A FRENCHMAN ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XL, Issue 3260, 20 May 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FRENCHMAN ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

_ ♦— Father Chiniqay made some striking remarks tho other, day on the gradual disuse of his mother tongue. In the course of an interview with a representative of the Montreal "Dlily Witness," a paper which was Ion? aero laid under tho ban by the Bishop of Montreal for publishing Chiniquy's anti-Romanist discourses, the aged French-man said:-"Everywhere in tho United State? the oMldrcn of French Canadians as soon as they acquire the EuL'lish language at .school give up the use'of tho French oxcopt to speak to their mother.''. By this process tho French must rnpidiy disappear. It is the same here. A iittlc girl came to mo this mominj?, sent by a parent who had heard mo preach and had promised to come and sec me. She spoke to me in English for some time, and when I said to her • Mais no pouvez vous pas parlor franoais?" she replied, 'O, mon Dien, est-ue quo jo parlo AnslaisP There is a reason for it. I

road recently an urticlo in a magnzino about' English tho universal language,' but tho writer did not know the true reason, I am in the midst of it, and I know. It is becanso they oan oxprcs* themselves willi greater ease in English than in French," " I suppose," said the interviewer, "you mean thoso of them who hear more" English than French ?" " Not at all," replied M. Chiniquy; " I also can oxprw myself with greater ease in English. Whan I write a book—and I have written many—l write it in English and then translate it into Frcuch. Your expression is more direct; your syntax is more simple, and the sounds of your language more forcible," Tho old gentleman sprang to his feet, the interviewer says, as he had done more than once during tho conversation, and said " Listen" ; and then, with a voice calculated to make the distant fire brigade prick their ears, he shouted "fire!" "There is some sound," ho said; " what can we say in French ?' Feu.' It is lost, You can say 'Ready!' again, in ut most sonorous shout; in French it is' Pret'—there is no sound. 'All aboard'" (the American equivalent of" Tttko your seats, pleaso"). "With us it is ' Eaibarquea,' and you cannot hoar it at 10ft. Yes, air, the Emrlish is bound to become the universal language," Father Uliinicmy. it may be remarked, is about Mr Gladstone's age, and spares himself ovou less than tlio right hon. gentlemau in the number and extent of his oratorical campaigns, which nro carried on at widely-separated Darts of the North Amerioan continent, The aged preacher recently underwent a serious operation, and, in view of a possibly fatal result, published a manifesto, denying beforehand any report that might bo circulated to the effect that ho had made his peace at the last moment; with tho Mother Church,