Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-06-14
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS ON A NATIONAL NAME,

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS On NATIONAL NAME.
The Report of the Committee of the Massachu-
sets Historical Society, to whom was referred the
communication from the New York Society rela-
tive TO the adoption Of National Name, was pre-
scented by the Hon. john Quincy ADAMS on the
29th of last month, and accepted by that Society.
The report was presented in the form of letter,
aud is follows
Joas jar, Esq, Domestic Corresponding Secretary
of The Neo York Historical Society,"
SIN The Massachusetts Historical Society have received
and taken respectful consideration the proposal contained
in the report of the Committee of the New York Historical
Society National Name made on the list OF March last
The Declaration of Independence of 4h of July, 1875
announced the thirteen united English Colonies on this CONT
free independent States and the act OF confederation
formally assumed the Of the United States Of America
In the preliminary and defntye treaties Of peace whereby
Great Britain acknowledged their Independence, they all
separately named and the Of the United States of
America that by which they have since been unver
sally known Before the close Of the Revolutionary the
Of Columbia assumed by general consent sgn
cant of the whole Unon and has been mazed to every
mind hy popular and patriotic songs, written by
Timothy Dwight and the other by Joseph Hopkinson
The given in 1857 to the vessel command
ed by Captain Gray by which the great river OF the West
discovered and received from him the because
the of the ship and because the ship
named to represent the nation. The was also
given by the act of Congress which organized the District
ordained by the Constitution be governed by the exclusive
jurisdiction of the whole Union We confess perceive
adequate for discardng this name, wherein it
should fail to all the purposes for which national
is desirable.
That this has not been universally received and
used might have been expected may perhaps be accounted
for from the political and personal emphatic importance at
ached to each of the separate which the Union
is composed by its members. tg SPY
separation harmonious in its discord universal in
is exclusveness that the social sentiment which binds
their country is throughout the Union avshed almost entirely
upon the State and that the patriotism Of which the whole
Union is the object has little hold upon the affections except
bears upon the relations of the Union with foreign
tons in the Indian savages. The patriotism which en-
braces the whole Union political principle combining with
national pride selfish impulse in disguise, and of
weakness needing powerful protection against the external
world The patriotism of the heart of the altar and the
resde is all absorbed by the State. Our primitive motto
was out of many one We adhere by the understanding
and by good faith to the manycng grapped to the soul
with hooks Of Steel to the The sentiment of patriotism
itself cannot possess power SO intense in confederation Of
States nation and indivisibe II is not simple
but divided impulse, habtualy wasting its energies by
nual counteracton The allegiance to the whole always
separate FROM often adverse to- the allegiance to the part and
there is concentration of feeling from the circumference to
the centre, inspiring the wish to be called common
If the of Columbia thus assumed in the language of
poetry period nearly coeva with the formation of the
Union ITSELF thus persevengy pursued through long series
of years, and thus warranted by legislative sanction in the
given the District apart for the exclusive ursc
ton Of the confeeraed naon has succeeded in obtaining
universal circulation such supesede the necessity for
another name, cannot imagine any other APP
propae better suited TO mark its distinctive character The
Of America rrctrievaby stamped by incorporating
usage upon both continents of the hemisphere, per-
pctual memorial of human injustice by comforting upon
of glory justly due to another. This injustice
will be in great degree repaired by the adoption OF the name
of Columbia for this great and growing community name
which unwilling abandon, poetica has been
hitherto its adoption; and especially unwilling to exchange
for associated with sentiment but with the cod
of earha chain of not comparatively lofty noun
tans oveopred elevations upon the surface OF the earth
by the Alps Europe the Himmcayan chain in Asia, the
mountains Of the Moon and Atlas Africa and the Andes Of
the sister continent Of this hemisphere.
If we could overcome partalty for the name OF
Columbia and give cordial assent to the substitution
of another apprehension Of exciting pub
lie sentiment tending rather to impair what little confidence
possess in the community than establish the which
should propose There seems to be IN human nature
spirit of resistance always exctabe by every attempt to intro
duce innovation by authority About the time when the His
tocal Society of New York first instituted, DIR. Samuel
L. MITCHELL citizen of that State highly distinguished in the
both of literature and of politics deeply impressed with
the necessity of assuming national proposed to adopt
that of edon which he thought had the double advantage
Of sentimental significance and ofeuphony and the proposition
appeared to be received by he public without dsapprobaon
and even with acceptance.
respectable periodical journal in neghboring State was
called by its editor and bore the Of FREEDMAN for several
years. and commended to the favor of after ages by the
claim to Immortality Of the most voluminous epic that
country produced Yet all this favor has failed
il from oblivion complete that do not find any alluson
it in the present proposal Of the New York Historical Soce
to indicate their knowledge that it had existed
The Massachusetts Historical Society, therefore, rendering
their thanks the Historical Society Of New York f the
communication Of the report Of their committee specially
state to the inquiry for their opinion concerning the
proposal for the PRONUNCIATION of national their
in the decision upon the report adopted at the late
meeting of the New York Historical Society ITSELF importing
the expedeny of supercdng all further deliberations upon
the subject.