Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-02
MISUNDERSTANDING RACES.
An Interesting Article by the Great
Statesman Gladstone.

Statesman Gladstone.
THE ENORMOUS INCREASE IN THE NEXT CEN
TUEY BASED UPON THE GROWTH UP TO THE
PRESENT TIME-cLosE RELATIONS BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.
Hon. w. E. Gladstone has written for the
Youths Companion a very interesting article
on ''The Future of the English-Speakiug
Races" Starting with the assumption that lit
| is pre-eminently the Anglo-Saxon race for
which the future promises in many things to
rival or outstrip the past" the distinguished
writer says: ''H the world and the human race
| are governed by design, then there are album
dant marks that this our time, and the times
| consecutive upon it, have been and are allotted
to special and large unfolding Of that design,
with all the powers and interests, the duties
and responsibilities il involves. Of these marks
l will pointedly mention only four, and will
mention them within the compass OF lines
scarcely more numerous
First the enormous increase OF material
power, available for all the exterior uses Of
life, so that it has long since been computed
that in Great Britain alone, the force OF ma
chinery was equal Gas it must now be more
than equaD to the corporal power Of the whole
human race.
Secondly, the:augmented means and accel-
Grated speed of communication in its various
forms.
Thirdly, the vast increase, and more solid
basis, of the knowledge of nature in almost
every province of her mighty realm.
t'Fourthly, that enlargement of the times OF
peace and contraction Of the times OF war,
throughout the civilized world, which has
during the present century appeared, notwith-
standing some very sinister accompaniment,
to be gradually hardening into normal fact
OF the modern life and greatly to enlarge the
industrial capacity and career of man."
After speaking of the close ties between
Great Britain and America it is estimated that
the habitual speakers of English a century
ago were Is, 600, 900, and that now the English
speakers are not less than from hundred to a
hundred and five millions, so that the past one
hundred years has supplied the multiple of
seven, which might perhaps be placed higher,
and the application of this would give for the
year 1000 the enormous figure of 100000, 900 of
Engllsh-speaking persons. The greatly adj
vanced proportion of the increase of the United
States is referred to and the application of this
will bring the population to the date named up
to at least $50, 000, 900.
The first proposition thus advanced is that
the numbers OF the English-speaking races will,
at the period in question be enormously in
excess Of those associated with any other
European or old-world language, and perhaps
very considerably in excess of them all when
put together.
His second proposition is that under the con-
dltlons OF modern communication this vast in
crease OF the English-speaking races will draw
them more closely together and will evolve
and consolidate throughout the mass a stronger
sense OF moral oneness; and his third that great
influence and great duties cannot but accrue to
the Engllsh-speaking races, united by so many
ties, and in such preponderating mass us
towardsothe rest of the civilized world. The
article conclude as follows:
Il am aware that, on the principles have
sketched, the same issues which give a pre-
dominance to English-speakers in the world
may also give a predominance among English
speakers to Americans. l do not assume that
all these changes will be unmixedly for good
'Wnat l desire is that we should meet them
with prepared mind; should be ready, we the
English speakers among ourselves to waive
sectional for the sake of general advantage:
that we should try to expel or neutralize de-
tected or suspected mischiefs. to extract from
each social force the maximum of good which
1T is capable of yielding. Most of all, that we
should never allow the buoyant experiences of
the new state to abate our reverence for the
elder world. and the great traditions of man
kind; and that we should bear in mind how
every new channel opened to our influence
every accession made to our social force, every
shifting to our advantage in the distribution of
the momenta OF human action is a new trust
for which we must give account, a new sum-
mons to us that we should live a braced and
watchful, not a remiss and sluggish life, new
element OF that universal priesthood in which
every man who does his duty day by day ever
offers for himself and for others gifts to the
mOst-high God"