The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-09-19
1T,aeg HorEL, sy1LLIaxs !. Is A.,

~. ts Nj tancc, and they know its TOO
s,,i i,.er.haye been for 80 many ages habil'
1900 RI the employ snent of tue phrase sin
s,nsss ID, in what may be termed their pun.
Ala and official writings that the patient
worm has tacitiY accepted The sisuasao y
and ner,nits them TO use the. phrase ]. tn Is
same as IL it}were gramnatically corress, =.
The ktnss and the editors, however, nave
fbe ~ him hand OF the world as 10 hats ...
Ger. end doubtless would commune ..o ~ s. 10y
fhe phrase even should the entire = fesol nag
pubiic object to hsSs .,,,,,,
~, ra,aah,e Violation OF rule wifha leg1h.
- Lain 10 ths pro, ection and sanction Oh
sba old maxim, !" Exceptio pTobdt Tegulons."
Mo writer on grammar recognizes any
,vora, or form of words dis an admitted an0
sny,na, exception 10 q rule OF grammar
which he does not permit the free use of 70 oH
persons. This, ! think, is conclusive oil tue
some crammarians do indeed note. tue
rrer,o fact tfat In editorials, proclamatiohs,
ard some other public parers, the PiuraI
Y,ropo1In /" we" is often used by one paFsou !,
IN, .iiev seen, 10 mention it only as a TACT
worthy OF observation.
s snrely any form OF words employed oy
a commander Of a frigate in bis othciai "a.
ync..y when writing communication W
fbe yrb,ic authorities, say Of foreign sea-
rorf. cannot be unsrammatical IN MN, II tGe
san,e form Is grammatical when used ~ tne
etitor of paper In an editorial ADDRESS ~
his readers. 49,. l., =, ;,
sT;tor to say ..We are much; gratihsu "
being able to inform ollr readers that' W.,
Il c., not see why 1t Would notpe e!" "a:
GOOD grammar in Commander Jones ~ u
snrrrn,i,icatioe to the civic authorities OF
g';~frpooI. signed by himself only, ana
srsskinc ONLY for himself, and in reference
Go some complainant or honor that had oeen
s,es,cwed on himself exclusively, ne were
a cav. awe are much eratifed in being.
able 10 inform your honorable body that we
yece;yed Yesterday the magnificent present.
zUijcb.n &c: Yet were commander OF
znv frirate to use that mode OF expression
.,nJer circumstances like those above sup
,asea he would be laughed at for mis- igno-.
rance OF the rules OF grammar. g..:s
s However, the solecism in question mas,
br long usage, become so firmly ancnored
s0 The language, and he'reading pubic nave
become so thoroughly accustomed TO seclns
IL used by kings aud editors, that they never
think OK or notice its grammatical impfo-
prietr when used only BY those Two classes;
and hence it is not at all prooaaie that II
vii. ever be eliminated from the language.
as 10 the phrase II have" which you
srfefn us "o}d John G. RiveS used to say is
an exception to the rule which provides
shat the verb must agree with its Eomina-
sivc rasein number" a
/ beg to remark that Mr.. Rives was very
Tuncf Il, error il he mcantto say that in the
following sentences, IL have loved" and
81 ,:ave gum" lin the first one OF which
have" is an auxiliary aDdip the second a
principal VERDI the verb shave" Is an eS-
eeptirn TO the rnle; for in each case it Is q
Irr.Ea;e and unquestioned subject of ana
not IN exception to the rule. In both cases
the word have" is OF its own right and
nature IS strictly in the singular number as
the pronoEn 81" is, and therefore needs
met tie courtesy and excuse of being termed
All exception 10 the rule in order TO account
Scr its being associated with the singular
noun. AN OLD FlRGlNlAN.
Our correspondent; ''kicks against the
pricks." An unanswerable reply to his as
ser.;on as TO what "no WRITER OF grammar
recos nizes' will be to quote from Goold
Browns * Grammar of Gronnaars," which
is The highest possible authority, what
Brown, on page SOL, says:
The pronoun zee ia used by the speaker
or writer TO represent himself and others,
and is therefore plural. But it Is sometimes
nsfd, by q sort OF fiction, in stead OF the
singular, to intimate that the speaker or
writer is not alone in his opinions; or, per-
haps more frequently, to eyade the charge
OF egotism: for this modest assumption OF
p,,,ralltv seems most common with those
who have something else to assume: as,
4skud so lately as 1909, Pope Plus VII, in
accommodating his Gown dear son. Ma
po:cou. whom lie crowned and blessed,
aays:s We, unworthy as zoe are, represent
tbe God OF peace.' "-Dr. Br0lCn(ee. s. The
coat Cts as is well as IL zoe bad been melted
and poured into it."-i'rentice. Monarchs
sometimes prefer ,oe To L, in immediate con-
nsxiou with singular noun; as, " We
,AicrQader, Autocrat OF all the Russias."-
a. NE The Emperor OF China" &c.-Econo-
rny Of Human Life, p. vi. They also employ
she anomalous compound ourSeT, which Is
not often used by other people; az, IS Wit
ness ourSeIf as Westminster, % day Of
April, in the tenth year Of our reign.
CHARLES"
serv'd.r-tShak. +. C. ACT ill.,, Sc. /.
Riod, B. XII. e5. wa 'N'' ~ -
That would be sufficient. But we quote
again. On page Sl8 Brown says: -.
.sOnr most common form Of Enoltage is
Chat by which single person is addressed
An The plural number. This is so fashionable
SIN our civil intercourse that some very polite
graDmar;ans improperly dispute its claims
90 be. called figure and repsesent; nt as
0eing more ordinary, and even MOI htsIat.
than the regular phraseoiogy; when Few
OF them, as we have seen, Wouiu Piace
among the drchaiSnas. The nextIn Ire
quency (ii indeed it can be called o olAeI:
eut Torrn) is the practice OF putting ,ce
for l, or the plural for the singular IN tns
FIRST person. This has never yet pee.
cinimed as literal and regular syntax, 1housi
the usanes differs in nothing but common.
aess; both being honorably authorized, 0o!'
ssW iyaDropeg on some occasions, ana, II
boil, Tie EnaNage being alike obvious"
Brown answers our correspondents poin
su few words, saying that the use OF eve
yo- ~ may be improper "on some occa
s;ans ;, though right on others-in othel
ws.sas. a correct usage for kings and edi
aors. nu. not for everybody.
--------sszs.--
The Fuel OF the Future.
TIE Engineering and Mining journal has
frequently expressed the conviction that The
tine was near at hand when water-ga,
Hydrogen and carbonic oxide) would come
Unto general use, replacing coal for domestic
purposes, In cities at least, and in many
paet n,,,Jreical Onerations II aISo thinks II