New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-26
THE AMERICANS.

Sir Edward CIarbes criticism of the use of the
term American by the United States quite
misses the point. Secretary hays order to
the diplomatic service merely took cogni-
zance Of general custom the world over The
usage does not mean swagger or any assump-
tion derogatory to the dignity OF other peo-
pies Of the Western Hemisphere. The citizen
of the United States of America is spoken of
by all the world as American, just as the
citizen of the United States of Venezuela is
known as q Venezuelan and the citizen of the
United States of Brazil as Brazilian. IL the
habit carries with it an offensive implication
that there Is nobody else worth speaking OF on
the great American continent, the use of the
shortened term United States for the United
States of America implies that this is par eX-
ceence the United States. and that others who
incorporate that name in their national title are
not worthy of notice. Besides the United States
of Brazil and the United States of Venezuela.
there used to be United States Of Colombia and
a United States 81 Central America. To speak
as if this country had a monopoly OF being
United States is piece Of self-assurance which
Sir Edward Clarke and those who think as he
does would no doubt pronounce characteristic
cally American if that particular habit came
to mind a target for criticism.
The term America was first applied to the
southern half of the continent in early German
use of it until comparatively recent times, and,
while the rest of the world early adopted it for
the whole continent, it has long had TO the popu-
lar mind, particularly the English mind, a more
specific meaning When Burke talked about
Cancellation with America he did not mean
Cancellation with the Canadian provinces of His
Britannia Majesty. When Chatham said, IF l
were an American as l am an Englishman,' no.
body thought of him as in Imagination fighting
n, Cy1
ney Smith asked, who reads an American
book" inquiry was not made about the popu-
larity Of authors from Montreal Valparaiso.
To-day when anybody in Europe has any satire
to level at the people Of this country they are
Americans. If bit Of good old Elizabethan
English preserved here goes back to people who
have forgotten the history OF their mother
tongue, it is IAN Americansm." The spend
thrift nobleman. from London to st. Petersburg,
10 repair his fortune seeks introduction to the
daughter of an American millionaire" and he
does not in the least expect his request to re-
suit in an acquaintance with dark eyed sen
Orita from Peru.
From Greenland to Cape Horn every people in
the Western Hemisphere but ourselves have a
simple local geographical designation which they
use for themselves, and others everywhere apply
TO them. They Canadians, Mexicans, Colon
bians, Chilians. Brazilians the world over. We
nave no Sucn peculiar designation, and com
PEELED to get the best name we can out of our
official national title, ''the United States Of
America" Taking either part OF the title in a
sense excludes others who might claim that it
belonged to them Well so we may as well
choose for convenience and euphony. In some
cases United States can be used adjectively. as
the United States Army" but it is impossible
as the designation of a person. The United
States man is in everybody'S mouth IAN Amer
ican, and his representative is properly the
American Ambassador" as the representative
of the United States Of Venezuela might be the
Venezuelan Ambassador. And even when there
IS near the Court Of St James's an Ambassa-
dor from the Republic Of Canada he will find
neither Inconvenience nor ndignity in being
known as the Canadian Ambassador If we
tried TO narrow the word America down TO
mean merely part Of America, there might be
some ground for criticism, but the word Ameri-
can by common usage, fOstered by the existence
or other names for other peoples has become
specific A familiar secondary name for this
country is the American Union, and so long as
that American Union. one and inseparable, shall
endure, its people will no more be "Usonans"
than they will be unlcOrns, but in spite of Sir
Edward Clarke and for that matter in spite of
themselves, will be, they have been for more
than century, Americans