The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-01-03

1
TIONS,"
The commission which has in charg,
the revision of the excise laws of New
York State was made by that astute poll
tician, Governor Hill, with liberal re
gard 10 the claims of the several foreign
elements" of New York's population
while the older poi ton of New York
citizens are represented by such uncom-
promising American as Rev. DR., Howard
Crosby. As consequence the commits
siOn's sessions are occasionally any thinl
but peaceful ones, and American anC
European views of temperance and Sab
bath keeping clash with considerable
vigoi. A few days ago one of the mem
bers OF the commission saw fit TO RI sent
what he regarded as the dictatorlal tone
adopted by the representatives of the
foreign clemens" toward the Ameri-
can nation. His words caused fellow
member, who calls himself German
American, to explode in this remarkable
fashion.
The American character as type is
absolutely nothing. There is no such
thing as an American Sunday. We are
here to legislature fof conglomera-
ton of nations"
There are too many American citz ms
of foreign origin who believe with this
choleric Teuton that there is nc such a
thing as American type, AmeTic IN char
acter, an American sentiment of nation
allty or American ms itulions. They
are encouraged IN this belief by the
wheodIing campaign speeches of Amer
lean partisan demasogues, chiefly Dem,
ocratS, 1t need not be p Ilnted out that
such an opinion is not only entirely err
roueous, but that it is also highly mis-
be stoutly and uncompromisingly com
bated every time it is advan ed
If century of vigorous national life,
charac eriz d by unexampled politica.
and material progress and crowded full
of events calculated to make all true
of the republic proud of the
name of America, has not create an
American type or an American charac-
ter aud ven genuine American shap-
ing to our political and social Institutions
then our republican experiment has been
nearer TO failure than even its btterest
enemies would maiutlIn. This is no
mere ''coDgomeration of nations. :"
There are large elements in our popu-
Iation which love to qualify the word
American" when applied to themselves
with British, Irish or German prefix,
but the great majority of our peol le are
proud 10 call themselves plain Americans
without any quail ficition. Some of these
genuine Americans were born on the
other side of the water. Mes of them
were bora here, and have never known
any other land than this, nor any other
tongue, nor customs, nor ms itutions.
The true spirit of American national ty
was never 80 virile, aggressive and all
as it is to day, and the man
who finds himself within its ilfluence,
md does not actively resist ii. il rapidly
MT tAmorphOsed in:o full fl~dged Amer
Ican before he knows 1t. Oflentimes he
IL thus metamUrphost when he does re-
,ist. Our laws and customs are not
mere heirlooms of the English Dutch,
French and Spanish cJlonists which can
De lightly tired or abandoned TO suit
The " him Of each variety Of immigrants
fresh from Castle Garden. What these
avs and customs in their origin may
nave been does not particularly matter.
nv ioCb 10 Nlt 10 NhNl bNdlu
.o-day they are the outgrowth of years
Of national life. There il such a thing
,s the American Sabbath. 1t is not the
Puritan Sabbath, as newcomers are wont
20 assert when they rail against it. but it
ioes not coun e rance open beer saloons.
Americans have precisely as good right
20 go over to England, Ireland or Ger
many, and demand that the people of
hese countries change their customs to
accord with American ideas as English
men, Irishmen or Germans have to de-
nand that American cUstnms be adjus-
ed to Europeon standards When I'M
migrants come here they come to ma
iona young nation, to 5ei sure-but
. Iu!l grown ard a vigorous one, and
me which believes, with all its heart,
hat its laws and customs suit it bt tier
han any foreign laws and Gu, toms can.
10 deny this, and to try TO BrItishiza,
Irish 2 or Germanize America on the
Plea that there is no American type,
or nation. is impudent. More
Iver such ailrmbts to stem the tide OF
are useless, AMI it IS graft
'ying to see that the Anne lean people
IRE less ard lrss inclined TO have any
patience with them.-BOStOn Journal.