Middletown transcript., 1898-03-05
DELAWARE COLLEGE PAPER.
BY A MEMBER OF THE FACULTY.

a
Conference in paragraphs would be COM
paratively easy il it could be brought about
solely by the right use of link-words. But
link-sentsnces are quite as important as
other connectives, and such sentences are
often left out by young writers, SO that one
who reads what they write has the sense of
skipping as from one stepping stone to an
other, and not the omforting sense of pro- .
grsss upon an unbroken highway. This
peculiar effect of incoherence is illustrated
in the following extract from a young
mans essay on The Attacks made upon
Washington at the time when his attitude
toward the war between France and En-
gland as unpopular:
Early in 1898 news came that France
had declared war against England. When
Genet came to this country May Is, 1893, as
Minister from France, no one thought he
would attack the most prominent man of
this country. When Washington received
Genet the latter became angry because hewas
not received with special honor; for WASH
ington received him in his cold way, which
cut the Frenchman. Genet began sending
vessels and men from our shores to capture
English ships"
This extract is incoherent chiefly because
the writer left out two or three explanatory
sentences necessary to a clear understand
ing of the relation between the several mat
ters treated of The first sentence should
have been followed by one to the effect that
shorty after the arrival of the news as to
the declaration Of war; new French min
lister reached our shores.
There should follow the original third
sentence, a sentence explaining that Wash
lngton's feeling of coldness toward the
French minister was not shared by the
mass of the American people, but that on
the contrary, the minister was received by
q large part of the people with much en-
thusiasm. The original fourth sentence
should then be introduced by a clause
showing that it was Genet's belief that the
people were with him against the Federal
administration which gave him courage to
send out from our ports ships to prey upon
British commerce, and the paragraph should
close with further reference to Genet's at
tack on Washington.
The extract thus rendered coherent would
read about in this fashion:
early in 1893 news came that France
had declared war against England. Soon
after this news reached US Genet, the new
French minister, reached our shores. When
Genet came to this country no one thought
that he would have the bardihood to at
tack the President. But Washington re-
ceiYed Genet so coldly that the Frenchman
was deeply offended. The people of the
United States, on the other hand, received
the new minister with warmth in marked
contrast with the Presidents coldness, and |
and emboldened by this Genet began send
ing out from our ports vessels to prey upon |
British commerce This led Washington |
to issue orders against such proceedings,
and Genet and many of his American |
friends angrily criticized the Presidents |
course"
Conference is characteristic of the best |
newspaper writing, especially of the best
editorial writing. This is true of good |
newspaper writing generally because coher-
cnce is the first essential to clearness, and
clearness is the special aim Of good news
paper writing. Il is especially true of ed
itorial writing, because much of such writ
ng is argumentative, and argumentative
writing that is not coherent is not effective.
The teacher will find selections from we'll
written editorial articles excellent to illus
rate conference in paragraphs.
The next article in this series will en-
body general statement of what will be
demanded of fcandidates seeking to pass the
Delaware College examinations in grammar
and literature.