Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-09-18
Tho Motto for Our State Seal.

The Motto for Our State Seal.
It is not small matter the fixing OF the
motto on the seal of a State which, rightly
chosen. becomes embodied with her history
with heroic associations often clustering
around it, and is cherished as part of her iden-
ttv, by her people, in all coming time.
New York will never have any other motto
than the noble one of "Ercelsior" or Higher,
embodying as it does the idea of elevated pro-
gress. Pennsylvania i'll cling forever to
"Tlrtue, Liberty and independence" as the mot
TO of her destiny But suppose, instead OF
Excelsior New York had inscribed "The
Empire State" on her coat of arms, or that
instead of Virtue Liberty and 1ndepend-
ence," Pennsylvania had written The Key
stone State" upon hers,-just as Mister SIB-
LEY proposes to inscribe our Soubo7uet OF
of" TIE Star of the North" upon our State
Seal CO-who would have regarded either as
SO fitlv done, or in as good taste, as their pre-
sent mottos ? Most certainly no one would.
Nor is it appropriate either that instead Of
a sentiment, we should dub ourselves by
SCUM lirg name, and then pompously and i'm
modestly parade it on our banner. Such
course does not comport with the dignity Of
a great State.
In regard to the objection urged by us on
Saturday, to a motto in Canadian French, we
are glad to know that stronger concurrence
of the intelligent public mind in our view on
this point, could not we'll be more unani-
mously entertained.
The preference is universally and decidedly
for a motto in Anglo Saxon, and that it should
also contain a sentiment of moral or political
progress.
The Pioneer seeks to apologize for Mister
S1BLrY's selection of French motto, by addu-
cling the precedent of the Honi soft qm NAL
u pease' (evil to him that evil thinks of the
arms Of England which originated in the Goth
century" Our contemporary fails eggreg'-
ously here. This motto is not French as the
Pioneer writer ludcrously mistakes, but is
Norman French, and was adopted by Nor
man French Court and Government and it
mustbe recolected it was not in an altogether
foreign language to them, as French is to US.
If the English was poor, meagre, poverty
stricken dialect, then it might tolerated that
another language should furnish the popular
watch word OF our State but with the copi-
GUS word treasures which it really does pos
sess, it is folly to resort elsewhere for State
motto If we are, however, to have The
Star of the North as motto inflicted upon
US, then pray let it be inscribed on our coat
of arms plainly in English and not have it
murdered by the mass of pronuncators call
ing it "Let Oily du Nord!" If there was any
thing '' like whale about Minnesota this
phoneticism might be tolerated; but as lin
seed oil is the only oleaginous product we
can ever likely achieve, we object to giving
in this way an oleaginous aspect to the arms
of our State
Our friend of the Pioneer, who mistakes
Norman fol French, indulging in little n.y.
percritlcism impeaches the translation of one
Vi OuT LaJlu uuOtdtiOuo. W. w" w Aio NAS
tum, and confess that, never having had the
opportunity of thorough classic study, we are
not as infallible in that tongue as Mr.. SIBLEY
doubtless is in French, from having enjoyed
for over twenty -four years the elegant and
pure patois of the Canadian voyageurs
- The question, however, is not whether
in the thirteenth century Norman-French
motto was placed on the Arms of England
nor whether we are entirely classical in our
Latin and Indian quotations; nor whether Mr.
SIBi.EY is Partisan in his French but wheth.
er either the wording and the language of the
motto Mr. SHELLEY has adopted for the Seal Of
the State OF Minnesota, is appropriate, in good
taste, and conveys such sentiment suitable
to our present and future position physically
and intellectually, as properly belongs to a
motto to convey. That it is in no sense ap-
proprlate is the general opinion of the com.
munity.
Our contemporary, in his remarks in de.
fence of Mr.. SrBLEY, does not express his ap
proval or disapproval Of our improved design
for the body of the Seal itself, viz Hug
Moccasia, rampant on prairie vert with al
Indian Trader Of {" over twenty years stand
ing" prominent, and with an appropriate
motto issuing from his mouth. We hope tt
hear from the Pioneer on this branch of the
subject And as it demurs to the Latin mot
to suggested by us, and as we prefer English
at any rate ourselves, we will withdraw the
Latin, and suggest instead, the words, b" Big
Lngin, me HOP as sort of compromise be-
tween English and the native Indian tongues
and as containing happy combination o.
sentiment with terseness ofexpression which
M Canadian Eropoh IN NJ C,1, rv,s ocohu