The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-07-23
The Union Of Languages.

We have more than once referred to the
tendency towards the adoption of a common
language. Every year it becomes more
marked The ease and rapidity of travel
which tend so much to the mingling Of dit
ferent nationalities, between whom some ir
tcrcourse must be maintained, either di-
rectly by the acquisition of each others dia-
lect or through interpreters, is fast making
that language prevail. which most largely
represents the worlds activities. Who,
then, are the great travellers Of The world !?
Are not the English, the Scotch, the
American, found everywhere All these
speak a common dialect. America may be
claimed as wholly English as to laugnage,
In all European cities the knowledge OF It
is mercantile and social necessity. The
language of India and Austria is English.
The swarms Of men and women from Ger
many and other European Kingdoms to
America all learn the English language in
year or more after their arrival. Mary
of these return to the tatherland and swell
the Increasing number OF those who speak
the Saxon idiom. 1t is the most widely
spoken language on the globe. In com
pactness, IN scope, 10 capacity Of deiuite
expression, in cZpsessiven,sa, il is, with
the aid Of Latin, the king Of dialects.
Potential among these unfc agencies is
the telegraph, by which the nations are
placed practically together. TO use ii sac
co3sIully, the language employed must be
terse, definite, clear. This is needed by
considerations OF time and economy.
Words are wanted which express a whole
definite idea, which need 10 adjective or
descriptive accompanying index. For this
the Saxon stands pre- eminent. No Ian.
guage can So tersol y convey thought, an
order, desire, as that which, in our con-
ception, is the basis aud beauty aud power
Of the English language.
1t is Il curious circumstance, Illustrative
OF what we have Just written, that on the
continent, not few use the English Ian,
guage in their messages by Telegraph, even
where foreign tongue prevails, because Of
this ability to condense language, increase
its clarity and diminish its cost in transmits
sion. Language is the manifestation OF
human thoughts and feeling by articulate
sounds. In the the use OF the telegraph
that language which utters most 10 u single
word must prevail. The simple word
" fire !! " uttered by frightened woman,
sets all the bells of the metropolis is
fiercest c!ang as soon as uttered. 1t in
words like those that commerce will use to
express its wants. They will be words
recognized everywhere, in pekin, as at
Marseilles, in St. Petersburg as at New
York. Commerce will forge language,
which the hunt for gold, and the energy Of
enterprise, will sooner or later establish as
this idiom of the world
OF course it will take time, but mark
how rapidly the Saxon tongue spreads.
We believe that 100 years will not pass
away before traveller will need no other
language to interpret his thoughts in any
town open to commerce in any quarter of
the earth
Inside Of our Western CIVILIZATION there
are certain marked tendencies the result of
which cannot fail to be a gain to Christioni-
~ and the world. From a variety OF
causes, all of which are in active opeie-
ton, nations are becoming fewer but larger.
The lesser are gradually being absorbed by
the greater Language is following
similar law, and evidence Is not wanting to
convince us that this tendency is destined
TO become even more a characteristic of
the future than it is of the present. A
common nationality and common Ian,
guage for all mankind is no longer an i'm.
possible dream. In proportion as this is
realized so will the conquering forces OF
Christianity be multiplied and SO will its
success be secured. The race will be TO
the swift end the battle will be TO the
strong and in this great future the United
States, the second home of the English
tongue, will play conspicuous part -
Journal Of the Telegraph.