The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-10-26
MISCELLAN EOUS.
National Nomenclature
,p1roR OF THE KN1cKERBocKEn.

while others entailed irretrevabe meanness and
vulgarity; insomuch that man might sink un-
der the nsigniicance of his name, and be abso-
lutely Nicodemused into nothing. | have ever,
therefore, thought it great hardship for ran
to be obliged to struggle through life with some
ridiculous or gnoble name Christian name as
it is too often falsely called, inflicted on him in in.
fancy, when he could not choose for himself; and
would give him free liberty to change for one
more to his taste, when he had arrived at years
OF discretion.
have the same notion with respect to local
names. Some at once prepossesses us IN favor
Of place, others repel u.s. by unucky assocla
lions Of the mind and have known scenes Wor-
thy of being the very haunt of poetry and ro-
nance, vet doomed to irretricvable vugarity, by
some ill-chosen name which not even the magic
numbers Of HALLEcK or BRYANT could ele-
vatc into poet;cal acceptation.
This is an evil unfortunately too prevalent
throughout our country. Nature has stamped the
land with features Of subimity and beauty; but
some OF our modest mountains and ovelieSt streams
nre in danger of remaining for ever unhonored
and unsung, from bearing appellalions totally alb
horrent to the Muse In the first place our coun-
try is deluged with names taken from places in
the old world and appledlo places having no pos
sjble affinity or resemblance to their name sakes
This hetokens a forlorn poverty of invention, and
& second hand spirit content to cover its naked
ness with the borrowed or cast-off clothes of Eu-
rope
Then we have shallow affectation of scholar
ship the catalogue of ancient worthless is shaken
on. from the back Of Lemprieres Classical Die
tonary, and wide region of wild country sprink-
led over with the names Of heroes, poets, and
sages of antiquity, jumbled into the most whimsi-
i
godiathers typographical engineers perhaps, or
persons employed by government to survey and
lay out townships. These, forsooth, gIorify the
patrons that give them bread; so we have the
names of the great official men of the day scat
tered over the land as if they were the real salt
Of the earth with which it was to be seasoned.
We'll for US is it, when these official great men
happen to nave names of fair acceptation but
woe unto US, should Tubbs or Potts be inpow-
err we are sure, in little while, to find Tubbs-
res and Pottsylvanians springing up in every
direction.
Under these melancholy dispensations Of taste
and loyalty, therefore, Mr.. Editor, it is with feel
ing of dawning hope, that have lately percev-
ed the attention of persons of intelligence begin
ming to be awakened on the subject. | trust if
the matter should once be taken up, it will not be
readily abandoned. We are vet young enough |
rs country, to remedy and reform much of
what has been done, and 10 release many of our
rising towns and cities, and our noble streams,
from names calculated to vu!garize the land.
| have, on former occasion, suggested the ex-
ceency of searching out the original Indian
names of places, and wherever they were striking !
and euphonious, and those by which they had been
superseded are glazing and Objectionable, to res
tore them. They would have the merit of origin.
Ill, IL.
would remain as the reiques of the native lords
of the soil, when every other vesge had diSap-
pcared Many Of these names may easily be re-
gained, by reference to old title deeds and to the
archives Of states and counties. In my own case
by examining the records of the county clerks office,
| have discovered the Indian names of various
places and objects in the neig hborhood, and have
found them Infinitely superior to the trite pow
eriy stricken names which had been given by the
settlers. beautiful pastoral stream, for instance,
which winds for many a mile through one of the
lovelies little valleys in the state, has long been
known by the commonplace name of the Saw
mill River In the old Indian grants it is desig-
mated as the Neperan. Another, perfectly wizard
stream, which winds through the widest recesses
of Sleepy Hollow, bears the hum-drum name of
Mil Creek; in the Indian grants, it sus:ains the
eupaonious title Of the Pocanlco.
clHtiar researches nave released Long Island /
from many of those paltry and vulgar names
which frnged its beautiful shores; their Cow
Bays, and Cow Necks, and Oyster Ponds, and
Musquito Coves, which spread a spell Of vulgar
ty over the whole island, kept persons of taste
md fancy at distance.
1t would be an object worthy the attention Of
the historical societies, which are sprngng up
in various parts Of the Union, to have maps exc
,uted Of their respective states or neghborhoods,
n which all the Indian local names should, as
ar as possible be restored. In fact, it appears to
ne that the nomenclature of the country is almost
Of sufficient importance for the foundation of
distinct society; or rather corresponding associ-
'.ion Of persons Of taste and judgement, of all
parts OF the Union. Such an association, if prop
'rly constituted and composed, comprising espe-
;lally all the literary talent of the country,
hongh 1t might not have Legislative power in its
yet would have the all-pervadinp !
power OF the press; and the changes in nomcncIa-
ure which it might dictate, being at once adopted
~ elegant writer's in prose aud poetry, and inter
woven with the literature Of the country, would :
Ultimately pass into popular currency a
Should snch a reforming association arise, beg il
o recommend its attention to all those mongrel IL
names that have the adjective Neao pre6xed to a
hem and prav that they NAV one and all be