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Napoleon! Child of Destiny! What train
Of agonizing thought employs thy brain,
As o'er the Atlantic wave, with down-cast eye,
And thoughtful brow, thou look'st despondingly?
Does hope of conquest still within thee live?
Or o'er thy fallen fortunes dost thou grieve?
Thy thoughts seem fixed, amid the twilight's gloom,
On other days, perchance, or on the doom,
That war's uncertain chance, and England's hate,
Or the unchangeable decree of fate,

Has brought on thee. And dost thou seek some balm,
The fever of thy o'erwrought brain to calm ?
Art thou at last convinced there is a God
Who rules earth's countless nations with his rod;
Protects the meek; exalts the lowly born;

And sinks the proud beneath the poor they scorn?
Or dost thou still on fickle chance rely?
On changeless fate, and blindfold destiny?
And dost thou vainly hope again to see
The star of fortune rise triumphantly

From out the sea, and claim for thee that throne,
Which thou, with empty boast, didst call thy own?
-The Star of Austerlitz, that led thee on
To fields, where thou thy blood-stained laurels won?
Great chieftain, say, shall it rise no more,
To call thee back from St. Helena's shore,
And blind the nations with its dazzling beams?
Vain hope! the envious clouds that round thee rise
Have quenched its beams, nor shall thy wishful eyes,
Ere see its light again flash on the sky,
The sign and token sure of victory.
Napoleon, say, can'st thou not penetrate
The misty cloud, that darkly shrouds thy fate?
Nor learn the moral of thy life; nor see
Of fame, of wealth, of power, the vanity?
Where has thy greatness fled? Where is thy crown?
Where are the kings that trembled at thy frown?
Has wisdom to thy soul no entrance found?

Has conscience with its sting no power to wound?
Dost thou remain, still haughty, stern and proud,
As when before thee Europe's Sovereigns bowed?
-When France with all its legions, ready stood,
Battling for thee to shed its richest blood?
Napoleon, say, hast thou not felt remorse,
When backward gazing on thy heedless course?
When on thy couch reclined at midnight hour,
And reason o'er thy mind asserts her power,
Do not the ghosts of men in battle slain-
Of millions slaughtered on the ensanguined plain,
Thy boundless love of power to gratify,
Full oft before thee rise reproachfully,
And call for vengeance on that guilty head,
For which so oft the innocent have bled?
Proud man! thy thoughts were sad enough, I ween,
As from the barren cliffs of St. Helene,
Thou didst survey, heart-sick, the Atlantic wide,
Around thee rolling still its briny tide.

Freighted with thee no ship would ere be blown,
By summer gales. O'er that wide sea, gaze on,
Gaze still with hopeless eye, Napoleon!
No more shall Austria hear thy cannon's roar ;
No more o'er Alpine heights thy eagles soar;
No more shall Gallia's hosts thy voice obey;
Nor at thy feet her crown Hispania lay;
No more for thee shall youthful warriors bleed;
Or conquered hosts to thee for mercy plead.
Thy sun has set-that sun, whose morning beam
Made thee like more than mortal champion seem.
Slowly it sinks behind the darkened west;
The nations now from fear of thee may rest;
The cliff whereon thou stand'st shall be thy grave,
The sea-bird's cry--the murmur of the wave,
Thy requiem shall sing along the shore,
And Europe hear thy battle-cry no more.

A TREATISE ON

THE ART OF NAMING PLACES.

INTRODUCTION.

An eminent writer having favored the readers of the Literary Messenger with some valuable hints upon the art of naming horses, I am encouraged by his example to submit a few suggestions on a kindred subject, but one of still more general interest-I mean the art of naming places. My design is, first, to show what is the prevailing practice in America; secondly, to point out its disadvantages; and thirdly, to propose a better method. In a country where new towns and townships, states and counties, are daily springing up, the practical importance of the subject I have chosen, needs no demonstration. To those ladies and gentlemen, in all parts of the union, but especially the new parts, who have votes or influence in naming villages or tracts of country, I respectfully inscribe my lucubrations-humbly soliciting a patient perusal before final judgment.

