There
are some things which we cannot reason out. Science fails to disclose
the reason why the cyclone, in its semi-elliptical whirl moves from
the right to the left in the Northern hemisphere, and from the left
to the right in the Southern half of the globe ; and so too some
unknown force directs the spiral course of the creeping vine.
May
there not be some subtle forces directing the fate of men ?
Do
natural laws govern only the movement of the winds or the growth of
plants ?
May
not a name bestowed upon the helpless infant produce effects, and
become " One of the few, the immortal names that were not born
to die J"
Our
first parents and the prominent persons spoken of in Holy Writ seem
to have had but one name: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Moses, Aaron, and
Joshua. But, passing without notice the intervening ages and coming
down to our own times and confining ourselves particularly to our own
country, if we examine the names of our great men we will be
surprised at the preponderance of single-named (meaning but one name
in addition to the surname) persons.
Let
us go to the Revolution. Take the signers of the Declaration of
Independence. First we find a committee appointed to draft it. They
were Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Sherman, and Livingston. None of
these had middle names except Livingston. Of those who signed the
Declaration, on the part of the States,
there were as follows :
5
from Massachusetts, of whom one had a middle name.
3
from New Hampshire, of whom none had middle names.
2
from Rhode Island, do. do.
4
from Connecticut, do. do.
4
from New York, do. do.
5
from New Jersey, do. do.
9
from Pennsylvania, do. do.
3
from Delaware, do. do.
3
from Maryland, do. do.
3
from North Carolina, do. do.
4
from South Carolina, do. do.
3
from Georgia, do. do.
6
from Virginia, of whom two had middle names.
So
that out of the fifty-three signers there were only three who had
more than one name.
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