Mr. Hildreth, in his "History of the United States," in speaking of the introduction of that class of persons, as late as the year 1750, says: "The importation of indented white persons, called "servants," or sometimes "redemptioners," in distinction from the negroes, who were known as slaves, was still extensively carried on, especially in the middle colonies. The colonial enactments for keeping these servants in order, and especially for preventing them from running away, were often very harsh and severe. They were put, for the most part, in these statutes, on the same level with the slaves, but their case in other respects was very different, In all the colonies, the term of indented service, even where no express contract had been entered into, was strictly limited by law, and, except in the case of very young persons, it seldom or never exceeded seven years. On the expiration of this term, these freed servants were absorbed into the mass of white inhabitants, and the way lay open before them and their children to wealth and social distinction. One of the future signers of the declaration of independence was brought to Pennsylvania as a redemptioner. In Virginia, at the expiration of his term of service, every redemptioner, in common with other immigrants to the colony, was entitled to a free grant of fifty acres of land, and in all the colonies certain allowances of clothing were required to be made by the late masters. Poverty, however, and want of education on the part of the mass of these freed-men, kept them too often in a subservient condition, and created in the middle as well as in the southern colonies an inferior order of poor whites, a distinction of classes, and an inequality in society almost unknown in republican New England.' In treating of the condition of things in the colony of Massachusetts, in 1631, Mr. Hildreth says: "Besides the indented servants sent out by the company, the wealthier colonists brought others with them. But these servants seem, in general, to have had little sympathy with the austere manners and opinions of their masters, and their frequent transgressions of Puritan decorum gave the magistrates no little trouble." There is much reason to believe, that one half of the emigrants to the colony of Pennsylvania were indented servants, or redemtioners, (that is, persons sold for their passage, and allowed to redeem themselves by a certain number of years' service); and that three-fourths of the emigrants to the southern colonies, were persons of the same classes. Great numbers of indented servants were also brought to New York and New England. The condition of white servants in the colonies, explains the origin of the poor whites in the slave states, and the wide distinction between them and the rich and educated classes from the first settlement of the colonies. They were not made poor by slavery. They were always poor, and have been kept poor from generation to generation, by the joint influence of ignorance, the enervating effects of the climate, the indirect influences of slavery, and the general discouragement of manufacturing industry in the southern states. If as great efforts had been made at the south, by the state governments and the educated classes of people, to establish manufactures and common schools, and to educate the whole people, as were made in the Puritan colonies of New England, and have been made in the state of New York during the last fifty years, the condition of the poor whites of the slave states would have been very different at the present time. Emigration to the United States. Emigration to the colonies was suspended by the revolutionary war, and was comparatively small from the close of the war, until after the war of 1812. The number of emigrants that came to the United States between the years 1790, and the war of 1812, have been estimated by competent judges, on the best evidence attainable, at only about 150,000, and about 100,000 between the close of the war and the year 1820; and the whole number of alien passengers to the United States, by sea, during ten years, from 1820 to 1830, were less than 144,000. But few Irish Catholics came until the commencement of the New York canals, in 1817, caused a large demand for laborers; and the great flood of Irish and Germans did not come until after the mania for internal improvements became very general, about the year 1830, and the demand for laborers had been thereby greatly increased. After deducting from the official reports of the number of alien passengers arriving in the United States, for the estimated number of persons coming on business, or as visitors, about three-fourths as many as the United States passengers reported as returning home from abroad, I have estimated the number of emigrants to the United States during the ten years, from July 1st, 1820, to June 30th, 1830, at July 1st, 1830, to June 30, 1840, July 1st, 1850, to June 30, 1860, January 1st, 1815, to June 30, 1820, Total from 1815, to June 30, 1860, 124,000 569,000 1,670,000 2,540,000 97,000 5,000,000 The emigration to the United States from 1846 to 1860, inclu sive, was unprecedented in the history of the world; and there is reason to believe that it will become very large again, after the close of the present civil war. About four millions of the inhabitants of the United States were born in foreign countries; about 2,500,000 of whom are Roman Catholics, and 1,500,000 Protestants. Dr. Morse estimated the Catholic population of the United States, in 1790, at 50,000, confined mostly to the state of Maryland. In 1860, they exceeded 4,000,000, and were numerous in every state in the Union. They consist of Irish and Germans, a few French, and fewer Spanish and Mexicans. They have very few sympathies in common; none except what grow out of their religion. There is no union of feeling, and no cohesion among them; and hence no danger to our country ever need be apprehended from their combination. Our common schools and republican institutions are Americanizing them very rapidly. They are very strongly