River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
The Limitations of Speech.

ASSASa AiOSlAulu Wy WHICH luSy
could communicate to each other
their individual apprehensions.
The human race has gradually
developed until it has attained a
high plane of existence, but there
are still manifold evidences of it's
imperfections; its crudity; that it is
far from having attained the sum-
nit of its destiny, One of the ever
present manifestations of this ins
completeness is mans inability to
fully express his emotions and
thoughts. He is often painfully
conscious of this defect, this inabil-
ity to find words that shall ade-
quately express his impressions.
Speech not only aids one in max
ing known his thoughts to another,
but words are necessity in formu
lating thought, for we think only by
means of words. Races of least
mental development have a paucity
of words TO express themselves, and
the extent of their vocabulary is the
limit of their attainment. The En-
glish people have the most extern
sive vocabulary ever invented, and
as consequence, this people is the
most versatile.
To express a concrete idea; to
give names to things, is simple
process, an accomplishment that
was attained comparatively early by
races of little advancement, but the
conception Of abstract thought, and
the expression of it, was more diff
cult, and came late. Apprehension
and expression might be supposed
to be SynchronouS, coincident. To
certain extent, along the lines of
the concrete, they are. When man
has invented q new machine he i'm
mediately gives il name. Every
new discovery is given new desig-
nation. So words are multiplied.
But words, as so far formed, are
very inadequate instrumentalities to
express the thoughts and emotions
of men. Language has it's limita-
tions. We communicate our emo
tons very feebly by means of words,
and often these words are only sug-
gestions to the listener, aids to his
imagin alton, rather than instrument
talities of his apprehension; he in
wolves these words with his own ex-
perience; makes comparisons, in or
der that he may compass our con-
ceptions.
How could you describe the beau
ty and redolence of the rose to one
who had never seen it and been con-
scious of its exquisite perfume by
the sense of smell? What words
could one use that would do justice
in description to the splendors of
the sunset and the afterglow? Have
you been in the presence of lofty
mountains, beheld the grandeur of
their proportions and the wild beau
ty of scenery that attend? Could
you give expression to your impress
sions? Not if you had at ready COM
mand all the words in the language.
If you talk to one who has seen
the vision of the mountains you may
use words as suggestions to his inn
agination, as aids that may assist
him to recall his own impressions,
but if you try to explain your i'm
pressions to one who has never
been there you will be painfully
conscious of the feebleness of words
and realize the. futility of your at
tempt. You may say that the
mountains, from the very immensi-
ty of their proportions, dwarf every
thing besides; render other objects
inconspicuous Over yonder is a
train of cars. They seem to be
moving at snail's pace oyer the
winding track and remind you Of
the little toy train you give the baby
at Christmas. Down there is lit
tie meandering silver thread. That
is majestic river. That shining
wall against the sky, that seems so
near, is forty miles away and the
summit, peak on peak, is lost in the
clouds. That fringe of green that
nearer appears like hazel brush is
composed of towering pines. If
amidst this overwhelming grandeur,
this all-pervading majesty of noun
tain, the most pig-headed egotist
does not feel his own insigni6cance,
his unspeakable ,ittleness, there
is more hope of fool than of him. F."
So powerful does this idea of inn
mensity become that you are speech
less from the consciousness of the
futility of speech. Here words are
homogeneous; silence is eloquence.
So in thousand experiences,
words are so futile as to seem out
of place and silence the more ex-