> in the United States of América. 441 
fend our countrymen against the charge made by some English wri- 
ters, of a design to effect a radical change in the language. 
As the inquiry before us is a simple question of fact, it is to be 
determined, like every other question of that nature, by proper evi- 
dence. “What evidence then have we, that the English language is 
not spoken and written in America, with the same degree of purity that 
is to be found in the writers and orators of England ? 
In the first place, although it is agreed, that there is greater uni- 
formity of dialect throughout the United States (in consequence of 
the frequent removals of people fromi one part of ouir country to anoth- 
er) than is to be found throughout England, yet none of our country. 
men, not even those, who are the most zealous in supporting what 
they imagine to be the honour of the American character, will con- 
tend, that we have not in some instances departed from the standard 
of the language. We have formed some entirely new words, and to 
some old ones, that are still used in England, we have affixed new 
significations ; while patbers, sath bawe long since Sennen obsolete in 
England, arestill re vith aple; it 
is emma viens Ghintacagiaas 
a "few others, are of American origin ; and, that the adjective clever’ 
and some other words of English origin have been generally used by 
us in a sense different from their present signification in England. If 
men, we allow any weight to the opinions of Englishmen, (who 
must surely be competent judges in this case) it cannot be denied, 
that we have in many instances deviated from the standard of the 
language, as spoken and written in England at the present day. By 
Singhonevet cone scent ae a 
as to have rendered any considerable part of our ianguage uninteliis: 
a | 
ble to Englishmen; but merely, that so many corruptions have crept 
753 
