The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-23
a Mastery Historical Discourse BY Pro-
feSsOl Noses Colt Tyler.
ABLE DEFENCE OF THE NAME AMERICA
Eketch Of the Many Other Names suggest
ed and How They FAILED to s'"""'
The Name - Growth and Not
n Manufacture.


ple,ely enraptured large audience ia
Inc nail vi the mouse % pc'esa'oS' -
v.a q pcrfect gem from a literary point
oil view. iui, "a profound ihous"' NV
ooucncd IN DcautiIui language 81
The gathering Vas composer VI w
r,onds best people, cnieny heNn'e' "
cha Virginia historical society anu 'nci
iaoies VINO hnd come 10 hsteh 10 'he
,,a, address TO be delivered before
that sccicty. ~ -. s,ut
Tho hsg nall was well filed. but sun
.h,ra Wa room for others ana those VINO
failed TO make use OF this rare oppor-
tunity Of listening TO the Hloii"d.'o"
given by the learned Professor IRON .oi-
nen University, can hardly appreciate
what they nave misseo.
PROF. TYLER PRESENIhD'
Tho orator Of the evening entered inc
hall with Rev. Moses ID. Hoge' -. -
Hon. W. W!rt Henry, ana MI. Joseph
BRYAN. president OF the Virginia iiislorl-
cal Society. and was greeted WIN APP
plause. Mr.. Bryan introduced PROFESSOR
TYLER with "a few brief ana appropriate
remarks. In an explanatory manner, Mr..
Rryan stated that a provision OF the con-
ktitution Of the society prescribed tndt At
every annual meeting an adJouIhiheht
should be taken TO some other Tune apu
Mace. when the annual address should
be delivered before the society ana the
public. After naming some of the &C.
lebr.ties who have on such occasion APP
peared before these gatherings Mir Bryan
presented Professor Moses Colt Iyier' a.
Cornell University TO the audience
Professor Tyler stated that he felt
greatly honored by the manner IN when
he had been introduced.
Although a very busy man at home. he
could not refuse the invitation 10 denver
this lecture when it was extended to
him. Ho had been In Richmond once be-
fore. about ten years ago, but he feit
as II a good deal Of his time had been
spent with the Nrgnians. and he there
fore. could not deny himself the pleasure
to come once more 10 the historical
state. Mir. Tyler then read his exceeding
ly interesting address. which was as fol-
lows:
FULL TEXT or THE LECTURE.
OF the lecture which | am TO give you
] think I may mOdcstly say that IL is Il
new and hitherto unwritten chapter, Doth
IN American history and in American
literature. IL is an attempt 10 explore
through our literature AMI through our
history. the national consciousness oil that
mighty people. who, within the past Two
centuries and T. half. have seized and
covered and don iratcd this continent. and
are row engaged i'm Transforming II from
a haunt OF slNeresrN INTO SOOdly nome
for humanty-to make this continent the
nest benign3 mt school for mans BRAIN,
the most Industrious workshop for MS
hand. the most joyful resting place fOi
his hearts aiccuCns. ana inuliy the at-
credest temple Tor his deathless soul bow
Ing i'm alteration before the GiNer OF all
good
am 10 try &c tell you the story Of the
naming OF our republic, and. in the frst
place. let me remind you that this story
Int. Hftfi
over AGAINST the full cfncal designation OF
our country-"Thc United States Of Amen
ca"-as given to IL in the Constitution,
IN the statutes, and In many thousands OF
Stat0 papers. The interrogation point
stands for a challenge. and indeed, FOR
a denial. of the fitness of that designa-
ton to Dc our national name.
Let US listen for moment TO the OBJ
1cctiOnS which are made 10 II. one OBJ
lection Is that IL is lacking in an impOr-
tant attribute Cf a national name, since
II Is really not a name at all, but mere
phrase, not single word, but an az
glomcratiOn of NOrdS-d political formula
IA whole proposition I'm constitutional
law, at once awkward to use and utter
ly yCid and dry OF all that Is picturesque
and lOVeaDle. Others. We are told, can
coin the name Of their country into the
designation Of themselves. The peO.ac of
France are Frenchmen, Of England Ens-
lishmen, of Spain Spaniards, ana so on.
and thus 10y the witchcry and miracle OF
their daily speech the people ana ihe
country became llcnt together into "a sort
Of sacred identity. But we, the people
of the United States of America, now
can we designate ourselves from the cum
br2us ofiiciai designation OF our country?
Then, again. we are told the separate
word America does not distinguish our
country; that IL Is designation which
does not designate since il is said 10 be
nppliCable TO the whole continent as well
as 10 our particular portion of IL. And.
CARDS distiDctness If one detaches the
nrst two WCIds United States, and makes
sort OF hybrid adjective of them. Not
Few persons. indeed in their search
after great greater precision. try 10 do
this Taking such an expression "as
american History" which they object 10
on the ground CT its alleged incefnteness.
they imagine that they escape from the
embarrassment 10y manufacturing the
phrase United States History"
But that expression is really less exact
ttnan the other: We are not the only
United States in the modern world. In
Europe there have been the United States
OF Holland. and the United States OF the
ionian Islands; and I'm the western hem
isphere there are already four or five
groups OF United States-thc United
States OF Columbia. the United States OF
Central America. the United States of
Mexico, and now the United States OF
Brazil. SO that he who for greater dis
thickness declines to say american His
tory and insists on sewing Omitted
States History" is still under the need of
explaining to MS which United States
History" he refers to!
SIGN OF OUR IDENTITY.
Therefore what we want" as was
said in semi-ofcial announcement made
some years ago by one of our most in
iiuentiai historical societies-'wnat NE
want Is a Sign OF our identity. We want
utterance for our nationality. I've want
a wdtchword more national than that
OF States, more powerful than .lat OF
party. We want the means of proclaim
Ing by one wcrd our union into one ma
ton. We desire TO see written on The
pages OF the worlds history one nam.
IN which no other people shall have part
or lot. that shall signify TO the old word
the great republic beyond the seas: "A
word that shall represent the idea of a
united and homogeneous people: that snail
be associated with our history and Dro-
eress; that shall rest upon our flag and
go with our advancing eagles. Let not
this be thcs SHIT a mere matter of conve-
hlencc. Is more IL has much 10 do
with national and heroic sentiment.
There never before has been a nation of
any consequence I'm the wcrid with
out Its own appropriate. distinctive
name. The great nations that have hith-
erto arisen have made their names spell
I'm story And who can doubt that The
names thems elves reacted as a spell upon
their people. prompting them 10 heroic
deeds: heigftening and concentrating
their lcve and their pride of country.
True patriotism. then not less than taste
and convenience. prompted us 10 SEEK
for our national sentiment some adequate
expression"
And II was In full sympathy with this
large and wise sentiment OF nation .lism
that Charles Sumner. in Il mastery ora
ton delivered by him not long after the
civil war. EXPRESSED his regret that at
tho very birth-time OF this nation some
single term was not adapted which OF
itself" rs he said. should be- a talsman