CHAPTER I.

American method of naming Places.

There are three predominant methods of attaching names to places in the new states of America. The first, and perhaps most common, is to adopt names already appropriated in the older states. An impulse was given to this practice by the events of the revolution, or at least by the desire to perpetuate their memory. Thus the Lexington of Massachusetts propagated its title in Virginia, while Massachusetts, in its turn, received a Princeton from New-Jersey, and Kentucky borrowed both. It may well be questioned, whether the scenes of revolutionary conflict would not have been more truly honored by being left in undisturbed possession of their distinctive names, instead of losing their identity amidst a throng of honorary namesakes. O'er those dark waves full well thou must have known, | Is it any compliment to Lexington or Princeton, that

VOL. IV.-33

the barbarous appendages "N. J." and "Mass." are absolutely needed, to preserve an ordinary letter from miscarriage?

A still more operative cause of this bad practice is the amor patriæ of settlers from the east. Springfield, Litchfield, and all the other fields of Massachusetts and Connecticut, are thus made to flourish in immortal youth, and may indulge the hope, that as the tide of emigration rolls towards the Pacific, they shall see their names emblazoned on the map beyond the Rocky Mountains. The only drawback is, that the old yankee towns themselves have stolen names, and must yield the honor to their prototypes in England.

CHAP. II.

Another Method.

mistakes, after such names as Ovid, Ulysses, or Camillus. May this proud distinction be perpetual! May no inferior member of the union ever trench upon the New-York patent for naming places by the aid of Ainsworth's Dictionary! A less sublime variety of this same method, is to choose the names of moderns, either foreign or indigenous, especially the latter, and particularly those of revolutionary heroes or distinguished politicians. No one could have quarrelled with this easy method of perpetuating worthy names, if it had been provided by agreement or by law, that no name should be given to a plurality of places. The City of Washington strikes foreigners as a noble title, having all the qualities of a good name, sonorous and significant, convenient and invested with sublime associations. But alas! we know better. To us, the name of Washington has lost its virtue-we cannot conjure with it. Instead of being consecrated as a national

plications! If this however, were the only instance of such inconvenient multiplication of a single name, we might be able to endure it, and to persuade ourselves Father of his Country. But what shall we say of the that it evinced the strength of national attachment to the hundreds upon hundreds of ignoble names, which are not only honored with a place upon the map, but with two, three, half a dozen or a dozen places? In this of local names, is not, as in the other case, compencase, the public inconvenience, arising from a paucity sated by the value of the names themselves. We have not even this romantic consolation, when our letters miscarry, or come back to us with half-a-dozen superscriptions, half-a-dozen post-marks, and half-a-dozen postages.

The second common mode of giving names, is to se-name, it has been debased by association with a thoulect them from the map of the old world. To one who tlers should imagine they are doing honor to that memsand hamlets. How strange that emigrants and sethas travelled through New-York, illustration is super-orable name, by adding another to the list of its misapfluous. Rome! Syracuse! Ithaca! Jericho! What can be more classical than "Rome, N. Y." These New-York-State Romans, if they ever have occasion to write or speak of the eternal city, are no doubt in the habit of employing the genuine American expression, "Rome, Italy." This is a mere conjecture; but we know full well that some American writers, when they mention the Tuileries or Garden of Plants, can find it in their hearts to say "Paris, France," for fear of confounding it with "PARIS, KY."! What a commentary this upon the merits of the system! This practice is coeval with the settling of New-England. Almost all the names given by the Puritans to places, were taken from the Bible, or brought over from Great Britain. They had a right to pursue this method. They came hither by compulsion, and were fairly entitled to assimilate their new home to the old one as completely as they could, the rather as they could not then anticipate with certainty the growth of their adopted country, and had therefore no reason to expect any actual incon venience from this kindly remembrance of the names of the old world. There is no such apology for him who travels westward, of free choice, and with his eyes wide open to the practical effects of this imitative nomenclature. What right has he to rob his native town of her good name, by a sort of theft, which nought enriches him, but makes her poor indeed?

