, 1881-02-04
PORT TOWNSEND, w. T.. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY A. 1881.

Greek, Q. 3. mistake, failacy, sophis-
try; lively, vivid, graphic; crazy.
insane, idjotic. With such legacy
within easy reach the English Ian
guage will not fail to furnish term
suited to our thoughts. Like other
blessings, the use Of synonyms may
be perverten, as when DR.. johnson
recast THIS pithy sentence-"The re-
hearsal has not wit enough to keep
it sweet," to the stilted form "The
rehearsal has not vitality enough to
preserve it from putrefaction."
A good command of language,
rather command Of good language
is priceless treasure. Note this
forcible succession, ",Ihere sat the
wise, the eloquent, the patriotic
Chatham"
That language affords q mental
discipline is no fsncied argument,
nor is this of the same kind or in the
same manner with other studies.
There is one use of gold, another
of copper, another of lead; and each
is malleable. In like manner, there
is one discipline in mathematics, an.
other in pure science and another in
language, the FIRST chiefly contribu-
ting to the reasoning faculties, tie
second to memory and the third to
expression. Some indirect helps
will briefly be considered. Some
phrases from the Latin spice our
common reading, and the mere Eng
lish student but half understands the
meanings cf via, .officio, sine die,
equi distant, &c. This calls up the
need of classic knowledge in the
professions, strictly so called; while
the merchant should hsve CONNER
cial and local law independent of
attorney, and heads of families
should not need to summon physi-
ciane when an understanding of the
names of some disease would locate
them and suggest relief. In short,
in these days Of wide spread knnwl-
edge, every man must be his own
scholar or consent to receive second
hand and pay tribute to the jealous
seekers. IF one reads understand
ingly the daily paper, filed with mar
rative and invention, he finds that
science, art, navigation and war, as
we'll as agriculture and miscellanies
have each a set of terms based upon
the ancient languages. Indeed the
very names of the pursuits taken at
randon) are in four instances from
the Latin, and one from the Greek.
Again the Latin is of historic
value, revealing by the nature Of its
words the character and pursuits of
the ancient Romans; as the frequen.
cy of certain terms shows us his
minds bent while limited vocabu.
larry means limited ideas.
The English, while it initiates the
excellencies of kindred languages,
has also few characteristics wholly
its own. Il exists, vital organism
and not a lifsless instrument. There
is trace enough of the classic to give
it the perfume of antiquity; while
in its lack OF infections it has laid
aside many dead weights.
And thus while there are 55 mill
ions to. day using the German ton
que, about the same number Span
ish and less number French, there
are 90 millions on the globe speak.
ing the English tongue which seems
destined to become universal. In
real essence the English speaking
ao7errments rule onc-fourth of the
eartd's population while more than
enc half Of the worlds epistles be-
ing in this tongue, assert the supo-
rior intelligence of the English mind
and it's diffusiye influence.