Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-06-21

The insidious schemes Of RadieAlism to
change the character Of our government
can be traced, not only in laws Of Congress,
rssOlusiOusof Radical conventions, speeches
Of party leaders, sermons Of pulpit orators,
diAtribss in Radical newspapers, but 10 our
school books. The latest scheme Of this
sort is Ia the revised edition OF WebslsrS
Dictionary, which hAs been so changed that
tits ia no sense the dictionary ofIhs deceased
DR.. Noah Webster. DIR. Wsbstsr's first die
IiOuAry was Published in 1928. Twelve years
later he printed . revised and enlarged sdi-
sion-and only three years after that lin
1s43) be died, at the age Of So years. -Four
years after bis death Rev. O. A. Goodrich
edited another edition which he so changed
that il could scarcely be recognized As Web
s.sr's at ell, and should have been called
GOOdriOA'S, sud probably would bat for the
popularity Of Wsbs.er's name. This die
iionsry held the field in America till
1860, when . better book, the illustrated
QaArto Dictionary Of DR.. Worcester, appeared
and became its successful rival. It became,
at once, she standard, among the best schOl-
Ars, and will probably so remain.
Lately, . new edition Of Webster has been
issued, edited BY Rev. Dr. Porter, which is
. deliberate fraud on the American public,
and ~ such il deserves 10 be expoIsd
When this has been thoroughly done, the
book called Webstsr's Dictionary will DO
driven from every school seuss, every gen
tlemAn's library, and every editors table.
The dishonest aud msrcsnAry attempt Of the
publishers to increase its sale by making it
vehicle for disseminating the transient
party politics Of the hour will be rsbuked
By the American people. No school board
no man or woman, will hereafter Purchase
or use copy Of the IO-eAllsd Webster
Dictionary, unless they are stepped in Rsdi-
cal party politics or in ignorance Of the
character Of the book. They will concur
with Senator sumner, who 10 not an litter
etc Radical, 10 prsfsrring the honest,
scholarly and Trustworthy worcssiers Die
honAry. II becomes the duty Of every fair
minded person in the land, 70 expose and
dsuOuues the pariisAnship of this so-cAllsd
Wsbstsr's Dictionary.
Thousands Of young men, Who we're only
steven or twelve years Of age vhsn the late
var broke out, are now voters; some OF
them are members Of legislatures and Law.
makers, many others are holding positions
10 which they influence, to . great extent,
their nsighboa. At the age they we're when
the war began they had learned little or
nothing of our Federal form of government,
or the principles upon which il was
founded. And during the war, and
up to the tims they became voters,
they learned nothing except the
hsrssiss Of old federalism aud ceutrAli-
zasiOD. NAM Of these young men, to-day
think that oil the rights The States or the
people have we're given them BY Congress
They have been taught to reverse the whole
theory Of our form Of goysrumsnt They
have never studied the Constitution OF the
United states, or the debates Of the oonven-
iion which formed the Union. They think
vs are Nation, instead Of q Confederation
OF ua,ions-and the csniralizaiiou tendsu-
oiss and acA Of the Radical party are, to
them, more readily accepted than are the
souEd Republican doctrines OF the patriots
and sages who achieved our independence
aud laid broad and deep the foundations for
AZ equal union OF the States. Il 10 Of i'm
msnss Importance that these young men, ~
we'll IS the boys and girls nov attending
school, should be tAuga, the true theory Of
the Federal Union. u is hoped that oil
good educators, whether IN the editorial
sAneIum, IN our schools, in the pulpit, on
the stump, or in the family circle, will see 10
II that the insidiOuS character Of this Web
sisr'S Dictionary, as well a. all other partisan
school books, iS thoroughly exposed, and
that the young people are educated 10 the
truS doctrines Of our republican fathers.
In another article We shall make copious
citations showing the dishonest and partisan
changes made in WObstsrs Dictionary, and
giving reasons Why il should be everywhere
excluded, and WOrcsster'I substituted.