Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-14
WHY WE ARE YANKEES.


Origin of the Nickname That Is Applied
to North Americans.
Every one is aware that tho word
"Yankes' is applied abroad indis-
orimina,ely to all citizons of the
United States, but it is used general
ly as q nickname and not always
In complimentary spirit. Our
Spanish friends just at present are
doubtless inclined to employ it in
sneering and d-rogatory sense, but
however it may BIO used by them or
other Europeans it has long stree
ceased to carry with it the slightest
sting of latent satire. From term
of reproach or ridiculo it has become
to the citizen of tho United States a
verbal badge of honor and is now
synonymous the world over with
shrewdness, enterprise, pluck and
achievement.
Its origin is uncertain. According
to one authority, Yankees is a varia.
ton of "yonkc s'" or 'yengees" or
"yaunghees, II name said to have
been given by tho Massachusetts In
dams to the English colonists, being,
it is supposed, an Indian corruption
of the word English" or the French
"Anglais Washington Irving, in
his history Of New York, explains
the derivation somewhat different
ly. The>frst settlers of New Eng
land, he says, came to America Ito
enjoy, unmolcsted, tho inestimable
right of falling. And, in fact, no
sooner did they land upon the shores
of this free spoken country than
they all lifted up their voices and
made such a clamor Of tongues that
We are told they frightened every
bird and beast out Of the neighbor-
hood and struck such mute terror
into certain fish that they have been
called dumbfish ever since.
The simple aborigines of tho land
for awhile contemplated these
strange folk in utter establishment,
but discovering that they welded
harmless though noisy weapons and
were a lively, ingenious, good hui
mored race of men, they became
very friendly and sociable and gave
them the name Yanokies, which in
tho Mais Tohusaeg Tor Massaohu-
setts) language signifies silent men,
u wugg1sn uppellatlon, since short
ened into tho familiar epithet of
Yankees. 1t had gained great cur
rency as descriptive of the colonists
in 1856, when Dr.. Schuokburgh, q
British surgeon, is said to have COM
posed the words of yankee Doodle"
in derision of tho colonial militia,
but tho tune to which it was set is
declared by some authorities to have
been popular in England during the
commonwealth. at which period its
doggerel words, it is alleged, also
existed and we're applied to Crom-
we'll.
Whatever its ancestry and original
Specification, it has come in the light
of history and accomplishments to
be a designation of which the people
Of this country have no reason to be
ashamed. They have no objection
to being called by nickname which
is associated with daring, skill, en-
ergy and triumph, that even when
used in derision OF anger it creates
in tie mind of the very railer and
sooffer secret feeling of envy. The
Englishman, Frenchman, German,
Russian, Spaniard and the rest will
have to content themselves with
their narrow national appellations,
except on special occasions of merit,
when they show themselves worthy
of being decorated with tho Yankee
cross of honor and being oompli-
mented with the title of English or
French or Spanish Yankees. The
suggestion rs to the selection of
some other nickname than Yankee
may be wise, but it is not practical
BILE. Nobody would ever adopt it
here or abroad. Let us be content
with the designation as it is. We
can stand it if our Spanish cousins
Can.-Baltimore Sun.