Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-22
AGAINST THE WORLD.
The Anglo-Saxon Race and Its
Achievements

The Anglo-Saxon race, with its CO.
operative Celtic branches, may be par
doned for being little self-cOmplacent
and egotistical. 1t is younger In its
career than any other European race,
and during many centuries it lacked
the territorial advantages possessed by
its rivals, and it still lacks their advan-
tages In population. Yet it has ac-
complished more in the chief exploits
that go to make up national greatness,
and contributed more to the achieve
ments of modern civilization than all
the other races combined. 1t has given
uniform language TO more than l00,-
600, 900 of people. a language enriched
by literature which, upon the whole,
from Chaucer to Herbert Spencer, in
science, philosophy, history, law, pO-
etry, romance and criticism, rivals, if
1t does not surpass, the literature of all
the other modern nations of CONT
mental Europe.
This declaration may cause an
italian, Frenchman, a German, or a
dweller upon the Iberian peninsula to
stand aghast; but we know the litera-
ture of those people better than they
know Anglo-Saxon literature. 1t has
contributed nearly all the important in
convenience of modern society. OBJ
literate the effects of Its mechanical
and scientific devices from the face or
modern civilization, and the world
would seem to fall into almost mediRval
81 implicitly in single day. Even the
art of printlng,a "a Chinese art originally,
but credited to continental Europe as
its almost solitary great contribution
to the inventive arts that have intiu-
enced modern civilization favorably,
owes Its chief utility to the devices of
Anglo-SaXons.
AGAINST THE WORLD.
Finally, the Anglo-Saxon countries
count their wealth in comparison with
the combined wealth of all other coun-
tries that are intelligent enough to
| count statistically, aud if the balance
be not In their favor the estimate will
be so nearly equal that it would be hard
to tell to which side the preponderance
inclines. In almost everything that
speaks of achievement save the musical
and fine arts, it is the Anglo-Saxon race
against the world, and in most prac-
tical things it is the Anglo-Saxon race
| alone, and there Is no competition. Why
| Is this true?
| Saxon civilization we find the answer
to this question. The race advances
more rapidly than other races, because
it makes use of better agencies for pro-
noting the interests of society than its
rivals and cultlvates more stolid
| spirit of self dependence. From the
reign of the earlier English kings down
! to the American revolution, and fol-
IOwing through all the earlier and
later years of our own republic, there
has been a persistent and an almost in
| termIttent contest in favor of personal
| independence and the right to lnaugu-
rate, carry for ward and control per
| sonal affairs without let or hlndTauce
from superior authority. The traits
implied in this contest have not found
their most adequate expression in Eng
land. The emancipation of English
men, struggling to obtain firm foot
hold among the continually crumbling
debris of feudal institutions, has been
slow process. But it has been con-
tinuous, and in all Anglo-Saxon COM
munities the individual and society
have long been the first objects or con-
| sideration, the government being held
| only as their dependent and servant.
The former lead, and the latter,
through its official representatives,
whether hereditary or chosen, Is only
expected to follow and sustain.