II. In all thy works, the more than fifty tomes,- In earnest love to thy own German race. That thy own Fatherland for thee was but a name. III. God gave the gifted bard his breathing thought And burning word,-for what ?-that he might raise His lofty aim should soar beyond, above, The present time, to higher, holier things; His verse a sword of truth,-a charm of love, To cut the root of Falsehood's fatal stings, To thrill with ravishing tones the multitude's heart-strings. IV. But thou!-what hast thou done with all the powers What object hadst thou in thy happiest hours Thyself? What hast thou brought to pass for truth, Did thy cold bosom, from thy earliest youth, Through all thy long career of eighty-three Long years, bestow one throb on suffering Germany? Thou boastedst thou couldst understand the ways When Falsehood throned was put to open shame, And "lawful government's unlawful overthrow." VI. What was it? Was it not the grand affair, Had wrought with heart and hand? The holy war Didst thou as such regard it,-thou, whose eye Alas! amidst his courtly mummery What cares a rhyming, courtly Parasite, Though millions all around are bleeding for the right! VII. A word from thee, and Germany had caught VIII. And much to thee was trusted: Nature's care What ten well-gifted minds had well endowed. Of country, human kind, through life insensible. IX. Thy busy thought explored all sciences. And arts;-thy busy pen explained the whole, Of thy own nature;-never breath'dst a tone, That told of Love to Man, deep-rooted in thy heart. X. German in this alone, if naught beside, It was thy ruling passion to possess The gift, at once our nation's curse and pride,- The German roams with satchel in his hand, XI. Germans like thee know all things thoroughly, And never stir a finger :-poorly vain Of useless lore, they want the generous glow Of the true spirit, and with fond disdain View from their fancied heights, as quite below Their notice, the great scene of human weal and woe. XII. So great and yet so little!-Born a king, The fetters of thy mighty minstrelsy That thou wert noble, till thy august friend, The fact, and round thy neck two yards of ribbon tied. XIII. Then rest in peace beneath thy princely pall, Thou might'st have been, with many a scalding tear. A mite:-for this the Germans leave behind XIV. For this I hold thee up to public scorn With cheerful heart I own thy genius,-own the potent charm So oft thrown o'er me by thy minstrel art; The steadfast voice of Truth, whome'er it may alarm. XV. Therefore it is, all-gifted as thou wert With God's best gifts of genius and of grace, That I pronounce thee recreant at heart, False to thyself, thy country and thy race. Alike to me the lordly and the low, I view them by the same impartial light; But one unflinching rule for all I know, Content that others should to me requite What I mete out to them-the honest Rule of Right. The barbarous term, Durchlaucht, which is used in Germany as the official style of the reigning princes of the Ducal order, and which is commonly translated Most Serene Highness, means literally Transparency. I have accordingly rendered it Most Transparent Highness. This is one of the worst specimens of the wretched taste for unmeaning titles which prevails in Europe-and to some extent in this country. 1842.] AMERICAN NAMES.* WE have taken up this work, which, by the way, is a most valuable abridgment, not for the purpose of discussing its merits, but for the purpose of selecting one or two passages, and making them the occasion of some remarks upon NAMES ON OUR CONTINENT.† On pages 1015 and 1016, referring to the United States, M. Balbi thus remarks: "One of the most distinguished geographers of the Union, Mr. Tanner, correctly remarks that this confederation offers the geographical anomaly of an immense country, without a proper name. In fact we find United States' in Europe, in the Ionian Islands United States' in North America, in the confederations of Mexico and Central America- United States' in South America, in the ci-devant vice-royalty of Rio de la Plata, and we are on the point of seeing others spring up, by the division of the republic of Colombia. We had made the same remark long ago; and after some years we have proposed the names of Anglo-American Confederation, and Anglo-Americans, to designate the soil and the inhabitants of this important part of the new world. These denominations, based principally upon the origin of the great mass of the inhabitants, have been already adopted in many works of merit, and we think we can, without inconvenience, use them provisionally, until it shall please Congress to give them a convenient name. After the example of Humboldt and other celebrated savans, we have used as synonymous the terms Union and United States, but only in circumstances which did not admit of the least misunderstanding. So, then, this confederation is found designated by the four names of Anglo-American Confederation, which appears to us the least improper, because it cannot apply to any other federative state; United States of North America; Union, PAR EXCELLENCE; and United States, properly so called. This last is the official name, and is used in political transactions." This is a subject which deserves more consideration than it has yet received. Hitherto we have barely got along, by using the word America,whenever we were in want of a single name, and by taking at other times double words or phrases. In all official transactions we style our country The United States of America. Besides being open to the objection that this is a name which several other countries may lay claim to, it admits of no adjective. At home the inconvenience is not so great. When we have occasion to speak of ourselves we can say, “our country," or "this country;" but the moment our intercourse with other nations begins we find ourselves embarrassed. When our traveller in Europe is asked what country he comes from, he answers, without hesitation, from America. He takes it for granted, that everybody will understand by it that he comes from our United States. Very likely he is then asked some question about Canada or Rio Janeiro, which shows him that the idea he has given is not of this country in particular, but of the continent. The Texan, * Abrégé de Géographie, rédigé sur un Nouveau Plan, d'après les Derniers Traités de Paix, et les Découvertes les plus Récentes. Par Adrien Balbi. Paris, chez Jules Renouard. 