The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-05-15

Great Debate In tho Historical Society on the
New Name of the Country-Inten Excite
ment-The Country Safe, and the . United
States OF America still the " United States
OF American
One the largest meetings of the New York His
torcal Society, which has been held since its organ
cation, took place on Tuesday evening last The re-
port of the learned committee on giving new name
to the country, the order Of the evening" and it
was owing to this that the assembage of sapans was
so much more crowded and excited than usual
The VICE PRESIDENT, the Hon. Luther Bradish,
having taken the Chair, called the meeting to order,
and the business of the evening was commenced
Letters from Chief Justice Storey, and Mr. Clay,
in reply to the circular of the Society, soliciting their
opinion in the proposed change in the nomenclature
of the country, were read. Both the distinguished
gentlemen expressed the belief that change was not
practicable
The order of the evening was then announced by
the Chairman, on which,
d. FIELD, Esq, and thus addressed the Society
MT fresident-lb beg you will indulge for moment,
wne state the history of these resolutions The esig
nation United States of America" not national name
but is, and was intended to be political federatvc title
and nothing else 1t originally given as the title of
confederation when the States distinct and
dent ana intended to remain So twas given at time
when we were not one nation-when we were thirteen
independent nations, then for the first time struggling
form an alliance or confederation against the common
Constitution was formed, it was not thought advsa.
Die TO change that designation. Under that the war
had been carried on to successful termination but it
was not national name notwithstanding In process OF
time the convenience, the necessity OF language, ]
might say, has induced the of the word America to
great extent to represent the country and by
quence Of the adjective American to represent its
habants and productions generally But notwthstand.
ing this the word is not Invariably used in that sense
rata fhp sam do
sgnaton SO that whenever the continent referred to
its productionsits discovery-its mountains rivers,
!akes-all are designated the American mountains,
lakes, rivers and Now sir this confusion has led
to avery general inquiry whether not means
that something of that kind might done that this
ment was originated It with the wish and nen-
tion TO make the word America" truly national name
as distinct from the continental name with the hope
that by some other the public of this
people might be so brought out that hereafter might
use the word America in national only and
IN continental sense. Whether this were vain hope
time will show. But that it made deliberately and
persevered in have abundant evidence So long ago
as 1912 one of attempted to draw attention to the sub
lect by paper published in journal of great circu
lation and distinction at the time, from which, with
writer was, after showing the confusion that natu.
rally resulted from the Of the word in Senses to
s G o. s
tract from the Democratic Reriew Nov. 1922 Now the
specific wish was to give the of Columbia to the
into schoolbooks and maps and the opinion expressed
that from national the if adopted
then by the rest of tho world and instances were given
when similar changes had been thus made. For in.
stance the great continent in the Southern Ocean, called
-, Austraiia" had been long known as New Holland.
The change produced by British geographers.
Some man began tit got into schoolbooks and at last
is the way all such changes begun and that the way
they generally end. When this motion made in
such a
the committee went to work in earnest to if it
could be DONE due to them to say, that they
opposed by declarations represented UNIVERSAL that it
was utterly impracticable to change the name of the
contnent-that we might give ourselves whatsoever
effect the language other nations was thing not to be
dreamed ofby in his To show how strong
this feeling will give illustration from Of the
magazines The writer after comparing these two plans
says" We give our vote for Apaachia-frst because
i is distinctive America is not and cannot be made
name properly so called unless We could take it away
from other regions South America So and will be SOP
there force in that reasoning what is the
quencel Nothing but that the Committee should recon-
mend name for the country itself need not say
whether the Committee operated by these objec
tons. For one maintain that we can change the name
of the continent That is the history of the
of this society Let 60 back from this and look at the
state OF the case now that the report has been made
is to be disposed ofby the society Before it be- let 60
back and consider the state of the How does
sandl Of the nations of the earth the United States of
to one word to designate its nationality FranceEng
land-Scotland- -Belgium--Nethe rands-Den.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. way
the only thing that kept people together that
tonal appellation-that word was stronger bond
Of union than anything else)-Austria Switzerland-
have a long pause Mr. f. being apparently Deep
y Affected, whilst Mr. Hoffman blew his three times
unless you assume that the word America" is the
onal name of this country. Now, under these circum
stances, what ought we to dot lAnothcr long pausc
that We are the principal and strongest people this
continent-that we the Americans par erceience to
nnfc
that 1t is quite sufficient for us That's begging the
whole question. II is assuming that national is
e
name profound sensation) It's word sgnifying
country and nothing else. If THAT'S not the definition,
know Of none. Now, say that America" does not
signify this country. Let me give instance which
win prove it, Is there single nhabitant of this country
sy he IN ns OF S B"
the case were this that America the name of the
continent and of the country in the that
would be the consequence Confusion certainly just
as we see is the case in this city from its being the
yes, and hope it will be changed-(with emphasis
another sympathetic sensation in the "Commtee.0 But
enfod multiplied is this confusion when come to the
case OF the continent Now how great that is will take
occasion to show by reference books taken from
your library. And do this not that appears
matter of the least doubt for the idea that America is
the name Of this country is an idea which would have
deemed not to be entertained for moment by any edu
Gated man, had not heard it repeated so often during
Congress. Here is head Of American newspapers"
and under newspapers published in SPANISH in the
Island Of Cuba. Now, are they they not "Ameri
can newspapers If they American that term does
not necessarily designate the people Of this country
or what exists here. And if not, have proved
my case Let us go little further. Here
is Murray's Encyclopedia Of Geography p part Of it
is devoted to America running through nearly 600
pages, of which the United States have about two the
rest being devoted to British Spanish Russian America
and don't know what else. Here is " American Anti
quites" by d. W. Bradford member of this society,
and book of high authority. Are they American"
Antiquities or not By looking at the book, you will
at that he not thinking Of any thing but the
antiquities of the whole continent from Cape Horn to the
Arctic Sea. Here also is catalogue Of the Loganan
Library where it is don't know. [AMEMBEa-Phila
delphia Under the head OF American Histories" one
OF the books first enumerated is work devoted to the
Indian tribes In the Democratic Rerieic in five articles
referring to American productions, there is sort Of
reference to the United States Now they tell that in
foreign newspapers America" is used to signify this
country Here is the official newspaper Of Prussia and
in you will always find the United StateaEeerred to
the United States Of North America. Are North
Americans or Americans Is North America our
ttnnn lvapn