CHAP. III.

Another Method.

CHAP. IV.

Disadvantage of these Methods.

tion has been made of some particular objections to In enumerating these three methods, incidental menwhich each is liable. The objections to the whole system may be reduced to these two heads: 1. Inconvenience. 2. Disgrace. Its inconvenience needs no proof to any one accustomed to write letters. So strong is the feeling of habitual confusion and dubiety, produced by the endless reproduction of the same names, that before long no man will be satisfied, without ensuring the safe passage of his letters, by specifying counties and townships as well as states. It is exThe third common method of naming places, is to ceedingly uncomfortable to be always doubting of the name them after men. The page of history from whereabouts of every place you read of. Compare which these are selected, depends upon the taste and your own sensations when you read or hear of Washprepossessions of the namers. The refined conception ington, Jefferson, Jackson, Columbia, Portsmouth, or of immortalizing ancient writers, heroes and philoso- any of the many villes and burghs, which are held as phers, by giving them a local habitation and a name common stock by all the states. Compare the uncerupon our modern maps, has been confined in a great tainty, vexation and solicitude, the reference to gazetmeasure to the Empire State. Setting aside some par-teers and maps or knowing friends, which all such tial imitations on a very small scale, New-York enjoys names occasion-with the pleasant sense of certainty a glorious monopoly in this branch of the fine arts.and clearness which accompany names that have been The addition of "N. Y." is scarcely needed to prevent used but once-such as Savannah, Cincinnati, Natchez,

CHAP. VI.

A better Method proposed.

It is not the object of this little treatise to expose an evil, without proposing remedies. To those who are convinced by the foregoing chapters, that the usual practice is both inconvenient and disgraceful, a method of correcting it will now be most respectfully submitted. The statement of this method will include several distinct propositions, any one of which may be adopted if

or Chicago. Compare our own condition in this respect, with that of Europe, where a duplicate name can scarcely be detected on the most minute of maps. Here is one great advantage on the side of the old countries; an advantage too, arising from their having had their origin in what we call "dark ages," as distinguished from our age of light. The old Goths and Gauls and Saxons neither knew nor cared about the names of other countries, and this happy ignorance compelled them to invent. Our settlers are just well enough instructed to be imitators, and ignorant enough the others are disliked; while at the same time there to overlook the disadvantages of imitation. Some New-England emigrants may even be entitled to the credit of not knowing that the good old yankee names, which they are carting to the west, were not invented by the Pilgrims. If the force of prejudice and habit were once broken, an ordinary pedler from "down east," could manufacture new and striking names for places without stint or limit, every one of them better than an atlas full of villes, burghs and tons, [Calhouns and Bentons, Jacksons and Marshalls, Clintons and Websters, Harrisons and Clays.]

CHAP. V.

Another Disadvantage.

