Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-05-15
Ison the Democratic Review.
ALLEGHAN,
ALLIGHANIAN AMERICA.

ALLIGHANIAN AMERICA.
want my own peculiar nationa
name 10 rally UNDER says the biogra-
pher Of Columbus, sthe title of America
may serve to tell The quarter ofthe world
to which l belong the same as French.
man, or an Englishman may call himself
an European; but want my own pc
culiar national name, to rally under
| want an appellation that shall tell at
once, and in a way not to be mistaken,
that belong to this very portion Of
America, geographical and political,
to which it is my pride and happiness
to belong; we might still use
the phrase 'the United States, substi-
tuting Alieghania in place of America.
, The title of Alleghanian would still an
nounce us as Americans, but would
specify US as citizens Of the Great Re-
public; even our old national cypher
| U. S. A. might remain unaltered, de-
signatingthe United States Of ANeghany
Such an appellation would have magic
in 1t. It would bind every part of the
contederacy together, as with key
stone; it would be passport to the CT
tizens of our republic, throughout the
world
Even with those who object TO the
name indicated by Mr.. Irving, the g1st
Of his suggestion is acknowledged as
most valuable by every enlightened per-
son. But while the most desirable way
Of effecting the object would be undoub-
tadly to restore the name Of Columbia
to the continent, and thus make that of
America exclusively ours, while this
seems utterly impracticable, the alter
native presented by the New York
Historical Society seems equally Wis
ionary. To define the territories Of
this Union by some single ccmprehen-
sive geographical term is one thing; to
formally by action of Congress adopt a
national name is another. The first
IS mere arrangement of convenience
that appeals to common sense alone;
the last is the aspiration after the en-
bodiment of an idea, and if the idea be
still immature among the people, the
aspiration to give that body which as
yet has no soul becomes at once rid;-
culous. The Republic says one of
the most thoughtful writer's of Our
country, will noubtless have name.
There never was as yet great idea that
did not, at the epoch Of its maturity,
find name. As body to soul, so are
words to thoughts; an idea is not born
until it is embodied in language; that
is its birth--its incarnation, as we may
say. When, therefore, we become a
homogeneous people, and are well
blended together; when the aiIinities
which draw all parts Of the Union to-
gether are thoroughly identified and
mingled with our sympathies and affec-
tons, then shall we, the People, have
name to denote that we are truly one
People,
10 unite now upon a national name
for these States, name that would at
once define our associations with the
soil, the institutions, and the history OF
our country, were to shake off all our
old Provincial Associations and pro-
claim our Intellectual Independence
We question whether either the times
or the men have yet come for this Sc
cond Declaration of Independence
Europe's dread laugh has still too much
of its old colonial terrors for our coun-
trymen. The European mind still
generates opinion for US on both sides
of the water, and European opinion will
long remain the arbiter of taste among
US, even after we have learned to recog-
Mise mind of our own.
A national name must spring from
national feeling, and vigorous national
feeling can hardly be said to have truly
developed itself till it has given birth to
recognised national literature.
| With regard to mere territorial term,
however, the use Of some expletive that
may geographically define our bounda-
ries, the case is different. The origin
Of the double use ofthe word America,
as applied alike to the Confederacy and
to the continent, is well known. At
the breaking out of the revolution, the
whole hemisphere was colonial. Our
only relations were with England
These colonies and Canada were her
american provinces. When they began
to act together, they hoped for the I'M
.ion Of Canada, and they assumed to
act g the United Provinces Of .Anersco.
he rest Of the continent, in its then