Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-12-01
One LANGUAGE.
SHALL 1T BE VOLAPUK OR THE
SPANISH.
An Argument in Favor of Adopting
the Latter and in Contrast
With English.

Win EngilSh.
A writer in the Mertco Tico Republics pre-
sents some interesting observations in
favor of the Spanish as the universal
language of the future, and contrasts it
with English to the decided advantage,
from his standpoint, to his favorite tongue.
He says:
Philologists are searching for a uni
versal language. The various artificial
systems now being invented prove unsatis-
factory. Attention is being directed to
the Spanish. The Spanish language has
been pruned and purified until it is per-
feet. Unlike the French, every letter is
distinctly sounded and never varies, and
unlike the English, French and most
other languages, it has no double letters.
for the double is distinct letter of itself.
/ do not recall a single word that stands for
two different things or two words that are
pronounced alike although spelled differ
emily, although many words by adding the
accent, change their significance and
sound.
Many imagine that the Spanish is much
more prolix than English. There they
are in error. In English we say, VIII it
rain ?' In Spanish they ask, T" LIorera ?"
We reply, l will see," In Spanish the
answer would be, " Vere." Which is most
concise?
French, which is so universally spoken
by all educated people except Americans,
and as we all know was once the universal
court language of Europe, has so many
silent letters and so many double conso-
| nants that it is not desirable as common
language, although there are but few words
with double meaning. In fact, only re-
call one" pecheltr," fisherman or a sin
ner.
The English language is unquestionably
crude mixture Of Norman, French and
Saxon and other dialects. 1t has been
pruned down a great deal, but needs
thorough regeneration before it could be-
come universal idiom. No language, l
will venture to say, is more difficult for
foreigner to master-so many words are
spelled and pronounced exactly alike, and
yet with such different meaning. Take,
for instance, the line:
Grave upon my grave sentence grave.
Then there are as many others spelled
Juob tiAhS bub
Also, so many words spelled alike but with
such different signifcation-ab box of candy
or box on the .ear. Then there are so
many words spelled differently but pro-
nounced exactly alike, as Hood says
They told the sexton and the sexton tolled the
bell.
Volumes could be filled with quotations
of the inconsistencies of the English Ian
guage, but think have quoted enough
to demonstrate its utter uselessness as the
foundation of universal language
Spanish-aside from the wide area in
which it is spoken-through its derivation
from the Latin, is connected so intimately
with the Italian, Portuguese and other
South European tongues as to place it far
ahead of all living idioms for a universal
language.
The writer's views are given at some
length because they are discriminating
and intelligent upon subject of wide
spread interest. If the questions of uni
versal language turned merely upon points
of grammatical fitness, such as ortho-
graphic and syntactical excellence, much
might be conceded to the elegant Spanish
tongue. But, unfortunately, considerations
of that nature have had little influence in
such matters in the past, and under the
operation of the same forces they can have
but little effect in the future.
That which came nearest TO a universal
language in historic times was the Roman
or Latin. Forced upon all the peoples of
Europe, of North Africa and of a consid-
erable part Of Asia, the Latin became
their official language of laws and religion.
State officers, the priesthood and all
learned persons in every profession were
required to know it, and as matter of
course the common people picked up more
or less of 1t. The Romans were too proud
to learn the speech of conquered peoples;
they forced the vanquished to learn theirs
The result has been impressed upon the
history Of the world to such degree that
its influence is felt to-day in the ritual of
the most extended branch of the Christian
church, in the curriculum of all our col
leges, and in every physicians prescription
The Greek was much more elegant and
perfect language, but it was compelled to
succumb to the vast material forces of the
Roman conquerers.
To-day there is no nation which is push
ing its military power into all countries,
but there is in its stead a race of men
which Is dotting the continents and islands
of the globe with its colonies; which is
pushing its commerce into every land, and
is covering every sea with its ships This
race does not represent one nation, but
many; and however they may differ on
questions of government and public econ
omy they are one in speech. Every box
and barrel of merchandise which they
carry into foreign countries, everv book
and newspaper issued from their presses
and sent to foreign lands is a missionary to
carry their language and to fasten it by
force upon other nations.
Commerce and colonization have taken
the place of war and conquest in the pro-
pagation of particular, speech upon the
human race, and they are quite as potent
to accomplish such an end 1t looks now as
if the English is to be the universal Ian
guage of the future, and unless people
shall arise with a greater aptitude for COM
merce and colonization, and with an
ability to humble and conquer the Eng
lish-speaking nations, there is no escape
from the conviction that by the time the
next century shall have passed there will
be more speakers of English than of Chi
nese on the face of the globe, and not a
settlement or community, however obscure,
will be destitute of people who know our
Ll-l