is nothing to forbid a simultaneous execution of them all. My first proposition, then, is this: that where there is an Indian name, it be retained, in spite of all absurd and tasteless efforts to convert it into something with a ville, or burgh annexed. If this rational and easy course had been pursued, we should not be now pestered and disgraced by post-office equivoques and geographical double-entendres. Every body who has been in Europe knows that our Indian names of places are exceedingly admired; not merely for intrinsic beauty, which they sometimes want, but as original and dignified by their associations. Oh if our great commercial city could but wear again its fine old Indian title of nobility, instead of being nicknamed after a decayed, mouldering heap of houses in the north of England, preserved from oblivion, only by its splendid The other disadvantage of the system ought to ope- minster! After this place New-York is named, to all rate with power on the sensitive self-love of this vain intents and purposes; although in historical strictness, nation. We may vapor as we will about native talent, it derived its title, not from the city, but the duke of American genius, an independent literature, and what York. The prefix new, is universally disgraceful; a not! We may rave till we are tired, of our annuals, and provincial badge which ought to have been knocked off fourth of July speeches, and lyceums-it is still as when we gained our independence. The rustic vulgarclear as day that we have not even such a measure of ism, York, at which the smart cits laugh, is vastly betinvention as would enable us to name our towns and ter; but Manhattan would be infinitely, infinitely better. counties, without stealing from the map of Europe; The Canadian York has now a name of its own; ought nor taste enough to steal what is worth stealing; no, not our own York to possess one too? It is a matter nor sense enough to consult our own convenience. If of congratulation, that in naming our new states, so we have invention, taste, and common sense, let us be- much good taste and judgment have been exercised. gin to show it in our maps and road-books. This na- Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, tional infirmity has not been overlooked by our benig- Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Arkansaw, are names of nant neighbors. It has caught the eye both of satirists which we all have reason to be proud. To the end of and sages. Witness the hundred Warsaws of Sam the civilized world, every educated person understands Slick, as an example from the first class, and the fol- them, and admires them. This advantage is owing to lowing extract from a work of Sir John Herschell, as the obvious fact, that the naming of a state falls into an instance of the other. "Those who attach two better hands than the naming of most towns and senses to one word, or superadd a new meaning to an counties; but it proves, that among those concerned, old one, act as absurdly as colonists who distribute there is discretion and good taste enough, if they were themselves over the world, naming every place they only used to some good purpose. Let those that have come to by the names of those they have left, till all authority in this thing, be persuaded not to make themdistinctions of geographical nomenclature are confound-selves ridiculous, by sacrificing noble aboriginal names ed, and till we are unable to decide whether an occur- for paltry imitations and vile compounds. One great rence stated to have happened at Windsor, took place in Europe, America, or Australia."

This apparent poverty is rendered more disgraceful by its leading us to borrow from the very countries, which we profess to rival or surpass in all the qualities of intellect. If we are so wholly independent of Old England, let us prove it, and at the same time promote our own convenience, by disusing English names.But this, belonging rather to the next ensuing topic, from which it will be needless to detain the reader, by any enlargement on the evil just exposed, the reality of which must be apparent to the mind, and painful to the feelings of all patriotic yankees.

example of this folly has been given-not belonging to our own times except by sufferance. To this may be joined a small one of more recent date-one out of a thousand. A beautiful neighborhood in Pennsylvania, was once called Neshaminy: it is now called Hartsville! There is no weight in an objection sometimes urged to Indian names, that they are frequently uncouth and dissonant. Not to mention that this often seems so only at the first, and that even then, the most uncouth will bear comparison with many of our own domestic manufacture; there is no reason why an Indian name should not be slightly trimmed and softened, by throwing out a consonant or throwing in a vowel, before it is

CHAP. VIII.

A third Method proposed.

ultimately fixed by usage. Such a process has actually or agreeable than Vermont from the French verd mont taken place in most of our current Indian names. The or verds monts. It may not be extravagant to add, that, object is, not to preserve the pure form of the Indian in the west, even Indian names might thus be made word, but to have an original, distinctive name. With "to order;" some descriptive epithet being adopted, such modifications as are here proposed, a noble list of even though it had never figured as a proper name. names might be produced, intrinsically fine, and wholly free from the inconvenience and disgrace of being duplicates. A curious illustration of the difference between the two sorts of nomenclature here referred to, is afforded by the title of the celebrated railroad between New-York and Philadelphia. "Camden and Amboy" is unequivocal enough, when written as a compound. sition of commemorative names-commemorative either As a third expedient, may be recommended the impoBut separate the elements, and speak of Camden-you of events or persons. The latter species of commemowill instantly be asked, which Camden do you mean? ration it is true, has been the source of much of the Camden, S. C.? Camden, N. C.? Camden, Geo.? confusion now existing. But why has it had this Camden, Del.? Camden, N. J.? Camden, N. Y.? effect? Because the names selected have been those of Camden, Maine? or Camden, England? But speak of Amboy, and you will hear no question of the sort,ceive this honor from many different quarters at the persons generally known, and likely therefore to reunless a Jerseyman should ask whether you meant Perth Amboy or South Amboy; but these are mere fractions of an integer, on opposite sides of the same river, and do not therefore fall within the scope of this

discussion.

