The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-31
THE TRIALS OF THE LATIN RACES

The perturbed condition of affairs in
South America distresses those who ex-
pected peace and prosperity to flow from
the meeting of the Pan-American Congress.
Brazil has just passed through the thrOes of
a revolution. Argentine is in political and
financial commissions. Peru is struggling,
not quite successfully, to adjust herself to
the regime which Chile imposed upon her.
Venezuela has suspended her constitution,
and if the ways and means were forthcum-
ing, would make war on England. Alto
gether, from one end OF the continent to the
other, little meets the eye but disturbance,
conflict, disorder and blood.
Angio-Saxons complacently ascribe the
temporary failure of self-geyernment in
these countries to the fact that they are in
habited by persons of the Latin race. They
contrast the turbulence of South Americans
with the tranquil obedience to law which
prevails in the United States, and they i'm
ply, if they do not actually say, that the
Latin races are unprepared to conduct their
own affairs without guardianship. Herein
our countrymen cOnfound au accident with
an chronological law. There is no natural
difference between the Latin and the Anglo
Saxon in respect to capacity for self-gov-
mist from Italy are born with ability in this
respect equal to that of the exile from the
banks of The Thames or the Elbe. If the
former fail to adjust themselves to popular
administration, it is because they have had
no training in self-goyernment, while our
ancestors learned the art many centuries
age.
The Pilgrim Fathers brought with them
to this country free institutions at time
when the Spanish and French colOnists did
not conceive it possible that a community
should be self -governing. The latter always
leaned on a general, or commandment, or
governor, and when this official was not
present to order to direct their steps, they
were as completely lost as horse who has
lost his rider in battle. The Anglo-Saxon
or Teuton exile was accustomed to lean
upon himself, and to find his sovereignty
under his own hat. He and his forefathers
had been used TO administer their affairs in
town meeting, and to resent interference
by the lord of the manor, or the earl of
the county. Generation after generation
had served an apprenticeship in the science
of self-government. Thus, the capacity
which had been trained by the necessity of
providing for the wellbeing of the town
ship proved ample to conduct the affairs of
the county, the State and the nation. 1t
is this advantage of education-and not a
fanced difference in the raees-which en-
ables men of our race, whether in this
country, or in Canada, or in Australia, or in
South Africa, to put systems Of free gov
eminent in practice without friction,
while races which have not bad our train
ing corrupt liberty into license, and defeat
their own laws by chronic appeals to the
sword.
Time will cure the evils which distract
our Latin neighbors. 1t may be long. Self
government is an art which cannot be
learned in single lesson, or few lessons.
No one generation can master 1t. 1t has
taken century for France to acquire it.
spain is still in the rudiments If the full
vote of Italy could be brought out at an