New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-15

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slender. supple, graceful Italian Of the Middle
Ages, with his large dark eyes: as different as
the honesty OF the was from the craft CT
villany of the other. Races do not change D.
such degree without ntermixture OF blood
AS regards the question of language, it goes for
little in fact Jamaica negro though he car
talk nothing but English. Is not for that de-
scendant of the Saxons
NOT ONE-TENTH PART LATIN.
II the modern Italians are in all scientific
probability not one-tenth part Latin BY de-
scent. what shall be said Of the French
who by temperament and according to all
tradition show themselves to be nine tenths
Gauois Celtic. while the remaining tenth
! Is In turn nine tenths Frank, Franconian
or German? In all ages the Frenchman, by
his vivacuy, his inordnate scnsuality-in
short, in thousand ways noted By very early
writors-has shown himself as radically differ
ent from all that truly Latin or seriously
Roman as the man OF one race can be from
that OF another. The reading Of early French
history impartalIy will produce an impression
that the Latin element never entered to moro
than a trifing extent into the French. II we
come to the great test OF blood t. q. personal
likeness. il is altogether wanting. The French
man in physique Is like old Roman
than the esprit Gaulos is like that Of Virgil and
Horace. The old Romans sometimes employed
filth to Illustrate wit. the Freedman has al
ways used wit to display indecency.
The pretcnce of the Spaniards to be Latin is
probably more devoid Of foundation than even
that OF the French Who and what the old
Iberians really were is great mystery certain
! II Is that they were the result from an early time
OF several strangely mixed races. in which
much Phunician- African blood nay have COM
bincd with Celtic and Basque one thing is eyi-
dent that the result was a rather dark and
most unLatin race. OF a serious cast and one
not advanced in intelligence, or at least in this
respect far inferior to the Romans
A COMMON ORIGIN IMPOSSIBLE.
One thing Is undenablc, that if consider
the remarkable difference existing between
Spaniards Italians and Frenchmen (Which diff
ferences become more marked go bacO
II Is simply impossible that these races should
have had a common Latin" origin And be II
observed that these differences are. beyond all
question. not those Of the kind which have been
formed by social Influences of late years, they
are of that nature which proves u complete diff
ference OF origin.
He who studies history deeply and subjectvely
will believe that while the superficial reader Is
led away by secondary and acquired character
stics the true observer is guided by temper
ament deeply seated mental peculiarties.
Thus the Spanard has always shown de-
termined disposition to love for cruelty in
itself FAR beyond the Frenchman or even tho
Italian also inordinate. unreasonng pride or
pride personal even when there nothing
whatever to be proud Of This does not look like
n common descent
The fact that the Southern European
sneak allied LANGUAGES derived from the Latin
or It's sources in common with il is proof
whatever Of a common origin. All that It indi-
Gates is that being morally feeble they adopted
with great ease the tongue Of their conquerors
adapting it to the form spirit Of their own
tongue just as a Chinese transfers his lingual
pecularities 10 pidg English.
1t is worth noting in this connection that
though the Saxon scandinavian population OF
England effectively subdued by and
mingled with the Normans they did not give
up their speech which is now really
Teutonlc 1t was recently and very dryly
marked in a leader in The Times" in reply to
the remark that the English and Americans
were Of different race. that they could at least
understand one another which is than the
| latin races can do.
The ordinary Greek or Oriental Lcvantins
stock to which may be added many other East
ems are not included among the Latin races
but they are in every respect far more allied to
Italians. spaniards and natives Of the South Of
France both in body and mind. than to tho
men OF the North That there should be In them
more than an imperceptible trace OF Roman
origin is an absurd proposition. But that Italy.
and especially It's southern half. has been
largely infused with an Oriental element has
i faIia