The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-09-08
EXP AND|NG
It's Anglo Saxon Spirit Kin
died by the War.
ATTENTION CALLED TO IMMENSE
UNDEVELOPED RESOURCES.
Amid n Population of Which Nearly all are
Native BOrn-Great Gains
Predicted

Richard H. Edmonds, editor CT the
Baltimore Manufacturers Record,
persistent and painstaking exponent of
southern affairs, is now in New York,
and being asked for his views on the
subject, talked last night with much
Sarnestness and vigor about the bene-
fits the south ought to reap from the
coming expansion of American influ-
encs in the worlds commerce. He
said:
SIN my opinion, the most striking
result of the present war has been the
far-reaching advertisement which it
has given to America, the American
people and American institutions. 1t
has brought about deeper and wider
recognition of what the sturdy civiliza-
ton which we might denominate as
American Anglo-Saxonism means to
mankind. 1t has broadened and deep
ened the patriotism of our own people
and given us fresh conception of the
virility and strength of our country; it
has shown us as nothing else could
have done, that patriotism is not con-
fined either to the rich or to the poor,
either to the north or to the south, but
that all classes and all sections are
alike in their devotion to their country
and in their readiness to sacrifice even
life for its honor. 1t has focused upon
America the searching eyes of wide
awake men looking for fields for enter
prise and investment fields in which
the rights and possessions of the indi-
vidual are safeguarded to the utmost,
aud where social, industrial and COM
mercial possibilities exist in the great
est number.
From this general advertisement of
our entire country the south ought to
be able to receive the greatest benefits,
and these benefits will be in proportion
to the growing appreciation in which
the civilizing, safeguarding force which
we call aggressiveness tempered by
fair play, is Anglo-Saxonism, standing
as it does, for upheld and lived up to
by the people of that section and in
proportion to the energy displayed by
them in the development of their re-
sources. In this respect the south, I
am sure, will do its part, as over 95 per
cent. Of its people are American born
'In discussing this question of An
glo-Saxonism, the New York Ledger,
seven years ago, seemed to foresee its
Importance, and, in speaking of the
south in this connection, said:
"'This homogenity and intense
Americanism were shared by New Eng
land fifty years ago, but since the
sweeping emigration of New England
ers to the west and the occupation of
the vacated places by French Canadi-
ans, there is large and growing ad-
mixture Of alien and unassimilated ele-
ments in the New England population.
South of the Potomac, on the other
hand, the chronological conditions re-
main substantially what they were at
the beginning of the century. II we
except a few descendants of French
Protestants in South Carolina aud OF
the French Catholics in Louisiana, all
of the white people of the south are of
pure English lineage, or else are the
offshoots of that scotch Irish stock to
which we owe Patrick Henry, John G.
Calhoun and Andrew Jackson. 1t
should also be remembered that the
English and Scotch-Irish emigrants,
from whom the southern white are de-
scende1, reached this country almost
to man before the revolutionary war.
The result is that If we should see the
so-called native American, the typical
American, the ma1 who best respects
the conioint effects of English or Scotch
Irish hereditary aptitudes and of trans
Atlantic environment, we are most
certain to find him in the south. What
ever triumphs, therefore, in the evolu-
tion of natural resources or in the solu-
tion of social problems may be achieved
by southern whites, have peculiar in
terest and Importance for genuine
Americans all over this country.
"Thus this war with Spain, by
showing the worldwide domination OF
Anglo-Saxon element, has opened the
way for q most valuable southern asset
to be brought into activity and to ex.
ert its proper influence in the develop
ment of the resources Of that section OF
the union.
In estimating the value OF the asset
in the light of the new and growing re-
gard for Anglo-Saxon civilization, there
is little danger of ones going too far.
Indeed, there may be found those who
will predict after investigating the
showing made by the latest census or
this score. that the south, with 95 pei
cent. of its population native born,