The New York herald., 1877-11-21
NEW 2L l877TRPLE SHEET

such constructions from writings OF good English
What Or. jonnson ayowsd that IA whole life would
De suicienr TO produces s.perfect treatise" on
''syntAx and s.ywoogy. Gooid Brown gave 20 gram
passed by other English grammnrs, either ~ lucid
analysis, succnct statement or plain terminology
ana II Good Brown decided 10 adduce as examples Of
"aisc syntax' such sentences - Mr. Walker decides
10 be elegant dcIion u may have been because 10
pctent to instruct him rammaticaiIy Good Brown
thought with Lindiey Murray, that "works ot this
hsps' never complete p and had Mr. Walkers aesthetic
taste been potential over Good Brown's hard abors
. different sort Of "synsax" might now be 10 use--
Gage condones errors In grammar as perverted
n,anners and customs excuse moral derslctions.
bat IN scripture the word snither Is preferably en-
ployed. Advero:ay used, ..neren stands 10 place Of
solecism as "Bsing MIN New York'' would Oe .pigeon
Engish." "Bring him here 70 me- is a collocaion
NV Use a, Uu, Nv. y. ~ a ansys,.n
concerning such construction
Aod M Walker ought 10 learn that coliocations IN.
voiving choice OF words are matters o disagreement
among Rrsmmar;ans IN various languages English
writing receives constant accssslons from popular
correct worcs because the mint they nodded
in was some popular writer's fancy. Edmund
sponssr revived ''antlquatoa' cnaacerisms which
Tennyson reerafts ssobsolets" rhymes on
our modern English prosody. Whenever some
quick witted writer lacks lexicon word 10 give his
thought an expressive turn he may be tempted 10
coin" word TO sut and our vernacuiar recruited
ssssnoiar Of shakespsars" just now at work upon
emendations Of Engish literature and speech, and II
he succeeds as well az his assumptions deserve We
may look forward 10 time wnen grammar itseI VIII
become Obsolete -
But Mr. Commissioner Walker doprecates the his
torlc act that "we have brought TO tho English ian-
guaee the rules aud orms OF the Latin and Greek
enguages" ana he appears 10 be quite unaware that
much Of The cy<dit Gooid Brown earned was ior his
work IN simplifying those cdsic rules that our new
teacher would dispense WITH Fu cs descending through
all iinguai combinatons since Cadmus ana employed
anterior 10 creek apthoogies by ancient writer's IKE
Moses, David, ZoroasleI ana Coniuciusrues ~ Dnc,
which underlis all modern grammatic formulatons,
whether OF Teutonc tongues, or IN languages more
directly derived IRON CnaIdac etymoiogic sources,
though Egyptian. Grecian aud Latin methods Of
which Ar. Walker would .cu, on" as .:an.,quascd.
Go0ld Brown anglicissd those ancient rules anu elm
mated from our syntax the lingering vesses o. Liys
tanned IN Aurray's Grammar; and no impartial gram
marian will deny that ne brought research, acumcn
those .tweaiy.slx rules" when guidc-marK our
language 50 plainly tnat children learn their drec-
tons .by nearr' as easily As Mr. Walker can ialssy
lact IN speech after dinner
This com m nicaton may fail OF effect upon OIL
cial who avow Bourbon like, that ne objects 70 lob.
servalions" when ..nust be committed 10 memory"
but We hazard tho conjecture that II our Board OF
Education Is inclined 10 'carry" every emotion" IN
voving large expenditures win such loose CELEBRITY
as characterized It's action In obedience 10 Mr..
Walkers dictatou, II may Involve taxpayers IN iia-
bihties exceeding tho county estimate tor new gram.
action may .cArry" new emotions" 70 sadue wcst.
chester school debts upoa depleted educational
fund, and may open gates 10 tuturo ,byways not SO
s'anquated" IN honesty as the Old ways followed by
"school boards u the fathers" used TO De.
One more suggestion only wc offer Mr. Walker In
reference TO his excerpts from Gooid Browns sex
amples." We advise. when he again SKINS over
page two at rancom, as he visits icw schools. that
he mako note ot line from Pope, opposite that iea
he oogcared for rhetorical points, quotation which
bears instruction nil scolistc declamers and other
'.secondary adJuncts" In school boards:-
Born but to die. and reasoning but to err
a4t EBORACCS