The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-08-23


Europe.
Some twenty years ago, a writer in an Eng
fish periodical, struck with the progress of the
United States and wishing, In the true English
style, to arrogate TO his nation all the glory Of
this progress made in spite of England, hit very
ingeneously on the captivating appelation of
Anglo-Saxon, as being less liable to draw
down denial than he plain one of English or
British. Indeed, no one would ever dream of
calling the people Of the United States, English
or British. The absurdity of it is 80 manifest
to any one acquainted with America that il
could not hold for moment; but Auglo-Saxon
is more dubious more equivocal, and, like many
falsehood, has tinge of probability about it,
Hence we have, Of late paragraphs going the
round of the press, headed Progress of the
Anglo-Saxon race" and terminating with the
brave and staggering assertion that it will soon
be numbering lOO,OO0,OOO of free and ener.
getic men of our own race and blood" Again,
wherever England plants colony, the Saxon
element shows It's sturdincss," &c.
Saxon, why was England so insignificant, so un-
important in Europe, until religious prosecutions
drove such vast nultitudes of industrious and
intelligent foreigners into her Almost every
industrial pursuit Of any Importance in England
commenced with foreigners, and all, or nearly
all, the workmen were French, or German,
Italian, Belgian, Dutch, or Spanish.
The revocation of the edict of Nantes, caused
about 100000 of Frenchmen to quit their
country. Over fifty thousand settled in London
alone, and established the Spitalfields manu-
facture while still greater numbers settled all
over England. This is but one out of many in
stances, proving whence came that great indus
trial movement which, crossing England and
adopting its language in the passage, is waking
up the American continent to enterprise and
greatness hitherto unknown.
But let US 60 back a little to Saxon preten-
sions In the year 1854, body of Saxons first
harrassed England. Again, in AIS, they got
thoroughly beaten by the Romans, who colo
nized and possessed the country. On the Ro-
man authorities quitting, they renewed their in
cursions, and succeeded in subdung portion
of the country and, in $50, established the
Heptarchy. But does that prove they extin-
guished the original inhabitants Quite the
contrary-There would have been no kingdom
without them, so small (but united) was the
number Of these invaders. They were no more
than band of pirates who conquered by piece.
meal thinly populated and divided country
The entire conquest took place in 6s5.
Then came the Danish pirates, 1877; and the
Normans made their first incursion, s5l.-Tbe
Danes again in $40. Alfred defeated them, s7s.
They returned again, S9l, and conquered the
kingdom in 9l3; then in 9S5, and in 1874, they
brought the Norwegians with them and pos
sessed the country, more or less, until near the
conquest by William Of Normandy, in l066.
Thus, with the supposed original race (Which
might be Phenician or Celtic,) we have Cells
constantly invading-Romans actually possess
ing for centuries;.and a host, numbering probab-
ly but few thousand fighting men, at any time
called Saxons, Danes and Norwegians and fin.
ally flood of Normans, Franks and Gaus, who
came over with William in 1866, and numbered
some $4,000. This new emigration continued
after the success of its leaders, and was sup
posed TO number 100000.
Which race prevailed out of this mixture Of
British, Celt, Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norwegian
Norman French, and Gau The language tells
nothing; an accident would make one idiom pre-.
vail instead Of another. The mere giving Of
laws by Alfred would have an influence atho
the Saxon element was the least in the scale
In the same manner as the speaking of the
French language was common at court among
the upper class for 400 years, and dropped as
much out of enmity to France ms for any other
motive But, in fact, in England as over the rest
of Europe, overrun by the barbarians, the Rom.
an element everywhere reassumed IFS mental in.
huence 1t possessed the most moral power
and the greatest intelligence, and would thro the
law, the church, the arts &c, of necessity obtain
shigh position, although the other might, for a
while, keep his place and his rank
GREGORY OF Tours gives a description Of a
Frankish noble Of his time, in Treves, which de.
monstrates pretty clearly the momentary posi-
ton of the different races He says:
aTbe barbarian harbors along with his cattle
in strong built farmhouse, the doors OF which
are, at night time, bottled with wooden bolts
for these wnrlike guests did not bring with tn, n
from their homes the knowledge Of the use o
locks. The herds are kept by The descendants o
Roman Senator's, who have fallen into slavery
nay, one among them il Me nephew Of the Bis l.
OPP Of Bangres; and a cunning (skiIfuD slave
also Of Roman descent serves cook to the
luxury of Frank master, who lives the life OF
rude peasant, in the midst of the fragments Of
ancient art, of columned halls, baths, and airis
with mosaic floors"
No one will suppose, who knows any thing Of
the energy Of mind mbued with knowledge
that the barbarian conqneror and his slaves will
ever continue to occupy the same positions. BY
force, or by fraud tho Lpousrr onog mill ,naxyit