New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-09
MIR. MITCHELS LECTURE.

JOINS Mitchell delivered last evening, to crowd
ed audience at the Tabernacle, his lecture on The
Footsteps of the Celt" After some general remsrks
about the science of Ethnoogy in the abstract be pro-
ceeded to give his particular attention to those races
commonly known as the Celtic and the Ango-Saxon,
which latter he assured his audience, Is character
purely imaginary, there being really no such thing
upon the earth az Anglo-Saxon. lie said that r.
has always been the practice of all English historians
writers and literary men to assert that all the nhabt-
ants of England AngioSaxons, and those OF Ire
land arc Celtic and il has been their constant asse
tion that the Celts are inferior to the Angloayo In
every partcuar-and they have applied to them
the most opprobiious names; calling them ignorant
law and stigmatizing them as scurvy rabble. Ts
such an extent is this carried that In the English isa-
guage the tenn Saxon has come TO mean everything
that good and noble and viruous; and that OF Cel
has become Synonym for whatever IL vile and dee-
pcable A.o the English in speaking ofthe Americans,
denomiDate whatever traits in the national chareo-
ter may meet their commentator, Ango-Saxon, but
what they choose TO condemn il instantly characterized
Celtish. In short said the lecturer, II you Ameri-
cans will BE- good boys, You shall be AngloSaxoDs; but
if you are naughty, You are iITedeemabe Cells. II
YOU in the present enlist the side Of England.
you shall be mighty nation, and shall survive; but
YOU discover any sympathy with Russia, your desruo
lion j. decreed and your extinction mere question OF
time. Whether the Celtic race il descended from tho
ancient Tans, indeed even came from the East az
Gaul the plains of Ireland like Shamrock, he would
not now stop to inquire, the search would lead too
far into Ancient Mythology. The ancient nations Of
Italy were Cells and the Latin language Is as Obvi-
ousy the child Of the Ish it is the mother Of the
French. Spain, France and the Islands Of Britain,
were originally altogether Celtic. Long before Julius
Caesar invaded Gaul we have bis testimony that the
Gets of Gau had overrun 1hrace. 1he speaker gave
n very elaborate account Of the early history OF the
Celtic race, their colonies, their countries, Their
battles and victories, their process Of assmilatng
and Celtcizng other nations whose people became MN
gled with their own, either by the peaceful Operston
OF colonization and nmg ration, or the warike and
aggressive methods of invasion and forcibe pOssessos
of desirable country. He asserted that, through an
the apparent subugations they had suffered and nOt
withdrawing the tremendous and constant influx ef
foreigners into their midst, the strangers so far grad
uay lost their identity and became internngled
with the Inhabitants of the lands they had invaded.
that France and Hibernia remained as much Celtic a.
ever Greeks, Romans, Franks, Normans and Scan
dinavians all became Cet Every Frenchman who three
months ago scaled the Malakof was much Celt ~
Mcmahon who led them The lecturer then proceeded
TO prove his Insertion that there is such thing o. an
Anglo-Saxon Britain settled originally by Celtss
and il is only after the Roman historians that
required 10 believe in the entire removal and total d
appearance of the Celtic and the substitution Of Teu
tonic blood from Germany. He gave many and lengthy
quotations from GibboD, Venerable Bede and Other
historians prove that the original inhabitants ofBut-
ain were Celtic. From their accounts, he said, we may
safely assert that in their days at least fve-srths OF
the population Celtic, and in that case whahbo-
como, of the ADglo-Saxonl He went TO show the
enlightenment OF the ancient Cells, and asserted, that,
tightly A. they are now estimated by the English,
was from that dull race, the Irish, that the Engilsh
earned all they ever knew. lie recOunted the bold
ness and daring Of the Cets Of old, gave sketch Of
their achievements and showed how intimately they
were connected with the history Of Europe, how they
were ever identified with deeds of valor-how, always
a warlike and fierce people, victory always followed
their banners and concluded this part OF his dscourse
with this sentence One OF the footsteps Of the Ce
mark at the battle OF Hastings, where he planted
deep dint with his iron heel that the world has NOT
vet ost the impression Of it From ancient times TO
iho present, through succeeding ages and urdec
all varying circumstances, he sketched the history
Of the Celtic race, tracing its course from an
cient historic periods down TO the preseat day, and
It's intimate connection with own history.
Dming thi- part OF bis Grafton, Le TOOK occasion 70
speak Of the yaloross part sustained by the Irsh ut
the battle 81 NewOrcans, Of which this night was the
foTt yfrst anniversary, saying there on the banks OF
the Mississippi, mark another footstep OF the Ce't
lie found the Irish doing brave duty under various
GeDera Mt different tines, upon opposite aides, Ga
every eide Of every question, not always night, MOI
always Victorious, but wherever there was war.
ALWAYS with a hand in. His entire lecture
filed with lengthy passages from history, much Of
wa 20 statistical, aud other pes 30 profusely Illus
trated by long ,loetic extracts, that ii Is exceedingly
difficult 10 give even a sketch. The greater part Of
wac mere collection and compilation Of historical
matter from different authors, put together in q
20 connected and continuous that IL would be imCors-
bic to give than faint idea Of the poiDts save
By printing the whole of il. He concluded, however.
BY resfseItng that may well look for mermaid.
a centsur, o. the elixir Of Life, an Angio-.ssxon.
The house wee crowded. aud the spesSc MICH sp.
P'srded