The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-08-11

pie that gave them their power and
their fame. WHO lives upon the land
is sometimes of more consequence than
the land itself. 1t is the blood and
character OF the people that will ac-
count for the difference between the
progress of England and the decline of
Spain; between the condition of the
United States of North America and
the distracted republics of the south
ern continent. There is truth in the
maxim OF the jockey ''blood will TELL
1t was the genius throbbing in the
Greek blood that has given to Greece a
fame measured only by time; it was the
courage and capacity coursing through
Roman veins that made the seven
hilled city arbiter of the world; it is
the energy and endurance of the
British blood that sets the red cross
OF st. George waving in all quarters of
the globe. We are proud to derive
our origin from England, the best
blood of Europe from the middle class
OF Englishmen, the best blood of the
Island. The class that has given to
the world a Newton, Milton, a
Shakespeare, a Wilberforce, Yelling
ton, these, and many other names that
future ages will not willingly let die.
And England has something better
than great individual names to boast
OF. Nowhere else in the old world is
the level of the commonality so high;
nowhere else is intelligence so general,
or patriotism so strong; best of all, no.
where else in the old-world are liberty
and religion, those beautiful twin sis
ters, held SO firm in the national heart.
Such is the stock from which we have
derived our origin. From England we
have derived the distinguishing traits
OF our civilization, and all that was
noble in the grand old isle, taking root
in this fertile soil has grown nobler
still. E:.
Well meaning people sometimes
harass themselves and others by dwell
ing upon the dangers likely to come to
our institutions from the great influx
of foreigners, overlooking the fact
that the greatest states of the world
have arisen from an am;Ilgamation of
different tribes. Rome, Greece and
England are examples of this. On the
other hand Russia, Spain, China and
Persia, which have suffered no such
crosses Of blood, are either stationary
or depend for their progress on
foreigners. Our people are most
fortunate in this regard. To the
original stock, finely English, has been
added dash of the French spright-
illness and taste; a spice of the Irish
fire and wit; a touch of the German
thoughtfulness and thoroughness; the
sterling honesty of the Scotch; the
persistence Of the Viking. The sturdy
Anglo-Saxon virtue resists the bad and
absorbs the good from whatever source,
and remains firmly Anglo-Saxon to the
end. With them the fttest survive.
In the process of amalgamation of the
first generations of foreign nationali-
ties, some friction is inevitable, but,
engaging in the same employments,
finding themselves able to provide for
themselves and families, comforts to
which they were strangers in the old
world, and experiencing a degree of
freedom and happiness never before
known, their prejudices gradually melt
away, they good naturally discuss
their differences, and either agree
with each other, or, claim for them
selves, and concede to others, that
essential element of freedom, the right
to differ
In the meantime the children of the
first generation of foreign born citizens
are gathered into the free public
school which knows no difference be-
tween the child of the foreign born and
of the native citizen; between the
child of the rich and, the poor; of the
white and the black; of the Democrat
and the Republicans; of the Catholic
and the Protestant; Of the Unitarian
and the Trinitarian; of the Lutheran
and other Protestant. The common
school is the impartial mother, of all
of these. Equally tender of all;
equally just to all; seated side by side
upon the same forms; studying the
same lessons. expressed in the same
language; learning the same history of
their common country; subject to the
same discipline; engaged in the same
sports the sons and daughters of
fathers and mothers representing
every tongue and coming from every
cline; acquire character deeper and
truer than that expressed in the
dogma of any sect; a patriotism
broader than the platform of any
political party. More important than