Mountain Democrat., 1857-10-17

SAuSifSiJ W tuC AuRlO-IOdNOuS.
We trust this rcbuke to the eternal
slang of "Anglo. .Saxonism," with which
our ears are continually assailed, and
which forms the staple Of large portion
Of some influential American Journals,
will not be without its effect in various
quarters. For this manly rebuff to over
weening British vanity, Mr.. Dallas de-
serves well of his countrymen, and justi-
iies the wisdom of Mr.. Buchanan's choice
in selecting him for that mission. As for
ourselves, VIC feel proud that doctrine
constantly proclaimed in this journal
should be thus publicly recognized and
asserted by so distinguished an Ameri-
can citizen, in the very face of the adula-
ton with which it was attempted to tickle
our national pride by telling us we arc
great people, because we have sprung
from tho Anglo. Saxons? This British
arrogance (or egotisnl, if we may be al
lowed the use of the word, in reference
to nation,) always reminds us Of Cardi-
nal Woolsey's familiar phrase in relating
to himself and Henry VIII-EgO ct meas
rer: II and my king"-putting himself
before the mOnarch-and making the
monarch his inferior yet next to himself
in greatness. The English tell US we are
the greatest people in tho world next to
themselves, and that we owe our position
in the scale Of nations to the fact of our
being of "chat S caliet the Anglo-Saxon
race, as Mr.. Dallas, with a fine touch Of
sarcasm, expresses it.
That the American people are what
the American Minister at the Court of
st. James describes them, n comp0site
people, consisting Of various races, and
not Of one race, is evident to every man
who is acquainted with the history of
this country, and to every man who, tho
Ignorant of its history, travels through it
and makes good use Of his eyes and ears
1t is from this fact, perhaps, that the
American people combine so many chnr-
acteristics that make them great as q
whole. They have the qualities Of vari-
GUS races, which, when developed in the
different departments of life for which
each is best suited, present a galaxy of
national glory which is vainly sought for
in any other nation. 1t is related in con-
ncction with Corinth when destroyed by
the Romans, that all the metals in the
city melted and mixed together during
the confiagration, and formed that valua-
bic composition known by the name of
"Corinthian brass"-11Es C0rinthium.-
From the destruction of the crumbling
social fabric Of the Old World, from the
breaking up Of families in its various
countries and climes, and from their emi-
grafton hithcr, there has been fusion of
many races, into one composite people,
From the ruins Of tho Old World the
New is thus built up. Like Phoenix
from the ashes, it is a resurrection from
the dead to poor humanity in the decay
ing nations Of Europe. The result is
happy one. 1t makes us kith and kin
with the rest Of the world, and we are an
improvement upon every other racc-iust
as the boastcd English race horse is bred
from every variety of blood, and thus
made superior to any single race of the
animal that exists elsewhere on earth.
At the recent dinner given in Brooklyn
to Mr.. Henry Murphy our Minister to the
Hague, there was vast amount of cant
and hunkeysm OH the subject of the
races. The Evans" and "IIanscs," it
seems, prevailed in the assembly, and
there was singular bad taste displayed on
the part Of most Of the speakers in ascri.
blng our free institutions, and our nation
al success to Dutch origin and Dutch
blood. Mr. Murphy, though native Of
America, is, rs his name imports, of the
Celtic race, and his ancestors were un-
doubtedly Irish. 1t was perhaps COM
plimcntary to the country to which Mr..
Murphy is sent, to talk Clutch" in this
fashion. But the motive, we suspect, is
very different from this, for unless our
memory greatly fails US, some of the same
politicians in another atmosphere have
glorified "Anglo-Saxonism" as the exclu-
sive source Of American greatness, and
on other occasions some have attributed
more than half of it to the Celtic element,
which, 1t seems, was completely overlook
ed at the dinner.
The Dutch element has certainly had
more influence on our institutions and ma
tional growth than the English, which of
all other component parts Of the great ag-
gregations is the smallest and the least
felt. The Irish element, on the contrary,
has contributed more largely than any
other to the material prosperity, if not to
the intellectual development of the United
States. Strong Celtic arms with hearts
loyal to America, have built her cities,
railroads and canals, have reclaimed the
wilderness and made it bloom with gold.
en- grain, and covered a thousand hills
with tlOcks and herds. They have fought
her battles, and are ready to fight them
again. A portion of them have their
faults, but their virtues and their services
ought not to be forgotten. On the other
hand, the Celtic educated intellect-with
its keen trenchant wit, its taste for poetry,
painting and oil the fine arts, with its
power Of writing, and above all its power
of oratory-is destined yet to play a con-
spicuous part in this republic. Already
its invisible hand is felt from Maine to
Texas. But, as we have already said, no
nationality can claim an exclusive, or even
predominant influence in these United
Stetcs. And the glorification Of the
Dutch at the Brooklyn banquet to the
exclusion of other elements. was, to say
the least, piece Of glaring injustice.
The comment of the Brooklyn Eagle is
so appropriate that we have much pleas
urc in transferring it to our columns
I'VE are q mixed race in America" says
our contemporary, land it is difficult to
say from what country the main element
in our composition has been derived
Thus, according to the orators of the late
dinner, this country is but second edi-
ton Of Holland, and derived its institu-
tions and inhabitants almost exclusively
from the land Of Stockholders, BurgoEnAS-