, 1862-07-05
The Spread of the English Language.

On Sunday morning last we spoke of the pos
of humanity Whether it is to be universal is un-
certain, but that it is now and several centuries
more will be, the most important language of the
world, is established beyond a doubt. With
7O,OOO,OOO people (36 per cent more than any
other tongue in Chrstendom,) with population
increasing at the rate of 100000 annually, while
the population of France and Germany is at a
stand still with abundant room for 200,000,000
inhabitants more, while France and Germany
have no vacant room at all ; with nearly all the
ships, the greatest wealth. the highest skill in the
mechanic arts with large portion of the best
land in the world and the power to take as much
more as may be needed with the treest govern,
ment of all nations with the possession of those
ports which are the keys to the trade Of every
sea-with all these, English is already master of
the main elements of success in struggle against
other forms of speech. If during the next fifty
years, the Anglo-Saxon race continue to increase
/ in numbers and wealth as they have increased
during the last half century, they will in 1912
number 2O0,O0OOO0, and have full half of the
money and military power in the world, as they
already have four-ffths OF the commerce. Fhe
man who, about the year 1900, calculated, and
relying upon his calculations, predicted that in
1860 there would be 100000 inhabitants in the
United States, where there was then only one
sixth that number, was looked upon as very fool
ish, but the calculations were right; and we know
no good reason why similar calculations may not
be made with equal or even greater trustworthi-
ness to ascertain the progress of the Anglo-Saxon
race during the next century.
When we look back on the history of the world
we find that no tongue has ever had such advan-
tages as those possessed by the English now
Alexander boasted that he had conquered all ma
tons worth conquer;ng, and Greek was for time
the foremost of languages, but was never spoken
by ten millions people, and was confined to a
small portion of the shores and islands of the
Mediterranean. Soon after the death of the
Macedonian conqueror, Rome become the mis-
tress of the world, and Latin was spoken by Off
GERS and soldiers from the Atlantic to the Euphra-
tes, but ancient civilization was unsupported by
the mechanic arts and when the political and mil
itary power of the great empire was overthrown,
intellectual darkness spread over Europe, and the
Latin language was corrupted into the various
tongues of Romance now spoken IN the countries
which were once provinces of Rome. After Spain
had discovered America, and had planted her col
ones from the Rio Grande to the Straits of Ma
gean, and had command of the silver mines of
Mexico and Peru, and had the best soldiers and
the most numerous sailors of Europe, and by the
elevation of Charles V. to the throne Of the Ger
man Empire became the chief power of Europe,
it seemed as if the Spanish were to be universal,
if any language could be but the glory of the
nation and the tongue went down together. The
Spanish monarchs, for the sake of bigotry, exiled
the industrious Moriscoes, the best part of their
population, drove the Netherlands into revolu-
ton; waged war with France and England and
Turkey, and on every side wasted the treasures
and sapped the foundations of the power which
accident had thrown into their hands. Neither
Greek, Latin, or Spanish ever approached the
advantages of the English even remotely, so theil
failure is no argument against the probable sue
cess of our tongue.
The present area of the United States is 1885,
166 square miles, and the population 30,O0O,OO0
while the area of the British Empire is S,356,7Sl
square miles, with population of 2O5, ,SS4,357,
of whom three-fourths are Hindoos. Together
the two Anglo-Saxon nations have dominion over
II, 100000 square miles, and 2S5 100000 people.
The British Empire comprises in Europe, the
British Islands, Ireland, Gibraltar Malta and the
Ionian Islands in the New World, all America
north of the United States, (save little strip be-
longing to Russia,) the Bermudas, the Bahamas,
Jamaica and other West India Islands, Newfound-
land British Guiana and Falkland Islands; in
Australasia, all Australia, Tasmania, New Zea-
land, Norfolk Island, and Auckland Island in
Asia, Hindostan, Ceylon, Penang, Melacca, Sing
apore, Labuan, Hongkong, Alden and the Tenas-
serien provinces; and in Africa, Gambia, Sierra
Leone, the Gold Coast, Fernando Po, Ascension,
St. Helena, the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Mau-
riteus, and Leycheles. What other nation, what
other race, what other tongue can hope to obtain
nossessions like these p-.4Hn California