The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-25
AQucsttOn of Grammar.
Editor OfMe Dispotch:

ACQUISITION of Grammar.
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
In your paper OF the 18th instant YOU
furnished for the Sunday meditatons o.
your readers notice of the "amicabl,
controversy y between DIR. Robert Rylan(
and me. As your purpose did not require
you to mention the exact state Of that con
troyersy perhaps you viii permit me TO dc
so; and also TO give some further notice OF
what is not altogether an uninteresting
point IN grammar.
DIR. Ryland. in the first place, land il
down as u rule that "whcn a sentence be-
gins with an adjective or participle that
adjective or participle must always gram
maticalIy refer TO the subject of the verb"
He illustrated his meaning by giving sew
eral sentences, among them tins Having
started at early dawn, and having travelled,
de-, our dinner was eaten with great rel
ish." Here, said he, "having started"
and shaving travelled" belong grammati-
cally 10 our dinner. To this took eXcep-
ton, preferring 10 make "haying started,"
&C.. in the nomiDatiye case absolute. with
the nominatyc are understood. DR.. Ry-
land replied, challenging me TO produce
from any standard author an example Of
pressed. As your readers know, had no
difficulty in producing the examples.
Thrs the case stands between DR.. Ryland
and me.
You think that he unnecessarily surreu-
dered his cause, that he ought TO have APP
pea;ed 10 authority, that he is i'm the right,
and that the question really afforded no
room for a contest. Two OF three things
may be said in reply.
]. l agree with YOU that an appeal TO
authority was the thing required. but l do
not agree with you as to what constitutes
authority. know OF no higher authority
in matters OF grammar than the practice OF
our best writers ard speakers. This is the
warrant and foundation OF all our rules OF
grammar, and il they want this they are oil
no force. III / had not been able TO find
examples OF the nominative suppressed III
GOOD authors, / should at once and un-
hesitatingly have confessed defeat. But
I found examples in Darwin, Lecky,
Lewes, Jeffrey, deter. and Motley.
and / now have examples equally peril
nent from Irving, Everett, and other
masters of English style. You do not rep
resent the case with perfect fairness when
YOU intimate that the examples given are
errors carelessly fallen into 10y men writing
in haste and with no thought of grammati-
cal propriety. | pointed out that some of
the sentences bear evidence Of care and
purpose, and that their construction was
nicely fitted to the Shade of thought to be
expressed. Would Edward Everett be
likely to use an expression which he did not
deliberately approve twice in the same ora
tiony Or would Lewos and Motley care
lessly make the same mistake twice on the
same page: and many times in their wri-
tings? / canuot but think that when q
particular form OF expression Is frequently
and apparently designedly used by careful
and elegant writers that expression has the
sanction Of their authority.
2. But the authority YOU demand is moi
the practice OF approved writers; but the
expressed judgment OF grammarians. The
attention Of our grammarians docs not
seem to have been specially called to tho
question as TO whether the nominatiye In
the case absolute may be suppressed. La
than and Fowler both fail TO notice it; st
do Harrison and whitney and Marsh and
other great English grammarians. After
looking through a number Of grammars
have found but two that give positive wit
ness In the ease. Few-Smith, in hi:
"Grammar OF the English Language, y
says: "The noun or pronoun which L
used independently before participle i
sometimes omitted; as Considering th'
difficulties, il is surprising that they sue
eeeded'; that is, Il, we, or persons con
sidering,'" &C., p. 1876. The testimony o
Goold Brown, in his Grammar OF Gram
mars, Is substantially 10 the same purpose
Reed and kellogg, in their Higher Lesson
In English, under the rule relating TO Tn
nominatiye absolute, give this sentence
Taking OF exercise, you have heard, O
course. OF Dickens's 'constitutionals," \
Gs. This is case OF suppressed nomina
tive. The grammars j have quoted ar
highly respectable. aud in extensive use
but leave you and Your readers 10 judg
how far we ought TO rely on them as al
thofity.
But, after all, no man with scholarly IN
suncts Is willing implicitly TO follow al
thority. lie will wish TO place himself i
- position ~ which he can use lis ow
ldgment in the decision OF case. Tha
may get into that position let US look
ftlc closely INTO the matter.
l. Let us understand tjrsl what the cas-
absolute Is. IL is q noun or pronou
standing in agreement with participle
and dramatically independent OF the res
OF the sentence. The example often give
w sh' Ssabhiaio ~, Cufiit Dclnp iOSt, III
virtue is lost. Ii is used to express a con
dition OF tine or circumstances: but W
must carefully note that every noun stand
ing in agreement with participle and ex
pressing condition is not nominatiy
ease absolute. II may simply be an ordi
nary nominatiye case In agreement with
participie. as, Washington having arrived
took command Of the army; or. BENZ
very hungry. we ate our dinner.
2. Having seen what the nominatiye cas-
absolute is, we may next inquire whether
In any case, the poininati,e may he sup
pressed. or course this question would
come under tbc rule or rules referring tC
all cases OF suppression or omission OF
words. Gan we suppress II without pro.
ducing confusion, or ambiguity VIII we
gain anything In terseness, breyity, or
vigor By sgppressing ity In order 10 an
swer these questions satisfactorily We must
have examples before Us.
a. There arc certain eases OF the nomi.