The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-01

TEXAN or TEXIAN?
This may seem TO the unthinking TO be n
small matter, but nations have waged war
on an idca-sometimes on u question of
taste. The old citizens of Texas feel most
sensibly that in writing our people down rs
Texans certain degree of sacrilege is COM
mitted on derivation sanctiiied in the
days OF their infancy as colonists aud their
travail in struggling for independence, 1t
is safe to say that no man living in Texas
from the first American family in 1921 to
the beginning of the war in 1861, ever called
himself or his neighbor Texan. In forty
ocIca years residence in the county
I never knew a single instance of the kind.
Universally from the incipiency of American
cololi.l!ion in Texas, the people designated
themselves by the soft, ouphOnious and
i1ud derivatiyc Tox-i-an, the ''f' pro-
bounced "c' soft. There is also n history
- the subject which should give it sane
itv, and render it of universal use by the
learned as well as the uncarned
When the revolution burst forth in 1885,
there was published in New Orleans one Of
the most ably conducted papers in the
United States, called the Commercial Bull
lctin. IL at once espoused the cause of
Texas, and did more, perhaps, than all
other papers in the Union to enlighten the
people Of that country in regard to Texas
and her cause In October Of that year II
published an article discussing as TO how
the people of Texas should be designated.
All the terms were considered-thoM Mexican
derivatives Texano, Tciano, and the more
English terms, Texan, Texasian and Text
an. The learned editor for he was n learned
scholar in both English and Spanish, ar
rived at the conclusion that while either
term could be adopted by precedent, yet
the term TeX-i-an was the soitest, most
liquid and euphonious. That article was
republished and heartily endorsed by the
only paper then published in Texas and
conducted by three highly educated men,
Gail and Thomas IL. Borden and Judge Jo-
seph Baker, an accomplished scholar from
Massachusetts. The whole people notorious
ly had Away called themselves Texans, and
with one voice, said amen TO the New
Orleans and Texas editors The first de-
parture from 1t was in book on Texas
written by foreigner, who wrote the word
Texan. The dropping of the "i' and writ
ing the word TEXAN " aside from other
considerations which were numerous and
complex, rendered the book offensive to
the people That booksellers attention to
the subject grew and not only solidiiied but
rendered pensitiy e the national prediction
for their chosen word, Texan. The learned
first president of the republic, the scholarly
Burnet, wrote a. criticism on the
RGGs acknowledging tso merits, but but
abrupt, Saprsh and I'M angainly term Texan
as unfit for anything in poetry excepting
the merest dogeral,h This IS President
Burnet's language. He said further that
every people had the right to select the tern
to express their own political individuality
and that the people of Texas, literate ant
Iilliteratc, without known exception from
first TO last, had adopted the word TcxiaI
us their political designation. He said
moreover, that the word was not only II
universal, use but was Incorporated IN oul
laws and public documents.
AS We say Kentuckian, Arkansian, Caro-
linian, Coloradian, Bostonian, Houstonian
Louisianian, Washingtonian, Albanian
Charlestonian, Nebraskian, San Antonian
Galyestonian, Oregonian, Nevadian; so W,
say Texan, There is no known rule Of Ian
guago to govern the case This Is admitted
From Paris VIC get Partisan; Egypt, Egyp
tian; France, French, England, English
Ireland Irish: Germany Germans Spain
Spaniards; but who from Montana woul,
deduce the harsh word MontanansP Woul,
not cuphony involuntarily bring to our lip
the pleasant denominative Montanian?
J In the year 1916 two strangers established
an excellent and popular paper in Victori
with It's name, In fancy letters. spelle'
Texan Advocate. Everybody liked the pa
per as the first pioneer west Q
the Colorado, but letters poure,
in upon the publishers from a
over the country and from cash paying sui
scribers, begging them to put In that ~
and call Il the Tcxinn Advocate; and th
publishers, Logan & Sternc, sent back /
Cincinnati and had an "i' east In the typ
foundry in compliance. to public demand
whereby Il was changed to the Texan A,
vocate. In 1910 A. Stranger, in San Al
tonic, made the same change In the nam
of his paper to Western Texian.
defy any one to show that either of Il
B first provisional governors of Texas. eth,
ofits four presidents or four vice president