The American grammar

1831·17.8 MB·English

by  Brown, James, grammarian

:
THE
AMERICAN GRAMMAR.
BY JAMES BROWN.
PREPARED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS BY THE AUTHOR
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PUBLISHED BY CLARK & RASER.
No. 60, Dock Street.
1831.
[Enteredby James Brown, and Clakk & Raser,inthe Office
ofthe Clerkof the EasternDistrict ofPennsylvania, 1331 accord-
7
ing to ActofCongress,}
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ADVERTISEMENT.
Nothing so effectually prevents improvement as a
belief of present perfection. It is observed by Mr,
Murray, that little improvement in English Grammar
can be'expected at so late a period. This gentleman
may have exhausted the source whence be has derived
his'extensive compilations; but it does not follow that
he has exhausted the principles of this science. The
truth is, that Mr. Murray's Grammar is neither in ac-
cordance with—sound sense, nor with the principles of
our language and to sustain this position, the author
of the American Grammar has published An Appeal
from the British System of English Philology to
Common Sense. TheAppeal comprises aboutfive hun-
dred pages, and makes a full exposure of the defects,
errors and contradictions, which pervade not only Mr.
Murray's, but every other system that is founded upon
the British principles of English Grammar.
About twelve years since, the author of this work
began those investigations in English Philology,
which have resulted in this system. He commenced
by forming a new nomenclature, which, in his opinion.
is absolutely necessary to a clear and satisfactory de-
velopment of the Grammar of the language. About
this time he printed his first work, which makes but
two parts ofspeech; namely, Primary and Secoksary.
1. The Primary is a word which is constructively in-
dependent; as, man, book.
2. The**Secondary is a word which is constructively
dependent; as, "a good man walks uprightly in all his
ways."
Sincethe time ofthe author'sfirst publication, hehas
printed twenty works upon this science; these have
been robbed by the herd of simplifiers, and made the
foundation of those overgrown pretensions which have
*
ADVERTISEMENT.
disgusted the people, and disgraced their modest au-
thors. It is unnecessary to enumerate thenames oft—he
whole family of these plagiarists, and new modellers
yet, out of compliment to those who have recommended
the author's works by a liberal and free use of their
principles, it seems a duty to mention a Greenleaf an
Ingersoll, a Cardell, a Kirkham, and a Gould Brown!
That these writers are dishonest authors, the different
works published by the author of the American Gram-
mar, most clearly demonstrate; and that they are un-
successful ones, time, which must give a faithful ac-
count oftheir/are, will, not far hence,place beyond dis-
pute.
Since the author's first publication upon this science,
he has printed others upon the sam—e subject, in which
he has restored the old nomenclature but as these have
not been so well received as the first, he has come to-
the resolution to make the second attempt at the intro-
duction ofa new nomenclature.
This—work, like the first, makes but two parts of
speech but instead of Primary and Secondary, they
are Noun and Adjective.
It is generally thought by those who have merely
heard ofthe philological worksofJohn Horne Tooke,
that this distinguished Grammarian has presented in
his "Diversions ofPurley" a system of English Gram-
mar; and that this system makes but two parts of
speech. B—ut he has attempted to form no system of
Grammar nor does he pretend to say howmanyparts
of speech there are in any language! He does assert,
however, that all the Conjunctions, Prepositions, &e. in
our language, have been derived from nouns or verbs.
But he does not even intimate that the words derived
from this source, should now be considered and called
nouns and verbs! Perhaps no one but Mr. Cardell has
ever attempted to class, a—nd name words according to
their sourceofderivation a principle which^Would in-
clude detract and detraction in the same class; thus
