The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-12-19
YANKEEISM AND AMERICANISM.

The CECIL DEMOCRAT seldom lets an
opportunity escape to ATTEMPT snecr
in its poor way, ut republican institu,
tons. In last weeks issue, the collid.
ing of the steamships America and
United States, offered the double oppor-
tunity of an effort at a pun and snecr,
twin weaknesses of the editor. The
following is the doubt which perplexes
THE DEMOCRAT:
"Who can say that Yankeeism is not
perverting and destroying Americanism, or
that the cathOlicity of republcanism is not
imminently endangered by the arrogance
of Puritanism? Verify, it looks like it,
The world considers Yankeeism and
Americanism synonymous. But class
of Borbon politicians, who graduated in
the southern slave pens, of whom H.
Rives Pollard was representative, and
fair type, have attempted to erect
another standard of Americanism dis
carded by the world These men at
tempted to TEACH the American people,
and convince the world, slavery, with
all its thriftlessncss, denominations,
crudeness, wastefulness, ignorance and
brutality, constituted true Americanism
and true democratic or popular govern
ment. We say this class of politicians
attempted to TEACH the American peo-
pie their favorite doctrine, in the good
old pedagogue style. For finding their
pupils careless or obstinate about their
Interpretation of Americanism, they
set about applying the plantation rem
cdy for refractory slaves.
This was contrary to every conceived
Puritan and Yankee notion of Ameri-
canizing, as well as the doctrine, at
tempted to be forced upon them was
averse to their belief as the proper in
depreciation of rcpublicanism. The
consequence was, that the arrogant men
who proclaimed the WHIP the greatest
power of the nineteenth century, found
themselves at the end of the contest,
knocked down, doubled up, and COM
plctcly hors de combat.
In determining this question of Amer
200 ,,;.,, x,-o oro <o ooorob CO.. <bo o,,,,,,
which have given the name of Ameri-
canism place among the great peoples
of the earth, and in asccrtaining that
fact, we find that the Old World use
the terms Yankccism and Americanism
us interchangeable. To what is the
world indebted for the prestige and
power of America? Is it to the half
titled plantation, with its gangs of
slaves, sparce population, sleepy towns
and antiquated villages, the marks of
premature decay and dilapidation which
characterize that portion of the United
States, where the ideas of slave gov
eminent and slave nation were domi-
nant? Or does this nation owe its
prestige and power among the nations
of the earth, to her telegraphs, steam
vessels, railroads, power looms, steam
printing presses, free schools, free
speech, free men, small and well-tilled
farms, magnificent and fourishing cities,
busy marts of trade, and commerce
whitening every sea? 1t strikes US, as
it must every reasonable man, that
these latter qualities constitute national
progress which has become nationalized,
and to which the other nations of the
world have given the name of Ameri-
canism or Yankeeism
The chains and whip of slavery were
Americas shame and reproach among
the nations, and not its strength.
If the catholicy of republicanism y
was a something used to bolster up the
"Lost Cause" over which THE DEMO
Graf still mourns and will not be COM
fortcd, then it must be blood relative
Of the peculiar institution" and the
apprehension that it will be "immi.
nently endangered by the arrogance Of
Puritanism," is not without cause. If,
however, We take the map, and placing
our finger ON the rock of Plymouth, we
trace line westward along the Canada
lakes to the Rocky Mountains, and be.
yond toward the shores of the Pacific,
and by another line diverging south till
we reach the famous Mason and Dixon
Limo, thence westward over the ALE.
ghenies, along the Ohio River, taking
in the broad prairies of Kansas, and
westward to the Pacific slopes, we will
find in that wide sweep of country the
dangers to be apprehended from those
institutions which were planted by the
men who dared the seas in the May.
flower.
Place your finger next on the map on
that spot, within the Old Dominion
known as jamestown, tracing a line
southwark along the shores of the At
lantic to the Gulf of Mexico, and ur
the Rio Grande to New Mexico, then
from the starting point north and ives,
till you reach Kansas, and within that
broad domain you will find the fruits Of
human slavery, which the followers Of
the Lost Cause" struggled so hard
to nationalize, and make it dominate al
other influences on the Western Cont
ncnt. Look upon these two pictures
and answer which is the most to be
feared or the most admired. The diff
ference between these two systems is
precisely the difference between the liv
ing, advancing, ascending Republican
party, and the effete, dead Democratic