268 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



institution of slavery. In Rome, " whole tribes were borrowed " for the 

 work of agriculture, while conquered groups were utilized as menials or 

 slaves. 



Everywhere, under these conditions, the blood of the slave or the 

 conquered has diluted that of the dominating race, usually to its detri- 

 ment. For example, in most Spanish and Portuguese colonies Latin 

 blood has been mixed with the aboriginal, producing crosses showing 

 few of the virtues of the European stock. Indeed, in Portugal, the 

 mixture from subject races in Brazil, Africa and India, has invaded 

 the parent itself to its social and political confusion. 



Two main facts appear in this connection. In many racial crossings 

 occurs the mingling of the least desirable types of each. Naturally 

 where the dregs of one race mix with the offscourings of another arise 

 distressing possibilities of vice and incompetence. For instance, the 

 Eurasian in Asiatic sea-ports "is damned from his birth and on both 

 sides." But when good European blood mingles with Asiatic strains as 

 good, there is no evidence that the progeny is inferior to either parent 

 stock. 



The words "hybrid" or "mongrel," terms of reproach as usually 

 applied to the human race, relate commonly to the union of widely 

 different peoples. But the question of "race or mongrel" can not be 

 settled by a priori assertions as to superiority of pure over mixed races. 

 There is no general law that mongrels are sterile, inert and non-resist- 

 ant. It is a matter to be determined in any individual case of crossing 

 by a study of the results derived. Experiments of the sort have no 

 pertinency unless best is mated with best, and even then they might 

 prove conclusive only if many times repeated. And no result shown 

 in individuals need be valid as a general law of crossing. It would 

 apply only to the particular types in question. No important informa- 

 tion could be expected from the study of the first generation. One 

 would need to know the nature of the recessive characters involved as 

 well as of the dominant ones. The final Mendelian disposition of 

 mixed race characters must determine the final answer. 



The intermarriage of European races can hardly be called crossing 

 at all, as the racial differences concerned are of slight order, little more 

 than temperamental at the best, and most of the traits we commonly 

 recognize are matters of education. All those qualities which disappear 

 in a generation in America must be chargeable to education, not to race. 

 And, in general, other things being equal, the advantage seems to be on 

 the side of the blended races which belong to the same general stock. 

 Moreover, in civilized lands, there are only blended races. Blending is 

 part of civilization. Pure strains confined to isolated islands or valleys, 

 thus withdrawn from competition, by no means represent the best of 

 any race. There is no wide-spread race which is pure. There is no such 



