I admit that my Grammar has its defects, (and whose has not?) and that, on account of what my countrymen have been pleased to view as excellencies in it, they have been indulgent to its faults. And I repeat, that had Goold Brown pointed out any of these, though in his peculiarly censorious and dogmatical manner, I should have received his criticisms kindly; for I have always held it as a maxim, that a man can never be too well informed to be instructed, even by his enemies and his inferiors. But when a man so far degrades himself as to deal in general denunciation, and coarse invective, instead of just and manly criticism, he neither enlightens the public, nor benefits him whom he assails.
The motive of the critic in furnishing to the reviewers this particular 'extract' from a work which, only 'at some future, perhaps distant day, is to be given to the public,' is too clearly shown to be mistaken. Why does he thus early put his MS. into the reviewers' hands, when the publication of his 'Great Grammar of Grammars' is to be deferred to some 'distant day?' Or, if he must needs thrust himself before the public at once, why does he herald his approach by that particular portion of his work which denounces me? The answer is obvious. Lest the whole world should be converted to the grammatical faith as it is in Kirkham, it would not do to wait for the publication of his 'Great Grammar of Grammars,' but it becomes necessary, for the double purpose of annihilating me, and of giving the public a foretaste of the choice things he has in store for them, to have this tremendous criticism appear forthwith; and, judging from the dainty morsel he has thus thrown out as a bait, a rare dish it must be! Judging from this specimen, (which of course must be one of his best, or he would not have sent it forth as a sample,) we may fairly conclude, that his whole 'Great Grammar of Grammars' will contain an ample store of pedantry and sophistry, calumny and hypercriticism. Since, however, he has thus early discharged so large a quantity of bile, we may hope that he will be able to keep cool until his 'Great Grammar of Grammars' shall appear; and when that portentous event shall occur, we venture to predict that the great work which has so many hot things in it, will soon be as cool as its author. This prophecy, however, may not be palatable to our critic; for, having failed in writing for money, he appears now to be scratching for fame; and it is evident that he believes the size of his forthcoming volume, taken in connection with its pompous title, will render him immortal.
I do not know that I can more profitably close these remarks, than by calling the serious attention of my antagonist to the sentiments contained in the following extract from the preface to my Elocution, a personal application of which, I doubt not, would do him good:
'Without taking into consideration the enormous difference between carping at the deficiencies, and condemning the faults, of others, and that of avoiding faults and supplying deficiencies, and losing sight, also, of the important truism, that knowledge derived from experience even, in order to subserve any useful purpose, either in authorship or in its application to business, must be drawn from successful experience, many of our book-mongers seem to take it for granted, that to be able to raise plausible objections to the books that have fallen in their way, and to profess experience in teaching a particular science, constitute the grand climacteric of all that is requisite in order to form a successful writer upon that science. But it is not the man who has merely taught, or who has taught long, or who is able to point out defects in authors, that is capable of enlightening the world in the respective sciences which have engaged his attention; but the man who has taught well. It is the man of genius and enterprise; he who has brought to the task of his calling uncommon powers of discrimination, and a sound judgment, and whose ambition has led him not to rest satisfied with following the tedious routine of his predecessors, but to strike out a new and a better track, or at least to render smoother and brighter the path long trodden. It is to such men, and such only, that we are indebted for all our great improvements in the construction of elementary works for schools and private learners.'
S. Kirkham.
New-York, July 25, 1837.
Newspaporial.—Our readers are not ignorant of the high estimate which we place upon the 'New-Yorker' weekly journal. For industry, talent, interest, and general usefulness, we scarcely know its superior. In a recent eloquent appeal to the justice of its numerous delinquent subscribers, it announces that hereafter, owing to the pressure of the times, it can only be afforded at three dollars per annum for the folio, and four dollars for the quarto edition; at the same time giving notice, that it will credit all payments, until the first of November, at the original price of two and three dollars.
The Sunday Morning News, already well established in reputation, and very widely circulated, has received a valuable addition to its attractions, in the accession of John Howard Payne, Esq., formerly of the 'Ladies' Companion,' and Mr. John Jay Adams, to its editorial department.
'Hudson's Express' is the title of a new and well-conducted daily journal, of the smaller class. It is under the editorial supervision, as we learn, of Joseph Price, Esq., recently, and for a considerable period, Editor of the New-York Mirror.