The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-21
THE UNITED STATES ARE.

Secretary Olney has been subjected to
some criticism for using "the United
States" with a plural verb. In his re-
cent proclamation of neutrality he re-
ferred to Spain as "a power with which
the United States are and desire to re-
main on terms of peace and amity." If
his critics are right, he should have said
"a power with which the United States
is and desires to remain on terms of
peace and amity.'
The point is not a new one, and has
been considerably discussed. 1t never
was raised before the civil war, and is
an outgrowth of the idea of our political
solidarity or nationality. The rebellion
made the State rights and State sover-
eighty idea very obnoxious to loyal peo-
pie, and gave corresponding prominence
and popularity to the idea of nationality.
1t was not until the war that people be-
gan habitually to spell Nation with a big
N. The result of the war settled the fact
that the Union is indissoluble, and gave
new prominence to the idea of national
solidarity, as was natural and right that
it should. With this came the claim that
the United States, being a nation, should
be regarded as unit and used with the
singular verb. THE idea that We are a
nation said the late Governor o. p.
Morton. in one of his speeches., that we
are one people, undivided and indivisi-
BILE. should be plank in the platform of
every party. 1t should be taught in
every school. academy and college. 1t
should be the political North star by
which every political manager should
steer his bark. 1t should be the central
idea of American politics. and every
child. so to speak, should be vaccinated
with this idea. so that he may be pro-
tected against this political distemper
that has brought such calamity upon
our country" 1t was this sentiment,
made so prevalent by the war; that led
TO the claim that one should say and
write 1.-The United States is" and not
1.-The United States are"
The sentiment is admiral BILE, but the
claim is indefensible. In a question of
grammar sentiment must yield. Argue
as one may from a patriotic standpoint
and the national idea, the grammatical
fact remains that the word States" is
plural. and a plural subject must have a
plural verb. One cannot say "the New
England States is populous.'' 1.-The South
ern States is prosperous or the Pacific
States possesses great mineral wealth"
and no more can one say, without violat-
ing the rules of grammar. that 1.-The
United States is" We can say the gov
eminent of the United States is" or "the
Union is" but not 1.-The United States
is" Thoroughly as one may believe in
the idea of nationality. one cannot ignore
the structural principles of the English
language
None OF the statesmen Of the ante-war
period used the United States in the sim
gular. Daniel Webster. in his great
speech in reply to Hayne. said: Have
the United States no right as a great
proprietor. are they under no obligation
to contribute to an object" etc. Again
In the same speech, he said: The other
consideration is that the United States
have the means" Henry Clay. in a
speech delivered in the Senate in 1892
in defense of the American system. said
There are few. IL any governments
which do not regard the establishment