The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-11-04
DECAY OF LAW OF CUSTOM
Due to the Travelling Of the White
Race Into All Parts Of
the World.

The progressive penetration Of the
white lace into regions OF the earth
which are inhabited by colored races
may be said to have eliminated in the
recent expedition to Lhassa, which
probably marks the beginning of q sap
ping process destined ultimately to
lead to he fall of the last citadel Of
immemorial custom and prejudice, says
the London Lancet. Under the title Of
the Decay of the Law of Custom an
interesting address was recently de-
llvered at the fOrty-fourth annual
meeting OF the DevOnshire association
by the president, Basil H. Thomson,
governor or the DartmoOr convict pris-
on. The laws of custom which have
governed the cOlOred races for count
less generations are, it is pointed out,
gradually breaking down, though it is
estimated that some 800, 600, 900 of the
1000, OOO, 600 constituting the popula-
ton of the globe are still comparative
ly u~ncivilized and stagnant under the
influence of these laws. The ever-in-
creasing facilities of intercommunica-
ton must make steadily for a greater
uniformity of view and conduct among
the different races of mankind and for
the white race the question is Of the
first Importance as to what part the
colored races will come to play in the
affairs of the world when they shall
have assimilated the teachings of west
ern civilization.
With this is bound up the question
OF the relative mental capacity of the
white and cOlOred peoples. 1t would
be rash to assert that any race is infe-
rior in mental endowment to, and in
herently incapable of reaching the
mental level of another, though plenty |
OF white men are to be found who, aft
er years of residence in Africa or the
east, speak confidently of the general
inferiOrity of the colored races.
Even in instances IN which it is mani
that no such inferiority exists,
there is, they say, and always will be,
profound difference between colOred
and white races in the manner of view
ing things. This is TO maintain that
mans attitude of mind is as innate
as little liable to alteration as is
the color of his skin.
We prefer to take the view hat the
differences between white and colored
races are in the main matters of Gus
ON n tradition and as such are SUBJ
Iect to the influences of the agents of
civilization, such as steam and cleo
ririty which ho We o1,ooI- Io-o -
much toward obliterating lines of de-
narration between na~tiOnalities and
oward establishing uniformity in
manners and customs.
That this Is Mr.. Basil ThOmgon's
Jew may be seen from the following
words of the address referred to: "In
countries the line of caste ,
would 500 cease to be the color of !
skin. There. as in temperate zones.
would create a new ~aristocracy |
from men of every shade Of {
olOr. In the great cities of Europe G
nd America we might find men Of I
Chinese and Arab origin con- c
rolling industries with their wealth, /.
as Europeans now controlled the ,
of India and China, but with
his difference, that they would wear t
he dress and speak the language O
hitch would gradually have became f
to the whole commercial P
'Orld. Just as the ~aristocracy v
f every land would be composed of c
shade of color so would the 7
lasses of men who work with their :.
ands. . White men would work r
neck by jowl with black and feel no t
9gradatiOn. There would be the same S
pursuit of wealth, but all races p
ould participate in it instead Of a ia
bred few" c.