The New South and the Conservative Tradition

I praise the genius—whoever he was —that gave to Maine and her five sister states the name New England.

To be forever “New” and never “Old” —what a thoroughly modern convenience! I forbear to call this a sharp Yankee trick. It is an ingenious American device that eternally protects the six states of the Northeast from certain kinds of public embarrassment. If at any time some enterprising minority of New Englanders happen to make motions toward changing a few little domestic arrangements, just to keep up with the times and lay in some money on the side, nobody is going to write an article in Harper’s or the Atlantic about the “New-New England Movement.” The phrase doesn’t ride easy on the tongue. It won’t make a catchy slogan.

DD

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Donald Davidson

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I praise the genius—whoever he was —that gave to Maine and her five sister states the name New England.

To be forever “New” and never “Old” —what a thoroughly modern convenience! I forbear to call this a sharp Yankee trick. It is an ingenious American device that eternally protects the six states of the Northeast from certain kinds of public embarrassment. If at any time some enterprising minority of New Englanders happen to make motions toward changing a few little domestic arrangements, just to keep up with the times and lay in some money on the side, nobody is going to write an article in Harper’s or the Atlantic about the “New-New England Movement.” The phrase doesn’t ride easy on the tongue. It won’t make a catchy slogan.