New-York tribune., 1871-07-26
PHILOLOGY.
THIRD CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN
ASSOCIATION.

GRANT WHITES VERBAL F0RMs-PREslDENr
CROsBY's ADDRESS.
NEw-HAyEN, July 25.-The third annual
session Of the American Pathological Association pegah
in the State to-day The members are present In
full force and large accessions are announced iro
among the most prominent college men IN the
country The Executive Committee have determined on
hard practical work and the machinery is In motion 10
that end. -
RULoFF's SCHOLASTIC CLAIMS.
One interesting point promises to be settled In this
Convention-Rulofrs scholastic claims. 1t seems that
the criminal the very day before his execution sent Yo
luminous manuscripts to Prof. Taylor Lewis, with the
earnest entreaty that he would examine them carefully
and give Judgment thereon before the learned society
now In session, and before whom Ruloh hlmseI came
three years ago Accompanying these manuscripts
came letter Of almost passionate entreaty )ustnyng
the great method that the scholastic monomaniac
imagined he had discovered.
Mopement" he contends, lis the very basis OF IAN
guage The distinction became at once part OF myself S
S y nE s Whether
or not became convinced where there was suct ~,
eTnepis eeTpTession IN 'G have iabored on the subject from
that day to this At first entirely In the dark GOO ana
But in the end triumph. Without any vain or idle
boast stand this day fully imbued with the sprt OF
longlost art and requiring only the means 70 reS'ore
tits the general conviction Of those who have exam
ined the theories Of Ruo so far as published that ne
studied and brooded the mysteries OF words untl
his brain became overtaxed and incapable OF distin-
gushing words and their His mind, bewlidered
by the resemblance in sounds, fell into an un-
reasoning enthusiasm, and he confused sounds
and ideas as well as words Rulof struck
upon deceptive hybrid system, which
Is known to all students OF language who are familiar
with and r in words indicating an easy and flowing
oton-obstructed, Irregular or broken, when combined
with mutes Ruloff happened on this formation, and
IA yChi
explain and account for all language systems and dyersi
ties That his theories both false and shallow can
not be doubted.
Prof Lewis has not yet found time to examine the
manuscript closely. but from hasty glance here ana
there he ams that the work gives indication OF genius
as well az insanity and that they could only have been
prepared by man earnestly and enthusiastically in
love with the theme.
THE CONVENTION AT WORK.
The formal work of the Convention begun this afrer-
noon by polite and cordial address OF welcome 10 the
Convention by the Hon. Francis Wayland, which was
responded to by DR.. Howard Crosby, the President,
after which Prof Hadey read paper "The History
Of the Anabasis by Prof Brewer which related mainly
verbal defects thought to be inconsistent with
scholarship. The paper provoked no discussion
MYTHOLOGY OF THE DAKoTAs.
The next paper was curious treatise on " DaKotan
Beliefs" by the Rev. stephen r. Riggs Of Dakota
few points will reveal the beliefs and illustrate the
objects in the armament known as "We." The sun
ia the day we" the the "nigbt we, and the stars
are the "batte eyes Of we" The morning star Is the
might shooting star" the evening star the large STAR
and the milkyway the spirit road" TO account Tor
the disappearance Of the moon the Dakotan holds that
great company of MICE eat the orb away Inc sun u
1 % shd death cs Il
grandfather" and the moon grandmother,D potn OF
sieF and good Dakotans manifest decent sorrow
The lightning is attributed to the SUM- ana te G
ane am immense Rt4se bird, Witch small DakOtan boys
make practice Of carving s1d Ss1s drawing
The four winds Gods satellites Of the sun, going
and coming at his mandate The earth Is the Greatest
he dresses galy in fantastic feathers, red paint, and
swans down. and this illustration Of earth be calls tho
"god god" The water god is accepted as the creator
OF earth who shed from the ocean by this aboriginal
Neptune Movement Is the god OF MOVING ana On aae
yoka Is the god OF fun or tn the DasoSa anun
join society and take pattern by more civilized
organizations by making death one OF the penalties ana
shut up ia mystery sack" fegns death, and his
sscitatiOn constitutes him candidate Tor the Whlte
Crown" The paper rapidly summarized the whole su-
perstrncture OF Dakotan theology, but met with no
on THE IMPERFECT TENsEs.
The battle royal Of the day and session was opened by
Prof Whitney. who read elaborate paper, bristlng
with citations and references utterly scouting the theory
OF the passive form OF the verb in such expressions as
sis building" ais burying" etc. The paper was writ
ten by Fitzgerald Hall of oxford, England, and deals
exhaustively with the subject Mr.. Richard Grant
Whites arguments met by examples and ilustra
tions from Lamb, Macaulay, and the whole school OF
English classics. In defense OF Us Delhg done' the
paper says:
Tn the grammar Of Mr. r. g. sklem Ito be found In
the British Museum) published in 1902 ind the pas
"i am being conquered :" 81 was being conquered "I
shall will be being conquered :, "I can, may or must
he being conquered" etc. Robert Southey writes
fellow whose utternost upper grinder being torn out
by the roots by mutton barber" Repeated instances
OF the same kind in southeys grayer wrtngs
Coieridgc wrote "whe my hand was being drest by
Mr.. Young spoke" etc Charles Lamp 10 speaS1 er
Savage Landor in his imaginary eonyersa.oIs feple
sen PITT saying S an VINO m See oss@d sSs
blanket DE Quincy speaks of the bride that "was be-
ing married to him."
Further on the paper says:
Having convicted Mr.. Grant White OF mistaken anay-
sis not concerned At the ms %sa ne
Onds on hs mistake I being as
latin phrase The Latin is iegtmate, and ne i1fers
therefore the English ills the same hs sas ars " e
active building is quite as iiegtna'e as Ss %ayea
% G BY he pari active /" n SdS phrase
in given language is indispensable, % mnle rs mas i.s
eeption and definition Of ido every dlom ilegt
innate.
The paper was of some length, and vivaelousy argu
mentative throughout brisk DEBATE fohoweo In
which the sentiment of the majority sustained the is
being done" form. Indeed, no one MADE direct appeal
for the sis building" style, save to explain IT'S probable
origin and usage Professors Kendrek and Hsdemann
honght that the people responsible Tor IT, and
boars had only to adopt reject as 1t appeared SER
viceabfe. ,. .nnppss
The evening session opened by Dr. Crosbys Presi
dental address, Of which the following is brief abstract
All science is one, but man in his culture OF science is
not always eouay impressed with this unity. He may
work I'm some fields which appear distant from the com
mon center But the linguistic explorer al she very
heart and nucleus of the varied sphere He IL In
Connection with every portion OF the extended
circumference. The words and verpaliy expressed
ont the whole realm OF investigation and each depart
men of tbe realm brings is treasures 70 MS Ieet he