CHAP. VII.

Another Method proposed.

same time. The evil has arisen from a foolish tendency to overlook local and peculiar circumstances, and instead of desecrating some great names, by depriving give the preference to commonplace generalities. If, them of individuality, and unduly honoring some small names in the same way, it had been the practice to call places by the names of founders, early settlers, local benefactors, or eminent inhabitants of any class, even though they might not be members of congress or heads of departments, our maps and gazetteers would have

rous appendage. Who that has a particle of taste can

waver between Jacksonville and Jackson? Even Pitts

The method just proposed can be extensively adopt-been more respectable. The reader can easily illused only in the newly settled regions of the country, trate this remark by applying it to the place of his own and even there, it may be open to objection, in particu- residence, and those adjacent to it. It may be added lar cases, which must be provided for. The second that, besides the superior convenience of this method, proposition, therefore, is, that names be given which it would be a valuable means of doing honor to a multiare descriptive of some characteristic and distinctive tude of most deserving men, and of saving from oblifeature of the places named, their site, or their envi- vion a whole catalogue of names, far more worthy of rons. That this corrective may not engender the very remembrance than a moiety of those now scattered, evil it is meant to counteract, it is of great importance with a niggardly profusion, over our territorial surface. that the names, formed on this principle, should be As the object of this work is to suggest, and not to drawn either from something wholly peculiar to the amplify, the only other necessary hint, in this connexplace in question, or something not likely to be chosen ion, is, that when the names of men are good enough to as the ground of a distinctive name in other places.-be distingushed in the way proposed, they are too good Greenfield, for example, as a distinctive name, is abso- to be spoiled and made ridiculous by any sort of barbalutely worthless. It must not, however, be inferred that, by this rule, no such name could be given, except to places which possess some extraordinary natural distinction, such as Rockbridge county in Virginia, so called from the famous natural bridge. A circumstance, not wonderful or striking in itself, may be sufficiently peculiar to suggest a local name. An overhanging cliff of reddish earth or stone, though not at all extraordinary, might be a good reason for calling the village near it Redcliff; nor is it at all likely, that, without direct piracy or plagiarism, more than one village would se lect such a name. In order to afford the widest scope for this suggestion, and reduce the chances of direct interference to the lowest point, it may be well to suggest the derivation of descriptive names, in certain cases, from other languages than English, though the latter should in general be preferred. Tremont, (from tres montes,) would have been a better name in some respects, than Threehills or Threemountains, and in all respects better than Boston, a name purloined from an old seaport in Lincolnshire; nor can it be imagined that greenmountain would have been more convenient

burgh, allowing for the force of habit and association, is less worthy of the place than the naked, ugly monosyllable, PITT, would have been. But, be this as it may, we have enough of villes and burghs already for a thousand years. The suffix town, is not so bad, except when it is frittered into ton; but the best and safest rule is to discard them all, and let the name, whether long or short, stand on its own bottom.

CHAP. IX.

A fourth Method proposed.

As a last resort, where the foregoing methods are for any reason inexpedient, names may be invented. I remember to have seen in print, an ingenious mode of managing this sort of manufacture, so as to secure the two important points of euphony and originality. The plan proposed was to form two sets of tickets, one inscribed with consonants and one with vowels, and

JOURNAL

OF VIRGINIA.

By a New-Englander.

then to draw alternately from the two sets, until a name | the materials are abundant, if the public should require of the required length is constructed. This plan is a new edition of my treatise, more extended and comhighly worthy of attention. If the reader will but take plete. In the mean time I commend it to their favorathe pains to make a brief experiment, in this way, he ble notice. will be astonished at the infinite variety of new and comely names, which might be substituted thus for our existing nomenclature. It cannot be denied, however, that the names thus chosen, would generally have an air somewhat exotic. For the sake of those who may prefer a more indigenous and English form, another OF A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS, CAVES AND SPRINGS method of invention may be here suggested. This is nothing more than to combine single syllables of different English words, so as to form a compound not significant. A large proportion of the names of minor places on the map of England, would really seem to have been formed in this way, or if they all were once significant, the changes of the language have destroyed their meaning. In order to exemplify the virtues of this method, I open at random a book lying by me, and selecting syllables from different pages, form the following compounds-Sweetledge, Dwellions, Calsament, Plandity, Oldmass. I know not what the reader may think, but for my single self, I should prefer the worst of these to almost any of our fashionable names; and if such as these can be obtained by lottery, what admirable ones might be contrived by skill!

