San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-10-15
CALL US YANKEES. y
SYNONYM THE WORLD OVER FOR
DARING SKILL AND ENERGY.
Derivation of the Epithet as Told in
Washington IrVing's History
of New York.

Every one is aware that the
word yankee" is applied abroad
Unfortunately to all citizens OF
the United States, but it is used
generally as a "nickname," and not
always in complimentary spirit
Our Spanish friends just at present
are doubtless inclined to employ ii
in a sneering and derogstory sense,
but, however it may be used by
them or other Europeans, it has
long since ceased ito carry with it
the slightest sting OF latent satire.
From a term of reproach or rldi-
cule it has become to the citizen of
the United States a verbal badge
OF honor, and is now synonymous
the world over with shrewdness,
enterprise, pluck and achieve
ment.
Its origin is uncertain. Accord
ing to one authority, yankees" is
a variation OF "yenkees," or "yen.
gees" or "yaunghees," "a name
said to have been given by the
Massachusetts Indians to the Eng
lish colonists, being, it is supposed,
an Indian corruption of the word
English or OF the French Anglais."
Washington Irving, in his history
of New York, explains the deriva-
ton somewhat differently. The
first settlers Of New England, he
says, came to America "to enjoy,
unmolested, the inestimable right
of talking. And, in fact, no sooner
did they land upon the shore of
this free-spoken country than they
all lifted up their voices and made
such clamor OF tongues that we
are told they frightened every bird
and beast out of the neighborhood,
and struck such mute terror into
certain fish that they have been
called dumb fish ever since.
'The simple aborigines Of the
land for a while contemplated
these strange folk in utter aston
ishment, but discovering that they
welded harmless though noisy
weapons, and were lively, ingeni-
Gus, good .humored race of men,
they became very friendly and
sociable, and gave them the
name 1anokies, which in the Mails
Cor Massachusetts, lam
guage signifies silent men-a wag.
gish appellation, since shortened
into the familiar epithet of yam
KEGS" 1t had gained great cur
rency as descriptive of the colon
lists in 1755, when DR.. Schuckburgh,
British surgeon, is said to have
composed the words Of "Yankee
Doodle" in derision of the colonial
militia, but the tune to which it
was set is declared by some au-
thorities to have been popular in
during the common.
wealth, at which period it's dog.
gerel words, it is alleged, also ex-
listed and were applied to Crom-
we'll.
Whatever its ancestry and orig
inal Specification, it has come In
the light Of history and accom-
plishment 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 a nickname which is as
ISOLATED with daring, skill. energy
and triumph that even when used
in derision or anger it creates in
the mind Of the very railer and
sccffer a secret feeling OF envy.
The Englishmap, Frenchman,
German, Russian, Spanisrd and
the rest will have to content them
selves with their narrow national
appellatiOns, except on special &C.
casions of merit, when they show
themselves worthy of being deco
rated with the Yankee cross Of
honor and being mplImented
with the title of English, or
French, or Spanish yankees. The
suggestion as to the selection OF
some other nickname than cyan
kee" may DO wise, but it is not
practicable. 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,