attached to the Union and to the federal government; industrious, economical, and frugal, but not very enterprising. They are not often enthusiastic, visionary, or extravagant, or what we sometimes term fast people. There is very seldom any fanaticism among them, and hence their influence is generally of a conservative character and tendency. Such are the discordant elements and materials-the varieties of race, peoples, languages, religions, education, habits, customs,, manners, and opinions-forming a medly or hotch-pot, out of which the American character is to be formed; for it can hardly be said to be fully formed at present. We must rely upon our common schools, our republican institutions, customs and usages, the English language, and English and American learning and literature, to assimilate this mass of discordant materials, and form for us three or more types of civilization and character, in many respects the same, and all approximating to one type and standard of national character. SEC. 3. DIVERSITIES OF RACE, LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND OPINION; AND AMALGAMATION. The opinion is common, that the people of the United States are an amalgamation of all the races of western and central Europe; but there is no truth in that opinion. There has never been much amalgamation or mixture of races in our country, except what has arisen from an illicit intercourse of white men with slaves and other colored women. Marriages are generally contracted between persons moving in the same or similar circles of society. It is very seldom that persons of different races, or persons speaking different languages, or professing religions creeds widely different, ever inter-marry. Such differences present strong barriers to social intercourse, render it difficult for the parties to make themselves agreeable to each other, and tend to keep them asunder, and to keep the races distinct. Different races mix in marriage with nearly as much difficulty as oil and water. They require peculiar circumstances to operate as an alkali, to unite them. Not only differences of race, language, and education, but differences of religious opinion and association, tend also to keep parties asunder, and prevent intermarriages. Protestants of the same race and language, professing the same or similar religious opinions, and moving in the same circle of society, usually marry together; Jews marry Jewesses; Quakers marry Quakeresses; German Catholics, as a general rule marry German Catholic women; German Lutherans marry German Lutheran females; a Catholic Irishman marries a Catholic Irish girl or woman. Low Dutch, in the state of New York, kept themselves a distinct people, so long as they continued to speak the Dutch language ; and the same may be said of the French and other races of people in the United States. The The amalgamation of races in this country has been comparatively trifling; but the amalgamation of opinions on all subjects but religion, and the amalgamation and assimilation of habits, manners, customs, and character, have been very great indeed. The Americans, like the people of all other nations, have generally inherited their religious opinions, or imbibed them from education and association in early life; but there has been a constant and strong tendency to amalgamation and assimilation in the opinions of a social, political, moral, educational, and industrial character; and upon subjects connected with the practical business of life. Foreigners coming here very soon become partially Americanized, and at the same time they often communicate to our people valuable mechanical and practical information, which they bring with them from their native country. The differences of race, religion, and climate in the United States, and the divisions of opinion, habits, customs and modes of industry, arising from such causes, furnish subjects of thought and discussion, and serve to produce a healthy activity of mind, which tends to develop the intellectual faculties of the people; and in the absence of any violent religious or anti-slavery agitation, such causes very seldom disturb the peace and harmony of a nation, or destroy its unity. The general use of the English language, English and American learning and literature, the press, common schools, universal suffrage, and our system of politics and public meetings, all tend to teach foreigners the English language, to wear off their foreign prejudices and habits, to imbue them with American ideas and opinions, and to assimilate their opinions and habits more and more to American standards. This is the amalgamation which is constantly going on in our country; and this is almost the only amalgamation which exists here to any considerable extent. After the assimilation has become complete, or nearly so, and traces of foreign origin are nearly extinguished, then, and not till then, intermarriages become frequent between the descendants of different races. Such has been the effect in the state of New York of these several causes of assimilation, including the universal education of children and youth in their common schools, during the last sixty years, that it is now difficult to distinguish the youth and young persons of Dutch and German descent in the valleys of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, from those of New England descent, who have been bred in the same counties. The effects of similar causes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other states, have been similar, though not so great, and the assimilation not so complete and perfect; but time and the continued operation of such causes will eventually make it so. There are only three causes of difference which cannot be overcome; continue to operate forever. ligion, and slavery. one, and probably two of which will They are diversities of climate, of re Such are the causes which have been gradually forming for the people of the United States three national characters, in many respects the same; but in others widely different. The first is the |