The sun., 1896-09-22

The History OF the Settling or u Question
OF PronouncinE N States Name.
From the I,hfiud,,nb,, Publ. r.d,,.-


OFFICE SECRETARY OF SrATE.l
LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Sept. 12, 1890. I
Afr. s. F. sfnmonds, philadelphia, IA.
DEAR SIR: Your letter OF the 7th inst. TO the
Philadelphia Ledger making inquiry in refer.
ence to tho correct pronunciation Of the name
OF this State was forwarded to Gov Clark. and
by him handed to me for reply
For many years there was contention among
even our best-informed citizens as to the correct
pronunciation OF the name of this State. Most
persons pronounced 1t rs 1t was spelled. while
others, especially the early settlers and their de-
scendants. pronounced the name as if spelled
Ar-kan-saw, following, rs they believed, the
pronunciation used by the Arkansea Indians,
the aooriEnes of the country, from whom the
territory derived its name.
l., From 1874 to ls4s our State was represented
In tho United States Senate by Mr. Chester
Ashley and Mr.. Ambrose Scvier.
Mr.. Chester Ashley. a New Englander by
birth. and probably the brainiest Senator we
eyer eyer. had always pronounced the name of the
Stnte phoneticallv as it is spelled. Arkansas.
Col Col; John SEWER: the hero q kinrs M""niai1. ..
as tennessee was then called. always gave to
the last syllable Of the name OF his adopted
were spelled Ar-kan-saw.
~ AT that timo, as ,you know. Mr.. Dallas was
Vice President and made the greatest and most
courtly presiding officer the Senate ever hed
8, M n PHlIss: psI in addressing Mr. Ashley always
shlu Inc senator from Ar-kan-sas," while Mr.
SEWER was always the Senator from Ar-kan.
saw.
Tho opinion of the people differed on this sub.
ject. as did the opinion OF our Senators. Finslly.
TO settle the disputation. the General Assembly
or SSl appointed n learned and able committees
70 investigate tho W hole subject. This commit
tee made critical ard exhaustive examination,
and based upon tho report OF this committee
the General Assembly Unanimously adopted the
Following concurrent resolutions:
eoncnrenf r,so'uhon declaring the proper pronunct
alton orfhe name or the STATE or Arkan.as.
Preamble.
our State. ana II is deemed important that the
true pronunciation should he determined for
use In oral official proceedings; and
her.ds; The matter has been thoroughly
the Electic Society OF Little Rock. which have
agreed upon tho correct pronunciation, as de-
rived from history and the early usage of the
American immigrants; be IL therefore
R.SOirsd. BY both Houses OF the General As
semoy. that the only true pronunciation OF the
name or the state. IN the opinion of this body
Is Is That received by the French from the native
indians. and committed to writing In the
french word representing tho sound and that
" should be pronounced in three syilab,es, with
the nn9! 8 silent. tho a in each syllable with
and last syllahles. being the pronunciation for
merry. universally and now still most common.
~ useu. ana that the pronunciation with tho
accent on the second syllable with the sound OF
1881" s"'
This closed the disc ussion. Everybody now
the name of the State Ar.kan.saw
and it would bo little less than high treason for
any one to pronounce It differently.
send you report of this oflice. containing n |
mort sketch OF the States early history, which
may prove of aome interest to you.
Hoping the above explanation is satisfactory |
am. yours truly,
ii. B. ARMIsrEAp. Secretary State.