INCREASE OF THE COLORED POPULATION. 675 



the problem is a very different one. But it is still true that at last, 

 at however remote a period, the industrious, hardy, plodding, persist- 

 ent, breeding race is that which will push its way into predominance. 

 What race will be our Macedonian, our barbarian, or our Turk, can 

 not be divined. It may still be in embryo. The conflict of races is 

 now less on the bloody fields of battle than on the peaceful fields of 

 industry, and other than martial traits of character may hereafter de- 

 termine who shall be the victors. Formerly the conquerors came from 

 without ; hereafter they may spring up within. 



In the world's history peoples have risen, flourished, and declined. 

 How or even where they came into existence is not always known ; 

 but this we do know, that they came into prominence only by comply- 

 ing with the conditions of ethnical consequence. They were hardy, 

 aggressive, and prolific. And there is this paradox, that the greater 

 they became the surer were they to perish. Greek and ftoman belong to 

 the irrevocable past ; and many who helped suj^plant them have yield- 

 ed in turn to others. The Yandals came like a vision into history and 

 then disappeared. The Thracians, a numerous people in the Eastern 

 Empire during the first century, have long since become extinct. The 

 Vallacians, from small beginnings in the eleventh century, forced their 

 way into history and in two or three centuries passed out of sight. 

 The Ottoman Turks, a small nomadic tribe of Mesopotamia temper- 

 ate, hardy, warlike, pushing rapidly grew into a great historical peo- 

 ple, and made a place for themselves where Christians and Greeks 

 once held sway ; but they have long since entered on the period of 

 their decline, and eventually some more vigorous people will take their 

 place. If we could know the origin of the vast Teuton family, we 

 should, no doubt, be astonished at its then small promise of future 

 greatness. The Slav is pushing his way into consequence, and we 

 can not appoint the limit of his capabilities. It sometimes takes an 

 obscure race but a little while to rise. This we may study even in our 

 own times. AYhat we know as the Celtic Irish were, only two hundred 

 years ago, less than one million strong ; now they number many mill- 

 ions and are increasing with great rapidity. They are not afraid of 

 hardships, and their vices are not of the effeminate kinds which under- 

 mine the constitution. They are finding homes in many lands, and 

 who can forecast their destiny ? We have a still more recent instance 

 in the colored people of the United States. Eighty years ago they 

 numbered only 1,002,000, but with all their drawbacks they are now 

 6,577,000. With a like increase for the next eighty years, they would 

 be 43,000,000 strong. Even less do w^e know of what is in store for 

 this race than for almost any other. The situation is unique, and there 

 is little clear history to guide us ; while it is far less likely than any 

 of the white varieties to disappear in the universal blending of races 

 on American soil. 



