The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-10

but the proposition did not strike the popular
fancy, and we are still a nameless people.
There is one part of our national nomencla-
ture, however-which is as vicious as possible
which ought to be and might be very easily
Temedied We mean the naming of our
national ships. Before the present incom-
petent head of the Navy Department-who
seems to have been endowed with every possi-
BILE disqualification for his Office, except the
faculty of holding on to it--oame into office,
very excellent rule prevailed in naming our
men-ofwar. To ships-of-the-line we gave the
names of States, to frigates the names of
rivers, to sloops-ofwar the names of our chief
towns, to vessels of a smaller class the names
of departed naval heroes, while to revenue
cutters were given the names of the Secretaries
of the Treasury. The advantages of this sys-
tenn will suggest themselves to every one. In
the first place, it avoided all confusion as to
the character of a vessel when her name was
mentioned; then it saved us from the ignorant
caprices of whimsical officials, and secured us
national names, which had decided signif-
canoe for the popular mind, and encouraged
feeling of patriotism among our sailors. 1t
gave us, too, fine, soHorous names, which could
easily be shouted through speaking trumpet
and that is a consideration of no small i'm
pOrtance to a sailor.
We all remember how, during the war, the
heart of the nation was thrilled by Mrs. Far
Tagut's tender mention of ''the dear old Hart
ford" Let any one attempt to bedear any of
the unpronOunceable and ridiculous names
which Secretary Welles has bestowed upon
our new war-ships, and it will be seen how
absurdly misplaced they are. The greater
part of our new ships have been christened by
utterly unmeaning and mostly unpronounce-
able Indian names, which awaken no memories
in the minds of the people and puzzle us to
write them, much more to speak them. As
we are not Indians, there is no reason why we
should give Indian names to our national ves-
sells, except such as have been endeared to us
by their historical significance. To give the
name of such disgusting savage as the Ca
manche to one of our national ships, when we
have so many fne-sounding names which
illustrate our history, is piece of folly.
But Mr.. Welles committed greater blunders
than giving unmeaning Indian names to our
frst-class iron-clads, in belittling another
class of steamers by calling them after little
parlor- window shrubs and greenhouse plants.
If he wanted to bestow floral appellations on
a certain class of war steamers, though
nothing could be more inappropriate than
such system of naval nomenclature, there
was fine opportunity to pick out "a com.
modify of good names'' from the American
flora. We have an abundance of capital indi.
genous names for such purpose-the per.
simmOn, the hickory, the laurel, the live oak,
the pepperidge, the sycamore, and so on. We
have great wealth of similar names. But
Mr.. Welles must give us, instead, the Fuchsia
the Geranium, and such feeble foreigners. The
Fuchsia is preposterous name to bestow upon
war steamer; but if Mr.. Welles wanted to
honor that brilliant flower, why did he not
call another ship the Lobelia CARDINALS ? Lei
Congress take this matter in hand, and pass
law that none but native or national names
shall ever be given to national ships.