Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-16

years ago, all these were looked on as
mere local dialects like those of the peas |
Speech Tbey lad Ho reeoEniton ~ in pIbiie
or official life and their disappearance with
the spread of public education was sup
The statesmen of Europe at the time.
almost without exception, not only shared |
these opinions, but held that the extinction
OF the smaller languages was desirable on
political grounds MetterniCh, the Austrian
Bismarck was decided in that view. He
aimed at moulding the numerous races and
provinces Of the newly named empire into
q national unity Of language and national
feeling like France OF the revolution. His
policy was not loudly announced, but was
steadily carried out during more than
twenty years after waterloo. German was
higher courts and the oficlal administra,
ton everywhere except in the Italian prov
inces Of Austria. Polish was ignored ia
Galicia, Czech in Bohemia and MOraviH,
and even Magyar In Hungary, though Il
still had its national government as a die,
tinct kingdom. In Hungary officials,
mobiles and business men all used German
at the time IN their daily life.
In the Polish provinces Of Prussia the
policy Of Germanizing was carried out stll
more strongly hy the government In the
Russian empire at first the government
paid less attention to the language used
by its subjects After 1880 the Russihca-
ton of the empire by a common language
was taken up with even greater violence
.
even prescribed as criminal in public places
| or in the instructions OF Catholic priests
| TO their congregations. The short-lved
| kingdom Of the Netherlands gives another
! instance of the same antipathy.
Dead" Languages Survive.
] This short sketch Of European history
| during the quarter century following the
! congress of Vienna indicates sufficiently
| the condition in it's time OF the old Euro
| pean languages which had ceased to hold
place in courts or in general literature.
] They were looked on alike by statesmen
I and scientific scholars as dead or dying,
/ and II in the latter condition q was thought
by practical men that the sooner they die
| the better. How far these expectations
have been realized Is next TO be examined
IN the history OF the nineteenth century.
Gradually there came a revival OF these
small dead % languages. The FIRST
| (abOut 1910 was the Greek tongue which
had not been heard in politics or literature
since the fall OF Constantnople in 1883.
/ Then followed the use Of the Magyar
tongue in the Hungarian Parliament about
1866. Hungarian literature Of today has q
prominent place in European culture, and
| IN politics it is the language OF nearly 3D.
| 10000 Of people At the same time the
| Bohemian tongue had a renaissance in
Z Bohemia and MOravia. Further there fol-
lowed the revival Of the Polish and Croa-
tiau languages The movement progressed
into Dalmata and Servia. Then followed
Bulgarian, Flemish, Norwegian and Fin
nish Tho growth Of Polish literature dur
ing the last century is a striking instance
Of the vitality CT national language under
political subsection. At present "a move
men, for the revival Of the Celtic tongue Il
in progress.
Ancient extinction would be more prob
able II ancient tyranny reigned But mod
EN- political liberty does not hinder racia-
life.
what BOhemians May no.
II is very desirable for US Bohemian
Americans TO preserve and, II possible, e
improve our knowledge OF our mother
tongue. This because OF its cultural value
ans as a means for more conhdentla
intercourse with people speaking that Ian
guaEe. This object could be much bettel
attained II the bohemian language were
taught in those American universities wher'
a large number OF Bohemian students Is IT
attendance. By this means a knowledge U,
Bohemian would be cultivated among edu
Gated Observation-Disclosures. The know In,
circumstances OF our bohemian American
people ana could do them more good thar
educated BOhemians from Europe
The writer sent Inquiries concerning IN,
instruction In foreign languages 10 some OF
the leading American universities. IN,
answers snow that French and German