"An Expression that Shows Itself in Laws and Institutions"
From time to time assaults are made on the language of the English-speaking peoples. All the way from Esperanto to Mr. H. L. Mencken's American Language," the most ingenious attempts are anode to show that the language can be replaced, improved or developed into non-existence, and meanwhile it pursues its way, changing and ever the same, as for centuries. None who do not come from English-speaking lands can be blamed for rebelling somewhat at the plain fact that, although they may not have adopted it, that language has adopted them. They may here and there manage to stick a tiny piece of French or Yiddish or Italian into the great mass, but this no more creates a French or Yiddish or Italian language in America than it does an American. There are no Luther Burbanks for the English language, because it does its own growing.
there were such a ti possible, this imperturbabil: would create a sort of comedy in languages; those that will have none of the English language and would rather talk with their fingers and toes than owe anything to Shakespeare 2nd Dryden, rage aboundingly, but. that language remains as_imperturbable as the Berkshire Hills. Like the inspec-for of an army division who would not be hurried, English will not be hurried. It remains strong, and solid, and beautiful, and young, yet owes none of these qualities to academy.
Tae Lanovace or Linerry.
It takes its strength from the past and the present, as it does its beauty, and is content to be the language of liberty. Some, no doubt, object secretly that it should be called the ''English" language, which is about as reasonable a thing as objecting to a certain tint that is called Prussian blue. Those who would erect an American language forget two things: That real development _is always slow, and that the Bible is printed in English, the language that Abraham Lincoln wrote, and in which "Theodore Roosevelt read to his children.
But the almost personal objection to a language because it is itself, is Indicrous. We cannot separate a language from its literature—this would certainly be depriving Correggio of his Cerreggiocity—and that literature continues to grow and thrive most
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.