Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-07-06
The Name of Our Country.

We are told That all names were az hie' s'e
nfcant; and yet most names would seem 10
have an accidental origin, both in the case OF
persons ard of places. Tie three great DIVISIONS
of the Old World are designated by terms orig
ually local in their application, while IL the
Western Hemisphere the corresponding process
has been one not of extension but of Limitations
II is curious fact, and not little hatter'ns !"
orr national corceit, that the name bestowed d
first upon our Continent has in later usage oeen
restricted not to the northern half Of il, but to
that norton of this half belonging to our own
Republic. so that both at home and abroad, d
,oeyiean denotes not native or resident OF
the Western Hemisphere, nor even of that part
above the Isthmus, but citizen of these United
States. Now and then, indeed, the traveller in
Europe hears it given to Brazilians and Peruvi-
ans, but as general rule, to which these are oc
casional exceptions, american is a synonyme OF
Yankee, in the wider sense of the expression
and we bid fair to monopoze the name, as well
as the commercial and political ascendency, OF
the entire Hemisphere.
No pent up Utica confines our powers,
But an uubounded ~ Continent is ours
Now to this specific application of the name
there are objections of some moment, which II
NAV rot be amiss to look at, while the change
is still in progress, and before this usage OF the
word American becomes both universal and ex-
elusive. The FIRST is the objection, which exists
in all such cases, to the twofold use Of the same
name, whether personal or local, in wider and
a stricter sense, as necessarily tending to pro-
duoe confusion. A remarkable instance of this
inconvenience in the nomenclature our own ge
ography, is that afforded by the name Ne'o YORK.,
which requires to be determined or defined by
the awkward addition of the word State or city.
Another objection to the name is its historical
irrelevsnce and appropriateness both in its
narrower and wider application, as derived from
one whose claim to this distinction is disputed,
if not universally denied, and as involving an in
Justice to another whose superior pretensions
are unanimously granted. What right has A
mericus Vespucius to be thus immortalized, by
giving name to a whole Continent, or even to
the greatest of Republics, while the name OF 20
lumbus is forgotten or confined to petty districts
in the North or South2 The suggestion of the
name Columbia as general one came too late
to be carried into practice, and is open to OBJ
iections of another kind, especially in reference
to our own domain, with which the great dis
coyerer had no direct historical or personal con-
nection. But this objection lies with tenfold
force against the name america.
This absence Of historical propriety or justice
would be less entitled to consideration if the
name itself were expressive or suggestive of ap
propriate ideas. But in this respect, the maine
America is wholly barren and without signiti-
cant association, notwithstanding what appears
to be its Latin form, aud the promise which ii
holds out OF hidden meaning or at least class
ical ausion. This false appearance Of signih-
canoe, indeed, may be said to aggravate the real
want of meaning in the name, iuasmuch as it
keeps the word of promise to the ear and breaks
it to the hope. II, then, name can be discov-
cred or devised, which is liable to none of these
objections, it is certainly entitled to the prefer
ence, in theory, at least, or as theme OF harm
less speculation. though the substitution may be
wholly unattainable, and even undesirable, in
practice. Whether there be such a word is 8
question which we may, perhaps, discuss here
after.