New-York tribune., 1907-12-21
PRIDE OF BLOOD.

PERHAPS no theory ever urged by scientific OBJ
servers is more irritating TO the average man
than that enunciated the other day by Professor
Boaz the distinguished anthrepologist, in the
tenth lecture Of the popular course now being
offered at Columbia University. Professor Boaz
reiterated with most singing succinctness the
doctrine. now generally accepted by his fellow
snpciaIiSts that there is no shred of evidence
warranting the pride which European peoples
take in their racial purity and superiority.
Every naughty race. from hidalgo to Muscovite,
is A hybrid in which scores of other earlier
races themselves hybrids, have been conformity
infused. Still more disastrous to this most an
cient fable of the human race is the declaration
that nobody find any good evidence to con-
firm the superstition about the higher nervous
DEVELOPMENT and mental ability of the so-called
superior races. Chinese PEASANTS child
placed early in the best American environment
holds his own with any Yankee youngster, while
the "braniest' BostOnan brat transplanted to
the slums of Foo-Chow would become as great
a dot as the dirtiest cooe that ever smoked
onirm. And-horror of horrors all distin-
eushed lineages run back to two primitive types
of man. the Negroid and the MOngol.
But does it follow from all this that race
pride and race prejudice are wholly unJustifl-
able emotions? There Is need of distinguishing
several feelings which have been inexactly des-
which is mere ancestor worship, but there is
also tribal or national solidarity which goes by
the same name sometimes. And, again, there Is
wouId-be scientific enthusiasm, which has repeat
edlv led cultured fanatics to write thick books
nroving the foreordaned and invinclble suprem-
acv of all people blessed with skulls Of certain
shane hair of certain hue and texture, teeth of
certain chemical composition, stOmachs at
tunad to certain food. This last variety of pride
is the one anthropologists are directly humbling.
But their Implication frequently is that pride
in the actual present day superiority of nation
or in the manifest destiny Of a people Is
eouallv delusion and a danger. In so far as
this leads to the theory that every head hunting
Dyak and depraved Andamanese is entitled to
the same personal respect and consideration as
q cultured Frenchman or Scot it is absurd and
blind The racial feeling of the ordinary man
is aroused by the positive achievements and the
acouired mowers of his blood brethren, and there
is no reason why 1t should be wholly overcome
bv knowledge that all races are supposed to De
notentialv equal The anthropolOgiStS diScov-
cry ought to warn men against vainglOry ana
the oppression of inferior peoples, but no trick
of logic or common sense can make 1t use1ul
to the anti-imperialists. On the contrary, the
scientific proof that human progress depends al
most entirely upon the character of the environ
ment into which men are put supplies an argu-
ment for benevolent paternalism" The man
ifest destiny" of civilization is to equip less
fortunate peoples with IDEAS customs and i'm
plements Of proved superiority, whether the
learning races lie to be schooed or not. Abb
stract Justice may be violated in the process,
but simplv because it is not real justice to the
world at large