The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-11-13
WHY WE ARE YANKEES.
ORIGIN OF THE NICKNAME APPLIED TO
NORTH AMERICANS.

Everyone Is aware that the word
yankee" is applied abroad indls-
criminately to all citizens OF the
United States, but il Is used generally
as q nickname" and not always 10 u
complimentary spirit, says the New
York Herald. Our Spanish friends
just at present are doubtless inclined
to employ it in sneering and dcroga.
tory sense, but, however it may be used
by them or other Europeans, 1t has long
since ceased to carry with IL the
slightest sting OF latent satire. From
\ term Of reproach or ridicule it has
become to the citizens OF the United
States verbal badge Of honor, and Is
now Synonymous the world over with
shrewdness, enterprise, pluck aud
achievement.
Its origin, says the Baltimore Sun,
Is uncertain. According to one author.
ity, yankees" is a variation of"Yen.
KEGS" or "Yengees" or "Yaunghees," q
name said to have been given by the
Massachusetts, Indians to the English
colonists, being, it Is supposed, an
Indian corruption OF the word Eng.
lish," or OF the French "Anglais."
Washington Irving, in his history OF
New York, explains the derivation
somewhat differently. The first set.
tiers OF New England, he says, came
to America ito 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 a clam0r OF tongues that
we are told they frightened every bird
and beast out OF the ncighbOrhOOd,
and struck such mute terror into GER
tain fish that they have been called
dumb fish ever since.
"The simple aborigines Of the land
for while contemplated these strange
folk in utter establishment, but, dis
covering that they welded harmless,
though noisy, weapons, and we're a
lively, ingenious, good humored race
OF men, they became very friendly and
sOciable, and gave them the name
Yanokies, which 10 the Mais Tchusaeg
Tor Massachusetts, language signifies
silent men--s waggish appellation,
since shortened into the familiar
epithet OF Yankees. 1t hand gained
great currency as descriptive OF the
cOlonists in 1855, when DR.. Shuck-
burgh, British surgeon, Is said to have
composed the words Of yankee Doc.
die" in derision OF the colonial militia,
but the tune to which it was set Is de-
clared by some authorities to have
been popular in England during the
commonwealth at which period It's
dOggercl words, it is alleged, also ex'
listed and were applied 10 Cromwell.
Whatever its ancestray and original
signifcatiOn, it has come in the light
Of history and accomplishment to the
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 50
associated with daring, skill, energy
and triumph, that even when used in
derisiOn or anger 1t creates in the
mind Of the very railer and scoffer a
secret feeling of envy. The English.
man, Frcnchman, 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 de-
corated with the Yankee cross Of
honor and being colnplimented with
the title OF English, or French, or
Spanish Yankees. The suggestion as
to the selection Of some other nick.
name than yankee" may be wise,
but it il no, practicable. Nobody
would ever adopt It here or abroad.
Let US be content with the designa.
tion as IL is. We can stand it II our
Snanish cOuSinS can.