The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-22

must admit that they are always based on
observation and are presented with clear
ness and force. Mr.. Bigelow is a thorough
American, but he sees the faults as well
as the merits OF the American system anc
the American character, and he believes
the way TO cure them is 10 acknowledge
their existence and face them honestly.
His chapters on the negro as an element in
colonization, on the Chinaman as a colo
mist, ON the American as a colonist. anC on
the white invasion o. China afford exam
pies OF his capacity for independent think
ing. He has great faith in Americans, and
especially in New E~nglanders. New Eng
land" he says, has furnished the best
type Of the American colonist. although,
had there been no New England. Virginia
and her %neighbors would have still fur
nished the world with colonial leaders in
plenty. The Introduction OF negro slavery
Into the United States was a political and
economic error. and retarded in many ways
the fullest development OF the States which
tolerated IL. Without discussing that ques-
ton here, we aOte only the TACT that in n
small! section of New England are located.
and have been for more than two cen
turtles, the intellectual training schools from
which have gone forth generation after
generation OF shrewd. ambitious. we'll
disciplined and well-iaformed young men
who, as school teachers, clersymen, doctors,
lawyers. have uniformly marched with the
pioneers toward the Western frontier,
This comes pretty near claiming TOO much
for New England. There are other training
schools besides those in that section OF the
country. and hundreds of thousands OF the
educated and ~well-eQuipped American plo-
neers or civilization in recent years lave
never been near New England. n broader
view Is taken in the following passage:
The Angio-SaNons who trekked across the
Aliegheny mountains at the close or the
eighteenth century and reared their log
cabins III the forests of Tennessee and Ken
lucky cut themselves off from civilization
quite as much as did the Beers who IN
vaded the kaffir strongholds of inner
Africa. The republic of Texas is a colonial
romance. The latter-day Yankee. with the
hatred of Spain in his blood. fell foul OF
Spanish settlements in the great Southwest
ern Territories. where Spanish priests and
1ieSican aIcades represented the same civ
liza ton which had invited the freebooting
eXpcdltlcn Of Drake and Raleigh three
centuries ago. The individual American.
whateyer his government might order,
coulo not tolerate the bastard Spanish in
stltution which fiourished over California,
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas at the
time when the frontiers of the United
States were being pushed further and fur
ther toward the setting sun. The conflict
was inevitable and the result equally GER
tain. Spanish institutions under Mexican
government were hopelessly swamped un-
der the tide of advancing colonists, and
to-day the three centuries of Spanish or
Mexican rule are recalled only by a few
ruins or prlestly missions-a few pictur-
esque Spanish names. which have enriched
the v~ocabularies of miners and COWBOYS"
The author strongly advocates local self
government as the basic principle of all
successful colOniZation." The Bismarckian
scnooi OF craftsmanship" he says, lis a
dangerous ScnOOI from which 10 graduate
colonial administrators for in 1t is taught
the doctrine that physical force is the DOM
mating factor in natural development. Bis
marck never moved without a saber in one
hand-5ven in the peaceful halls of legisla-
ton: his idea of good government was the
| tidiness and monotony of the barrack
yard" The chapters on The Spread Of
Russia" The Evolution of the Boer."
Can the White Man and His Wife Flour
ISL III the Tropics?" possess special interest
In the light of current events. The book
Is readable and instructive, and it is timely
because we Americans have now distant
colonies TO administer, and we cannot af-
ford to be Indifferent to a matter which
las in times past profoundly modineI the
constitution Of nearly every erea- civilized
nation. New York: Mcclure. Phillips *