New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-29
MR. DAVTTT AND THE ANGLO-SAYONS.


Mr.. Michael Davitt has az least the courage of
his convictions He is convinced that an ALI
ance or even a close friendship between Great
Britain and the United States would he bad
thing for the particular school Of Irish politics
Of which he is the chief exponent Therefore he
sets himself inst any such thing with all the
fervOr and pertinacity which Is characteristic OF
him. Or perhaps It would be more accurate TO
say he prophesies its impossibllity. For that Is
the purport Of his latest utterance or OF the lat
est of his utterances. which has come n hand.
ANY such appropnquity between the nations Is
out Of the question, he contends, because this IS
not an AngloSaxon nation. The hated Sasse-
mach is an insignificant element Of the Republic.
Ireland itself. he roundly says. is more Saxon
than the United States In proof Of which he
gives some most portentous figures showing
that Of our seventy millions only thirteen mill
ions are British or of British origin the rest be
ing Irish, Teutonic. Slav, Negro and what not
II would he OF interest to know where he got
the figures or on what principle he evolved
them from his inner consciousness. Certainly
there seems to he no warrant for them In any
authoritative statistics. We suppose that Mr..
Davitt will concede that the great influx OF non
Anglo Saxons into this country has been since
1850 In that year only q trfc more than y
per cent of the population was Of foreign birth.
In 1880 the percentage was more than Ii. Now
It IL nearly Il. Prior 10 1850 the population
was chiefly descended from the original settlers
of the Thirteen Colonies. and 1t is the simplest
matter Of historic record that they were chiefly
Anglo-SaXon. Now in 1880 there were about
q, 100000 native born and only 1850 900 foreign
born In the country. And Of the former nearly
all were Of native American parentagc, since in
the twenty years from 1871 10 1910 less than
10000 immigrants entered the country. And
since 1910. down to 1890, only about 14.10O,OOO
immigrants have come hther from all the
world.
Now, Is It reasonable TO suppose that these less
than 100000 immigrants have increased and
multiplied ard replenshed the land rapidly
as TO have outstrlpped the q ,OO0.000 Of native
born? Assuredly nO:. There can he no question
that to-day. despite the enormous influx Of for
eigners the Overwhelming majority Of people In
this country are descended from those who
settled in this country prior to 1S50-yes and
prior to 1920 That is TO say, the vas, ma jority
Of Americans are native born and their parents,
and their grandparents, and their great grand
parents were native born before them. And II
the population Of the United States in the first
quarter Of this century was not chiefly Anglo
Saxon, il would be interesting for Mr.. Davitt TO
tell us what 1t was.
Moreover. there is another important consid-
GRAFTON to be taken into account. Not all these
millions of immigrants have been non-SaXon.
not by a good deal. We notice the Irish and
Germans and Savs and Negroes and others
more because they are more distinctively allen
In speech and manner. But the simple fact is
that for many years England has been one of
the chief contributors TO our naturaizcd populn-
ton Prior to 1890 England sent us considcra-
bly, more than two-thlrds as many immigrants
rs Ireland did. and would have sent us more
than Ireland did had 1t not been for the ex-
traordinary rush from the latter country in the
year OF the Great FAMINE. Since 1881 English
immigrants have considerably ouinumbered
those from ireland, and, indeed, those from any