Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-04-26
Migratlons Now and 1,hen.

u The foreign news of 7he Chicago Times
of n recent date interesting facts were stated
In reference TO the appalling condition Of peo-
pic living in that district which suffered from
the ;ovds of the Yellow river Th' Chinese
TINS says that "the only remedy possible is
TO take the people away and put them iuto
a new country" and Manchooria is suggest
ed as a country which can ''readily receive a
few million OF people, who might In few
months support themselves, ard In a few
wears become prosperous denizens." China is
on the other side of the world, aud but vague
ideas exist here AS to its people or It's boun-
daries, but the proposition 10 remove millions
OF people at once TO a strange, new country
hundreds of miles distant is interesting
enough to attract attention throughout the
world. IL suggests other like removals OF
whole nations, hints OF which come down TO
us from comparative philOlogy Or legendary
lore. To some such dreadful calamity is
probably to be attributed the peoplng of this
continent by nations unquestionably of
Asatic origin. When history, legend, trad-
ton fail comparative philoog, has traced the
pathway OF nations from the sieppes of Asia
10 western Europe and even North America.
Strange is 1t that these airy messengers,
syllables, sounds, accents, eytmolOgies bring
us intelligence from ages aud nations history
has no mention of. There was an impulse be-
hind the barbaric floods that Ovcrspread
Europe at intervals for several hundred years
which is not yet understood. One of the
strangest facts IN history is that having com
lnenced from some locality not clearly defined
in Asia, nothing could arrest it-not Roman
arms nor epidemics, and pestilences more de-
structivc 1t seemed as resistless as the tides,
and human power was as powerless to dam it
as II was to arrest the Hood of the Yellow
river Perhaps, as in the case before us,
some great natural CONFUSION drove the
hordes before 1t, for they came In millions
with women and children, uncertain as to
their destination, only anxious to move on.
They seemed to be flying from some terror
greater than any they could possibly meet in
lands OF which they knew nothing.
In Wheaton's History OF the Mortimer"
an account is given OF the emigration of Oiin
aud colony of Scythlan Goth from the banks
of the Tanais, in Asia, to the Peninsula OF
Scandinavia, TO escape the Roman ligions.
Here was removed like unto that now sug-
gested in China, of people all together from
Their old home To one thousands OF miles dis
tant and in climate, latitude, and general
characteristics entirely dssimilar. But OF 1t
came influences that are potent to-day in Eng
land and even in America. This thing OF
picking up nation and transplanting 1t was
not so uncommon ouce as now. There was
then less household goods To carry, while
1ocks aud herds lightened the dangers and
burdens of the way. But humanity Is no less
restless now than then. In fact there is very
much more change Of residence, though it
does not occur In the wholesale way Of the
ancient days. Its influence is no less great,
for IL mingles and mixes IA ces peoples, nation
alities, languages much faster 1t required
| hundreds of years 10 blend the Brton and
Norman. Hardly generation now is requir-
ell TO convert a German, scandinavian, or an
Irish man iuto an American. But
the mixing goes on and in
creases constantly as modes of trav-
ell improve. The clash OF arms and long wars
are followed by clashes Of opinion and peace
full debate as the day wears, which these en-
igratious seem TO be intended to hasten when
nations shall learn war no more.
We have German nation among us, as also
an Irish nation and u Scandinavian nation.
But they came not as the Mortimer did to
Scandinavia nor as the Normans came to Eng
land. Centuries of bloody battles are not re-
quired 10 bring about the amalgamation that
| must come at last. But they come as potent
factors in n new and better civilization than
the old world has ever known.-Chc1gO
I5g,1ay