, 1876-01-15
UIAN A
From the SPECTATOR

MIR. Clifford Palgrave commences In Dutch
Guiana" (FortnigbHy RevleV) an account Of
the least known of all European colonies,
which, as it seems to us, in its picturesque
realism could hardly be improved. We may
be more ignorant than our neighbours, but to
US the account of ParamaribO-the one tr0pi-
cal capital 10 which drainage is perfect, with
its Dutch public buildings, and churches, aud
synagogue8, its carefully kept canals, its end
less avenues, and its contented, well-grown
Netherlandish negro population--is entirely
novel, and has an interest far beyond any aG-
count of Batavia . everread. Mr.. Palgrave's
writing rarely admits of extract, for he infil-
trates YOU, 50 to speak, with his knowledge
and his views, and no single drop tells ,yoo
much, but we may quote one Of his more gem
eral observations -
d" It is q matter Of more surprise, an agfaea-
BILE SURPRISE, when we find much that recalls to
mind the Dutch peaslntry and labOuring-claas.
es, distinctly tra0eable among the cores
pondiag classes of Creole negroes throughout
the delta Of Surinam, BY what influence is
it-attraction, sympathy, or mastership-that
some nations 50 eminently succeed in trans
forming the acquired SUBJECTS of whatever race
into copies, and occasionally caricatures, Of
themselves, while other nations not less signal
" fail in doing 500 That Frenchmen, how
ever much they may annoy those they annex
bv their ~incurable habit of administrative over
meddling, vet make, not always indeed Obedi-
emit subjects of France, but anyhow Frenchmen
and Frenchwomen out of those they rule, is G.
fact attested everywhere, and one that will
long remain to grieve German hearts in Alsace
aud Lorraine. How long ago is it since the
tricolour has been hauled down to make place
. - - TT 49, ~ - g. T-@1o ~ NS~4nn
Dominica, and Trinidad 7 Yet in each of these
and their kindred isles the French impress
still survives, unefaced as yet by change and
time. Much in the same way to run through
the list of other national annexati0ns or con-
quests Brazil is not merely ruled by a P0r-
tuguese Emperor, but is Portuguese itself
and even the r%evoIted Spanish colonies are
Spanish in almost everything but official allie
giance to this day. On the contrary, who ever
heard Of a land Germanised by the Germans.
however influential their settlers, and absolute
their rule And is there the remotest pros
pect that the HindOo, though reoonciled by
sheer self-interest to liberation of the most
equitable rule that ever race ezercls'
cd over race, will ever become not
merely an English subject, but an
EnglishmAn in ways and heart Still
more complete has been the failure of Danish
attempts at extra.national assimilation, Ia
whatever land or age, from the days of
Etbelred. to our own. But, indeed, where
there is diversity of blood, mistrust and an
tipathy are more easily accounted for than
sympathy and unison. To return to our
Dutch friends. How it may be with them
elsewhere, in Java, for instance, I know not /;
here, on the Guinea coast, they have almost
ontdone the French in assimilative results q
problem of which the solution must be sought,
partly in history, partly in actual observation"
He might have added. that at this moment
one of the greatest difficulties in the govern
ment of Southern Africa arises from the deep
trace of Dutch feeling and sentiment which
the original conquerors have left behind, and
which, unless some deep wave Of emigration
should strike there, it will take another cen"