The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-20
wEasTERps DICTIONARY.

WEHSTER'S DICTIONARY.
Daniel Webster expressed the general
sentiment of American scholars, when he
said: 81 possess many Dictionaries, and
of most of the learned and cultivated Ian
guages, ancient and modern; but | never
feel that l am entirely armed and equipped,
in this respect, without DR.. Webster at my
command" And Rufus Choate says: 81
beg to adopt, in its utmost strength and ex-
tent, the testimonial of Daniel Wcbster.u
With the exception of Che photography
of a few words, the latest and magnificent
editions of the Dictionary may be pro-
nounced more thoroughly American than
any other work, and it is the design of
those who now control the copyright, to
make it peculiarly and exclusively the Die
tionary of the English language. II has
frequently been assailed on account of the
orthoguphy, but in this it more nearly con-
forms to the general usage of the country,
than foreign Dictionaries do. And it must
be remembered that the great merit of a
Dictionary consists in its presenting the en-
tire vocabulary Of the language, with the
derivation, pronunciation, and definition of
the words.
Such is the admitted superiority of Web
ster's over all others on these particulars,
that its possession becomes necessity, and
the testimony of booksellers from all parts
of the country, West and East, North and
South, is that more of this work are sold,
far more, than of all others put together.
This fact imposes a great literary response
bility on the publishers. They must re-
deem their pledges to make this great book
fairly reflect the best usage of the English
writing people. They will do it. They
have the disposition and the means to carry
out the views Of that great philologist,
Noah Webster, whose work will undoubt-
edly remain as his monument while the
language itself endures. As ii now stands,
presenting the two forms of spelling de-
fence and defense, theatre and theater, Civ
ing both, but with the preference to the lat
ter, it allows liberty of choice, and fairly
represents the fact that both forms are in
common use.
The testimony that comes up from al
sections of our wide Republic, shows thai
the schools of the country are to be trained
in Webster's Dictionary.
Nearly every State Superintendent OF
Public instruction in the Union, or CORES.
ponding officer, where such an one exists,
has recommended Webster's Dictionary in
the strongest terms. Among them are
those of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Cal
ifornia, Minnesota, and also Canada, TWEEN
ty-one in all. The State of New York has
placed 10000 copies of Webster in as many
Of her public schools. Massachusetts has
supplied $3.50 of her schools nearly all.
Wisconsin, over 3,000-every school.
New Jersey has provided for all her schools.
AT least four-fifths of all the school
books published i'll this country own Web
ster as their standard, and of the remainder,
few acknowledge any standard. Epes Sar-
gent, Esq, author of a popular series Of
School Readers says:
''Ihe many points of superiority of Web
ster's Dictionary would overbalance many
more defects than the most hypercritical
person could suggest. think that Web
ster and DIR. Goodrich have, both shown
wonderful tact in selecting among various
modes of pronunciation, the best. 1t is
very rarely indeed that am disposed to
differ. The more study Webster the
more indebted, too, do ! feel to him, for
what he has done towards fixing the orthog-
raphy of large class of doubtful words.''
10 these evidences of public opinion we
may add our own experience. Webster is
our working Dictionary always at hand,
and in constant use, and invaluable as an
aid to understand and impart ideas of the
words of our mother tongue. We could
better spare all the others than this. The
edition which is above all other editions, as
the Dictionary itself excels others, is the
unabridged, qua,to, the only one which
contains all the merits Of. the work, and
the one which we recommend.
The puerile attempts now making in
Virginia to excite prejudice against this
great work will recoil in disgrace upon
the heads of their authors.