YoungstownskeÌ SlovenskeÌ noviny = Youngstown Slovak news. (Youngstown, Ohio) 1910-1940, 1933-09-01

strange spectacle the youth Of Sovak parentae suffering
from the complex ancestry thing not to be spoken
of thing to concealed Upon second thought that is
not so surprising realize that the central countries Of
Europe of which sovaa is part not nearly so well
America the countries of western Europe
and result the children of slovak parentage often feel
that their ancestry valuable and less worthy than that
of other children.
how incorrect and how groundess is such an in
eriory complex when the annals of history and
who the Slovaks whence the Sovaks came
how doggedy they their racial integrity and culture
and their language through centuries of exceedingly op
pressve foreign domination and how herocay they event
ally achieved their national recognition and independence
Allow then to sketch with few bold strokes the his
ovaks yesterday and today and then
briefly discuss the obligations of the American youth of Sova
lineage to posterity by reason of its ancestry
The Sovaks old nation which has deeply engraved
it's history in the annals of Europe They branch of the
great Slav family of which the Russians the largest
ber They are patient podding sturdy Industrious
religious tenacious whose tragic history
la full millennium.
Where the Slovaks from originally cannot be traced
beyond the haze of antiquity of the fifth century but that
is also true of practically all other existing branches of the
white race.
At that time, we find them living the country at the
foot of the rugged Carpathian Mountains.
Of the nine branches the large Sav family the Sovaks
the first to embrace Christianity early the year
$685. when they heard the word of God from the lips
Savonic apostles Cyril Methodus ever SINCE they
have remained ferventy and devotedly Catholic.
In LnaC the SlOVakS were component part
great Moravan Empire which, in those times of primitive
civilization held the balance Of power of Eastern Europe
Then 9O fought decisive battle of Bratsava
with the Magyars the barbarc plunderers from the east
who forced westward by the pressure of other Asia
hordes shattered the great Moravan Empire
duced the sovereign of Sovaa to province of the
Kingdom of Hungary Thus the lands they inhabited
known Slovakia passed under Magyar rule and with
them the Independent political existence of the Slovaks
Their Hungarian masters reduced them to state
salage.
This the beginning of a foreign domination that
lasted about ten centuries which, time on became
harher and bitter Severed political associa
ton and direct intercourse with the neghborng Sla the
maintenance of their Individuality language and culture ma
turaly, rested entirely with themselves.
Fortunately they had immense pride of they
had an intense love of their mother tongue
Several hundred after the conquest the Hungarian
crown desparng of it's attempts by direct absorption
simulate the pastoral and agricultural sovaks who remained
isolated and uncompromsng decided to introduce Germanic
colonies throughout the country Through MEANS it was
hoped that pabe and tractabe people might
leaven and in time absorb dsodge the native Slo
vaks But that was not to be they remained
native Slovak language and culture and racial integrity and
the Germanc colonies remained apart drops Of oil in
water.
Forcible Magyarizaton was then thrust upon them.
They denied the right speech; they were de-
MED the right Of assembage they were denied schools and
literature in their mother tongue they were denied free
they denied participation in government even in
wholly Slovak and in every way they were kept
in backward state
But nevertheless they waged desperate struggle against
absorption and national obteraion and with strange tenac
t they their identity and individuality and their
integrity Of blood, through centuries Of time.
Their mvnerable natonalsm and their brave defiance
and their intense love Of their mother tongue are all so aptv
worded in that immortal song Of songs whose words were
written far back in the year 1892 the political and ma
tonalsic future Of the Slovaks at very low ebb:
NHej, Slovaci, este nasa slovensk& rec zie.
Dokial' naSe verne srdce y MAI narod bje
Hje, Hje duch slovensky bude lit ma veky,D
and the last line q the second which voices their
solute trust ia God:
Doh i nani, ~ proi nkn teAo parsn 1nttis