We shall, by permission, present our readers with an abstract of the theory of this system, as taught by the author in the principal cities and colleges of the United States, practised by him in courts of justice and legislative bodies, and recently illustrated by a series of lectures published in " The ilmerican Re pertory of arts, sciences, and useful literature," vol. i.
We shall also exhibit a fac simile of the author's hand, in an entire copy of the Declaration of American Independence (see Plate DXIII, No. 2).
In the introduction to this system the author re marks, it is his aim to adapt his work to the age in which we live; to lay aside every thing unnecessary, and to express in few words all that is necessary for a general system of short-hand.
He asks, would our common writing be more easily acquired, or its execution in any way facilitated, by increasing the number of letters in the English alpha bet? Would arithmetic be improved by the intro duction of arbitrary marks to represent the numbers 11, 12, 13, and so on to 100 or 1000? Would the art of printing be rendered more simple, easy, and expe ditious, by the construction and use of leaden syllables, words, and sentences, instead of the letters of which they are composed? Till these questions can be answered in the affirma tive, the following theory will be found, with practice, amply sufficient for the purposes proposed, and with out practice the efforts of human invention will prove abortive.
To convey a more just idea of the present state of the art, it is necessary to speak of earlier systems. This recapitulation will enable us to appreciate more fully the triumph of modern improvement over the rude attempts of former times; while it will furnish a reasonable ground of hope, that a general standard of stenography may yet be established, notwithstand ing numerous attempts have proved abortive.
Short-hand formerly consisted in the use of almost innumerable hieroglyphics and arbitrary characters, which could only be learned with much time and labour, and when learned could not be retained with out continual practice. This was, tolerable only while words were few, and the cultivation of the human mind in its infancy. For however numerous these cha racters, the advancement of' arts, sciences, and general knowledge, rendered a continual multiplication ne cessary to the representation of new words and ideas; nor could such a system, by the constant aid of human invention, even approximate perfection, while resting on this false foundation. Every appendage to the al
ready overgrown structure, only served to make it more unwieldy, and to hasten the downfall of the whole fabric; for the characters were some of them so seldom used, that the utmost powers of human memory could scarcely retain them, and if recalled by memory, it could not be with sufficient facility to an swer the end for which they were intended.
We have thus far traced the subject as an art mere ly—we will now proceed to unfold some of its beauties as a science and an art.
We are all aware, that ten simple figures, or the nine digits and cipher, have been found sufficient for all the purposes of numerical calculation. We also understand, that these ten figures are now used for nearly the same object, by every civilized nation on earth. We likewise know, that seven notes comprise the whole of written music, and that by a proper ar rangement of these few notes, may be intelligibly re presented all the varieties of harmony. It is also known, that, by means of these few simple, but ac knowledged signs, this music is transmitted from in dividual to individual, and from nation to nation; requiring little interpretation but that afforded by the visible signs themselves. And though individuals are antipodes, totally ignorant of each other's language,— discordant in all their other feelings, habits, and views, yet, in the signification and use of musical signs, they have not only a perfect understanding, but hold communion, at the distance of thousands of miles, and reciprocally drink, as it were, from the same fountain, the rich melody of borrowed sounds with which the ear and heart had never before been greeted.
It is also evident, that, notwithstanding the infinite number of combinations, produced by the organs of speech, and the varied modifications of the human voice, the whole may, for all the purposes of short writing, be resolved into a few prominent sounds. Hence the practicability of assigning to each sound a particular representative, which shall be understood like arithmetical figures, or musical signs, by all people, and at all times, without regard to the language in which they are employed.