making detraction a verb!
The system here presented is so far from being ade-
parture from the principles upon which the author's
first attempts were made, that it is a very close con-
formity to them. Of the works which the author's
ADVERTISEMENT. V
inceptive stages of investigation produced, most ofthe
gentlemen whose nam—es are here presented, spake in
quite flattering terms And, although the author does
not rest the introduction of his system upon the autho-
rityof great names; yet, as philosophers and moralists,
4 theologians and politicians have resorted to the opi-
nions, and concurrent testimony of distinguished indi-
viduals to obtain a sanction for their doctrines and
systems, he deems it proper to presenttothe public the
opinions which eminent scholars and teachers have ex-
pressed ofhis work:
HisExcellency, De Witt Clinton.
E. Nott, President of Union College.
Rev. John Findlay, A.M., Baltimore.
Rev. Samuel Blatchford, Lansingburg.
Prof. Yates, Union College.
Rev. John Chester, Albany.
Rev. C. G. Somers, New York.
W. A. Tweed Dale, Principal ofthe Lancasterian School, Albany.
Rev. D. H. Barnes, classical teacher, New York.
C. Schaeffer, PastorofChrist Church, New York.
Rev. Solomon Brown, Principalofthe Classical and Belles Lettres
Academy, NewYork.
Rev.D.Parker,A.M.PrincipalofBroad-streetAcademy,NewYork
Caroline M.Thayer, Preceptress ofPhilom.Academy, NewYork.
Charles Spaulding, Principal ofUnion Academy, New Brunswick.
New Jersey.
L. S. Lownsbury, Principal ofVillage Academy, NewYork.
C. K. Gardner, A.M. Washington City.
Richard R. Fenner, teacher, Baltimore;
James Gould, teacher, Baltimore.
Mr. Stewart, teacher, Baltimore.
Rev. Thomas Wheat, Principal of the Academyappended to St.
Paul's Church, Alexandria.
Benjamin Hallovvell, one ofthe Principals ofthe Alexandria Classi-
cal and Mathematical Boarding School.
John R. Pierpont, Mechanics Hall Academy. Alexandria
Mr. Allison, A. M., Classical teacher, Alexandria.
Samuel Douglas, Esq., Harrisburg.
Dr. A. T. Dean, Harrisburg.
Roberts Vaux, Philadelphia.
C. J. Ingersoll, Philadelphia.
W. M. Meredith, Philadelphia.
D.P.Brown, Philadelphia.
Dr. W. C. Brinckle,Philadelphia.
Dr. A. Comstock, teacher, do.
ThomasA. Taylor, do. do.
Mr. Slack, do. do.
Mr. Goodfellow, do. do.
VI ADVERTISEMENT.
David Maclure, Philadelphia.
Thomas M. Raser, Philadelphia.
John M'Allison, Alexandria.
E. Fouse, Philadelphia.
S. H. Wilson, Philadelphia.
Thomas J. Harris, Chambersburg.
N.R. Smith, Pittsburg.
John N. M'Nivins, Pittsburg.
S. I. Anderson, Lt. U. S. Army, Minerva, Kentucky,
Benjamin F. Reeve, Minerva, Kentucky.
James H. Holton, Germantown, Kentucky.
John Erhart, Newport, Rhode Island.
N. B. The opinionsof these gentlemen may befound
at the close of the work.
The folloicing names have beengiven by tenof the Professors in
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmettsburg.
James Lynch, Barnard O. Cavanagh,
J. Butler, John M'Clasky,
John H. M'CafFery, Edward Sourin,
James Carny, Edward Collins,
Mathew Taylor, Thomas Butler.
The Proceedingsofthe LegislatureofPennsylvania,in referenceto
theAmerican Grammar, being intheform of a recommendation,
itmaynot be amiss toinsert themin thisplace.
The fact is beyond doubt, that the subjectofEnglish
Grammar has been in an unsettled state, from its com-
mencement to thepresentperiod. Andone ofthe many
injurious results is that, schools are almost daily dis-
turbed by the introduction of new Grammars. The
people of the United States, feeling the bad effects of
this course, must perceive that it proceeds from the
defects of the British systemof English philology: and
they must also be satisfied that nothing can arrest the
progressof this evil,but the true system! The citizens
of Harrisburg, feeling the inconvenience and expense
of this perpetual change in Grammars, and believing
that it tends to retard the progressofyouthinthestudy
of this science, sent a petition to the Legislature of
Pennsylvania,praying that body to investigate this sub-
ject; and to recommend a system of Grammar for the
use of Schools. This petition, of course, was referred
to the Committee on Education, who, after a delibe-