, 1852-09-18

So long as despolism holds It's secure
reign in Europe we mny expect an annual
increase in the number Of immigrants Let
them come In the name Of Freedom and
Humanity we bid thcm-Wclcomc There
remains with US very much land to be pos
scssed. We have superabunlnt territory,
and will soon have more We want popu-
lalon, The oppressive governments Of the
old world are working our advancement.
By their harsh measures, they are sending us
legions Of active, strong men to till our soil,
hcw down our forests, drain our marshes,
people our vast soliiudrs, construct our ca
mails, build our railroads, erect our cities,
increase our greatness. They are thus ad>
ding immensely TO our wealth and general
prosperity.
One of our New York papers lately made
an estimate of the value of emigration as
% an accession 10 our stock Of labor and liv-
ing capital" and concluded that it exceeds
in value all the gold dust imported from
California. Tho calculation runs thus: A
full-grown healthy man, Of twanty-onc years
Of age, looking merely at the result Of his
labor and the likelihood of lis living to the
average lcncth'of human existence, is worth
a thousand dollars. The whole emigration
to this port, 10000 a month, may therefore
be safely put down as worth five hundred
dollars each. This average being taken as
the basis Of an estimate, we have an amount
Of value added to the capital stock Of this
country equal to fifteen millions Of dollars
monthly. These emi@ants generally bring
with them some little property in money,
which may be safely averaged at ten dollars
per head this would give a sum Of three
hundred thousand dollars, which added to
the former result makes the sum Of $780,
100000 per month, which European cmi
grafton adds 10 this city alone, to be scatter
ed throughout the country The whole
emigration from Europe to this country, If
similarly calculated, would make the entire
value to Us Of European emigration about
thirty-one millions Of dollars per month,
and for year would exceed 100000, O,O0Ol
What an accession the great and petty dcs-
pots Of Europe are yealy making 10 the
money, labor, and living population Of this
country! Oppression is unwittingly con-
trbutng to the growth and extension Of
Freedom We are not of those who look
with alarm on the dense thousands Of cMi-
grants who arc making this country their
hom3. There is an assimilating power in
American character and institutions which
they cannot long resist. Their peculiar hub
its, prcjudicos, and ignorance must gradu-
ally vanish before the light and the mental
activity which surround them. At an car
ior period in the history of this nation it
might not have been able to stamp with It's
imprcss-to appropriate to its growth-to
lssimilate to its nutrimcnt--to incorporate
into its system and make part of itself III,
muli;udcs who arc seeking a home and
asylum on its shores but it has now attain
ed to such a vigor and maturity that what
ever comes within its suction is straightway
brought under its Transforming influence.
Few foreigners who arc here five or eight
years but almost unconciously have imbibcd
much Of the manner, tone, activity, intclli-
gcnc,, and love Of well regulated liberty
which charactcIi1, Americans, or Yankees,
as they arc called abroad And if one Of
these make a visit to his native land, his old
companions mark the decided change which
has taken place, and often imputc it, not TO
its true cause, but to alfcctation or vanity.
II is true, indecG,- that We are not ourselves
altogether unaffected by the various peoples
who come in and dwell amongst US. il we
influence them TO a degree, it is not to be
expected they will leave no trace Of them
selves on our national character. They do,
and it is well they do. This is q compound
nation. lis pedigree is various and compli-
Gated. 1t traces its ancestry in many lands,
In direct line Anclo-Saxon it has lateral re-
lationship with every rae, in Europe; now,
even China seems not unwilling TO court its
connection, and, as if il had not cousins
enough already, our President Is sending
Commodore Perry n wooing to Japan We
are cross Of all nations, and from among
US have arisen and will yet in greater per-
fcction arise the most complete spccimcns Of
human nature. We will not be merely So
Der, stai1, plodding Englishmcn-nor gay
and sprightly Frenchmcn-nor daring aud
passionate ltalians-nor grave and maj 1stic
Spaniards-nor laborious, dreamy Germans
nor plcthoric and hcavy-brecchcd Dutch
men-nor canny, calculating Scotchmcn-
nor brilliant, warm hearted lTishmen--hut
our character will be that which results
from the fusion and combination Of all these
"A character complete, many-siled, cos
mopolitan, unique. 1t would not be d,sira-
bic, therefore, that We should remain unin-
iluenccd by our immigrant population From
them We may derive much to batter and I'M
prove Us. Bat certainly, in the meantime,
j; is at once our duty sal interest not to-
neglect THEIR social, intellectual, and NOR
al education. Rear for them tho school
house encourage thom to erect the church.
And then should they, asin many cases IS
very likely, never be thoroucly Amcricani-
z'd, their chilif}n bought up with onr own,
taught ia th, same schools. iubibiue IA.