New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-01-23
Americanis,ns.

The stigmatizing Of @ word, or q
phrase, or even a pronunciation, as an
Americanism, by any censor, however
accomplished or however thoroughly
English, or by any authority ESQ
called), British or American, however,
high, is not to be regarded of very great
moment in the settlement of the ques..
ton, still less as at all decisive 1t il
very rarely that a word or a phrase car
be set down as an Americanism except
upon probability and opinion; whereas
the contrary is shown, if shown at all,
upon fact-proof that cannot be gainsaid.
The citation Of word from English
literature at or before the time of Dry
den shows that it cannot possibly be
American in origin; evidence Of its
continued use by British writer's during
the last century and the present proves
the impossibility of it's being an Amer
icanism in any sense of that term. In
deed, evidence and proof should hard
~ be mentioned in relation to this
showing. OF words and phrases which
have such orr Gin and history as has Just
been specified, it is simply to be said
that they are English. To stamp a
word or a phrase as an Americanism,
it is necessary to show that az it is Of
so-called american" origin-that is,
States Of North America; or that (2) it
has been adopted in those states from
some language other than English. or
has been kept in use there while it has
wholly passed out of use in England.
Now these points arc very difficult Of
sufficient proof; and the defeats ofthose
who have assumed them in various in
stances are almost numberless. The
production of unknown and unsuspect-
ed evidence has often toppled bold as
sertions over, and swept into oblivion
judgments long reverently accepted;
and it may at any time do so again.
When those who assume to speak au-
thoritatively upon the subject declare
that word or a phrase is an Ameri-
canism, they must be prepared with a
full and satisfactory answer to the
question, What do you know about it?
They may perhaps know what is En-
glish, but how will they prove the neg
alive, that this or that word or phrase
is not English? Indeed, generally the
declaration that Il word is an Ameri-
canism Cor not English) can only be
(what it almost always isl the mere ex-
preston of the declarer's opinion that
he or she does not remember having
heard the word, and rather dislikes it,
and therefore assumes that it is not En-
glish, but "American.h At it's strong
est, such Judgment is the mere opin-
ion of a critical scholar whose reading
in English literature, both ancient and
modern, has been both wide and OBJ
servant An opinion from such quar-
ter has some value; but it becomes alb
solutely worthless in the presence OF
adverse facts.
Now it is very significant of the diff
Guilty, which besets this question that
British journals of the highest standing
keep up the manufacture of an ever
lengthening chain of blunders in regard
to it; each one, now and then, as if i'm
PEELED by some blind instinct, adding
it's little link of welded ignorance and
prejudice; and hardly less remarkable
is it that stndious men, not taught by
study the wisdom of reserve, make as
sertions which rival those Of the Jour.
nalists in rashness and in error
Richard Grant White IN December at
l0aatic.