The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-31

10 the Editors Of the Us, ~ },

~ - =
when aiter the late war, ecoaStFstc
- - sSrceis i,r,f,,, the South, eel cosls
s,,ansas we're intended, which, alas. Tor U.s.,
! : avs certainly followed, and TO when we
~, 4, i,n,;t q ith the best grace we can put
e,,ara ! - her effects OF reconstru ion not
s,,ta,,ssad IN the authors OF the scheme, and
80 which we are net fofcedto weld by the
,,nrvers That be, but which will, unless we
sas;st them, as surely overpower us. 4 fnean
2ha dcbasenlent OF our iauguage-the SUP.
stitusion OF the corrupt phraseology ana
PRONUNCIATION OF New England for the
tineshonomd and correct speech OF oiu
England. Not alone among the iiiitefa.c
does the corruption prevail and constantly
increase, but tue educated (through caIeiess-
nessl permit themselyesto fall into the SAINT y.
snare. When we We're Young, Messls. Eur !.
tors. what would have been thought OF the
man who pronounced sergeant as II the
first vowel were u? or OF the refined !onbs
LADY, who should express the gratl!ylhs
TACT that her beau presented her WIN !,
bouuet ,cvideatly supp0slng pnlloloslca,
connection between the gift and the glrer !
NV attention hns been recently called to
sl,;s subject by an article written by Francis
NJ. Newman and published In q late No. OF
the Contemporary Rsuie,o, from which 1t
noost satisfactorily appears that II . Engltsh
nnde6led'' is our standard. our otd-fasa.
toned Virginia speech UaS I do not say IS
compared withthe Yankee language, as ny.
Derion to a Satyr. Mr.. Newman says that
according to the standard English pronun'
citation the in the following words is pro-
nounced like the in father-viz., grass
pass, asie, task. grasp, baSfeet, grant, COM
Tland, plant, France, trance, glance, Jdst
last, past, Uast, cast, rather, aims, psalm
nonnced harth. not birth that the 0 in sucf
words as toss, offer. Golfer, often. DC. il
pronounced like an that the 90 in room
broom. is pronounced like the ain .taN thai
SCOT il pronounced sat; that IRON IS pro
1iounced as in ir0ny, and not iuT1 and SO
of vast number OF other words Whert
there isa difference between the northern
and southern pronunciation, Dir. Newman
almost invariably comedies With US.
The tendency Of the universal diffusion
of n superticial education, as ut the NORM
is to induce pronunciation according U
the spelling" or by analogy with slmila,
words, thus obliterating what they call tn'
irregularities Of the language, IN Wh!ch iI
strength and beauty for the most part con
sist. Changes in language are always causet
Joy popular ignorance, ana "hat IS nov
error NAV be consecrated by custom, ant
Tins become correct, and to such changes
we must submit. But this is very differen
from our willingly adopting the irnmens'
mass Of vulgar ignorancea and error In dictioI
and pronunciation OF our conquerors.
is enough that we are obliged to adopt thel
lawsand, TO some extent, their customs, bu
do not let us also accept their Grass igno
rance as the embodiment OF wisdom. LIE
ms rather cling to the speech OF our fathers
with the same tenacity with which they ad
here to the dollar OF their fathers, whethe
round or square. PHILoLodOs.