TO CHARLES E. SHERMAN, Esq., of Mobile, Ala. These fragments of a Diary, kept during a tour made in his society, are respectfully and affectionately inscribed, by his friend and fellow-traveller, THE AUTHOR.

-Virginia! Yet I own

I love thee still, although no son of thine!
For I have climbed thy mountains, not alone,--
And made the wonders of thy vallies mine;
Finding, from morning's dawn till day's decline,

Some marvel yet unmarked,-some peak, whose throne
Was loftier,--girt with mist, and crowned with pine:
Some deep and rugged glen, with copse o'ergrown,--
The birth of some sweet valley, or the line
Traced by some silver stream that murmurs lone:
Or the dark cave, where hidden crystals shine,
Or the wild arch, across the blue sky thrown.

CHAP. X.

Conclusion.

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CHAPTER III.

Wilde.

The White Sulphur Springs of Greenbrier County.-The place described.

White Sulphur, July 23, 1835.

This grand central point of attraction, pre-eminent above all the other localities in the Spring region of Virginia, is a fairy spot lying at the foot of the Alleghanies in a delightful valley; embosomed in shade and surrounded by every charm that lavish nature could bestow upon the most favored retreat. The Spring bubbles up from the earth in the lowest part of this val

The four methods which have been proposed, if applied with perseverance and discretion, will ensure a full supply of really distinctive names for all new places in all time to come. But alas, these measures of reform seem scarcely to be worthy of a trial, if the existing practices must also be continued, and for every decent new name, flood the country with a dozen of the old disgraceful sort. As a supplementary suggestion, therefore, it may be added, that the application of the same name to two places, should be rigidly proscribed, if not by law, by public sentiment. It is much to be desired, indeed, that the disuse of duplicate names should arise from an honorable sense of independence and becoming self-reliance, together with a due regardley, and is covered by a tastefully constructed pavilion, to good taste and the public convenience, than from penal statutes, which I should be loth to see adopted, except in extreme cases. May we not hope that, by the same authority, the use of ville and burgh will soon be utterly abolished? Nay, may we not go further and anticipate, not only an improvement in the making of | Henderson, a wealthy planter of Louisiana, who, I benew names, but a great retrospective reformation in the lieve, went from New England. The pavilion is surold? Is it extravagant to hope that, when the great rounded by the grateful shade of old oaks, locusts and discoveries developed in this work, have been reduced elms-and hither resort, as to a common focus, the conto practice, their effect upon the public taste will be so verging radii of the crowd, intent on banishing disease great as to disgust all cultivated minds with the abomi- or ennui, gaining health or admiration, displaying nable system under which most of the names now ex-personal charms, or sacrificing to fashion. The invalid, tant were imposed? May we not expect to see thou-pale, emaciated and wretched, may be seen there at sands of old Indian names supplanting their supplant- almost every hour, waiting till the giddy dance of the ers, and innumerable other changes equally delightful, gay and volatile, who came there merely to gratify "a imparting a new aspect to our national geography? truant disposition," shall leave the waters free for him This is too bright a prospect-let us drop the veil. to drink and be healed. The fervish flush, the hectic of I have purposely abstained from any copious illus-consumption, the tottering gait of rheumatism, the tration of my different topics. For such illustration, wasted form of the dyspeptic, may all be observed in

being a dome, supported by twelve Ionic columns, and surmounted by a graceful statue of Hygeia, the patronsaint of healing, holding in her right hand a cup, as filled with water, and in her left a vegetable or herb. This statue was presented to the establishment, by Mr.

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