The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-05-22
English the Language of the Future.

We believe most heartily in the unity
of language being "a mighty element
in a nations progress and power, and
that anything which can be done fair
ly and reasonably to secure such unity
is not only permissible but dutiful
and right. Nothing can be more evil
dent than that English is to be the
lingua communis of this continent,
and all struggling against this inevita-
bly, will be of quite Partingtonian
character. The Celt clings to his Gae-
lie, but it must 60, and none knows
and feels this more clearly than the
Celt himself. The dear old Scottish
Doric is doomed, though the canny
Lowland Scot may be able to prove to
a demonstration that it is the most
copious and, expressive language which
has come down from Babel, even
Greek itself, perhaps not excepted.
The German, the Swede, the Italians.
or the Dane, if at all sensible, never
dreams of the dominaney of his dear
old mother tongue in this New World
of ours. He knows the scholarly will
always use what in his heart will ever
be precious, but he is as certain as that
he lives that his grandchildren will
talk in another tongue, and that his
great-grandchildre may never know
what to him was best. 1t is pity, but
it can't be helped, and perhaps it would
be q greater pity if it could. In the
same way our French friends must face
the inevitable. They may fancy in
one of their dreamy moods that their
beautiful language is to be that in
which men will bargain and make love
from the North Pole to the Isthmus of
Panama. But their better judgment
must tell them differently. Tho Gae-
lie, without prescription and without
any hostile effort, every year recedes,
even in Scotland. 1t cannot stand
against the business hustle and rail-
way rush of the day. Condemned in
its exclusive use men are left far be-
hind IN the race of life, and they won't
consent to be SO left. So is il here.
Some foolish, unreasoning people are
afraid that in Canada French will sup
plant English, and that the French
Canadians will become the dominant
race. The fear is foolish, and that
coming time is in dreamland.
And is the French language really
not making that dreaded progress
which some affect to deploreP We are
convinced it is not. The active and
enterprising of Lower Canada are all
learning English. They cannot help
themselves unless willing. to be lag
CARDS in the race and nowhere in the
upward struggle. Is it too much to
say that for every child of English
parentage that can speak French there
are twenty French who can speak En-
glish2
The business of Canada is every year
increasingly done in the common
tongue. Is there one speech in six
heard in. French in the House OF Com
mons at Ottawa compared with what
was common thirty years agoP We
shall NOT speak with certainty for we
don't absolutely know, but we VEN
ture to affirm that among the French
members at Ottawa there are not six
who do not understand English, though
quarter of century since there were
three times that number, and more, in
utter ignorance of even the rudiments
of the English tongue. What force
has been used to bring round this
changer No force at all except the
ceaseless, noiseless working of the in
evitable. Not only SO, but we may
safely add, and without the slightest
offense to any one, that those who are
bound that neither themselves nor
their children shall know English are
by such resolution determining that
they and their sons shall be hewers of
wood and drawers of water amid the
mighty ferment and varied opportuni-
ties that arc in full operation on every
side. Toronto Globe.