1834. "Upon pages 1015 and 1016, we call the reader's attention to the singular geographical anomaly which the United States present, of being still without a proper name, and we have given our reasons for the denominations employed by us in the course of this work. Having consulted on this point our learned friend M. Constancio, he has signified to us how much he would be flattered if he could have the honor of being the godfather of this confederation, which has become too powerful to pass under a special denomination, The name which he proposes is that of Pleïadelphia. It contains the following ideas-a Northern and Western Fraternal Union of Maritime States, being composed of Adelphia and Pleïas or Pleïades. The northern constellation, named Hesperides or Atlantides by the ancients, was regarded as the protectress of navigators. The flag of the Union being composed of stars, of which each represents a State, presents in effect to the eye a real constellation." Introduction, page 101.-The reader will smile at M. Constancio's fanciful name. the Mexican, the West Indian, the Peruvian, claim to be Americans also, and our traveller soon finds, what he had scarcely thought of at home, that his country has no name. Will it be said that this is a matter of no importance? A name may be of importance. It is impossible to generalize without giving names to general ideas. The complex idea of a nation, of one distinct political community among the nations of the world, must be represented by words, whether it be a single name or a phrase. A phrase is inconvenient, harsh to the ear, and incapable of expressing the relations which the derivatives from a single name express. Every nation that has been glorious and powerful before us has had one word for its name. Rome, France, England, Spain, are names which represent nations. They have a spell in them, to bind together their inhabitants, and to concentrate and exalt their nationality. What a crowd of associations attend upon the name of Rome - the Senate and the Consuls- the Forum- the People—the conquering eagles. We may indeed continue one people, if we have no name. We shall multiply, and spread, and become more powerful, nevertheless. But this is not the question. It is, whether an appropriate name may not materially promote our convenience, strengthen our union, make our associations with our country still more agreeable to us, and, by gratifying the imagination, increase our nationality and our love of country. If it were a mere matter of taste, that would be much, for matters of taste have often, as in this very case, a great deal to do with character. A name is a bond of union. It is a sign, a watchword. Who can tell how much it may affect the sentiment of national pride and honor! While we have one country, and are one people, let us be called by one name. Our practice of calling ourselves Americans no doubt prevents our being sensible of many of the inconveniences of the want of a single name. Let us try to imagine, how we should get along without it-without any name. We may then perhaps reflect, that this name is, at present, a very imperfect designation; and that whatever reason re may be for having any, exists for having one that is really appropriate to the country. It is much to be regretted, that the revolution was suffered to pass without giving a name to the new country. That was the most fit time. It seemed a natural consequence of the revolution. Possibly the Congress of the Confederation, when it called the States the United States of America, intended that America should be the name of the country. At that time we were the only nation on the continent; the provinces to the south of us had no political importance, separate from the mother country. The name of the continent, it might be thought, could be easily appropriated by ourselves, the only nation upon it. But since that day the face of the world has changed. Spain has fallen in pieces. The old provinces have become nations, all calling themselves American. We are no longer alone upon the continent, and we cannot continue to appropriate to ourselves its name. One who has not thought much of it is scarcely aware how often the word is used in two different senses. In all geographies, and whenever either the continent of the north or the south is mentioned, America is of course the name given. At the same time the more restricted sense of our particular country is so often used, that we almost forget its having any other. Take, for example, the messages of the Presidents. They speak of America, the American people, American institutions, as if this country were the continent. In State papers, in diplomatic notes, in court circulars, we see everywhere America taken to signify our country. Nor is this practice confined to ourselves. In England, our minister is styled the American minister. In France, l'Amérique often signifies the United States. In Canada, they talk to you of the American and the Canadian shore of the St. Lawrence and the Lakes. In the new republics of our Southern Continent they vary the phrase and call us, "Americanos del Norte." |