Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-27

drawn from that era in Roman history when
secution under the blood. thirsty Nero.
Native and Foreign Born CitIzens-NO. L.
1t has been repeatedly the subject of much
thought and deliberation, whether the differ
ent elements Of immigration in this country
will maintain the characteristics of their ma
tionalities, or whether they will be absorbed
through the influence exercised by the pre-.
dominating race, the Anglo Americans. The
latter are perfectly confident that in the course
of one or two generations the great work of
assimilation, or Americanization, as some
choose to denominate it, will be accomplished
AS an instance of illustration, let us take the
following from the inaugural address of the
mayor of this city, Hon. w. w. Rice wide
City Doc. No. IA, p, H. l860):-
"Our public schools ought also to be care.
fully conducted, in such manner as to excite
no mutual animosities and repulsion between
the native born and those who have come from
foreign lands, to share in the privileges and
blessings OF this. Those who have thus come
necessarily bring with them prejudices and
opinions, i'll some respects differing from those
to which natives of Massachusetts are born,
but they have entered into and become an in.
tegral part of our community. The next gem
Grafton, at tarthest, will pull down any division
walls which the present may build, and it is
better therefore for all good citizens to aid in
the process of assimilation and absorption,
than by any unwise and partial measures to
defer its completion
| Nobody will dispute the good sense and feel
| ing which dictated this counsel Every one
| has naturally the highest opinion of himself,
and wishes to have the neighbor conform to
his manner of thought and action. Yet there
| is difference in the method of working for
| that end.
Some prefer the method of beating their ar
guments into ones head, or trying to convince
| others by resorting to abuse, ridicule, and pro-
| scription--as for instance, the American polit-
ical pleuro-pneumonia. called Know Nothing
ism, contemplated it, while others exhibit more
sense, and wish to influence others through
candid and cool reasoning. TO this latter cat
egory belongs the advice OF the mayor. Yet
by reviewing of that address, we see there is
made mention only of the prejudices of those
who come here from foreign lands, while the
natives, as we are led to infer, are free from
them, or at least if they do have prejudices,
are the ones the foreigners ought to take up or
initiate.
1t is, undoubtedly, true that the foreigners
more or less entertain prejudices, but it is, at
the same time, an established fact that the
natives are yet far away from being free of
such. 1t is not necessary here to be more ex-
plicit in enumerating some OF them.
Every rejecting mind will comprehend that
! we can all learn from each other. and that it is
never advisable to put ones self up as the
pattern man, as long as we see so much lack
of wisdom and impertecton on all sides. The
true position for the Americans and the for
egners is, to my mind, that they put them
selves into the condition to absorb each other
that is, to learn from each other what recon,
| mends itself to the respective individuals.
While one nation may have achieved great
results and outshone all its contemporaries in
some special respect, it does not yet follow
| that that nation may deduce from that fact the
superiority over all other nations, or the right
to absorb them, or that these other nations
have nothing which is worthy to be preserved
or respected.
| Why should we not all be cosmopolites {?
We ought to mingle more with people of other
nations, in order that we may effect closer
connection. This will be achieved when we
| entertain tree and unpreju JUDGED intercourse
| with them all, and when we show some in
clination not only to convince, but be also
| convinced. There ought to be nothing of the
good, great and virtuous which is to remain
specially English, American, German, Irish,
French. Italian, etc, but it ought to be COS
mopolitan-that is, it ought to have entered
| the heart of all nations.
When the period will have arrived in which
| the people will cling less 10 their nationality
for the sake of the mere name, but more for
| the sake of the honorable and true that NAV
| have identified itself with it, then, the great
work of assimilation or absorption will be a
| benefit to all races, we shall be nearer the
| point of becoming men in the true sense of the
| word. The process of assimilation will reouire
a comparatively short time. When the Amer.
leans will boast less of their Washinptons
Jeffersons, Paines, &C., but act more like
them-when the Germans French English
| Irish, etc, will initiate more their respective
| great and good men, than talk about them
they will soon become assimiated in such a
degree that they will hardly know where they
"hail' trom-to use common phrase; when
brought into contact with each other they will
be all of one mind
One who is not even very close observer
must have noticed that the German part of the
immigration is where it comes more into con
tact with the American element in the process
| OF a rapid assimilation, though not always to
the better. This fact led many to ask the
question whether German language and
thought will become absorbed in this country,
and the opinions of most all who investigated
the matter with some interest came to the con.
clusion that such would really be the case if
there were no means of preventing it. That
the only means can be found in education will
be clear to all, and for this very purpose il is
contemplated to erect national seminary to
train teachers in order to educate the
youth. Bnt in order that the thing may be
fully understood and viewed in its proper light
it is necessary to say that there is no intention
on any side to be clansh or exclusive or to ia.
vor the idea to form state within the state :"
Those who give their support to the realiza-
ton OF this plan wish to see that perpetuated
what is really worthy to be preserved of Ger
man literature, and education in general, and
TO prepare the way for its introduction into
American life. No class of immigrants are
more desrous to communicate and minple
win the Americans than the Germans Thew
know that the former possess qualities which
are worthy to be initiated, but they are nj the
same time conscious that the Americans in
many respects have abundant reasons to take
lessons from others. 10 be Continued
Louis WAGELEY,
Teacher of German