Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-07-09
10 the AmorIcaa( CHARACTER cAanoInol

This increase is attributable to the
change In change In character Of the
immigration. Instead OF the English,
Irish, Scotch, Germans and Scandi-
navians who formed the bulk Of the
influx until a few years ago, and who,
being northern people, and having an
aptitude for political freedom were
readily assimilated, we are getting
swarms OF Poles, Bohemians and
southern Latins who are neither so
fraternize with Americans as were
the earlier immigrants. There is,
therefore, some ground for the sup
position that either the character Of
the American people will be altered,
if we absorb this new element, or the
population of the United States will
loee its marvellous hOmOgeneity, il we
do not absorb the new element.
The original American stock-the
stock which fought the Revolutionary
War-has not been prolific, and there
are few citizens of the United States
who have not a strong imported strain
in their veins. As the original stock
was English, and as the Scotch and
Irish brought over the English speech,
traditions and political ideas, the En-
glish, Scotch and Irish immigration
did not tend to change the American
character. 1t poured virile blood in
to the nation and raised a large crop
of children who were in physique, in
t~ellect, tendency and ideas thoroughly
American. Indeed, the immigrants
themselves, in the course of a few
years, became as thoroughly American
as any descendant of the pilgrims.
Between the immigrants of Plymouth
Rock and the immigrants of Castle
Garden there was only a difference in
the time of arrival. An Irishman re-
who mad twitted him with being a
newcomer: "The only difference be-
tween you and me is that your family
went broke in Europe two centuries
before mine did"
Nor did the German and Scandina-
Wan immigration change perceptibly
the character of the American people.
History tells that the Saxon and the
Mortimer fuse readily with the Celts,
and it has been remarked by some
students Of ethnology that a tincture
of German blood gives stability to the
American character ana greatly i'm
proves 1t. 1t Is certain that the
American of German extraction is
generally a very sane, intelligent, in
dustrious and patriotic citizen.
But the Poles, Bohemians and
southern Latins have an indigestible
look and it is doubtless whether we
can assimilate them into our system
without severe national collie, II we
can assimilate at all. They are for
eigners not only in their place Of
birth but in their ideas and traditions,
and the alien character is a thing rath-
or of the mind than of the nativity.
However, the northern Italians have
made good citizens. They are a par
ticularly intelligent race, and have
inherited a good deal of the old Roman
character and intellectually. Per-
haps the present Italian immigration
will make Just as useful an addition to
the American population as did the
early immigration from Northern
Italy. Time viii tell.
1t might not be a bad thing for the
American nation If immigration should
fall off or cease for a while until the
present population of this country
shall have become well mixed and
commingled. We have swallowed a
python's meal of immigration, and it
might be well to lie still a while and
digest what we have. OF late years
the process Of assimilation has Jagged
slightly, and some of the foreign ele-
ments have gathered in particular
localities their alien character. More
over, the foreign na~tionalities, as
such, have figured more prominently
than heretofore in national elections,
and hypens have been used rather
frequently in connection with the
word "American, (which ought to be
unqualified. These are signs of super
abundant chronological alimentation.
This country is like a caldron in
which a nation Is brewing. Strictly,
the American character is not chang
ing, but forming. The American
character is still an embryo. When
all the diverse elements shall have be-
come completely blended, then we
shall have a national character which
will be neither English, Scotch, Irish.
German, scandinavian nor Latin, but
American.-San Francisco Examiner,