The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-10-26

| speaking OF New Y DIRK, reminds me oil some
observations which met with some time since,
in one of the public papers, about the name OF
our state and city. The writer proposes to sub
stiiute for the present names those OF the STATE
OF ONTARIO, and the CRY OF MANHATTAN,
concur in this suggestion most heartily. Though
born and brought up in the city of Newly ork
and though | love every stick and stone about
it, vet | do not, nor ever did, relish its name.
like neither its sound nor its significance. AS
to its SgniGcance the very adjective neU gives
TO our great commercial metropolis a secondhand
character as if referring to some older, more dig
nifed, and important pIace,of which it was a
mere copy; though in fact, if | am rightly inform
ed, the whole name commentaries a grant bV
Charles II, TO his brother the duke of York, made
in the spirit of royal muni6cence, of tract OF
country which did not belong to him. As to the
sound, what can you make of it, either in poetry
or prose? New-York Why, SIR, if it were to
share the fate of Troy itSc'.; to suffer a ten
years siege, and be sacked and plundcred no
modern Homer would ever be able to elevate the
name to epic dignity.
Now, Sir, ONTARIO would be name worthy
Of the empire state. 1t bears with it the majesty
| Of that internal sea which washes our northwest
tern shore. Or IF any objection be made, from
its not being completely embraced within our
boundaries, there is the MoHEGAN, one of the In
dian names for that glorious river, the Hudson,
which would furnish an excellent state appeII1-
ion SO also Newly ork might be called Man
hata as it is named in some of the early records,
and Manhattan used as an adjective. Manhat-
tan, however, stands we'll as substantive and
| Manhattanese,' which | observe Mr.. Coop
Err has adopted in some of his writings would
be a very good appeIlation for citizen of the
L A i
Editor, and have done We want NATIONAL
NAME. We want it POLITICALLY, and we want it po-
litically. With the poetica necessity ofthe case
shall not trouble myself leave it to our poets
to tell how they manage to steer that colIocation
of words, The United States Of North Amer-
ca down the swelling tide of song, and to float
the whole raft out upon the sea Of heroic poesy.
am now speaking Of the mere purposes Of com
mon life. How is a citizen Of this republic to de-
signate himself? As an Americana There are
two Americas, each subdivided into various en-
pires, rapidly rising in importance. AS a citizen
Of the United States? 1t is ii clumsy, lumber
ing title, vet still it is not distinctive; for we
have now the United States of Central Ameraca
and heaven knows how many United States
spring up under the Proteus changes of Spanish
America.
This may appear matter of small concernment
but any one thahas travelled in foreign countries
must be conscious of the embarrassment and cir
cum, ocu ion sometimes occasorei by the want
of perfectly distinct and explicit national appel
alton. In France, when have announced my
self as an American, have been supposed to be-
long to one of the French colonies in Spain to
be from Mexico, or Peru, or some other Span
ish American country. Repeatedly have l found
myself involved in long geographical and po-
litcal definition of my national IDENTITY.
Now, Sir meaning no disrespect to any of
our coheirs of this great quarter of the world,
am for none Of this coparceny in name, that is
to mingle US up with the rf-raf colonies and off
sets of every nation of Europe. The title of A
merican may serve 10 tell the quarter of the world
TO which | belong, the same as a Frenchman or
Englishm>n may call himself European; but
| want my own peculiar national name, to rally
under. | want an appollation that shall tell at
once, and in a way not to be mistaken, that be-
long to this very portion of America geographical
and political, to which it is my pride and happ-
ness to belong; that | am of the AngIo-Saxon
race which founded hisAnglo-Saxon empire in
the wilderness; and that have no part or parcel
with any other race or empire, Spanish, French,
or Portuguese. in either of the Americas Such an
appcllation, Sir, would have magic in it. 1t would
bind every part of the confederacy together, as
with keystone it would be passport to the cit
izen Of our republic, throughout the world.
We have it in our power 10 furnish ourselves
with such national oppellation, from one of the
grand and eternal features of our country; from
that noble chain of mountains which formed its
back-bone,an ran through the old confedera-
cy,' when it first declared our national indepen-
dence. | allude to the Appalachian or Alleg CHA
ny mountains. We might do this without any
very inconvcnient change in our present titles. |
We might still use the phrase The United
States substituting AppaIacha, or AlIeghania, 4
should prefer the Iatter,) in place of America. |
The title Of Appalachian, or AlIeghanian, would
still announce us as Americans, but would spec
fly us as citizens of the Great Republic Even
our old national cypher of U. S. A, might re-
main unaltered, designating the United St atcs
Alleghania.
These are crude ideas, Mr. Editor, hastily
brown out, to elicit the IDEAS of others, and to
all attention to subject of more national i'm
'orlance than may at first be supposed.
Very respectfully yours,
GEoFFREY CRAYoN.