The Cairo bulletin., 1904-11-28
WE ARE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

| Tho people OF this country cannat
accept Sir Edward Clarkes word OF
I"Usonians" as descriptive Of them.
lselves They do not mind his adopt
Ing ii II he chooses. as thc tit'c of a
now brand Of champagne. There will
possibly be peculiar proprlety in such
a christening.
II has been felicitously remarked
that coined words seldom obtain cur
rency. New words grow out of usage
aud have a special fitness. or make a
particular appeal to popular fancy
that causes them 10 pass into the
common vocabulary.
The late order from the state de-
partment directing American repre-
sentatives abroad to describe them
selves as American and requiring
| the word America" to be used upon
official papers and seals, was not an
attempt to appropriate for particular
significance II was only recog1i-
ion on the part of the department OF
| the condition of affairs which has ey-
isted ever since and ever before tao
war of Independence.
George Herbert. who flouris he'd be
tween 1898 ana 1852 wrote
Religion stands on tiptoe In our
land.
Ready to pass to the American
strand.
Col. Asa Bird Gardiner. In speech
at the dinner CT the Sons of the Rev.
olr ion In New York Friday, said:
The term America was always used
by the English parliament before the
war of independence n reference to
this country whenever it was official
~ considered or referred to by that
body II was the thirteen colonies
that we're always designated as Am.
erica. and in The days before the rev
olutlon the people OF the colonies
were called Americans. Even in tho
treaty of peace with George III. the
colonies were officially described as
America, and only recently Edward
W. in toasting the officers Of the
American fleet. called them Ameri'
cans "
In a speech which is familiar to all
school BOYS Lord Chatham is report
ed as saving IF were an American
as am an Englishman, never would
lay down my arms
Patrick Henry said, Il am not
yirglnian. but an American Daniel
Webster said, Il was born an Ameri.
can, will live an American, and !
shall die an American"
Our national anthem is called
America" and popular songs are of
ten spoken OF as being sung to the
tune OF America.
The English people themselves are
chiefly responsible for the use abroad
Of the word American" as applied 10
citizens Of the United States. London
is vociferous with signs proclaiming
o the traveller or wavfarer that
American shoes, American drinks,
American fruits, and a hundred arti
cles produced in this country can be
obtained in the shops of London
There is even an American quick
lunch counter In the Strand. The
American flag is exhibited every.
where III England, frequently upside
down or wrong side to. Nobody calls
it the flag of the United States, bur
always and everywhere the flag OF
America"
The generic title OF America or
Americans, when applied without re
stricticn TO country or people
means the United States. or the citi
zens thereof Specifically there are
South Americans, Mexicans. Brazil
lans. Canadians. and various other
classes OF people. but there are no I'm
modified Americans" except the PEG
pie Of this great ana glorious country.
Nobody knows II better than Sir
Edward Clarke himself. When. there.
fore, he suggested that VIC should
coin a new word TO describe our.
selves by. we are forced to the conclu,
sion that either he wa inspired 20 a
: Eighty good-natured raillery by the
) unusual excellence Of the champagne
. he had drunk a. dinner or that the
I champagne being bad he had fallen
into a mood Of dependency for which
he cannot strictly be held RESPONSE
I ble.-Chicago Tribune