Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-04
As Others See Us.

tain amount of ii helps business Won
dcrfu.ly. For this reason we propose
to quote extensively from an editorial
which recently appeared in the Chica-
go Tribune, showing what the past has
been and calling attention to what the
future must be if we hold our place.
The rest of this country has begun
to chafe under the domination of New
England. New England has had in
fiuence over the affairs of the nation
ali out of proportion to her numerical
been because of the men who have
gone out from New England, but the
people of the West say that it is be-
cause they have been so busy with
other things that they have not had an
opportunity to give the matter proper
attention. Possibly that is, in part
true The future will tell.
We do know that New England was
formerly content to sit still and watch
the West grow at tremendous rate,
never seeming to realize that any adj
vantage we had over the West would
brothers, if we did not keep up with
the pace Within a year or two New
England has begun to awaken and the
West has discovered that when we
reallJ mean business that we can do
a little boosting ourselves. Chicago
isn't very far west, but it is at least a
fair start. If the glad tdings have
reached that far it may be assumed
that eventually they will reach points
farther along toward the setting sun.
on this account we reprint for the
benefit of Journal readers the following
paragraphs:
1.-The enthusiasm manifested by
New Englanders at their annual
December banquets has abundant
justification. The recurrence of
Forefathers' day naturally sug-
gests the days and deeds of the
Pilgrims. But the celebration has
wid"ned so as to include apprecia-
ton of all that has been done for
the nation by New England people,
no matter what the particular
place of first settlement. judy
mcnt too must of necessity follow
tn" lines drawn of Wendell Phillips
when he declared that the early
New F,nglanders must be regarded
from the standpoint of the posi-
biities which were wrapped up In
that day, 1920, not in what poor hui
man bodies actually produced at
that time.
'1HoW powerful New England in
huence has been in shaping the
history of the United States is not
easy to estimate. In theology ana
education il has been of paramount
importance. Working through sue
2cssive migrationS Of pioneers.
through missionary preachers who
attended or followed closely upon
these migrations, and. New Eng
land theological seminaries and
year after year, through the grad
yates OF colleges, the religious
characteristics of New England
We're widely spread along the isoth
crmal lines which the movement of
population followed.
THE little red SchOolhouSe' was
found everywhere as a distinct fea-
ture of any New England settle
ment. Teachers went forth from
New England to pursue their pro-
fcssions in far distant places. The
small colleges began to spring up.
fire of
from New England. their success
Sive presidents down to the pres
cnt day quite likely to show the in
hucnce of New England training
as indicated by college degrees.
The educational pioneers in the
north for many years were from
New England.
What is true of theology and cdu-
cation is true in even larger de-
gree Of literature. Nearly all the
history of the United States was
written by New t.nglanders until
WITHIN the last score of years. The
poetry of Whittier and LongfrllOW
ana Lowell shaped public opinion.
The fiction of Hawthorne and other
writer's in prose had wide influence.
When the ability to express great
truths in powerful oratory is added.
as the names of Webster. Choate.
Phillips. and Sumner are recalled,
the reason for pride of race and
pride of descent is plain enough.
IF the development of govern
mental forms, popular ideas, and
common speech were to be studied.
the same dominant influence would
he discovered all through the nor
then states. 1t manfeStS itself in
countless ways and largely because
the emigrants from New England
have been marked by that valuable
capacity of carrying with them
wherever they have gone their
laws. institutions. and ideas d ca
pacity Inherited from their Anglo
saxon ancestors of years gone by
The mere geography of this diff
fusion of influence through nearly
three centuries since Pilgrim and
Puritan first sought the stern and
rockbOund coast" of New England
ras an interest that approaches
FASCINATION as it is studied. The
books on American race strains in
crease in number. Mr.. Faust's
work showing the German inhu-
ence in the United States. for in