Part 11 (1/2)

The great fault is, grammarians do not allow thee, or if they do, they only think intransitively, that is, produce no _thoughts_ by their cogitations

This brings us to a more direct consideration of the subject before us

All admit the correctness of the axiom that every effect must have a cause, and that every cause will have an effect It is equally true that ”_like causes will produce like effects_,” a rule froe, can never deviate It is as plain as that two things mutually equal to each other, are equal to a third On this immutable principle we base our theory of the activity of all verbs, and contend that they must have an object after them, either expressed or _necessarily understood_ We can not yield this position till it is proved that _causes_ can operate without producing effects, which can never be till the order of creation is reversed! There never was, to our knowledge, such a thing as an intransitive action, with the solitary exception of the burning bush[13] In that case the laws of nature were suspended, and no effects were produced; for the _bush burned_, but there was nothing burnt; no consequences followed to the bush; it was not consumed The records of the past present no instance of like character, where effects have failed to follow, direct or more distantly, every cause which has been set in operation

It makes no difference whether the object of the action is expressed or not It is the same in either case But where it is not necessarily is, it must be expressed, and but for such object or effect the action could not be understood For exa_ run, how can it be knohether I run or not If I write, it is necessarily understood that I write _so_--a _letter_, a _book_, a _piece_ of poetry, a _co_ When such object is not liable to be mistaken, it would be superfluous to express it--it would be a redundancy which should be avoided by all good writers and speakers All languages are, in this respect, more or less eliptical, which constitutes no sance

This elipsis ard to the objects of verbs, but in the omission of many nouns after adjectives, which thus assuhty, the Eternal, the Allwise, applied to God, understood So we say the wise, the learned, the good, the faithful, the wicked, the vile, the base, to which, if nouns, it would sound rather harsh to apply plurals So we say, take your hat off ( ); put your gloves on ( ); lay your coat off ( ); and pull your boots on ( ); presuh to fill the elipsis, and not take his hat off his back, pull his gloves on his feet, or his boots on his head

In pursuing this subject farther, let us examine the sample words which are called _intransitive_ verbs, because frequently used without the object expressed after them; such as run, walk, step, fly, rain, snow, burn, roll, shi+ne, smiles, &c

”_I run_”

That here is an action of the first kind, none will deny But it is contended by the old systems that there is no object on which the action ter_ run, no effect produced, and the first law of nature is outraged, in the very onset; for there is a _cause_, but no _effect_; an _action_, but no _object_

How is the fact? Have you run nothing? conveyed nothing, e, no effect, nothing moved? Look at it and decide It is said that a neuter or intransitive verb may be known from the fact that it takes after it a preposition Try it by this rule ”A ht, and broke his neck;”

that is, he run nothing against a post--no object to run--and yet he broke his neck Unfortunate man!

The fact in relation to this verb is briefly this: It is used to express the action which more usually terminates on the actor, than on any other object This circuenerally known, it would be superfluous to mention the object, except in cases where such is not the fact But whenever we desire to be definite, or when there is the least liability to mistake the object, it is invariably expressed Instances of this kind are numerous ”They _ran_ the _boat_ ashore” ”The captain _ran_ his _auntlet_” ”They _run_ a _stage_ to Boston” ”He _ran himself_ into discredit” ”One bank _runs_ another” ”The man had a hard _run_ of it”

”_Run_ the _account_ over, and see if it is right” ”They _run forty loos” Such expressions are common and correct, because they convey ideas, and are understood

Two ument The believer in intransitive verbs set out to _run his opponent_ into an evident absurdity, and, contrary to his expectation, he _ran himself_ into one Leave out the objects of this verb, run, and the sense is totally changed He set out to _run_ into an _evident absurdity_, and he ran into one; that is, he did the very absurd thing which he intended to do[14]

”_I walk_”

The action expressed by this verb is very similar in character to the former, but rather _slower_ in performance Writers on health tell us that _to walk_ is a very healthy exercise, and that it would be well for men of sedentary habits _to walk_ several miles every day But if there is no action in walk, or if it has no _object_ necessarily _walked_, it would be difficult to understand what good could result fro?” says a teacher to his grammar class

”We did have a very pleasant one The floere _bloo_ on each side of the _walk_, and _sent_ forth their sweetest aro Birds were _flitting fro_ their hymns of praise to Deity The tranquil waters of the lake lay _sluht _rays_ of the sun, _giving_ a sweet but solerove, down by the lake, and up thro the htful _walk_ a person can take”

”How did you get your _walk_?”

”We walked it, to be sure; how did you think we got it?”

”Oh, I did not know _Walk_, your books tell you, is an intransitive verb, ter on no object; so I supposed, if you followed the_, _sailing_, or, ht_ it, as you could not have _walked it_! Were you tired on your return?”

”We were exceedingly fatigued, for you know it is a very long _walk_, and alked it_ in an hour”

”But _what_ tired you? If there are no effects produced by walking, I can not conceive why _you_ should be fatigued by such exercise”

Who does not perceive what flagrant violations of grammar rules are committed every day, and every hour, and in ale of facts

_To step_

This verb is the same in character with the two just noticed It expresses the act of _raising_ each foot alternately, and usually implies that the body is, by that means, conveyed from one place to another But as people _step_ their _feet_ and not their hands, or any thing else, it is entirely useless to enerally, that can not be loves, boots, and hat But it would be bad philosophy to teach children that there is no objective word after it, because it is not written out and placed before their eyes They will find such teaching contradicted at every _step_ they take Let a believer in intransitive verbs _step_ on a red hot iron; he will soon find to his sorrow, that he wasany thing It would be well for gras, to have more practice and less theory The thief was detected by his steps Step softly; put your feet down carefully

_Birds fly_