Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-01
NEericanisIn.

From Harper's Magazine.
Perhaps America will not cease to be America
even when it ceases to be English. 1t is pleas
ant to indulge orr race piety in the fancy that
constitutional liberty was given TO our keeping
solely, but we cannot think il is altogether free
from faint of superstition. Mr. Walt Whit
man. IN his letter to the Spanish fellOw-citizens
who celebrated few years ago the three-hund-
roGtl anniversary OF the city of Santa Fe, said
some things pertinent 10 this point: I'VE
Americans have got really 20 learn our antece-
dents. They viii be found aIaplsr
than has been supposed. and in widely different
sources. Thus far. impressed by New England
writers and school-masteTs. we tacitly abandon
ourselves to the notion that oar United States
have been fashioned from the British Islands
only, and essentially formed a second England
only-which lis very great mistake MANY
leading traits for our future national personal
itv, and some of the best ones. will certainly
prove to have originated from other than British
stock"
1t does not seem safe to claim.a perpetuity
of role for any race in the drama of humanity.
Israel was the vessel consecrated TO the recep-
ton OF religious truth; but have the Jews now
a genius for religion above other peo,lleY The
Italian love for beauty. if we are to believe
most of their modern art. has lapsed to taste
lessness. but, on the other hand. they are
among the foremost contemporary nations in
the wise conduct of their political affairs The
CftHch we're lOliS ueulc:Ieu 10 SaNetH. then to
glory; but they have apparently had enough of
pleasure and of war. What has become of the
lmpassloned and aggressive monotheism of
Islam! and will knowledge OF the one God be
less in the Orient and tine Levant when Chris
tlanlty prevails there? Ii seems to us that
there is much which is arbitrary in the ascrip-
ton of this or that quality or function to this
or that nation. 1t is like dividing the mind
into faculties; the imaginative faculty. the
reflective faculty, the critical faculty; as if
either of these were something that could act
alone. As far as the English race is concerned,
1t may almost be said that there is no such
thing, the English are so mixed of British,
Saxon, Dane, Norman.
No one has had greater influence in forming
the citizens of this republic to their faith in
themselves and lii one another than jefferson;
yet Mr.. Bryce in his new book saws that Jeffer-
son was one with Rousseau in supposing a nat
ural elevation in average human nature and
trusting to it. As Rousseau was the first one
ter-son was the father of American democracy,
of that in us which more distinctly than any
thing else we can call Americanism-our faith
IN humanity, our love of equality. One cannot
claim that Americans Of English origin are
alone the depoSitaries of this belief. this pas
sion; and we rather doubt ii either would
perish though all Americans of English stock
persisted. The ideal America, which is the only
real America, Is not in the keeping of any one
race; her destinics are too large for that GUS
tody; the English race is only one of many
races with which her future rests. man of
quite different race, in fact has conceived
iottier and nobier civic ideal than any English
man has done; and Giuseppe Mazzini's COM
monwealth, IN which duties shall have an eoual
recognition with rights. may be the form of
our more civilized, our more Christian future