The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-02

Allow me TO say that no educated person
would suppose l meant that no other race strains
were blended with the English or American
stock. II has been the usage OF the best English
authors for long TO speak OF the English people
In the way i did in my sermon, on the ground that
the Anglo-Saxon stock was the basis and back.
bone OF tho race. Ihopc the same Is true Of tho
m mai H. ,r Of th Isr A% nss ISs.ee people, q +. f SsrIlisiSn Ill 4 Il
II the Anglo-Saxon race. have been the doInlnat.
ing influence in our civilization and in our po-
am afraid your prejudices against England
and the. English have disinclincd YOU 70 make
yourself familiar with the usus ioqurndi OF the
best English authors Yours v' Il. i Il. iMSicKn.
BUREAU OF STATISTICS.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, II. C.. Feb. -. 1897.
REVEREND AND DEAR Sin: l have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt Of your letter OF the
18th instant In reply to mine OF Jan. IS. wherein
/ objected to your use OF the term "Anglo-Saxon"
as descriptive Of the people Of England and the
United States. I would have replied sooner TO
your courteous letter, but I saw by the news.
papers that you wcre absent on q mission to
Virginia.
] am sorry to SEQ that you attempt to Justify
adherence TO the phrase "Anglo-Saxon" as a
race term. instead OF acknowledging its misuse.
like the scholarly. broad-gauged Bishop Satter-
lee. who, in n letter TO me under date OF Jan. 81.
s''ff assshh N'"N az 'NAN 49,
descriptive OF Englishmen or Americans. Is Just
as incorrect as the use OF the word Gothic in
differentiation OF pointed architecture"
You condescendingly inform me that In using
the term "Anglo-Saxon race" no educated per
son would suppose you meant that no other race
strains were blended with the English or Ameri-
can stock; and you claim that the "Angio-Saxon
stock" is the basis and backbone OF tho race
meaning the English people-and hope that the
same is true OF tho American people. You as
sert also that the traditions and ideas OF the
Anglo-Saxon race have been the domi.
mating influence in our civilization and in our
political institutions" and you fear that my
prejudices against England and the English
have disinclined me to make myself familiar
with the usus ioQuendi OF tho best English au.
thors.'
My dear and reverend sir, you may be as
learned and profound in theological polemics as
your good Bishop, who is probably not rs un.
familiar as myself with the usus iogurndi OF the
best English authors. and whom We will not
suspect OF defective education, or charge with
prejudices against England or the English poo
ple-nevertheless. l am sure that you are far be.
hind him. as well as behind the great Huxley.
latham. and Nicholas. and other English au.
thoritics. in what Is now common elementary
knowledge respecting the composition OF the
English.spcaking peoples. In the usus ioquendi
Of such learned gentlemen the phrase Anglo
Saxon" Is never used as descriptive OF a race. or
OF Englishmen, or English Institutions. Its
use in that sense has long been aban.
doncd by recognized ethnologists; and hence
mo educated person" OF the present
generation can be excused for using IL descrip-
lively OF the English-speaking peoples: because
there never was an An~glo.Saxon race nor an
Anglo-SaSon institution tn impart dominating
Influences TO our civilization. The dominating
influences Of our civilization must be traced 10
some other source than that OF barbarian leu
tonic tribes. even IL w should grant the develop
ment OF our civilization 10 the dominating iniiu-
c,nccs Of the people Of the British Isies, who. in
nent, so largely colonized It,. Our British ances-
tors, after the invasion OF the Romans. adopted
peoples OF Europe. and whatever dominating
Influence the English-s 7eakinG peoples have To-
day Is due, TO some extent at least. 10 that civili-
zation. and to the vlgor Of the people, which no
distinct race can claim as lite own.
said. that to plume ourselves upon our Anglo.
saxon extraction Is ridiculous. Compared with
us. the Romsns, who FIRST comprised all the
the empire all the semi-barharians OF Europe.
were a homoscneous race" That paper humor.
his day:
4 true horn Ensli.hm.n. a contradiction
4 metaphor Invented to express
A man akin To all the universe.
uai NJ al NV
From the most scoundrel race that ever lived.
4 horrid crowd Of rambling thieves and drones.
The Pct and painted Bnton. treAcherous Scot,
BY hunger. theft and rapine hither brought;
Norwegian pirates, huccaneerinS Danes,
Whose red haired offspring here remains:
Who, Joined with Norman. French. compound the
From whence your Free born Ensiishmen" proceed.
Anything more motley and heterogeneous than
vasion, made up ms they were from the veins OF
ancient Britons, Romans, Ffcts. Scots. Danes.
c aisie'' T fhs m mis { Of Il r mSs,d ah SS b haoS to shows SSH,
plainly that the idea OF an Anglo,Saxon racc, Il
compounded and are daily more and more com.
i~nfusions from the veins of all other nations.
oo 1f n SSsTs ss we W. have have ar, an AA= nsmsS mi strain IN IL
the Teutonic and Celtic. the old British-that is.
the Celtic-the. GermAnic, and the Latin. SO
Ssi!i !, i, d I'm Th ,S ., strain Th is s ssS p s,snSIag,.1,
incline to the opinion that il is the c til,ai@o'''
Out. then. upon this igo,sd; self.sa,isfed.
".Ansio-saxon race, There is nothing more
dangerous 10 our political harmony and unity
especially the gable about "AnsloISaxon in.
stitutions," which we hear so often from persons
wh9 know little Or nothing Of the fGrcia,hSrs
and less OF their own. or o. The science Which is
concernod with the natural history OF man.
The contemptible fiction tina credits 10 Anglo
Saxon blood all the. enterprise, progress, and
best institutions OF the centuries pasta fiction
which you, sir, seek TO maintain in the pulpit
has been the cause OF more persecution in the
name OF religion, and crime and bloodshed in
the name OF God. than the most .malevolcnt in.
fuenCcs that have ever caused brethren 10 I'M
hrue their hands In the blood OF brothers since
the first murder. II has created and still sus.
tains the most bitter and unjust and unfoundcd
prcjudices against the people OF Ireland and
their descendants every where among English
speaking peoples. II is for this reason, my dear
sir. that I have written To such gentlemen "a
President Eliot Of Harvard University, your
most worthy Bishop, and yourself. in the hope
that rs leaders OF thought you and other
educators and ministers of The Gospel might
become inspired TO expose tho diaboliCal ne
tion. and teach the English.spcaking people
OF this land OF lihcrty and constitutional equal.
ity-as the great leaders Of thought In Great
Britain and Ireland nrc now so nobly doing
that there is no DISTINCTION of race or blood or
origin among tho English-spcaking peoples Of
to-day. nor has there been. for long centuries
past; that the great landmarks OF our civiliza.
lion were erected upon and the foundations Of
our political institutions laid In the Christian
religion; and that TO its benign and dominating
influences, and not to the crude customs OF bar
barrie heather tribes. are TO be attributed the
greatness and progress OF the English.speaking
peoples among the nations OF the earth.
Reverend and dear sir, read and study HuN-