THOSE who will be at the pains to examine any original Alphabet, such as the Sanscrit, the Phoenician, the Arabic, the Gothic, the Russian, or the Cherokee, will at once perceive that the fundamental idea which actuated their inventors, was, to create a set of symbols, sufficiently distinct in outline, and easy of formation, which should correspond with the elementary sounds of any particular language, in such a way that the sight of any combination of symbols should instantly recall the correspondent combination of elementary sounds, to one familiar with the language, and conversely, that the hearing of any combination of those elementary sounds which were considered in the invention of an alphabet, should instantly suggest to one who is familiar with its use, the correspondent combination of symbols. In other words, all original alphabets are essentially phonetic. Their inventors had no idea of forcing their symbols to represent the sound and something else besides, such as some grammatical or etymological fact. Their one thought was to produce the best phonetic representation of their language they could possibly furnish, and to this they made every other consideration yield.

The Russian and Cherokee alfabets are so modern, and so evidently phonetic, and answer their purpose so well, that no doubt of the intention of their inventors can remain on the mind of any one who looks into them. It is to be regretted, however, that in a few instances the Russians have allowed the leaven of grammatical learning (often, alas ! linguistical ignorance, ) to sour the use of their otherwise excellent alphabet ;-excellent, that is, as far as its analysis goes, for we cannot speak very highly of the forms of the letters, either as types or written symbols ; they are wanting both in distinctness of outline and rapidity of execution, a fault shared by the letters of many other alphabets.