The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-11-14
The G;DsIcs.

The GiPsicS.
A correspondent of the World furnishe.
the following novel statement concerning
the .Gipsies:
The siPsies have. frequently called forth
a certain kind and degree OF interest, which
has often died away sgain for this particular
reason, that little or nothing can be learned
from them Of their history and condition, on
account or the extreme prejudice that is en-.
tertsined towards them, and the singular
reserve they show to people outside of their
body. But when we gain their confiieu CO,
we find about the tribe much th.t is interest.
ing to the generality Of intelligent persons.
The question that most naturally presents
itself, is. "who are the gpsies!" The rea.
der OF history will be surprised to know that
they ere the "mixed multitude" of the exc.
dus thatsleft Egypt under Moses, aud.separ.
ated from the Jews in Arabia Petrea, and
Travelled northeast into India, where, ia con.
sequence of the rigidity Of caste thu, has
prevailed in that country from time imme.
mortal, they formed themselves into wan
deriug race, living distinct from all others
Having been runaway slaves Of 4 civilized
society, the change of their circumstances
naturally led them to adopt that condition
which has characterized them since lhs be.
ginning OF the fifteenth century, when they
first became known to the inhabitants oil
Europe.
The gipsics that GO about England to-day
are merely the remains Of the wild stock az
it entered Great Britain in or previous to
year 1906. In their natural state they are
and have always been a very prolific people.
In the early part OF the reign Of Queen Eli
Eabeth they were estimated, in England, at
above 10000; and Notwithstanding their
great natural increase, they are generally
set down IS "being of very few in number
in E0sland." A late writer in Chambers
Edinburg Journal even makes the assertion
that "before this century there will not b., a
gipsy in Western Europe" But at the
present day there are in Europe aud Amsri.
ca together not less than 100000, Of all
mixtures Of blood, shades OF color and posi-,
ton in life.
So little is known of the gipsies that peo.
pie invariably believe that when a gipay
leaves the tent and settles in life, or evsn
travels without tent, he ceases to be a
gipsy! But. Notwithstanding every change
Of whatever kind he may make, he and his
descendants never ceass to be epsies! The
North American Indians are "dying out,'
because they depart this life; but the gip,y
tribe gradually leave the tent and gets scat
tered amid the rest OF the population, and
maintain their identity as q people, notwith-
standing their having no religion peculiar
10 themselves.
The prejudice flint exists against a gipsy
is such as would lead Us to think he was a
snake or somo other reptile, rather than "a
man. The original gipsyshas therefore no
alternative but to hold himself aloof from
Ethe rest OF his fellow ersatures, and even to
lead the rovipg life for which he is So much
blamed. He hns been barn into that state
and hiss been reared in it;s and knowing no
other he. naturally fellows it, and finds the
life of tho ordinary inbabitaht as distastelul
! to him as his would be to the ordinary in.
habitant.
Add to this the fact that the common na-
tive, of whatever condition of life, will not
associate with him; will not allow him te
enter school; will even consider it ipollu-
ton to touch him, aud you will see how dit.
cult, how almost impossible, it is to make
anything of what people generally uudsr-
stand to be a gipsy. But whenever the
gypsy leaves the tent, and in the popular es.
timation ceases 10 be gypsy, he must rigid
" hide from republic the fact that be be
longs TO the tribe. The tent is the hive
frem which the tribe swatms; hence as pso-
pie know Of no other gipsies than those
about.the hive, they can come very quickly
to the conclusion that they can make moth,
ing Of tho gipsiesj without knowing that the
tribe, taking year with year, and tent with
tent, are constantly throwing of swarms o.
eipsss into all kindssof itinerant and settled
life. Onsaccount ofeihe tribe, as It were,
ahiding ITSELF" q II leaves the tent. the
race such as II 4 known 10 the vosia, never
gets the reputation for the Improvement of