The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-27

colonial and revolutionary days. 1t was
they who bent into definite shape our ma
lion while II was still young enough most
easily most readily, to take on the
characteristics which were to become part
OF It's permanent life habit
Yet let US remember that while this
early English colonial stock has left
teepe, tkan all others upon our national
lite the mark of its strong twin indi-
v'duaIities. the mark of the Cavalier and
Of the Observation-Disclosures. this stock,
not only from it's environment but also
frcrr the presence with 1t of other stocks,
almost from the beginning began to be
differentiated strongly from any Euro
peaa people. AS ! have already said.
about the time the first English settlers
landed here, the Frenchman and the
Spaniard. the Swede and the Dutchman,
also came hither as permanent dwellers,
who left their seed behind them to help
shape and partially to inherit our ma
tionaI life. The German, the Irishman.
and the Scotchman came later, but still
| in colonial times Before the outbreak of
the Revolution the American people. not
| only because OF their surroundings. physi-
| cal and spiritual, but because of the mix
| ture of blood that had already begun to
| take place. represented a new and distinct
| ethnic type. This type has never been
fiSeu IN DIOOl. All through lie COioHlaI
| days new waves of immigration from time
| TO time swept hither across the ocean,
now from one country, now from another.
The same thing has gone on ever since
| our birth as q nation; and for the last
sixty years the tide OF immigration has
been at the full. The newcomers are soon
J absorbed into our eager national life, and
are radically and profoundly changed
| thereby, the rapidly of their assimilation
| being marvellous But each group Of new
| Corners. as 1t adds its blood to the life,
| alco changes 1t somewhat, and this change
and growth and development have gone
/ - steadily, generation by generation
| throughout three centuries.
Of Heartbreaking Danger.
( The pioneers of our people who first
| landed on these shores on that eventful
| any there centuries ago, had before them
task which during the early years was
! Of heartbreakng danger and difficulty.
/ he conqust of n new continent Is iron
/ work. People who dwell in old civiliza-
| tons and find that therein so much of
| hrmanity's lot is lard. are apt to COM
| plain against the conditions as being sole
| ~ duo to man ana to speak as If life
| could be made easy and simple II there
! were but a virgin continent in which to
, work 1t is true that the pioneer life was
| simpler. but 1t was certainly not easier.
! AS Il matter of fact, the first work of the
| pioneers in taking possession of lonely
| wilderness is so rough. so hard, SO dam
| Gerou' that all but the strongest spirits
| fail. The early iron days of such con-
| guest search out alike tho weak in body
| and the weak in soul. In the warfare
| against the rugged sternness of primeval
| Nature, only those can conquer who are
| themselves unconquerable. 1t is not until
| tne first bitter years have passed that the
| life becomes easy enough to invite a mass
,c vi
hardship. and toll of the early years that
| there always exists threat of lapsing
back from civilization.
Coming Of the Pilgrims.
| Tho history of the pioneers of James
| town. of the founders of Virginia, illus
trates the truth of all this. Famine and
! pestilence and wa- menaced the little
hand OF daring men who had planted
| themselves alone on the edge Of a frown-
I! ing continent Moreover, as men ever
| find whether In the tniest frontier COM
munity or in the vastest and most highly
| organized and complex civilized society,
their worst foes were in their own bosoms.
Dissenson, distrust. the inability of some
| to work and the unwillingness of others,
jealousy, arrogance and envy. folly and
l,ziness-in short all the shortcomings
| with which wc have to grapple now, We're
| faced by those pioneers. and at moments
|
| absolute ruin. 1t was some time before
| the ground on which they had landed
supported them, in spite of its potential
| fertility, and they looked across the sea
| for supplies. At one moment SO hopeless
did they become that the whole colony
embarked. and was only saved from aban-
| Goring the country by the opportune ar
| rival of help from abroad.
At last they took root in the land, and
| we've already prospecting when the Pill
grinls landed at Plymouth In a few
years great inflow of settlers began.
Four of the present States of New Eng
land were founded. Virginia waXed
| apace. The Caro.nas grew up to the
south OF it, and Maryland to the north
Of it. Tho Dutch colonies between, which
! had already absorbed the Swedish. were In
their turn absorbed by the English. Penn
| sylvania was founded and, later still.
| Indians and with the dauntless captains
whose banners bore the lilies of France.
At last the British flag flew without a
rival in all eastern North America. Then
came the successful struggle for national
independence,
| Tide of immigration.
For half century after we became a
seperate nation there was comparatively
little immigration to this country. Then
the lido once again set hlther. and has
flowed in ever-increasng size until In
| each of the last three years a. greater
number of people came to these shores
thar had landed on them during the en-
tire colonial period. Generation by genera
tion these people have been absorbed into
tic rational life, Generally their sons, al
most always their grandsons, are indis-
tingu!shable from ene another and from