New-York daily tribune., 1845-05-19
New Namo for The United States.


SIR: received your letter, transmitting copy
of a report of Committee of the New-Yorll His
torical Society, upon the sublect OF the eXpedenc,
OF adopting National Name for the country and
the People Of the United States; and have atten
lively perused IL. In compliance with your request,
have now the pleasure briefly 20 express the views
of the question which strike me.
There is undoubtedly some lnconvenince IN the
want of more specific and exclusive name, de-
.crlpve of the country and the inhabitants OF ills
portion OF the new world. But respectfully think
the Inconvenience is exaggerated. If happily ouT
present union should continue unbroken, believe
that, in process OF time, In consequence OF the
greater poNer, population and influence OF the
United States than among other natlens, either II
North or South America the United States vii
be empl.atlcay called and known as The United
Slates,'' and the inhabitants as Americans" ;"
Whilst thr other conederaces OF States will be
called and described us the United States cl lert-
co, &c, and their inhabitants Mcxlcans, Peruvl-
ans, NC
Ii the great calamity of dissolution of the
union should beial lis, no common name that we
might adopt would, il that dlretul contingency. be
applicable 10 any of lis dispersed parts.
There would be much, if not lnsuperable diff
Guilty in the adoption OF any new name. Besides
Others | am not sure that 1t would not excite,
with some, the fnghtul apprehension Of consoda-
ton.
Between the proposed names. of '' Allcghania
and " Washir gton,'' should think the latter de.
cidedly preferable And should be glad that
might be adopted by universal consent; that our
country should ever remain one and lndlvlslbe:
that its inhabitants to the latest posterlly, should
be called Washngtonians, and that they should
ever fondly cherish both the name and the virtues
OF The Father of His Country.
am. sir, with great respect, your obedicnt servaut
JsHJ JAY, Esq SC. &c. II. CLAY.
LA,uRiper, May 10th, 1875.
DEAR Sic: ] have long, IN common with many
Of NY coun,rymen, felt the Inconvenience of any
country not possessing distinctive national name;
and have regretted that when The convention
framed the National Constitution ii had not affixed
thereto a national name 1t II had So done, by
this time the novelty would have disappeared and
we should have acquired throughout The woiiG
the appeation thus assumed. But the occaslen
having been neglected, | have not supposed 1t
practicable now 10 induce The people ot The United
States 10 assume national name, and l have
therefore hardly thought oi The subject since Doc
names that of "Alleghania" would be sali-tac
tory me, if il could receive the general voice OF
the country. should have preferred "Coiumhla,
if it had not become the distinctive title ol an
other nation. As ii has, | should wish, II any
wish might be INDUCED on such subject, that VT
might have brief name, flexible in It's termna-
ton, winch should answer the purpose OF poetic
adaptation and ornament, and be cSpable o beng
easily changed from substantive 10 an adjective
"Hesperia," from HespTl should exempliy what
| mean Ii would at once Indicate the " Weslern
World" and be of easy transition TO an adjective
Bul have no hope that auy lhing can be done lha
will meet with popular appreciation. and therefore
can Only treat II as a thing TO be desired, but
scarcely to be accomplished
l am, with ihe.hghest respect truly yours,
Hon. JouS JAY JOSEPH STORY.