Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-23

should be stamped and labelled ana her-
aided throughout the world, not ms Amer
cans, but ms Columbians.
so great was the vigor of this move
ment that in l7al as soon az the Nationai
Government had got well under way uhher
its new Constitution. II set apart a sni'''
domain on the Potomac for a national
capital: and IN giving n special name 10
this district as the particular residence OF
the National Government. they signiil-
cantly called II the District Of Columbia -
I. G., the capital of tho nation, which was
to be called by that name.
Finally, all these efforts for the adop-
ton OF the name Columbia have been re-
flectcd on the fact that the map or our
country is now fairly dotted and peppered
with that word. for not only Is the great
est river that cmpties into the Pacihc
ocean called Columbia. but the name
Columbia now designates at least eight
counties eighteen townships. four cities,
and seventeen villages in our country
while We have been hesitating over the
business I'm this way, the name Columbia
has been quietly and effectually appro-
priated by another nation-the gallant lit
tie republic I'm South America-'the United
States Of Columbia so that the name Is
no longer available for our exclusive use
on any terms. except, possibly. by our
favorite national method for creating har-
mony--the method Of swallowing down
that little South American republic, name
and ali
THE SUGGESTION OF IRVING.
Or. Tyler then alluded to the sugges-
ton OF Washington Irving, that the
country should be called Alleghania.
which resulted in an effort on the part
of influential persons to have this name
adopted. The proposal met with vast
amount OF ridicules, and the tenor OF the
objections urged against the adoption of
this name Ia voiced i'm the following eX-
cerpt from some resolutions adopted by
the New Jersey Historical Society:
"Your committee cannot see any urgent
reason for any change in the name OF
our common country. Whilst the United
States OF America Is not as distinctive
ms If might be, yet we have to learn that
any of our citizens on foreign travels
have ever found any difficulty In deiin-
ing his country. When he states III
France Italy, Germany, England, or
Prussia that he is an American. 1t u at
once understood that his home Is IN
the United States. II traveller IS from
Mexico he IS q Mexican; II from Canada
Canadian: If from Peru Peruvian;
II from Brazil. a Brazilian. and. hither-
TO. II from Texas. a Texan. Because 1--WE
dINt the EifAA HtNfi VI ''iH N~|'+''
the world comedies to us the right. which
we should not yield. of calling ourselves
Americans"
A NAME BORN TO IT.
The orator next alluded to the SUCCESS
ton of Francis Liebe. that the country
should be called Freeand, which was
overtaken by the same fate which had
already been meted out 10 the similar
name. "Fredonia." brought forward by
Senator Samuel Latham Mitchell. Of
New York Thus, then. TO sum II all up.
he said. It appears that, in the attempts
which have been made during the past
hundred years and more 10 secure for
ourselves new national name at least
nine different names have been brought
forward with more or less energy and
authority-Columbia, Alleghania. Apal-
lachia. Washington Nesperia. Freeland,
Fredonia. Cabotia. and Ninland.
The question. therefore. is, Has our
country an historic name2 Has 1t
name not manufactured FOR il. but born
10 tia name developed FOR 1t in the
actual established usage of mankind?
I do not see how any one can hesitate
to answer that it has such name-the
single word America. not North Ameri-
ca. which is the name Of the entire con-
tinent. but America. which is the specific
name Of our portion OF this continent,
and all this by n usage which began
among men on both sides Of the Atlantic
more than two hundred and fifty years
ago. and mas been steadily growing ever
since. until now II has become II not
universal, at least. prevailing one.
This usage continued to grow until the
approach Of the great Revolution. Then
II was that the need Of some common
designating word. other than English.
became absolutely imperative; and then
II was that the word America" with its
derivative American, sprang into nearly
universal use. The name American was
I'D TO that time little more than 4
beautiful, prophetic vision. II received
the impress of a definite and lasting
reality only through the war Of independ-
ence.
The tokens OF the established use Of
the word American as our national
name found their elimination in the last
decade of the eighteenth century. i'm that
classic passage in WashingtOns fare
well address. where he thus speaks 20
his ow-countrymen: "Citizens. by
birth or choice. of a common country.
that country has a right TO concentrate
your affections The name of Ameri-
can. which belongs TO you in your ma
tional capacity. must always exalt the
just pride OF patriotism"
VA ClNNi< ~ C0As Ill -
Whatever may be the legal and official
formula by which our country is desig-
mated, said Professor Tyler, it's heroic
name, it's actual name. the name best
known to mankind throughout the world,
and that comes most naturally TO our
lips. is simply America" and for our
selves, whatever may be our local dis
tinctions, there Is but one word that de-
scribes us all-"Americans."
In conclusion he alluded TO the mag
niicent possibilities Of meaning that there
are within the name we bear, II only We,
the American people. be worthy of II.
Said the poet Longfellow. not great
while before his death: The idea, the
meaning of America, is very grand. our
country Is working out one Of the highest
problems in the celestial dynumics OF
man" And many years before Longfel-
low said that his friend, Waldo Emerson
had written: America Is another name
for opportunity. our whole history APP
pears like last effort Of Divine Proyi-
dence in behalf Of the human race"
Professor Tyler brought his address TO
a close with a devout aspiration that
Heaven would grant that the Americans
would grow TO be a people 80 wise, so
true. so high-minded, so pure-hearted, 50
morally courageous so strong in self
restraint and in all civic virtue. so pro-
foundly and magnanimously religious. so
genuine and so efficient i'm all the things
that make for the highest and best life OF
this world and Of all worlds, that this
great word. American which designates
them, shall stand in all the coming ages
as a word freighted with the noblest per-
sonal and national meanings. carrying
perpetual inspiration and an uplifting
power TO all the toiling. downcast. ana
suffering races OF mankind over the face
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