The native American., 1837-08-26
NATIONAL CHARACTER.

NATIONAL CHARACIER.
One important result which will flow from the sue
cess of the Native American Association will be the
formation of national character. What constitutes
national character! That individuality OF language
habits, thought action, and fraternal love which char
acerise every nation and rbeof people, but the Peo-
pie of the United States. That complete bond OF
union tat perfect unity of purpose which distinguish
every section and division of mankind save and except
these States. The love of country is deeply imprinted
on the heart of every human belng-slruggie as ne
NAV to shake it of, it still clings to hm-wander
where he will in search Of country, ne,c friends,
and new attachments his heart, true to Its hrst loVe
yearns for those he has left behind and its most devout
aspirations are breahed for his native home. Indeed,
the more distant the land of his choice from the land
of his BIRTH the hopeless the chance OF returning
to his country and his own kindred, the more IN
ensely does the love of home and of country burn IN
the bosom of the emigrant. 1t is right that it should
be so 1t is an nefaceable law of nature, and cannot
be evaded Even the wretch who is cast off by his
country for his crimes is obedient to its mandates and
his last virtuous impulse is aroused into action by ma
tionaI reproaches-" Oh! Jerusalem! Jerusalem when
forget thee, may my right hand forget its cunning"
is not more the sentiment of the Jewish prophet who
Why, then, do not say that the people of these
States are not imbued with this holy spirit! Have
they not the same natural impulses other men, and
they not governed by the same law of human ma
ture? Surely they are, and the natues Of these States
separate and distinct from the mass of the foreign
population, are not meant to be embraced in my ex-
ception. 1t is the heterogeneous compound Of Dutch
Irish, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Swiss, and
Italian-tbe incongruous mixture of Turk, Jew and
Atheist" that excludes the very possibility Of forming
the great features of the national character in the
United States. No common principle of action per-
vades-no common object occupies the thoughts and
desires Of such mass Of contradictory elements. In
the multiplicity of strange habits and strange tongues
the outline Of the American character with difficulty
distnguishable; and the native American has some
times reason to doubt whether he is in his or in
foreign country. How often have we witnessed the
enthusiasm with which g Erin go brah!'' and the
"Marseilles Hymn have been caught up and reechoed
in Theatres, whilst the notes Of the national an
thems of 'Hal Columbian and sStar Spangled Ban.
ner!" have fallen coldy and almost unheeded upon the
These things should not be SO, Mr.. Editor. W.
should love our oOn country and onr countrymer
better than the country and countrymen Of Others VIZ
must cherish national PRIDE national customs
national institutions, shall never attain to ma
tonal character. We must become people, pursue
object, and be governed by impulse, if we de
sire to assume distinctive place amongst the nations
of the earth. To accomplish this, must not hesi
tate in obviously Indispensable. We mus
say to the tide Of emigration which threatens t
overwhem us, :" thus far shalt thou go, and far
ther" Having erected barriers to the dangerous in
ux of foreigners, in generation two the foreign
ingredients now here Wll be fused into the mass 0
the American people. and our descendants may fee
that when the american people spoken of, ever,
tribe under the not embraced in the designation
AMERICANUS