The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-25
The Yankee.

The Yankee.
THE REV. n. II. PONER0Y ON THE CHARACTER OF THE
YANKEE.
A very facetious and interesting lecture was de-
livered on Tuesday evening, in the Tabernacle, by
Rev. d. r. Pomeroy, Of Boston; subject, /" The Yam
kee." He said that, in order to come understand
ingy the subject of his lecture it would be neces
sary to call their attention to few historical facts
Those who dwell in houses and know sciences and
literature usually called civilized and those who
dwell in tents are called savage. The Assyrans,
Chaldeans Modes, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had
their frequent wars Of plumber and conquest, and
whenever they came in contact with the northern
tribes they have given memorials of the people
they have conquered. 1t has been satisfactorily as
certained that three had passed from Asia into
Europe. The first of these waves of emigration were
the Celts or Cimmeri, who passed across the CONT
nent till they reached the British isles. The second
wave of emigration was that Of the Scythian or
Gothic race some six or eight centuries before the
Christian era. The Celts vanished before them
from the page of history, except those who
had been in the west Of the continent. The
Scotch, Welsh, and Irish were the descendants
of these Celts. There is also more or less of the
scythian element in France, Italy, and Spain. The
third wave OF emigration into Europe was the Sclavo
mic. But our present purpose was with the second
race the Scythian. The lecturer traced their course
through the various countries of Europe. In the
second century there were three tribes Of the Scy-
THAN race in Jutland who were called Anglo or leu
tons from whom have sprung the Westphalians, Eng
lish, and Americans. Three hundred OF them landed
in Thanet in the river Thames in the year 1885, after
the Romans had vacated Britain. On the island
they met party Of Celts, when scheme of inter.
vention was made between them-they invited more
of their countrymen, and afterwards erected the
<1o NJ Tn thou
extermnated the Cets, and reduced them to bondage,
with the exception of the Welsh and Scotch.
The Saxon Heptarchy lasted till the eleventh
century, when the Norman clement became pre-
dominant after the battle OF Hastings. These Anglo
Saxon and Norman worthless were bold, hardy, in
domitabe, fierce, cruel and ferocious; they were
kindred in blood with Goths and Visigoths, Vandals
and Ostrogoths, who had battered down the blood
cemented walls of old Rome. There is no evidence,
however that they were sayages, like the American
Indians. They had arts. They manufactured ar
NOR. In the third or fourth centuries of our era
they in the Of ney 1ss
graced humanity. They were the flbusters OF those
dim ages. The terror Of their name is hardly con-
ceivabe by in these times of peace The conquest
of England led them to abandon their piratical
century, came the Norman element; and finally,
in the sixteenth century, came the Protestant
Reformation, all 'of which had great effect in
svg them The lecturer ,h heP doa
Plymouth rock. They must contemplate the insti-
tutions-civil social political and religious-which
they founded, and then they will understand how
the people Of New England are what they are
What is genuine Yankee that is the question.
He used the term Yankee as denoting all the ma
tives Of New England and all their descendants.
He would observe, in the first place, that true son
Of New England is very close observer. When he
vision. and, walking up Broadway for the first
time, he will be seen carefully scanning the names
on the sgnboards and on the doors. He is very in
quisitive, toothere is always question at the end
railroad car he quite annoyed from the fact that
he can neither see hear to the best advantage;
on the steamboat too, he will tax his ubiquity to
you will, be is a true, well-defined Interrogation
point. All the world may laugh at him. but still he
is 10 fool, and he will ask questions Socrates was
condemned to drink the poison cup because he had
examined everything in heaven and earth; and II
this be capital offence alas for the Yankee He
is, however, capable of becoming very gentemanly
person, though no conceivable.art could make him
Frenchman or dandy. None but q Yankee could
give such definition to the word dandy" as that
which may be found in Webster's dictionary.
Yankee may have a carriage and a servant, but if
you zee that servant in livery, then you may be
sure he is not Yankee. ,lApplause) This
our courts of justice of all their ridicu-
lous ceremonies. And even Governor, if he
should put on airs, would find on the next general
that his friends the whole, were rather in
favor of the principle Of rotation. In religion too
he likes his minister to speak in plain Ineligible
Saxon. In dress, equipage, manners, speech, and
religion, he is decidedly plain, blunt, outspoken,
nnceremonious individual. In philosophy, the Yam,
kee belongs to the utilitaran school-nOt that OF
Jeremy Bentham. This philosophy he has not de-
rived from books or universities-it was born with
him, and is integral part of his nature, There is
amount of strong, plain, everyday good sense. A
son of New England has no special reverence for
what is ancient merely because of its antiquity,
though it must be admitted he is often taken by
new theory or principle because it is new. Idle theo
res or dreamy speculations are quite drug in the
market and they cannot help saying" is the user
It is true no doubt that New England is in the habit
Of contributing money, and men and women, to some
foolish idea; but then it is only what he has to spare
and she preserves the real gold for works Of real
value. The lecturer commented upon the discrmi
mating qualities of the Yankee intellect and for this
sharp metaphysical acumen they were indebted to
tie pulpit, the schO0house, and the open Bible
This Characteristic has been acquired by the great
honor accorded to skill in figures; and there
are undoubtedly at this moment hundreds OF boys
and girls striving to work out difficult problem IN
be heard of in some grand railroad or other scheme
in China or Africa. A true Yankee has strong
sense Of justice, which makes him keeny alive to the
injuries himself or others may suffer. If you
touch him wrongfully he will make heaven
and earth noisy with his clamors. This feature
is ADglo-Saxon, and Norman, and Scythian, too.
Akin to this element in the New England character
is his love Of liberty. Our ancestors never bowed
their necks to the yoke of bondage They knew
how to subiugate and rob, and make merchandise of
other men but they never were slaves themselves
What would have been the condition Of Ireland for
the last hundred years if she had only contained
three millions Of Yankees. lie strongly suspected
Ireland would not now be as sne is. This love of
liberty enters largely into the elements of the New
England character. A true son Of New England has
cluster Of qualities which passes under the name of
enterprise. There is a well known Yankee word
which is very significant Of hiSenterprsing qualities
man, the morning when he is Of age, starting into
the world with all his goods, real and personal, tied
in bandana, and not having the slightest doubt Of
his success, you may depend he is Yankee.
Who are the principal teachers and professors of
schools and when president is wanted for any
of the Western colleges, whom do they send for?
A Yankee. Subtract the Yankee from the commerce
and manufacture of the United States, and what