite as correct as
jeopnrdszc. .Leniency' tinstead Of s.ienity") is
examined, found without the necessary papers Of
authcntication, and turned out Of the dictionary.
Donate is another that fares no better bat as
the use Of that word is almost entirely confined to
illlterate newspaper reporters and members aof
Congress, it calls for no further remark. Z Ss-7s
Stopping" as g he is stopping at the Mills
House," is condemned should be stayinq ..But
that" nnd ttbnt what" are anina1verted against;
as II don't kuoV but what WILL 9 In our
midst" is attacked, and called fugitive contra
band from tile German. St
we are glad Mr.. Gould objecis to the restrc-
ton of the word ride. to conveyance On horse
iQ Hoo 1IcS 49, H@-rr
racy. ssss. 5T
Mr.. R1cHAnD Grant WHrrE has, been vritiips
series Of papers ON sWords and their Uses, - for
the Galazy. His last is on British English and
American English. The standard in both coun-
tries, he says the same syet nice ear can soon
detect the habitat Of the speaker. The difference
is not IL pronunciation, but in pitch of voice and
OF infection. Tho pitch of the Englishman's voice
IS higher and sharper than that Of the American,
and his infections more varied than the others,
because they more hequently rise. This paper
deals altogother m nice points of difference be-
tween the pronunciation Of the best educated in
ENGLAND and America, lowing out cookneys who
murder their hdges, and those also who pronounce
g like 4, in tsnothing,'', and with SAM WELLER
talk of 'tweal pies.r
Somewhat akin to this is an anecdote we have
heard the late Hon. WnLLAm G. PRESTON tell.
Some forty years ago, or perhaps even earlier in
the century, he crossed the Atlantic il the same
vessel with the late Hon: EDWARD EVERETT. It
was hefore thu days Of steam, and the two young
gentlemen had abundant opportunity to become
thoroughly acquainted with7each other, and life
long friendship dated from that voyage, After
they had been ont Q few days. and sufficient de-
gree OF intimacy had sprung up oetween them to
admit of such o liberty, Mr.. EVERETT called the
attention Of Mr. PREsros to provincialism the
latter made use of in the course Of conversation.
hlr. PRESTON, all through life, remarkable for the
purity Of his English and the delicacy of his taste
no less than for the brancy of his public oratory
and private conversation was forced to admit that
he had been guilty Of a solecism. general
discussion ensued on the subject; each Of the two
friends, Of course, standing up for his own section
AIR. EVERETT contended that the purest English
only was spoken by the educated classes Of New
England: Mr.. PRESTON, on the otkereh ha1d claim
ed this pre-eminence for the sons Of Virginia. It
was not easy to settle the dispute and it was de-
termined that each Of them should quietly note
down the ingual peccadil1os OF the other, as they
occurred and then at the close of the voyage they
were to compare notes. They did so, and when in
sight Of the hills Of the mother country, Mr. Pres
TON produced q LIST Of 50 provincialisms against
Mr. EVERETT, and the latter had SIS against Mr..
PnEsToH. H two Of tho best scholars and most
elegant speakers the country has known were not
Tree from provincialisms how can such purity be
expected from the rank and file "; .sTs \
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